hey guys, i need to know how high your temp guage is supposed to be after an hour or two of driving mostly uphill. Mine is riding really close top the halfway mark kinda like 11.5 o'clock if u look on a clock. is this ok?. sometimes after i get home my coolant resovoir is full and the coolant is boiling. It goes back to normal in the morning. What could be the problem.

 

check your thermostat.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by 92db2 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">check your thermostat. </TD></TR></TABLE>

 

previous owners took out the thermostat. i live in the Caribean. Do I really need it?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by parker14us2000 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">previous owners took out the thermostat. i live in the Caribean. Do I really need it?</TD></TR></TABLE>

You don't absolutely need it, but you won't get heat that's that hot. That is probably the reason your temp gauge reads a little higher after prolongs periods of load. Since the thermostat isn't there, the water/coolant is constantly being cycled through the hot engine. It doesn't have enough "time" to cool off in your radiator.

There aren't too many disadvantages to not having a thermostat:
1. Car takes longer to warm up (few people think that you will use more fuel that way because of the FITV/IACV/etc). But you do live in the Carribean.
2. Heat won't be as hot.
3. After car gets hotter, the fans might stay on continuously.

EDIT: I'm not sure how a car with no thermostat would fare sitting in traffic for a while. Others might have to chime in here and give some info there.

 

if you want a lower-temp thermostat, just hollow out your stock one. as in, remove the moving inner part. that way you keep the outer part as a restrictor to make sure the coolant/water doesn't move too quickly through the radiator. don't just get rid of it entirely.