Thermostat gone bad?
Thermostat gone bad? recently my coolant temp gauge (not in a fbody) has been acting really weird. ill start up my car in the morning, and drive about a mile or two, and my gauge will steadily rise like usual then all of a sudden it shoots up to about 75% temp. reading. then after a few seconds it drops like a cannon ball back to about 25% temp. reading. and stays there, never overheats or anything. iv never noticed this before till recently, is it possible that my Stat is on its way out? or is it something else? thanks
Good information in here: http://www.wellsmfgcorp.com/pdf/Counterpoint2_2.pdf (I always go to these Wells articles when I have sensor issues.)
You may want to test the sensor first or check to make sure you don't have any air in the system. If the coolant sensor looses contact with fluid, it could act erratically.
You may want to test the sensor first or check to make sure you don't have any air in the system. If the coolant sensor looses contact with fluid, it could act erratically.
This sounds very similar to what my DD car used to do when it was low on coolant. I didn't realize it was low because there was always coolant in the overflow tank, and I never bothered to look in the radiator. Check the level (when cold of course) in the radiator and the overflow tank. Also check for a loose/dirty connection at the temp sensor. And as mentioned, check for air in the system.
