warren@ihnss.UUCP (12/15/83)
While driving home last night I had a thought for the rabbit owners with very poor mileage in cold weather. The rabbit has several temperature compensation systems to pump lots more gas in when the engine is cold. It is possible that something here is misadjusted or failing, and responding to ambient temperature instead. More likely, however, is the problem that the engine is not getting warm. The dominant mode of failure for auto thermostats seems to be to stay stuck wide open, causing coolant to circulate to the radiator even when cold. With no temperature guage, it isn't obvious what's going on. The idiot light common in rabbits comes on only when it's too hot. You may notice that the heater isn't so hot. Your engine just never gets fully warm. In the summer, it's usually no big deal with a rabbit, since the fan doesn't run until it gets really hot and you will get your engine up to reasonable operating temperature. In the winter, it can stay way too cold, resulting in poor performance and possible damage. You can probably tell if the thermostat is working by removing the radiator cap with the engine completely cold and starting the engine. If you see the coolant circulating, replace the thermostat. It takes 5-10 minutes of idling to get the engine warm, at which point your radiator should suddenly get hot and the coolant should start sloshing around in the radiator. Don't leave the cap off after this! -- Warren Montgomery ihnss!warren IH x2494