Since I bought the car I noticed my temperature gauge has never even touched the middle mark on the instrument panel. Is this normal or is my thermostat hung open?
View 4 RepliesI have a '99 1.8T Passat. The coolant temperature gauge normally reaches operating temperature of 190 degrees within about 5 minutes and stays there. For some reason, after reaching 190, it sometimes drops by 20-30 degrees and is running cooler than normal. Once time it dropped down, then came back up again, while driving a steady 65 mph. The coolant level is full and nothing else has changed.
I guess there are a few possibilities: a thermostat stuck open too far, a failing temperature sensor, bad gauge, or loose connection at the sensor. The car has 145K miles and the thermostat and water pump were replaced at about 100K miles. What is going on? If it runs a little too cool, is that a big deal? How would I diagnose it? Where is the temperature sensor?
My car (200,000kms - 5spd). Just noticed today that the gauge is not moving at all. Heat comes out of the dash vents no problem. Could it be the thermostat? Or is it the gauge it's self?
View 2 RepliesLast week I noticed an erratic temperature gauge while I was in stop-and-go traffic. It would go from just below halfway to nearly the red in about 7 seconds, bob around, go down a bit, then up, back down to halfway and sit for a while, etc. etc. etc. I stopped, added a little water to the reservoir and car was fine for about 20 minutes but then it started up again.
Went I got home I checked oil and it was low. I added a quart. After this the car has been fine.
Until today. It did go into the red a couple of times and sat there for a few seconds. I was surprised there were no lights or warnings of overheating! I opened the hood when I got home and didn't get the impression that the engine was particularly hot (though the upper radiator hose was hot).
I read this might be caused by air pockets in the cooling system and I need to "burp" it by taking off the radiator cap, starting the car, running the heater, and then topping up the radiator when I see the coolant level go down.
The needle is moving up and then back down. This mostly happens while at a stop and simultaneously the ac compressor kicks off.
Recently new radiator and temp gauge, plus coolant flush.
My 2001 1.5l works fine when cold however once it reaches temperature it will hiccup and then stall! It WILL NOT fire up until it gets cold again. Usually happens when we are coasting to a stop. I'm not a mechanic but can am mechanically inclined. I brought it to Autozone and had the computer codes sent (yes check engine lt was on) One code was a fuel lean code. Cannot recall the exact number. When it act up it sounds like there is either no fuel or no fire. I cleaned the mass air sensor and put fuel treatment in it and I replaced the fuel gas cap.
View 1 RepliesI have a 1997 Ford Explorer with 5.0, I have replaced the thermostat and the radiator cap, I drive the truck to work in the mornings (12miles) and it is fine. We live on a mountain and on the way home after getting to the top of the mountain the temperature gauge goes past middle and nears the red but does not overheat completely. Once home I open the hood and the overflow is steaming or sometimes boiling, and I have checked thermostat again to make sure and it is operating normal, I have been told fan clutch, water pump, and I don't want to just throw money at guesses.
View 1 RepliesMy 1989 740 Turbo wagon cuts out while I'm driving. It only ever does it at about the point when the engine first reaches its normal operating temperature. It can cut out while idling or when driving at normal speed. I'm not sure if it's related to temperature or time (it usually cuts out at about the 5-8 minute mark), or if this is simply coincidental. It does it nearly every day.
It's definitely caused by the fuel pump relay cutting out. I've replaced this already, with no improvement. Something is causing the relay to suddenly lose an input.
Once cut, it takes a few quick flicks of the key to the START position for the fuel pump relay to receive power again. It will then drive faultlessly for the rest of the day. Although, if allowed to sit and cool for many hours, it will sometimes do this again.
My wife's Hyundai has the check engine light on and the engine temperature is staying right in the middle no matter the temperature outside, or if the car has been sitting an hour or over night. We're still under warranty, but are stretched for time in the coming week to stop by the dealer. I'm assuming it's a temperature sensor malfunctioning and the computer is throwing a code for that. Would this affect normal operation of the car until we can get it checked out?
View 3 Replies2003 Hyundai Elantra, 1975cc engine, XD. P0198 Error Code.
I know this is the Engine Oil Temperature Sensor High code and I have seen indications this may mean high voltage on this sensor. My problem is I cannot locate this sensor on the engine. From what I have read this sensor is supposed to be on the driver's side of the engine on the head, rear side.
On my engine the head was replaced (unknown to me when I recently purchased the vehicle). From all indications this is not a CVVT engine. The air intake has a MAP sensor that is connected and appears to be functioning properly. The driver's side of the engine does have two coils but I can see no other wires from the wiring harness toward the rear of the head other than leads to the starter.
The cam sensor is located on the passenger side of the engine, rear side. I have found the oil pressure sensor and crankshaft sensor on the front side of the engine block toward the driver's side. I have found and engine temperature sensor on the driver,s side of the engine on a housing connected to a radiator hose.
Oddly enough there was an OCV hanging on the harness toward the front driver's side of the wiring harness. Adjacent to this plug is a second plug on a shorter lead that is not connected to anything. Both of these plugs have two leads but are shaped differently oval for the OCV and the other is rectangular. I am wondering if this rectangular plug is for the engine oil temperature sensor? What I cannot see is where the temperature sensor would screw into the head on the front driver's side (near this plug).
I went to NAPA today and they do not have an engine oil temperature sensor listed, but I was able to find one on line. I cannot find a connection point on the head that looks like the picture of the sensor on-line.
Have a 2001 Subaru Legacy GT, 5 speed manual, 194,000 miles.
A few months ago, I started noticing that my cooling fans are running more often. Even when it is cold out and the temperature gauge was at normal temperature. The fans would turn on, and just keep running. Obviously, they would turn off when I shut the car off, but if the car is on, they will stay on. However, I found a trick to get them to turn off. If I am in neutral, and I race the engine up to around 3000 RPM's or so for about 10 seconds, and let it come back down to idle speed, the fans are now off. Works almost every time, not just a coincidence.
I know my car, and this has never done this before. I know it is not normal. I have replaced the following- thermostat, coolant temperature sensor, flushed the system, changed the fan relays, and most recently, I put a brand new Subaru radiator in. All of this, and the issue is still there. I am beginning to wonder if it is the water pump. Coolant not circulating fast enough, so the fans come on to cool down, but when I race the engine, the water pump works harder circulating coolant faster? Also recently, the temp gauge starts to climb going up long steep grades. If I pull over and race the engine, the temp gauge drops almost immediately back to normal. The pump is not leaking or making any noise, so I'm not sure if it could go bad any other way.
is it possible to install an analog temperature gauge on a 2001 Toyota Echo? I live right on the Canadian border here in Mn. and it gets very cold. I have plenty blast from the heater fan but I don't think it's running warm enough. I had a new thermostat installed but it didn't seem to make any difference.
View 1 Replies2.5 months ago I had a coolant flush in my 2007 explorer Eddie Bauer. The last 3 days last week the temp gauge went from the middle where it usually sits, to maxed out in the red. Stays there for about 45 secs and then drops back down.
Is it coincidence that I had a flush and maybe they didn't fill it all the way back up or is it somthing else ?
One other thing- even when it sits in the middle of the gauge I can sometimes hear the engine sucking in air like a vacuum so I guess at certain times its running hot but just doesn't raise the gauge just yet.
Recently (3 months ago) I had the timing belt, thermostat , water pump changed . Just yesterday I noticed that the engine temperature gauge was all the way to the left and did not seem to be functioning. I do not know if it had been like this for the 3 months since the maintenance work....maybe not. But, the guage is not working.
View 4 RepliesI have a 2012 Passat 2.0 TDI (140) DSG
Sometimes the engine temperature stays low for an entire drive. Regardless of speed - it has happened while sitting in traffic for hours or while sitting at 70mph.
When this is happening, the engine temperature gauge will go up and down, but never reach 90, and the oil temperature reading fluctuates from around 60 to 80. Also the air into the car doesn't get hot enough, but now we're out of winter that doesn't matter too much.
But then other days it will be 100% fine - it rises up to 90 within 10 minutes of a cold start and stays there the whole day - and the oil temperature sits between 90 and 100.
I've taken it to a couple of VW dealers but obviously it behaves perfectly on those days! I remember reading something about a thermostat that circulates coolant to the DSG box, which can cause these kinds of symptoms?
Resurrecting my 940 TD after it's been sitting for a year and the temperature needle now doesn't rise as the engine warms up. Is there any trouble with sensors on these or should i be concerned about something else? It was working when I stopped using the car.
View 3 RepliesI have a 2003 Passat and the engine temperature gauge will read 190 normally and then suddenly drop to almost zero, stay there for a while then head back up.
I purchased a temp sensor to replace the old but for the life of me I can seem to locate it. I know it's in the back or rear of the engine somewhere.
BTW, the car has the 1.8 engine.
My sister drives a 2005 Nissan Altima. I am not real familiar with Japanese OEMs but I do most of my own repair work on my car (which currently has issues of its own). What's wrong and how do I go about making the repair...
View 8 Replies I have never seen any of my other cars do this and I just want to see if this is normal. It happens like clockwork every time I get in the car with a cold engine. I let the car sit while the RPMs are high and as soon as the tach drops I start to drive the car softly. The engine temp gauge reaches normal operating temp in a normal amount of time, it does not just jump to the middle. But after about 1 minute it just starts falling quite quickly, as you can see in the video. It's very predictable - happens every time I drive it so it was easy to catch on video. I don't notice any difference in engine performance. Is this normal for a VW GTI or is something wacky going on?
You can skip to 19-20 seconds in the video to see the needle drop.
I have a 2003 Malibu with 29,000 miles on it. I notice my temperature gauge reads a bit over the half way mark when driving around town. I don't notice any type of coolant leak. The gauge almost always reads above the half point, but never gets to the point of overheating. Sometimes it comes close to it but never actually overheats.
View 14 RepliesMy car recently turned over 120,000 miles. I have owned her for 5 years. Currently, the engine temperature gauge needle is moving all over the place. It typically registers the correct temperature (I think), but sometimes it goes all the way over to the red, then peaks and falls back down to the midline.
Before this started happening, the needle would lie just below the midline when traveling on the highway and just above the midline when driving in town. Yesterday, it was lying between the 1/4 mark and the midline -- much lower than normal. Is this as simple as just replacing the temperature sensor?
My mechanic noticed a month ago that the transmission hoses are all swollen and in need of replacement. Is this related?One more thing, within the last week, the electrical system fails while driving, but just for a second. I can tell because the radio goes out. Once, it went completely dead, then came back on within 2 seconds. It made me think of the alternator, but it seems if that were the case it would go dead and not come back on, no?