1995 temp gauge fluctuates...a lot
#1
1995 temp gauge fluctuates...a lot
1995 LX coupe...it's the F22B2 I think. The non-vtec. So yeah my temp gauge is going up and down...I remember it usually ran between 1/3 and 1/2 but never above 1/2, and it never changed noticeably. Now I will see it climbing and falling over and over within minutes. Can't be normal...right?
Now it runs anywhere between 1/3 and as high as 3/4. It's kinda freaking me out when it gets high like that...brings back bad overheating memories...and I hate driving my car when it's hot like that it can't be good for it. But it never gets any closer to the red than 3/4.
I replaced the thermostat and radiator all within the past 6 months, so those are pretty much out of the equation. Coolant levels are normal. Coolant is still clean, I use the regular green kind, rather than the purple Honda stuff. I'm not worried about that. I also did the throttle body coolant bypass mod a little bit ago, then switched it back to the normal setup because I didn't like the car idling funny at startup. I think before I did the mod is when this problem started...It certainly ran cooler with the mod but it still went up and down a little. Now its a tiny bit hotter and it worries me.
I noticed that when I'm slowly/casually accelerating it heats up, but if I kinda get on it and accelerate quickly it will actually cool it back down pretty fast. I am thinking it could be a fan problem, but I really don't know how to test the fans. The passenger side fan almost always turns on immediately after I shut my car off to cool it down. But I'm not sure if it comes on while I'm driving. Both fans turn on when I turn the A/C on. So the motors are good...maybe it's one of the ECT switches or possibly a sensor?
I have a voltometer but I don't know much about how to use it.
Thanks for any help,
Ethan
Now it runs anywhere between 1/3 and as high as 3/4. It's kinda freaking me out when it gets high like that...brings back bad overheating memories...and I hate driving my car when it's hot like that it can't be good for it. But it never gets any closer to the red than 3/4.
I replaced the thermostat and radiator all within the past 6 months, so those are pretty much out of the equation. Coolant levels are normal. Coolant is still clean, I use the regular green kind, rather than the purple Honda stuff. I'm not worried about that. I also did the throttle body coolant bypass mod a little bit ago, then switched it back to the normal setup because I didn't like the car idling funny at startup. I think before I did the mod is when this problem started...It certainly ran cooler with the mod but it still went up and down a little. Now its a tiny bit hotter and it worries me.
I noticed that when I'm slowly/casually accelerating it heats up, but if I kinda get on it and accelerate quickly it will actually cool it back down pretty fast. I am thinking it could be a fan problem, but I really don't know how to test the fans. The passenger side fan almost always turns on immediately after I shut my car off to cool it down. But I'm not sure if it comes on while I'm driving. Both fans turn on when I turn the A/C on. So the motors are good...maybe it's one of the ECT switches or possibly a sensor?
I have a voltometer but I don't know much about how to use it.
Thanks for any help,
Ethan
#2
Re: 1995 temp gauge fluctuates...a lot
Ok so I just got back from getting some groceries and I pulled over into a parking lot when it was heating up, cuz I was in no rush. I let it idle for a couple minutes in park, no change it stayed at about 2/3.
I gave it some gas held it at about 1900 rpm still in park and it started to go down pretty quickly. Then I let off the gas when it got to about 1/2 and the temp stopped dropping and stayed at about 1/2 while it idled. I gassed it up again to about 2000 rpm and held it for maybe 20 seconds tops and the temp smoothly dropped to the normal level i guess (between 1/3 and 1/2)
I don't know what it is. I keep thinking its a fan, but I just don't know how to test the switches or sensors.
I gave it some gas held it at about 1900 rpm still in park and it started to go down pretty quickly. Then I let off the gas when it got to about 1/2 and the temp stopped dropping and stayed at about 1/2 while it idled. I gassed it up again to about 2000 rpm and held it for maybe 20 seconds tops and the temp smoothly dropped to the normal level i guess (between 1/3 and 1/2)
I don't know what it is. I keep thinking its a fan, but I just don't know how to test the switches or sensors.
#3
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Re: 1995 temp gauge fluctuates...a lot
You might have a air bubble in your coolant system. Bleed the air out. Take off the radiator cap and insert a funnel, start the car, let it heat up then keep adding 50/50 in the funnel until it stops bubbling. If that doesn't work then try changing your Temperature sensor.
#5
Re: 1995 temp gauge fluctuates...a lot
I'll try to get any of the air bubbles out again...but I already opened the bleeder valve and coolant came out in a stream with no bubbles. I thought that meant it was bled? Anyhow I'm going to try your idea statik hopefully that will work. Just got done driving though I need to let it cool off now.
I doubt it's the thermostat because it is only like 6 months old...I know it is possible but it's really unlikely that it's bad already. I'll wait and try any other ideas before I replace it again.
I doubt it's the thermostat because it is only like 6 months old...I know it is possible but it's really unlikely that it's bad already. I'll wait and try any other ideas before I replace it again.
#6
Re: 1995 temp gauge fluctuates...a lot
I think that the next step if you are still having problems after that is to do a compression test. This is exactly what happened to me when the head gasket went bad with the same car as you. just a thought.
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Re: 1995 temp gauge fluctuates...a lot
Yeah I had the same problem. It ended up being my head gasket. I say check all of thoses minor things first because they are less costly. If none of those will fix your problem then its your head gasket.
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#8
Re: 1995 temp gauge fluctuates...a lot
Awh ****. Well...I let the car run and squeezed out as many air pockets i could outta the top radiator hose. That didn't fix it.
There's no oil leaks though. Could it still be the head gasket?
There's no oil leaks though. Could it still be the head gasket?
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