cooling system problem

i have a 1993 dodge shadow es. 4cyl. It runs on the hot side of the temp gage. (past the middle line, above normal) The temp gage is always near the "H" . It does`nt overheat, the thermostat is new, the timing belt and water pump recenly replaced, new radiator,and hoses, no coolant leaks, but also NO heat and NO AC. No signs of head gasket problems either. fan does come on, no coolant smell anywhere, slight hissing sound when i shut the engine off. Temp gage does not move when in idle mode or when driving. The gage will sometimes back down to the middle or "normal" area but return to the hot side again.
Any thoughts? suggestions?? remedies?

this should be moved to the dodge forums

chances are you have several different problems as i see it, they could all be related but i'm not sure.

how long after start up does it reach the H area of the gauge?
does the blowerfan work?
do the vents always blow where they are set?(IE you have it set to feet but it blows thru the windsheild defroster vent, may be more noticible during heavy acceration.)

check the belt routing, there should be a underhood sticker displaying the proper arangement

it does`nt take long at all for it to get to just below the "H"
the blower fan does come on
air blows from the selected vents
belts are in proper route
i think i will take the thermostat out and see what happens

does the temp gauge read H within seconds or does it take a minute or two?

you said you replaced the radiator, i assume it was leaking before? did you use any "radiator leak stopper"?

at this point it sounds almost like you have no coolant flow

the temp gage takes a minute or two to get to the "H".
the radiator was leaking thus the replacement and as far as coollant flow, when i did check the thermostat, usually when you take that off you get some spillage of coolant, nothing came out, if that signifies anything?? what am i looking at if there is no coolant flow, as far as repair or whatever??
I appreciate your help also, Thanks

one stupid question i forgot to ask before - the coolant is full right?

nothing at the thermostat? not even a drip?

did you use the radiator stop leak sealer or any type of cooling system additive?

with no coolant flow, its basicly one of two things. a bad water pump(bad fins, not spinning, spining the wrong direction) or a clog(s). since you said you have a new water pump(assuming it was installed correctly) and there is no coolant at the thermostat i'm leaning more to a clog. the radiator leak sealers you can buy at almost any gas station can clog a cooling system. assuming it is a clog, repair wise all bets are off. it may just be a $20 hose, it may be the passiges in the block, in which case repair may be expencive.

at this point i would:

take the thermostat off again, rotate the water pump by hand, see if coolant flows then.
drain the coolant, remove all hoses, inspect for clogs, try flowing water(garden hose is fine) thru the radiator and heater core, try flowing water thru the block if possible. look for anything abnormal. when your done, refill the system and bleed/burp if nessicary. report back with any news. you soon you can fix this the better, the engine may not seem to be overheating, but your engine may develop hot spots away from the coolant temp sensor, which can cause engine damage.

got er figured out over the week-end:
Head Gasket/cracked block
this car is history