Bmw - 528i :: 1979 - Engine Temperature Gauge Needle Is Moving All Over The Place
Jul 25, 2011
My 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?
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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.
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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.
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This 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.
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Car is a 2012 GTI 6MT with APR intake.
Within the last couple of days, my engine temperature gauge has been acting a little strange. The needle will fluctuate depending on if I'm accelerating or at speed. I've actually seen it go down several times before going back up to normal temp. On a couple of days, it will go up to about halfway to normal temp, and just stay there for a lot longer than it usually seems to.
There have also been times when the car is at normal operating temp, I'll go into a store for maybe 15 minutes, and when I come out, it shows the engine temperature is maybe halfway to where it should be. Then it will go back to normal after a few minutes of driving. I would think that if the engine is warm, it should stay there for more than 15 minutes, even if the car isn't on.
We haven't had any abnormally cold days lately, and I'm not getting any CEL, but I was wondering if anything to worry about, or if it's normal.
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I recently had the radiator on my car replaced and wen I got it back the temperature and gas gauge needles are both blown past the HOT sign and past the full sign on my gas gauge and is sitting under the little black piece under the the cold side and under the empty side. it was obviously messed with and completely turned around but why is it like this? will it reset itself or should I take i.e., back to the mechanic to have it fixed by him?
2000 buick park avenue....
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Ok I was driving home right know from work, and looking at the speedometer, i notice that my temperature gauge turns off (the needle goes all the way down). what can it be?
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Last 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.
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The needle has always stuck dead on 190f when it gets up to temp. About a week ago I took the center grill of to paint, I put it back on and the check engine light came on ... code p2433 secondary air pump problem. I figured I had just disturbed something etc. Now the coolant gauge is going up to around 240f during normal driving, the fan stays on for about a minute when I turn off the ignition.
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The needle in temp gage on my 2005 Toyota is now facing the opposite direction. This happened right after the most recent oil change. Is this a gauge or a sending unit problem?
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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?
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I have a 2004 Hyundai Accent. The temperature gauge in the car moves toward the "danger zone" only under both the following conditions:
1) Car is at IDLE after being driven for a while (15-20 minutes). 2) Headlights are ON (I've sat in the car and watched the temperature gauge move up and then back down as I turn on and thrn turn off the headlights).
*What I've also noticed is that the temperature gauge starts moving up as the radiator fans kick ON.
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When the weather is rainy or just very humid, the speedometer needle in my 2000 Accent jumps all over the place. According to the service dept. at my local dealership it is most likely the speed sensor causing the problem.
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Saturn Ion 2003. Whenever I park the car and proceed to turn it off, all of the indicator needle lock into place and the entire car goes dead. Unable to use remote and when I attempt to place the key back into the cylinder to 'start' the vehicle, nothing occurs. Key is then stuck as it will not turn back past ACC. I have done tons of research and found a way to manually release the key but this doesn't resolve the lockdown. After a moment, the security light will display on the dashboard. I have tried just about everything including jumping the battery, only works until car is turned off, and making sure gear shift fully in 'park'. Have completed all recall notices from GM regarding ignition cylinder and the likes as well as a new alternator, twice. During the last jump, mechanic ran full diagnostics for battery, electrical, alternator and output.
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I just purchased a 2014 Prius C and am having a problem with the Hill Start Assist/Control.
At every single stop, no matter how lightly I press the brake, when I release the brake the car stays in place for two seconds (no gas), and then starts moving.
I am assuming this is the HSC and not a normal function on the car.
If I depress the brake all the way no lights come on, no buzzer sounds, but the above described behavior still happens. I've tried the light stops on up hills, down hills, and flat ground, it all is the same.
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My needle is, lets say, vibrating..when I am driving more than 50 kph my speedometer needle is vibrating ,it is dancing up and down.
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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.
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I 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?
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Got my 1979 Ford Bronco (351M engine) from my father. He had it in Colorado, mostly in a garage. Had 82,000 miles when I got it and has 67,000 miles now. Runs fine when the outside temperature is less than 80F. Above 80F, the will get hotter and hotter and the temp. gauge will climb. When the temp. gauge is 2/3 of the wat between Cool and Hot it will start to buck and cut out. Eventually the engine will stop. Then I have to wait for it to cool down to repeat the cycle. I have replaced all hoses, radiator, thermostat (3 times), radiator cap, carb. I have installed SS louvers in the hood. Heck, I have even "burbed" it (see Internet).
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I 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.
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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...
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