Where is the engine temp gauge supposed to sit at ? i got a new t-stat from part source and now my gauge sits just under half !! from mild in town/rural road driving. have removed it and am not running one atm as i'd rather not overheat. my old one seem to be stuck open and my gauge just sat above the first line on the gauge(just above "C')

 

Mine sits @1/3 -3/8 w/alum full rad and stock t-stat new coolant 6months ago

 

just under half is fine.

 

This is the orginal rad AFAIK car is 19/20 year old. 2nd the gasket around the edge of the t-stat leaks(it's new) what type of sealant could i use

 

Blue etc or Honda bond however if it needs it something maybe wrong is it warped or gouged a NEW tstat gasket shouldn't leak also did you orient it right.

 

will take a pic of old and new t-stat side by side there is a size diff part source said this is the right one(new one i bought) but i'll take a pic and post it. as for why it's leaking i think the 'new" stat's edge is to big. weird thing is the engine reaches a good temp dispite what the gauge shows even with no stat. and with the new stat causes it to get really hot. I jumpped the fan switch fan switch so i could have it on all the time still no change was scared to drive it that hot that why i did that.

 

just get a oem honda tstat and be done with it

half or just under half on the gauge is what you want

 

There's also a little hole in the t-stat plate to position in the "up" position. This allows air bubbles through so as not to create an air pocket in the cylinder head. Purge the cyl head of air after it reaches operating temp to prevent the air pockets also. Its that little 10mm nipple below/close to vtec solenoid. It should stream out steady coolant w/o bubbles when the head is properly purged. I personally stand on the rocker panel and rock the car to get any that's left in there out which normally would have to be "pushed" through by pressure/flow.

 

Here are both side by side

 

mine sits about 1/4

 

Right about 1/4 in heavy stop-go traffic or blazing down the freeway. These don't run warm.

 

Well with no stat at all mine climbs to just under half at ilde ? what's going on thought it would be colder without one ccoolant is bleed and topped up also

 

Rad fan is keeping it at 1/2 way, and 1/2 way, [just under 200 degrees F] is perfect, it should drop lower when at continuous speed, on highway, [non stop and go], if not, you still have a problem. 94

 

it does drop back to just above the "C line" when you get moving. in need of fan switch so i just perma jump the fan when im doing city driving

 

if the needle on the oem gauge reads half way, its fine. Mine is just slightly under half and I feel thats running cool. As long as it doesnt rise above middle at standing idle, your fine. completely normal.

 

Ok that seems to be what the majority of ppl are saying it will never go to or above that half way point just sits there. will put t-stat back as it don't like running a cold engine so to say just seemd like a big jump from one that was stuck open 98% of the time.

 

Ok new issue im worried about: When I come to a stop the gauge rises to 1/4 or just over. no rad fan but even when I jumped it constantly(left clip in) it still does it. no stat either yet as the engine temp gauge may "READ" cold but that thing get hot !! why this shouldn't happen with no stat maybe if it was getting stuck closed but im not even running one

 

1/4 is NOT hot, 1/2 way is normal, [rad fan would turn on intermittently, if not moving] 3/4 is hot, [rad fan would be running constantly] over 3/4 is overheating, way too hot, [again, rad fan would be running continuously, if it was working properly]. 94

 

Yeah I always felt like under half is perfectly normal, yet for me the air from the vent is wayyyyyyy to warm when I have it all the way to the left as cool as I can set it. But by all means mine sits maybe 2/5th a little under half.

 

Will put the new stat in and see it. just don't know why it heats up so fast on idle

 

without airflow through the rad, it's gonna heat up

 

thats what the thermostat does, it holds back coolant until the engine coolant hits the temp the stat is rated for, then it opens to maintain that temp

 

Well as it is now with no start the engines does get prtty hot at first(first 5-8 mins) of driving vtec doesn't engauge as it should then after that it's fine same with the idle it will become more steady/lower no fitv tho. I just don't think my gauge is accurate

 

Its not going to engage in the first few minutes when it hasn't even reached operating temp. Its a built in feature to protect your engine And wallet. That's like asking a sprinter to race as soon as they get out of bed...