88GT Temperature gauge behavior
Andy Budwill
Car in question is an 88 GT Convertible.
My temperature gauge goes insane sometimes. I am trying to determine how to
troubleshoot this. I am unsure if my car is really overheating or if the
gauge is just failing. The radiator and waterpump have been replaced within
the last two years. The heatercore has always been bypassed. The
thermostat is about 6 months old.
I start the car and I am driving along, temperature gauge moves to its
normal position. Out of no where it will jump like crazy almost to the top
of the gauge! Right as I am about to pull over it decides it will drop like
a rock right back down to where it normally sits. Sometimes it will
fluctuate a little down in its normal range. It's strange this only usually
happens one per drive. I make a ten mile drive to school and it will happen
lets say within the first mile and never again.
No evidence of boiling over. Radiator is full with 50/50 mix of coolant.
Can anyone offer suggestions or a method to troubleshoot?
Thanks,
Andy
HELMUT RONER
>Date: 4/10/2003 12:49 AM Eastern Standard Time
>Message-id: <VJ6la.90771$S14....@news1.central.cox.net>
You topped off your radiator with the car off? That is an indication you have
hot air pockets in the cooling system. When the hot air pockets are on or
close/around the coolant temperature sensor on the lower intake the temperature
reading will flucuate. This is normal with my car as I threw away the
reservoir tank years ago. I top off my radiator at least once a week as I
always check my car routinely.
Helmut Roner
1988 "hardtops are better" GT
Andy Budwill
have
> hot air pockets in the cooling system. When the hot air pockets are on or
> close/around the coolant temperature sensor on the lower intake the
temperature
> reading will flucuate.
Are you asking or saying that I probably did top off the radiator with the
car off?
How do I rid the system of the alleged hot air pockets?
Andy
"HELMUT RONER" <helmu...@aol.com> wrote in message
news:20030410005900...@mb-cj.aol.com...
HELMUT RONER
>Date: 4/10/2003 1:10 AM Eastern Standard Time
>Are you asking or saying that I probably did top off the radiator with the
>car off?
Sorry, I was asking. Anyhoo, let the engine idle for a while. With the engine
hot and the thermostat open start pouring in more water or antifreeze whichever
you feel is right for you. After it is topped off have someone raise the RPMs.
That will make the waterpump pump faster and make the fluid level drop from
the radiator cap opening. Once it drops fill with more liquid and then cap
off. The let go of the gas. Drive it around for a bit and see if the play in
the gauge reading has changed any. I always have to add water to mine when I
check it and the fluctuating guage doesn't act up until it starts to run low
again.
Helmut Roner
1988 GT
Andy Budwill
"AZGuy" <jimnaz...@cox.net> wrote in message
news:qg1a9v8h9smrne2r1...@4ax.com...
> Did it just start or did it start when you replaced the thermostat?
Just started about 6 months after the new t-stat
> Could be the thermostat is bad and doesn't open till it gets too hot
> and then snaps open. Since it's doing it in the first mile it must
> not spend much of that first mile at a stable temp - is it just
> warming up to "in" the normal area but not really stopping till it
> shoots to hot?
It hangs relatively low or near the normal area for the entire first mile
acting stable then magically shoots to really hot.
> Is it possible you have the thermostat in backwards?
Don't think so I was pretty careful when I replaced it but if I end up
replacing again I guess we'll see?
> the valve. You should also check the fan clutch but from what you
> describe it doesn't really sound like that's the problem.
I've had that replaced within the last year also hehe.
> someone else said, you might have an air pocket somewhere. My first
> cure for that is a good high speed, high rpm romp to get that water
> moving fast so it carries the air out.
Does this really work? If so maybe I'll go for a fast spin....
Andy
mriev
exactly the same problem with my '84 Mustang and a new thermostat cured the
problem. I've had nearly new thermostats fail several times over the years,
so the fact that it's only six months old means nothing.
Mike
"Andy Budwill" <andybudw...@phorum.net> wrote in message
news:mp9la.94371$S14....@news1.central.cox.net...
Joe Cilinceon
climb up. I check to see if the engine was getting hot and it was. I wound
up with a new clutch fan and that fixed the problem.
--
Joe Cilinceon
"Andy Budwill" <andybudw...@phorum.net> wrote in message
news:VJ6la.90771$S14....@news1.central.cox.net...
Acura God
bad temp sender. Does it seem to do the spike at approx the same position on
the gauge while engine is warming up? Maybe for example the engine temp
reaches 140 deg then all of a sudden the gauge spikes. This would suggest to
me that the temp sensor nears an open or actually near open situation
causing the gauge to spike then after passing this point resumes normal
operation. Just a thought.
David Short
"Andy Budwill" <andybudw...@phorum.net> wrote in message
news:VJ6la.90771$S14....@news1.central.cox.net...
NCSteed
>
> Car in question is an 88 GT Convertible.
>
> My temperature gauge goes insane sometimes. I am trying to determine how to
> troubleshoot this. I am unsure if my car is really overheating or if the
> gauge is just failing. The radiator and waterpump have been replaced within
> the last two years. The heatercore has always been bypassed. The
> thermostat is about 6 months old.
>
I also have an 88GT...my thermo did the same thing (it was only a
few months old)...then one day it just stuck shut and car boiled
over...my suggestion would be to replace the thermo soon...it's cheap,
easy and a quick fix...and beats the hell out of getting stuck in the
rain on your way to work (haa haa)