Need Help: Temp gauge reads warm even before I crank the engine
#1
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Need Help: Temp gauge reads warm even before I crank the engine
1995 Honda Civic EX 4 Door Automatic
Every morning before I head to work and the temp is below cold as it should be. I put the key to the II position and the temp jumps to 25%. I crank the car and it starts just fine but still stays in the 25% position. I drive for approx. 5 minutes and it reads normal temp (a little under 50%).
When I unplug the temp sensor (one wire) from under the distributor it drops below cold and reads the same temp (48%) when I put it back in.
Upper and lower radiator hoses get hot after normal operating temps so I am assuming the thermostat is okay.
Just found out the radiator fan does not kick on. Jumping the plug so the fan is always on untill I figure out what it could be.
Every morning before I head to work and the temp is below cold as it should be. I put the key to the II position and the temp jumps to 25%. I crank the car and it starts just fine but still stays in the 25% position. I drive for approx. 5 minutes and it reads normal temp (a little under 50%).
When I unplug the temp sensor (one wire) from under the distributor it drops below cold and reads the same temp (48%) when I put it back in.
Upper and lower radiator hoses get hot after normal operating temps so I am assuming the thermostat is okay.
Just found out the radiator fan does not kick on. Jumping the plug so the fan is always on untill I figure out what it could be.
#4
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Re: Need Help: Temp gauge reads warm even before I crank the engine
I would bet these have the same issues as my 98 lx, temp gauge was crazy, would show the engine was overheated within a minute, but if you popped the hood, you could put your hand on the engine, it wasnt the sensor, as I changed it, I did note that none of the aftermarket senders matched Hondas spec, not even close, How long have you owned the car? it's possible someone installed the wrong sender. The only thing I could possibly figure out, was the wiring diagram for the cluster showed a voltage regular built into the circuit board. If it was failing it could cause erratic gauge readings, I never did figure it out as the transmission failed, and I ended up selling the POS. Check your sender against spec with an ohmmeter and if it's good, you might want to swap out the cluster
#6
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Re: Need Help: Temp gauge reads warm even before I crank the engine
Yeah, for it to be around 25% at start-up, the engine would have to have an ambient temperature of something like 150*F. Getting the block to that temperature without turning it on would take...well, maybe not Mercury, but at least Venus
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#11
Re: Need Help: Temp gauge reads warm even before I crank the engine
You guys are saying OP needs one of these?
http://s1372.photobucket.com/user/fa...80bf2.jpg.html
[IMG][/IMG]
I would guess its a harness problem.
http://s1372.photobucket.com/user/fa...80bf2.jpg.html
[IMG][/IMG]
I would guess its a harness problem.
Last edited by Former User; 06-19-2014 at 03:26 AM. Reason: Pic fixed
#13
Re: Need Help: Temp gauge reads warm even before I crank the engine
Maybe he can do that trick you guys always do to diagnose these sorta things.
take the voltage at the sensor side of the wire and the dash harness side to see if things are short circuiting. Its something along those lines. I hate doing electro al diagnoses personally, I just wanted to contribute because I had the sensor laying around lol
take the voltage at the sensor side of the wire and the dash harness side to see if things are short circuiting. Its something along those lines. I hate doing electro al diagnoses personally, I just wanted to contribute because I had the sensor laying around lol
#14
Re: Need Help: Temp gauge reads warm even before I crank the engine
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Re: Need Help: Temp gauge reads warm even before I crank the engine
Maybe he can do that trick you guys always do to diagnose these sorta things.
take the voltage at the sensor side of the wire and the dash harness side to see if things are short circuiting. Its something along those lines. I hate doing electro al diagnoses personally, I just wanted to contribute because I had the sensor laying around lol
take the voltage at the sensor side of the wire and the dash harness side to see if things are short circuiting. Its something along those lines. I hate doing electro al diagnoses personally, I just wanted to contribute because I had the sensor laying around lol
#17
Re: Need Help: Temp gauge reads warm even before I crank the engine
I hate diagnosing electrical problems I dont know how yo do it right. Plus I have no idea what any of the values should actually be or where to properly check the electrical value
#18
Re: Need Help: Temp gauge reads warm even before I crank the engine
Unplugging the sending unit to see whether the temp gauge needle now stays at Cold is the place to start with this problem, as NotARacist pointed out already.
#19
Re: Need Help: Temp gauge reads warm even before I crank the engine
I think he said that he did that, "unplugged the 1 pin sensor under the distributor and it says cold".
that rules out the rest of the system and points to the sensor I guess? These lil guys suck
that rules out the rest of the system and points to the sensor I guess? These lil guys suck
#20
Re: Need Help: Temp gauge reads warm even before I crank the engine
The sensor is indeed the problem.
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Re: Need Help: Temp gauge reads warm even before I crank the engine
make sure you get a OEM one, I have never been able to find one that has the correct ohm range aftermarket, I tried every auto parts store there was, every sender read out of factory specs
#24