Temperature gauge

The temperature gauge on my dash has stopped working. The red light still flashes but no movement on the dial. Anyone know of any ways I can check the gauge is working or the sender before I start ordering the wrong parts. Cheers Andy. 

Are you saying that after starting the engine the red dash light continues to flash? 

If it's going out and you have MFA. 
Disconnect the battery for at the very least 1 minute to reset the MFA and then try again.

Total cost = nothing really!  

It only flashes for a couple of seconds then goes out. The needle doesn't move even when I know the engine is hot. 
I do have MFA so I'll have a go disconnecting the battery. 
I'll let you know how I get on. 
Cheers

andypat said

It only flashes for a couple of seconds then goes out. The needle doesn't move even when I know the engine is hot. 
I do have MFA so I'll have a go disconnecting the battery. 
I'll let you know how I get on. 
Cheers

The couple of seconds is absolutely normal. 

The reason I asked because I had the same symptoms a couple of years ago.
There was no real logic to what I did but it worked. 
Maybe the MFA had nothing to do with it and just disconnecting the battery did it.

While you're under the bonnet, disconnect the temperature sensor at the bottom of the rad (spade connection) and give the terminals a clean up with a wire brush while you're there. 

Will do mate, thanks for the advice. I'll deffinately have a go tonight. 
Thanks again. 

Still no joy. Is there a way of testing the sender or gauge in my dash? I'm thinking one of them has had it. 

andypat said

Still no joy. Is there a way of testing the sender or gauge in my dash? I'm thinking one of them has had it. 

Shame Andy, guess I was just lucky then.

So it's time to call in rubjonny known as the 'wise one'    

You need to find the temperature gauge sensor, it's attached to a flange from one of the head outlets, some on front of the engine and some are on the side depending on what engine you have fitted and it looks like this.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/VW-GOLF-MK1-CABRIOLET-MK2-T25-COOLANT-TEMPERATURE-SENSOR-SWITCH-049-919-501-C603-/200853097336

It should have a spade connector with a wire on it, remove the spade connector and touch it against the head and turn on the ignition, if the gauge goes all the way to the red then it's a faulty sensor, if nothing still happens then it's either the wire going to the gauge or a faulty gauge, check the connection from the spade connector to the wire as you sometimes find the spade connector is only held on by a couple of rusty wires, if so cut it off and fit a new spade connector.

The sensor on the side/bottom of the cooling radiator is to tell the fan to switch on when the radiator gets hot and nothing to do with the gauge that is why it's made no difference to your gauge, if you follow the wires back they go to the fan motor.

Ok I'll give that a go and see what happens. Cheers