my temp gauge keeps risin and fallin
14-Jun-2003, 09:51 AM
#1
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Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Guam
Posts: 138
my temp gauge keeps risin and fallin
whats up with my temp gauge... it keeps risin and fallin. it rises when im idle for awhile (like waiitn for someone) and sometimes too when im on a red light. then it quickly goes down when i accelerate. doesnt seem like my radiator is gonna blow or anythin. cause once it hit red and i didnteven notice it.
14-Jun-2003, 10:28 AM
#2
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Join Date: May 2002
Location: Cambridge
Posts: 167
It's probably 1 of 3 things:
-either your thermostat isn't functioning properly (this is unlikely since your car is cooling once you start moving)
-Your rad is shot
-Your fan isn't comming on.
When I had this problem I thight it was my fan not comming on but it turned out to be my rad was shot.
To see if your thermostat is working touch the upper hose comming from the rad once your car has reached normal opertaing temperature, it it's hot your thermostat is probably fine. Next, to see if the fan is working look under the hood the next time your engine starts to heat up past normal and see if its comming on, if it is comming on your rad is probably shot, if it isn't either your fan, or the temperature swith that tells the fan to turn on is shot. To find out which one isn't working follow the wires from your fan back to the temp switch, unplug the connector and jumper the terminals, if the fan comes on you need to replace the swith, if it doesn't come on either the fan or the wiring to the fan or the fuse is gone. You could unplug the fan and run power directly form the battery to the fan to help determine which one it is. There are other things that could be causing the problem but these are the most likely.
Hope this helps
-either your thermostat isn't functioning properly (this is unlikely since your car is cooling once you start moving)
-Your rad is shot
-Your fan isn't comming on.
When I had this problem I thight it was my fan not comming on but it turned out to be my rad was shot.
To see if your thermostat is working touch the upper hose comming from the rad once your car has reached normal opertaing temperature, it it's hot your thermostat is probably fine. Next, to see if the fan is working look under the hood the next time your engine starts to heat up past normal and see if its comming on, if it is comming on your rad is probably shot, if it isn't either your fan, or the temperature swith that tells the fan to turn on is shot. To find out which one isn't working follow the wires from your fan back to the temp switch, unplug the connector and jumper the terminals, if the fan comes on you need to replace the swith, if it doesn't come on either the fan or the wiring to the fan or the fuse is gone. You could unplug the fan and run power directly form the battery to the fan to help determine which one it is. There are other things that could be causing the problem but these are the most likely.
Hope this helps
15-Jun-2003, 11:52 PM
#7
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Join Date: May 2003
Location: Earth
Posts: 97
Most likely your fan is not turning on, thats why when you start driving the air rushing through the rad is cooling it down. The easiest thing to do is let your car idle and watch to see if the fan turns on. If your fan's not turning on at all and your car's heating up then most likely you need to replaced the coolant temp switch. Anyway, check the fan issue and let us know. Oh also look at the rad to see if its in good condition, make sure it's not corroded away.
16-Jun-2003, 10:47 AM
#9
Originally posted by monsoon
It's probably 1 of 3 things:
-either your thermostat isn't functioning properly (this is unlikely since your car is cooling once you start moving)
-Your rad is shot
-Your fan isn't comming on.
It's probably 1 of 3 things:
-either your thermostat isn't functioning properly (this is unlikely since your car is cooling once you start moving)
-Your rad is shot
-Your fan isn't comming on.
16-Jun-2003, 03:21 PM
#10
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Join Date: May 2003
Location: ETO
Posts: 15
Word.
bbarbulo is on target. It could be your fan bud. I had the same problem with my CRX ... but it was more than just the fan going. You need someone to give these factors a good looking over.
Don't worry about thermostat. That should probably be the last thing to worry about.
- check you head gasket. Seeping fluids due to low compression is a definite culprit
- check your fan relay. Your fan may be coming on and then shutting off for some reason.
- check your heating hoses from the head. One of mine had swollen up at the ends and had a little slit in it where it was leaking fluid. Change them if they feel soft.
- check your upper and lower rad hose. Sometimes the hose gets soft in the bends and squishes together, reducing the flow. Make sure they are hard and stiff.
- check for sludge in your radiator (make sure rad fluid is clean). Your engine maybe burning something and not getting the proper amount of coolant. If you rad fluid looks a bit oily or if there's oil floating in your resevior you might want to think about getting a rad flush. $70
- check your sensor. the engine bay is heating up for some reason, we know that, maybe the sensor is off its rocker.
That's about all I can think about right now. I got priced around $600-$1300 for a head gasket replacment. What year car is it? Maybe it's due for one.
X.Crx
bbarbulo is on target. It could be your fan bud. I had the same problem with my CRX ... but it was more than just the fan going. You need someone to give these factors a good looking over.
Don't worry about thermostat. That should probably be the last thing to worry about.
- check you head gasket. Seeping fluids due to low compression is a definite culprit
- check your fan relay. Your fan may be coming on and then shutting off for some reason.
- check your heating hoses from the head. One of mine had swollen up at the ends and had a little slit in it where it was leaking fluid. Change them if they feel soft.
- check your upper and lower rad hose. Sometimes the hose gets soft in the bends and squishes together, reducing the flow. Make sure they are hard and stiff.
- check for sludge in your radiator (make sure rad fluid is clean). Your engine maybe burning something and not getting the proper amount of coolant. If you rad fluid looks a bit oily or if there's oil floating in your resevior you might want to think about getting a rad flush. $70
- check your sensor. the engine bay is heating up for some reason, we know that, maybe the sensor is off its rocker.
That's about all I can think about right now. I got priced around $600-$1300 for a head gasket replacment. What year car is it? Maybe it's due for one.
X.Crx
16-Jun-2003, 03:23 PM
#11
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Join Date: May 2003
Location: ETO
Posts: 15
Almost forgot
Oh shiz ...
and I forgot one more thing. Your Water Pump. If its cracked or leaking you may be getting low pressure to pump the required amount of fluid through your engine.
That's about it. I had most of that stuff I mentioned above check and/or replaced on my CRX.
I don't know what year car you have but you shouldn't be having this problem with anything newer than 95-96.
Latez.
X.Crx
and I forgot one more thing. Your Water Pump. If its cracked or leaking you may be getting low pressure to pump the required amount of fluid through your engine.
That's about it. I had most of that stuff I mentioned above check and/or replaced on my CRX.
I don't know what year car you have but you shouldn't be having this problem with anything newer than 95-96.
Latez.
X.Crx
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