Matt Frain

Hi everyone I have joined this forum in the desperate hope someone can help and save my wallet any further unnecessary damage!!!

Bit of a weary tale i,m afraid but the more I tell the less questions or advice on things ive already tried so here goes;

About 3 weeks ago i noticed my 2.2 diesel sport x type was showing that the engine was cold and I had been on the road for about 1/2 hour. Normally my car would take about 5 minutes to get up to just below 1/2 way regardless of the temp outside and stay there. My instrument panel would then display a nice healthy miles per gallon prediction as oppose to what it was saying at that point IE i was running inefficiantly which makes sense if the engine isn't warming up.

Straight away i thought that the thermostat was stuck open??

I took it to my local garage who changed the thermostat (the water one i call it now) and after that made no difference they changed the temp sensor. They then said words to the effect

 don't know what is wrong with it it must be your gauge is faulty 

Not happy and doubting it was the clocks I researched on the internet where i found on a forum that it was likely to be the thermostat that sits around the oil filter housing (I now call it the oil one!).

I told the same garage to order and change this it still made no difference.

I got a bill for £200 and decided to upgrade to a Jag specialist.

I explained all to the specialist and he kept my car for 3 days after which he told me after extensive diagnostic tests (including checking the clocks which he said were working fine) he found the oil thermostat to be faulty and had changed that and the car was working. I obviously then got another bill but was relieved the whole saga was at an end and just rued my luck at being given a faulty part by the other garage.

Sure enough the car was running at the right temp just below 1/2 way and for 15 miles regulated lovely.I was a happy man!

The next morning i started on my journey to work only to find after 5 miles the gauge had not moved again - I drove about a further 20 miles and it finally made its way to the correct temp.

I made another inquiry with the Jag man and he said that he could only suggest replacing the other thermostat (yes the already changed water one). Although it was a risk on my part he had explained that the other garage had not changed the thermostat with the housing around and this may be the issue as the housing tends to leak on these models. I risked it and let him change it but it has made no difference.

I have for the record parted with £400 at this stage.

So this is the stage I am at - All of the stuff done has clearly improved matters as before the car didn't get up to temp at all even if i drove 300 miles. But despite the improvement it still isn't right - what in the hell is stopping this car getting to the temp it needs to in a decent time span??

Today a well meaning mate has suggested that at the last service they have possibly used the wrong engine oil but i think i noticed this problem just before my service - what do the members think about this however as a possible?

I will be forever grateful if someone can help me as I am OCD and despite the wife telling me just to forget about it I know i won't and it is driving me mad that no one seems to have the answer yet they take my cash with alarming skill!

yours desperately Matt