I took my step sisters 97 accord around the block cause it was having some over heating issues. got it around the block 2 times successfuly. i turn the heat on and the gauge goes wacko and it starts gettin hot as a bastard. at first when she told me i thought thermostat now im not sure any help? THANKS!

 

You're gonna have to check a few things before you can pinpoint the problem.

1. Is the coolant level up to par?
2. Is your cooling fan working? (While temp reads hot, check fan)
3. Do you have an air pocket in the system? (squeeze upper radiator hose)
4. Is there any leakage coming from the water pump? (Just look under the car for any green fluid.)

There are quite a few things that you could check, but those should help point you in the right direction.