overheating, thermostat?

[djbiker27]

so today i drove home from school at about 3:30 and it seemed fine, but i left my house again at about 4 and the engine temps were still at about operating temp, which was really weird, so i just took it easy. i got to a restaurant and when i was leaving from there like 20 minutes later, my motor was still really hot so i popped the hood, and the metal bar that holds up the hood was so hot it kinda burnt my hand(it sits right on top of the radiator). the engine temp said pretty much right in the middle, the needle was straight up, which is high for my engine. so i cruised home and it stayed at that point, and i went to dinner in my bros truck. i get home about 90 minutes later, and it was at normal operating temp. so it's not cooling down after sitting for 1 1/2 hour.

the fluid is completely full, and the top tube from the radiator to the thermostat is empty. me and my bro think it's a broken thermostat. what do you think?

i know the engine temp is still in normal, but it is way higher than what it normally is, and i know where it should be because i've been driving it for more than a year, like 10k miles.

it's a 93 with 185k miles

 

[BrooklynBay]

It could be the thermostat or a defective temperature sending unit causing the gauge to display the wrong temperature.

 

[lofton316]

so today i drove home from school at about 3:30 and it seemed fine, but i left my house again at about 4 and the engine temps were still at about operating temp, which was really weird, so i just took it easy. i got to a restaurant and when i was leaving from there like 20 minutes later, my motor was still really hot so i popped the hood, and the metal bar that holds up the hood was so hot it kinda burnt my hand(it sits right on top of the radiator). the engine temp said pretty much right in the middle, the needle was straight up, which is high for my engine. so i cruised home and it stayed at that point, and i went to dinner in my bros truck. i get home about 90 minutes later, and it was at normal operating temp. so it's not cooling down after sitting for 1 1/2 hour.

the fluid is completely full, and the top tube from the radiator to the thermostat is empty. me and my bro think it's a broken thermostat. what do you think?

i know the engine temp is still in normal, but it is way higher than what it normally is, and i know where it should be because i've been driving it for more than a year, like 10k miles.

it's a 93 with 185k miles

Just because it been a certain way for almost a year doesnt mean the way its always suppose to Be. with the weather changing rapidly that will affect the reading. How could yo tell the top hose was empty? did you take it off? Try replacing the thermostat, but if its in the middle then thats still normal, drive it tomorrow and when you see it get hot, turn on the heater full blast and see if it goes down.