I have a 1.4 petrol 2011 Ford Fiesta that I bought a couple of weeks ago and there is not temperate gauge on the dash board but from reading online you can access the coolant temperature by going into test mode. The car usually stays around 80-90 degrees when driving but in traffic it goes up to 105 degrees Celsius before the fan turns on. Is this normal as I thought the engine temp should remain a constant temp even in traffic ? And 105 seems extremely hot? 

Also I had the coolant changed by a mechanic when I bought the car and when he changed it the level was at “minimum” when the engine was cold and rises a bit when warm. But now I’ve noticed even when the car is cold the level is now just under the max line and stays around the max line when hot? 
 

the cars only done 45k miles so I hope it’s not the head gasket going …
 

 

It all sounds totally normal for a 1.4 Petrol engine.

In the summer, that's 1st and sometimes even 2nd of August, when its hot your engine might even make it to 108C, but then that's what a normal healthy engine does.

@unofix 

Oh thanks for replying 🙂 . Just wasn’t sure if it was getting too hot before the fan kicked in. 
 

Any idea why the coolant appears fuller compared to a couple weeks ago? The cold level was on min but now when it’s cold (not in use) it’s just below the max line. As if magically more fluid has been added. 

One thing for sure is I wouldn't worry about the level of coolant so long as it remains between Min and Max.

I guess when the system was refiled the water and coolant used would have been very cold, and now even just an increase of a few degrees will cause the level to rise up.