Heating/Cooling issues. Connected?

I have a couple of issues with heating/cooling and I wonder if there might be a connection. The temp gauge never now gets higher than, what I would guess would indicate, about 70 degrees. There are two marks close together by the 50 deg resting position and the needle only gets to the next mark up, and this is after a long spirited drive. However the interior heating seems to be pumping out more heat than it should. If I turns the dial to min then it is cold, but put it to the first notch up and it is more like you've set it to 22 or 23. Go beyond the first notch and it really gets hot. A while age I put a new condensing radiator for the A/C and had it gassed up and it was working just fine for a short while, but now it's back to the normal default of not working! I'm taking it in tomorrow for investigation, but local garages have no specialised knowledge of these cars, so I thought I'd ask you guys first.

Many thanks

Andrew

Does temp rise when sitting in traffic and then lower to around 50% when driving? Temp gauge should read about 90% in normal operation and get there fairly within 15 minutes from cold start. If it's lower after a good drive then that suggests faulty thermostat. You could also grab hold of the top hose to the radiator and if it warms gradually that also suggests thermostat as in normal operation it will stay cool until thermostat opens

Yes, sounds like thermostat. Change the temp sensor while you're at it.

These pipes are aged and can develop pinhole leaks while you are looking at them - I've had 50% of mine changed, the lower one under the rad being exchanged for a high-resistance rubber hose!

Hopefully the rad you had put in didn't have steel clips as they will react with the aluminium rad.

I can't remember, but I'll check that, but in any case when ali and steel meet I always use a product called 'Duralac', a jointing compound which comes from the aerospace industry and is designed to prevent corrosion between dissimilar metals. I recommend it for the likes of the pipes attaching to the oil rad (should you replace the rad and the pipes as they will no doubt have fused together).

I'll check the thermostat.

I don't think the temp goes up above 70 deg, but then I don't drive in traffic. I'll have to go and find some.

Where would I look for 'high-resistance' rubber hose? Is that is coupe specific parts ready made up, or hoses made up from scratch be an expert?

The mobile A/C chap I use is a one-off, really decent chap whom I've recommended to several on here. He doesn't charge unless the job is done and is happy to improvise where needs be, but is safe as well as knowing his stuff - never stops talking about cars!

To answer your Q, he had this gash bit of hose lying around in his pit of spares at home....

I'm looking in the 'How To' index, but I can't see thermostat & temp sensor change which must be covered surly? can someone link me please?

https://www.fiatcoupeclub.org/forum/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=1625036&#Post1625036

https://s12.photobucket.com/user/stan_deezy/library/Thermostat?page=1

I've just heard from the garage they have a leak in one of the hoses (no surprises there then). Obviously I'll want to replace all hoses at the same time (if I can), so can you recommend where I can get some, or do I have to get some made up? (the garage didn't offer me a solution).

Depends on your budget. If your garage wants to fit new pipes I reckon they'd have to make them....not cheap.

Or, you could trawl a scrappie for similar-age Alfas or Fiats, even Lancia as most of these have the same provenance, and salvage what you can. It could save you a lot of complicated pipe-bending. There are two diameters used but can't recall what these are, sorry. Can they show you which portion is leaking?

Access is tricky at the front but my chap undid the top rad fixings and squeezed in somehow.

The hose of death comes off the back of the thermostat to the back of the block ..probably that one

Ah...think I misunderstood this to mean A/C pipework..

Yeah, the A/C hoses/pipework. I'll get some more details when I pick the car up.