Odd temperature guage behavior
#1
Odd temperature guage behavior
We have a 95 Eclipse GST, stock. Bo-ring, I know, but it's my wife's car.
I recently noticed something odd with the coolant temperature reading. For 13 years, the needle on the temp guage has always locked at mid-way after warming up, never varying.
Two days ago, it suddenly started rising a little, to the top of the thermometer icon on the guage, not to the upper danger limit.
Radiator is clean, fluids at proper levels, system was recently flushed and replaced, fans are operating.
After test driving and experimenting, I concluded that driving without the turbo, and at lower rpms, the temperature behaved. Upon higher acceleration, invoking the turbo, the needle would quickly move up to the higher position. Ok, I thought, the extra heat from turbo driving is causing the higher temp.
The really odd thing is that with the needle at the higher level, driving on the highway, when I depressed the clutch and let off the gas, the engine going to idle, the needle quickly returned to the midpoint. Releasing the clutch and depressing the gas again, the needly quickly climbed back higher. I did this several times and it was consistent.
The needle movement changing with RPM seems much faster than the water temperature could be actually dropping. Has anyone seen such odd behavior from their water temperature sender or guage? Or are there any other ideas?
Thanks in advance.
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I recently noticed something odd with the coolant temperature reading. For 13 years, the needle on the temp guage has always locked at mid-way after warming up, never varying.
Two days ago, it suddenly started rising a little, to the top of the thermometer icon on the guage, not to the upper danger limit.
Radiator is clean, fluids at proper levels, system was recently flushed and replaced, fans are operating.
After test driving and experimenting, I concluded that driving without the turbo, and at lower rpms, the temperature behaved. Upon higher acceleration, invoking the turbo, the needle would quickly move up to the higher position. Ok, I thought, the extra heat from turbo driving is causing the higher temp.
The really odd thing is that with the needle at the higher level, driving on the highway, when I depressed the clutch and let off the gas, the engine going to idle, the needle quickly returned to the midpoint. Releasing the clutch and depressing the gas again, the needly quickly climbed back higher. I did this several times and it was consistent.
The needle movement changing with RPM seems much faster than the water temperature could be actually dropping. Has anyone seen such odd behavior from their water temperature sender or guage? Or are there any other ideas?
Thanks in advance.
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#3
RE: Odd temperature guage behavior
I bet it is the thermostat. It is probobly not opening all the way. It is an easy and pretty cheap fix if you do it yourself. I would try that first. It probobly isn't the sender because it would read wrong all the time. I would say that it has got to be the thermostart or water pump.
#4
RE: Odd temperature guage behavior
Thanks, I thought about the thermostat -- but it climbs only so high and stays there, and why would the temp immediately drop to normal when I let the engine go to idle, and vice versa?
I also read, after posting, about a glazed water pump belt which slipped at higher RPM but not at lower. Thoughts?
Thanks for your responses. Not going to rag me about my wife's stock GST?
I also read, after posting, about a glazed water pump belt which slipped at higher RPM but not at lower. Thoughts?
Thanks for your responses. Not going to rag me about my wife's stock GST?
#6
RE: Odd temperature guage behavior
Also take a peek at your fan relay under the hood. If it's no good then obviously it would cause your fan to not work and temp. to rise but it's more than likely the thermostat as stated.
#7
RE: Odd temperature guage behavior
Yeah, think about it this way, if the thermostat is stuck and it won't open all the way then at higher RPMs when your pumping more water you are going to have restriction, it makes perfect sence.