My temperature gauge at either half or a little over. then in heavy traffic itll go close to or at 3/4ths

is this normal? i dont remember the car doing this

the first issue was the fan's relay. got that solved.

but i was heading home and their was a bit of traffic and the gauge went a little above 3/4ths. kinda freaked me out.

 

I have a 2001 Civic and my gauge has been staying at less than half mark but we recenntly noticed that the cooling fan is not coming on, that may be your issue. I hope this helps

 

Check your coolant level and make sure its not losing any, or go to your local parts store rent a rad pressure test tool. Have you always run a 50/50 mix? Regular water will alot of times cause buildup through out the cooling system limiting the flow. You might want to run some rad flush through the system. Though unlikely, your thermostat could be sticking shut.

 

Is the radiator fan running when the engine is hot?

Are you losing coolant?

Have you bled the cooling system?

 

Forgot to mension that, air in the system will cause this too.

 

The radiator fan is not coming on at all and I am losing coolant but no leaks that I can see under the car also checked the fuses and they are ok , but after driving it you can smell anti-freeze but the gauge never moves past the halfway mark my next plan is to check the fan itself to see if it is bad by connecting it directly and if it is I plan on changing the thermostat and buying a new fan.

 

If you are loosing coolant, and can't find a leak, you may want to check your heater core. This would leak inside, and not show under the car. Is the smell stronger when the heat is on? Do your windows fog frequently? Check for fluid on you carpet right below your heater outlet.

Good luck

 

There is the possibility of a blown head gasket too. Do a compression test and make sure all results are within spec. And if it is the heater core, your pass. floor would be wet and you would definately smell it and your windows would likely fog up alot more than usual.