gateway

My coolant gauge travels between the thick bar and the thin bar after it. Is this normal?

Rusty Spokes

Mine usually runs between the two slim marks..most often at the bold mark...when it is very hot outside and slow traffic.. the gauge will run up to the 12 o'clock slim mark. About 100*C. Very normal as the first speed fan thermo switch kicks in at about 95*C on the colder outlet side of the radiator. Coolant temperatures are higher on the inlet side of the radiator.

CRAZY_RUSSIAN

2nd with Rusty

tocabdriver

Mine is running 206-212f. I'd like to see it closer to 190. Maybe its a thermostat issue? I'll have them replace it when they do the timing belt.

Rusty Spokes

I guess it is where you are measuring the coolant temperatures..if you are using the dash gauge..well that is Okay.

212*F (100*C) would be at the top 12 o'clock thin line on the dash gauge..inside the operating range for our cars..but not a normal "going down the road" cruising temperature.

The stock 87*C thermostat starts to open at 87* (189*F) and is fully open at about 95*C (or thereabouts)..the coolant is flowing into the driver's side of the radiator at ..say..95*C and is being cooled and exits the passenger side of the radiator..where the fan thermo switch resides.

Once you get up to around 110*C..with a good radiator..the radiator exit temperatures are now around 95*C and the fan switch turns the fans on.

So the point is in traffic..slow moving on a hot day..your dash temp gauge will be up at the 100*C mark..very normal. Once cruising down the road..the dash temp gauge comes down and the thermostat is closing and slightly opening..because of the abundant amount of very cool coolant available from the radiator.

If your radiator is old and partially plugged..then the dash temps will read higher most of the time. (won't matter what thermostat you use) The radiator cannot shed the heat and the engine runs warmer than normal.

The thermostat should always be replaced when you do a timing belt..and popular wisdom would say install a new water pump too.

If the radiator is original to the car..best replace it too. Two decades is great service for a modern radiator..time to retire it.