I drove my wife's Civic last night and it seemed like the operating temperature was a little high. After driving it for 15 minutes, there were 9 bars showing on the temperature gauge, just about halfway up the C ---> H scale.

I don't drive the car very often, so I'm not familiar with where it should usually read once warmed up.

Could I get a few people to confirm how many bars on the temperature gauge usually display on this generation of Civic (DX, EX, LX) motor?

I'm going to go ahead and do a quick inspection of the coolant level and hose connections, but it just seems like it's running a little warm.

Thanks in advance.

 

9.

For the Si, at least.

Should be just to the left of the temperature symbol.

 

1/2 way up is nothing to worry about.

 

I always thought it rather high myself, but like others have already said, its normal. It really doesn't fluctuate much from 9 bars even in normal driving in 100+ degree weather.

 

as long as it dosnt go all the way up to the H you should be ok

 

Occasionally, on a VERY cold day, the temperature will drop while sitting at a red light.

 

mine is always half way up, even when i auto-x'd it in 90+ degree weather

 

My 2008 LX has nearly always had 8 or 9 bars. This roughly equals 184-193 F on my Scan Gauge II.

 

If you're in Boston and you're seeing several bars worth of drop, facing a cold head wind while your engine is running, something could be wrong. I have never noticed the bars dropping after warm-up near Toronto, though it might have fallen a single bar or two.

 

I've had a bar drop when coasting down a big hill at 45 degree ambient air temperature.

 

I've had all but 3 bars once... I turned my engine off and laugh b/c I had a coolant leak.

 

I don't know the exact bars, even though it is probably 9, because it is just before halfway. Halfway is pretty much the standard for thermostats (at operating temp) on vehicles. It may seem high on our car because the gauge has so many bars, but there is nothing to worry about.

If it goes to H, turn the car off as soon as possible; but I'd say even if it goes 2 bars above halfways, that you have a problem.

My car gets to it's operating temperature (let's say 9 bars) and never falls or rises. Even in 90 degree heat with 100000000% humidity in the middle of the summer, my thermostat hasn't jumped one bar while running down the quarter mile 20 times in a day. So, if one's thermostat fluctuates (mainly upward) under normal driving conditions, I'd definitely say something is wrong.

 

Thanks for the responses.

Definitely reassures that I think our Civic is just fine.

I checked the coolant, and it was just below the min line, so I went ahead and topped it off. I'll certainly keep an eye on the level, but I really doubt that it's leaking, it's probably just never been topped off in it's 60K mile life.

Thanks again.

 

On my car, 9 bars still looks low, not high.
9-bars is not even halfway... more like 1/3 up or 2/5th's at the most.
Could this be because of a different looking gauge in Canada?

I don't think mine even has an "H", I'll have to look.

 

For a USDM Si, 9 bars is just to the left of the temperature gauge in the middle.

I'd say 9/20ths

 

That's roughly what I see too.
I just know that it never gets all the way to the middle.

 

Mine is always one shy of half-way.