Temp gauge never registers above 160

[captgadget]

and in the winter not above 140. But there is warm air blowing at the 140 degree reading. Should this be a problem?

[imidazol97]

Originally Posted by captgadget

and in the winter not above 140. But there is warm air blowing at the 140 degree reading. Should this be a problem?

The problem may be the temperature sender or gauge is not working right and the temp may be higher. With the heater on at full blower, after a few minutes at full temp it should be hot enough to drive you out of the car.

So after the temp gauge is up to that 140 degree F reading, take hold of the heater hoses. They should be hot enough you can't hold them for more than 2-3 seconds before it gets uncomfortable. Same for the water coming through the upper radiator hose after the car has been run 10-15 minutes up to temperature. That would indicate you're actually at 195 and you're getting bad readings.

The other easy way to check is to use an infrared temperature sensor to see if the temps are where they should be or it you're actually at 140 deg at the thermostat housing!

>IS this a problem?

Yes if the engine is running below 190 or so. The combustion isn't correct at the colder temperature and contaminants will build up in the oil even damaging the motor with wear eventually.

[HotZ28]

Your thermostat may be stuck partially open, allowing coolant flow at all times. Change the thermostat to an 180 deg; or 195 deg, which is OEM.

[captgadget]

I drive 30 miles one way to and from work. When I got home the other night I grabbed the hoses and there was no way I could hold on to them for any amount of time. So what suggestions do you have for me now.

[imidazol97]

Originally Posted by captgadget

I drive 30 miles one way to and from work. When I got home the other night I grabbed the hoses and there was no way I could hold on to them for any amount of time. So what suggestions do you have for me now.

I see one answer could be that your sender is out of calibration or the gauge in the dash is out if it's nondigital. You can live with it, or spend money tracking it down replacing parts.


The idea that Z28 added that the thermostat might not be closing fully and opening too early is one to consider. I was only thinking of thermostats stuck closed or stuck wide open. Is the motor slow to warm up.


It would be good if you can use an infrared gauge to read the thermostat housing temp to be sure the car is running at 190-195 after 10-15 minutes. Or tape a thermometer to the upper hose at the thermostat with something over it to insulate. See if it shows at least 180 and up after the car is run for those 30 miles.

I wonder if any of the auto parts box stores loan infra red thermometers like they do other repair tools?

Are you getting slow heat warmup like a thermostat that's not properly closing? Is the water in the upper hose starting to flow too quickly and getting warm after a few minutes on a cold motor? It should stay cold until the engine is up to the max and then it should heat quickly as hot water is released through it now that the motor is up to the thermostat's 190 setting. I would guess that at about 8-10 minutes of idling starting with a cold engine.