So recently (past few weeks) I've noticed my temperature gauge on the dash cluster doesn't jump up to 190 as it had before. It just sits there when I start the car, and then eventually builds up as I start driving. Reason this concerns me is because I don't remember this ever happening.
View 9 RepliesLast fall I had my radiator flushed and at the same time my coolant overfill canister with built in temperature guage sensor was replaced with a new unit. (The service station replaced the resevoir canister with a new unit in the engine compartment, because they felt the sensor is prone to failing after 7 years.)
Ever since, my temperature gauge needle on the dash will randomly drop (even when the car is up to FULL OPERATING TEMPERATURES) showing the engine being cooler than it out to be. In other words the needle drops signifying to a much lower water temperature. After a period of time the needle will recover back to the normal full operating temperature mark on the dash gauge.
What could cause this? Inside my radiator do I have a "diafram" temperature valve that could be failing /"sticking?" In other words could a temperature valve in the radiator be sticking at odd or random times??? I also notice that my heater does not put out the usual full furnace heat that a Passat is know for. The temperature is about 1/3 cooler now that we are into winter temperatures.
Is my heater core clogged?
Could the new coolant sensor in the new coolant overfill chamber not be working well? This whole situation began AFTER my radiator was flushed, and AFTER I had the coolant reservoir canister and sensor replaced.
Temp gauge not working stays at C doesn't move at all. And smelling anti freeze while driving. The heat still works and not wet on carpet of passenger side. Does have an oil leak I think since I've had to add more oil again. Would that have anything to do with an antifreeze smell tho? Just checking before I have it looked at it. Also the gas gauge just floats that hasn't worked in a while though.
View 5 RepliesThis weekend I was one a trip in my '98 Civic, and I noticed some movement in my temperature gauge. It didn't really overheat; the needle never got near the red, but it did go a little higher than usual.
Normally, once the engine heats up, the needle on the temperature gauge doesn't move, not even a little. It sits right under the squiggly lines on the temperature gauge icon. However, on Friday, when I got off the highway, the needle rose into the upper part of the icon, to the part with the thermometer.
As soon as the car started moving, the needle on the temperature gauge went back to its normal spot, so I assumed it was a problem with the radiator fan and I kept on driving, prepared to turn on the heat if the needle on the temperature gauge started going up.
Saturday morning I took the car to a local shop in Jacksonville, and it turns out the engine needed a new fan and a new thermostat.
The first lesson that comes to mind is that keeping an eye on my temp gauge might have saved me an engine. It certainly saved me a head gasket. Since a head gasket or new engine would have been worth more than the car, catching this before it became a problem saved me from having to buy another car.
The next lesson is that my Civic had two things wrong with the cooling system, and yet it barely showed any symptoms. The air conditioner doesn't work I guess since a working A/C would probably have made it overheat. In any case, I've probably been driving without a working radiator fan for some time.
The final lesson is that if I had tried to diagnose this myself, I'd probably be driving around with a new radiator fan and a bad thermostat. I paid about $435 for a new fan, thermostat, and fresh coolant (I declined the cooling system flush) and it was worth every penny.
I bought my son his first vehicle, a 98 Bravada. We've had it less than a week and so far the major problem we have come across is the lights in for the gauge cluster in the dash are not coming on. First I thought it was a blown bulb so we replaced that. When we were putting the dash back together, I turned the truck on and turned on the headlights and got nothing. So I jiggled some wires thinking that it might've been a short or a loose wire and still nothing. It was getting dark so my son decided to put everything back together and try again in the morning. When he reconnected the connector for the dome/fog light, everything came back on. But when he moved the dashboard to put it back in place, everything went back out again. Again, I jiggled wires and nothing, not even a flicker. Now there's no lights in the dash and when he turns on the headlights, the radio lights go out along with the compass/MPG gauge located overhead.
View 1 RepliesI have 1998 Plymouth neon. It does this more in the hot month than the cold month but I drive down the road and the dash cluster will go out no tach, speed, no gauge, mileage will not work but all dash light, signal light, high beam all will work.
It seems that when it cools off some, some time a minute sometimes a few minutes when it comes on the seat belt and airbag light come on or you can turn off the key for a few seconds and it will come on, bums will not make it go out or come back on.
What can it be?
I have a 2000 Honda Accord - VTec - 4Cyl - 2.3L - Engine Type: F23A1.
The temperature gauge in the dash board does not function. I was told the temperature sending unit must be changed.
Where exactly on the engine is this unit located?
My father was driving his 2007 sport trac limited on his way home tonight and all of a sudden he lost all of the instruments in the gauge cluster. At the same time all the indicator lights came on. the truck kept running along with the air conditioning and radio, just lost the instrument cluster. almost like when you first turn the key on before starting. when he got home and turned the truck off, it would not re-start. when you turned the key on even the odometer was blank. when you tried to start it it wouldnt even try to crank. i unhooked the battery and hooked it back up. after about 5 key cycles of not starting like previously, it finally started.
View 1 RepliesI have a 1992 Aerostar 3.0L end my temperature gauge on the dash doesn't move at all. Stays all the way to the left. I read on other forums that to make sure the gauge and the wiring are ok, i need to connect the wire that goes to the sensor unit to the negative of the battery. Gauge should go all the way to hot when the ignition switch is put to on position. That was exactly my results. So, i replaced the temp sensor unit but still gauge doesn't move. I didn't use any sealant on the threads when i installed the sensor. Connector looks ok. The engine warms up fine. I really don't know what else to think or do.
View 11 RepliesMy instrument cluster is virtually nonreadable now when the outside temperature gets about 80 degrees. I assume the only way to correct this is to replace the whole cluster.
View 24 RepliesI have a 2004 3.0 V6. The dash temperature gauge doesn't move just sits at the bottom 50C. (Canadian metric)...
I would like to locate the sender for the gauge to do a little testing. I removed a whack of plastic but nothing was obvious.
First, when I downshift to 2nd gear for instance, I don't feel like the car slows down any and I'm still needing to hit the brakes to slow down. In previous cars, going to 2nd would seem to make revs go up and slow the car down. Wondering if this is common on the Golf R to almost feel nothing when downshifting?
Second, my gauge cluster lights up when I'm driving outside w/o the lights on. When I go into a parking deck the gauge cluster starts out lit and then goes completely black except for the blue needles. Wondering if this is normal or if I have a cluster issue?
Car has 17,000 miles on it and completely stock minus the soundaktor removed.
So my temperature gauge started fluctuating from low to mid-gauge reading and it does not matter if at idle or driving. It never goes above mid-range or reads hot. I have had my diagnostic tool connected while monitoring the ECT in real time and my temp reads 180-195. Also there are no codes and everything else is running normal.
I have searched other threads and the only thing that was mentioned was changing the temp sensor but they also had the issue where the diagnostic tool also showed the temp fluctuating.
have a 2000 golf TDI 5 SPD Manuel. Was driving into work today and I got on the gas a bit and all the sudden the battery light comes on I hear the beep dash noise and my guage cluster shuts off. I pull into work. Car seems to be running fine.. All belts intact. battery brand new. Car starts and operates fine. At idle dash works. But when I tap the accelerator pedal that's when dash shuts off and battery light comes on. Bizarre. I checked a few fuses not exactly sure which one would be bad but. I didn't see any popped ones. I did notice that my top cluster of fuses all the connecting points are browning but fuses are good. So I am not sure if it was already like that....
View 4 RepliesNoticed today that when I was in a parking garage the gauge lights were off, but when I pulled out into the sun they slowly illuminated. This must mean there is an ambient light sensor, which I didn't know, and can't that be tapped for an automatic headlight retrofit?
Have a 2011 TDI is that matters.....
I JUST got my brand new 2011 gti this wednesday, which I am obsessed with. When I was driving around earlier yesterday however, the temperature gauge started to go up and into the warning zone. a message on the dashboard then sed "check engine coolant see manual".
So i did, and according to the manual everything should be running perfectly fine. So i pulled over till the engine cooled down to normal, then after about a mile it happened again, and it kept overheating every mile. I got the car towed by vw to a dealership nearby, but they're closed on sundays so i have to wait till tomorrow.
Just started happening today. Dash cluster beeps, all warning lights flash, then gauges and lights go dead while under acceleration or cruising. Upon stop and return to idle the dash starts to operate properly until I take my foot off the brake pedal and start to accelerate. Tried searching and didn't find anything. What are the possible causes?
View 6 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 2005 mk4 gli and the other morning I went out to start my car for work and all I got was crank no start. I then realized my fuel pump wasn't priming when I opened the driver door. After work I came back and checked the fuel pump fuse and swapped the relay with another I had, still nothing. A buddy of mine decided to check the connector at the fuel pump for power, using a power probe I believe he hit all or the majority of the wires with 12v of negative and/or positive power. He then unplugged the connecter and plugged it back in and the car fired right up. But I noticed that my fuel gauge, engine temp gauge, and outside air temp readout were all not functioning. I've searched and searched without being able to narrow down a solution.
View 19 RepliesSo I just got a new car tonight (01 Jetta 1.8t) traded my tdi for it. They failed to tell me about the lighting problem. The dash light (blue ones that light up whole dash) only work sometimes. Don't work when headlight switch is on (have euro switch) but they will work sometimes if you put the left blinker or hazard lights on. Illumination for window / lock controls are glowing red, same as all the buttons by the vents up top of the radio, ac / climate control lights not working. They did end up telling me that they swapped the other car they had (2L golf mk4) and they swapped in that dash and it worked no issues. Do I need a whole new cluster?? Or is there something I can try to fix it?
View 1 RepliesI have a 2003 excursion v10, and am now having some problems. My son drove the truck the other day, and the trucks battery died because he left the lights on, so he jumped it. The next day when i went to drive the truck, every light on the cluster was on, the radio would not work only appearing when the menu or load cd button was pressed, the windows do not function, nor do any interior lights....
View 12 Replies