Every now and then when I slow down the temp gauge drops about 1 notch below its normal 200 reading. It's nerver done this before. Car runs great and heat is strong. Is this a sign of a failing thermostat? If so, where is the thermostat located, is it hard to replace, and should I get OEM or is OTC ok? Car has 89K on it.
View 11 RepliesFor reasons I can't figure, the Temp gauge on the wife's Explorer is shooting from normal to high in just seconds. Then, it drops back to normal. When I looked at it this afternoon, I noted 2 things.
1) There was no sign of a coolant leak or overheating.
2) There wasn't ANY coolant in the tank!!!!!!!
The truck has evidently been running fine while this is going on.
I have a 2004 Grand Prix and it is displaying the symptoms of overheating but the temp gauge is not going above normal operating temp. I replaced the thermostat twice, and after driving for about 10-20 mins coolant comes out of the overflow. I'm at a loss, I'm thinking temp sensor(?) But I don't want to keep throwing unnecessary money into it. The fans work fine, the heater blows as it should.
View 8 RepliesI have a 2006 Chevy Colorado, 5 cylinder, automatic, 4wheel drive with 62,700mi. 1st problem occurred in 2013 new thermostat was replaced then in 2015 temp. gauge shows overheating problem again. All diagnostic problems have been analyzed by mechanic and nothing further could be done. Mechanic suggests to take truck to dealer. The temp. reading still shows above normal operation and the engine compartment has signs of overheating also. If the truck driven on uphill range the temp. goes higher I refuse to drive in this condition which will surely ruin the entire engine.
View 2 RepliesMy 2001 Ranger V6 with 160.000 miles runs like a Swiss watch. After warming up slightly it idles at the typical 750 RPM. I can pull out of the garage, park in the yard, shift from D or R into P and the idle holds at 750 RPM until I turn the engine off.
But, If I've driven to warm the engine to normal run temp and go through the same D or R and into P, the RPM drops to nearly Zero and sometimes the engine stops.
This has happened in the past so I take out the MAF, squirt it good with MAF cleaner, put it back in and everything is hunky-doory. But not this time. What am I missing??
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.
1994 f150 with 4.9L I6; 180k mi.
Parked vehicle last night after using it uneventfully for work the day before. Upon leaving the house at 11:30 AM, I noticed that I'd picked up a new mechanical noise. Nothing major; actually wasn't sure I heard anything at all.
As I drove to the store, I noticed it was idling slightly unsteady...much less so than a missing cylinder. I resolved to check the high-tension connectors when I got home for security. I glanced down at the gauges to check and see if my oil pressure was good; I then noticed coolant temp reading "high normal."
When I got out, I noticed a small pool of coolant forming. I looked at where the puddle was forming...the radiator hose had come off! (Actually separate from the radiator connector, as one might do if draining fluid without using the petcock.) I popped the hood: no unusual smells. Nothing seemed abnormally hot. Placing a finger against the head was uncomfortable, but not painful. Spit expectorated upon the head did not sizzle.
I then called my wife, explaining the situation, and walked back home 2 miles. We then took the spare car, bought antifreeze, and added it about an hour post-shutdown. Where the car was parked seemed wetter than the light drizzle allowed; daubing a finger in it and tasting gave a slight sweet taste.
I tend to check my fluid every so often (not every day, though) and coolant was verified as "full" as recently as 100 miles ago. (I don't make a habit of crawling underneath, though, so I couldn't tell you if hose had been slowly backing off or not.)
As to cause: is it plausible that this could happen without foul play? There have been a few vandalism incidents in the neighborhood; it's also possible that I [peeved] off a neighbor recently. I'm not about to go any further than fixing, though, unless there's really no other plausible explanation.
As to the mechanical questions: How much damage was done? Did I "catch it" in time? What is suggested as far as repairs/maintenance? (I was planning on doing a compression test, and keeping a close eye on fluid levels over the next 1,000 miles or so.) Engine sounds completely normal.
It is a garage queen 1994 4.0 AWD with 42,000 miles in nearly perfect shape. Except for the dent in the rear on the passenger side.
I have posted a picture of the dash when going down the road. As you see the engine light is on. It comes on intermittently, pulled the codes, indicated MAF, 02 sensor, running lean/rich. Runs like a champ, no hesitation, still gets up and goes, gets the appropriate gas mileage. I replaced the 02 sensor with the original Ford Part. Didn't cause the engine light to stop going on after about 20 to 60 minutes driving, sometimes it doesn't come on at all.
Could this thermostat be running too cool and causing the engine to throw those codes? Would gladly take it to a mechanic, but seems like it might be a fishing trip with my dollars for them. Next I was going to replace the MAS myself, easily done with the original remanufactured part at a cost of 150.00, 70 for the core, but don't want to chase my tail with these engine lights on when it runs nearly perfect.
Have sprayed the MAF. Checked for air leaks anywhere. Done all the things I could do by just lifting the hood.
So the picture shows the Temp gauge barely touching the N flying down the road at 70 on a level surface, outside temp about 60. Reading the posts says they all run in the cool section of the temp gauge.
So the question is, do they run this cool? Heater works fine and the gauge goes up past the N resting before the O when going up hills on the way to Tahoe. Is this a thermostat problem on a 20 year vehicle with low mileage, or am I going to have to bite the bullet and let the mechanic go wandering through the vehicle?
I have a 2005 Toyota Matrix with 250k on it. It has run like a champ so far, with the only problem being an ECM recall last year. I have noticed a few problems recently; the heat blows cold air for quite awhile, and the temperature gauge, while not reading hot, sort of fluctuates between normal and a little warm. When the ECM was being replaced, the dealer said the serpentine belt was overdue for replacement, and I know he's probably right about that. He also said the water pump needed replacing, although I have never seen any signs of leaking. This car has been a champ, and I'd like to try and get another 100k out of it if possible. I'm pretty handy around a car, I've replaced an alternator and radiator before, and I'm working on a limited budget, so if any of this is doable by me, I'm up for it.
View 11 RepliesI have a 77 F100 2wd 302/c4. I recently replaced the rear plate to my gauge cluster after it crumbled to pieces. I swapped all the gauges to the new plate minus the fuel gauge since it decided it couldn't live if livin was without the old plate. I have a gauge cluster out of my 75 and decided to swap in my fuel gauge from that one. I put the cluster in the truck and fire it up for 10 mins or so and everything is working great except the temp gauge isn't moving. I figure it romeo and Juliet with the fuel gauge so I just swap all gauges from the 75 into the 77 cluster except the speedo. Same result.
So I figure its the sending unit now and maybe both gauges were fine to begin with. I put in a new sending unit and now the gauges works but the needle sits on the P in the word TEMP on the gauge which makes me uncomfortable. That's about 1/4 inch or so from being past the end of the gauge. I don't believe the truck is running that hot. The gauge was more or less straight vertical before the swap sitting right at the end of the E on TEMP. Did I get a bad sending unit? Is it a bad ground on the gauge? Was I supposed to take off the teflon tape that came on the threads of the sending unit? I'm gonna try removing that first and see if it lowers the needle.
I have a 2001 Excursion Limited V10. 146000 miles 2 wheel drive. I have had it about a year and this is my first winter to really have experience with her.
When the outside temperature is very cold and the engine is cold from sitting all night, at start up, the oil pressure gauge reads nothing and the oil pressure/temp idiot light is on. Only does this during the first very cold start up or after sitting and engine getting very cold again.
I can drive just a short distance (2 blocks) and both gauge and light go to normal and stay there for the rest of my drive. I am using a quality 5/20 oil and filter and the level is good. Warmer days it has never happened. Truck runs fine, smooth idle, no "limp mode". She has not had any recent work done. All the other dash gauges read fine.
There is something about really cold temperatures that have to be causing the issue , I think. ??
I was recently given my first Volvo. Its an 88 240dl. While driving my temp gauge climbs up to the red and sometimes hovers inside of it. It normally climbs up at stop signs and comes down on straight always then climbs right back up close to red. When the gauge was in the red i stopped the car and popped the hood open to see that the engine was not actually overly hot.
first i replaced coolant. nothing
then i replaced the thermostat. nothing
flushed radiator. nothing
Today i finally had enough and decided to switch out the water pump with a new one hoping that it would solve the problem seeing as it still had the factory one on. It did nothing. the gauge continues to climb up. I did replace one of the two senders in hope that it would fix the gauge reading but nothing.
2004, 3 door Accent, 150K miles. This has been going on for many summers now (had an idea when driving from work). Well when I got home from work, gauge still read E, turned the car off, then back to ACC, still read E.
Opened the fuel cap, didn't hear any hissing noise or any indication that there was alot of pressure build up, put cap back on, turned to ACC, and gauge read normal.
So after a long story my question is this, is there a pressure regulator that when it over pressures, lets it vent, and what is it called and where is it located? I am thinking that regulator might be stuck closed.
I have a 98 trans sport and the temp gauge is reading low. Only on the first line when driving then when i pulled into the garage it went up one line and heat got warmer. Felt both upper and lower hoses and i can press them both in Fluids are full no leaks anywhere. oil is good tranny fluid is good. I just got it on a trade it runs and drives great no problems at all.
View 6 RepliesI have a 2006 Jeep Liberty 3.7L that has a temperature gauge on the dash that reads an overheat when driving. The oil looks normal, there is no white smoke, no bubbling from reservoir. I have replaced the following:
Radiator
Thermostat
Water Pump
Coolant Temperature Sensor
Coolant Reservoir Tank
I am not leaking any coolant and the reservoir level has been fine. I have let the vehicle idle for 20+minutes, with no overheat. When I drive it around, the temperature gauge will read an overheat. When I stop the car and pop the hood, the engine is not overheated and both rubber hoses to/from radiator are flowing the coolant. The only thing that will bring the gauge down is turning on the heater full blast. Could this be the gauge itself being bad? Could it be a short in a wire somewhere? I had thought maybe a head gasket, but have no symptoms of a head gasket.
So my understanding is the water temp gauge at 200 degrees is pretty much spot on. The last three days I notice the temp gauge go to 200 then up to 240 which is like just one line away from the red zone. I turned on my heat full blast and was on the tollway and the temps went back to 200. The moment I got back into stop and go traffic the temp goes up again 220-240 range. Again, one line away from the red zone. No other alarms or dash messages come up. No smell of anti-freeze.
As well, the oil temp which was always at 200 has done the same thing. Running over 200 in the 220 plus range. Could this just be low anti-freeze? If so, would I not get a dash warning light?
I have a 2005 Nissan Pathfinder that has 79,896 miles on it. I have done a lot of warranty repair to the car (transmission, radiator, oil leaks and other fun stuff). My latest problem is when the car is running for more that 20 minutes and I slow down or press on the brakes my oil pressure gauge drops to L. I have taken it to two dealers one -- said that the 'pressure was in normal range" and could not do a thing and the other fixed a leak in the oil cooler and replaced the seals behind the manifold. This still has not fixed the problem. At this point they feel there is nothing else they can do but this is not normal.
View 7 RepliesGot my brand new passat one month now: it's a 1.9 TDI, 105hp saloon. From day one I have been noticing power drops right at 2100 rpm, but not very frequently. The power drop is very very short in time, but strong (you can feel your head going forward goes you don't expect this). Today at 4000km (2485 miles), the power drops happen more frequently. Yesterday I had it 4 times in 125 miles.
- They're always right at 2100rpm, never lower, never higher.
- In any gear (had the problem in 2, 3, 4 and 5th gear).
- Always when keeping round the same speed, I never had a power drop when accelerating.
Problem is that I can not reproduce the problem myself, it sometimes just happens. The vw dealer doesn't find any issues when reading the cpu and doesn't notice it when test driving (test drives are to short).
I have a 2003 Excursion 6.0. I didn't post this in the 6.0 section because it may not be just a 6.0 issue. (See what I get) On cold starts, anything under 150 degree water temp reading on the SGII. I get a CHECK GAGE light on accompanied by the check engine light. No codes read on the SGII pending or stored. Just some of the time I get a water in fuel light too. This tends to go out fairly soon after driving. (Even after I just drain the fuel pump it still happens.) other issues that accompany the lights are as follows.
The trans temp does not give a reading to the dash. The oil temp does not give a reading the dash. Both show proper temp on the SGII. When in reverse the back up alarm beeps as if something is behind me. And the auto door locks will not activate after 10 mph. The tach also will not show a reading in the dash. SGII shows the numbers. Now the kicker, this ALL gets resolved the instant the water temp hits 150 degrees. The only lingering issue is the that the tach will surge or drop every now and then. The tow/haul light does not come on when this is going on. I've checked the battery terminals all are clean. Both batteries are brand new.
1998 f150 4.6 4x4 auto 180k .... Runs 100% other than a strange and inconsistent overheating issue.
On cold startup truck will warm up. Then the temp gauge drops to practically 0. After 15-20 seconds gauge shoots up to max and then falls back to normal after 15-20 seconds. Then it'll go back to driving normally. At some point it pukes.
Fluctuating temperature gauge? In the past few weeks I have noticed that my temp gauge goes over the normal temp line but the car never actually overheats. This doesn't happen all the time and only every once in a while. Today however, the gauge went very high and I immediately put the heat on high and it slowly dropped to normal again.
I had a water pump replaced several years ago and last year had the thermostat replaced as well. The only thing I have had done recently was an oil change at one of those convenience stations. During the check-point, I was asked if I wanted the filter changed that filters the air coming into the car. I said no, but now wondering if they actually disconnected something when checking for this. The reason I'm bringing this up is because sometimes I don't get hot air when the heat is on or cold air when the a/c is on.
After reading online more about this, I read that a faulty Temperature Sensor can give a false reading. Just added some water to the radiator but not much...so no leaks that I can see.