Hello
I recently serviced the flame trap on my normally-aspirated B230F engine. To do so, I removed the throttle body and intake manifold. I used new gaskets to reassemble and also replaced any hoses which looked tired.

It may not be related to the above work, but shortly thereafter I began to notice the temp gauge barely gets out of the 1/4 range. (The needle has always been in the 1/2 position once the car is warm.) The ambient temperature is in the 40's and 50's.

The other symptom is noticeable upon starting. The initial idle is way too slow, about 300 rpm compared to the 650 rpm it usually runs at. I have to give it a little gas to avoid stalling. Once on the road, the car runs fine except for the low temp gauge reading.

Any ideas on what I might look for to solve this mystery?

Thanks
740 in Phoenix