2001 Temperature gauge readings

What is the normal position the Temperature needle should be at in a 2001 mine sits about halfway between 1/4 and half but if I am in traffic It goes to 3/4 the fans kick in and temp drops, I dont have another car that the temp Gauge needle moves as much

Thanks for the replies

Are you running your car with the air cond on max in slow traffic?

no to the AC it was only high 50's out side

Turn the HEATER on Max, to see if the fan from the heater can help bring the temp back down.
1) Clean the Air cond condenser, and radiator from leaves, road debris, and bugs.
2) Make sure the fan for the radiator is working proper.

It sounds only a bit hot to me. Normal would be about 1/4 or a bit less, it does get warm quickly under some conditions. Long hill or mountain pulls, long stops in traffic after its been running on the highway for a while, etc.
If you know that the engine is OK (no manifold leaks) then perhaps its time for some preventive maintenance.

Every 50k miles or so, or when it seems to be running a bit warm, I dump the coolant and flush with water, then dump that and add water and coolant cleaner. Run that for a few hours (read the bottle) and then flush and replace with new coolant. Maybe change out the thermostat while you are in there with the coolant removed. Change the rad. cap out at the same time for a new one.

These are just normal long term maintenance items that will help your engine stay running cool, just like making sure the radiator is clean and free of leaves and debris as was already mentioned above.


All bets are off the table if you are having manifold/head problems however. Search these forums for lots of info about that.