97 civic lx. 129k miles. my temperature guage is not worrking properly. it stays below normal temperture. is this a problem ? car is working fine. what should i check. please advise.

 

Could be your thermostat. Over time the spring can get weak so it stays open farther than it should, making the engine run cool when air is flowing through the radiator.

If you leave the car idling for an extended period of time (>20 mins), does it rise to normal levels? Does it then cool down when you're driving?

My thermostat failed a little after 8 years with those symptoms.

 

my 96 dx the temp gauge has never reached the half way mark, even after the swap. Its fine

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by 96CivicBoostCoupe &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">my 96 dx the temp gauge has never reached the half way mark, even after the swap. Its fine</TD></TR></TABLE>
If you're somewhere where it stays warm year round, having the engine run a little cool isn't a big deal. But if it regularly dips below freezing, regularly running an ice cold engine will make for long-term headaches.