My Ex made its first 500 mile trip. Question regarding temp gauge

[Sonicxtacy02]

Yesterday i made a successful trip in my 92 X to and from western PA. Everything ran smooth, but about 2 hours into the trip and throghout the rest of the day my temp gauge would run up to the "A" in normal, then immediately move back down to the "N". This happend about every 10-15 seconds and occured no matter if the car was idling or cruising. Could this be a thermostat issue. After the first 260 miles i checked the hood and the truck wasnt hotter than normal. Am I being over protective or should this bring about concern?

BTW, i ran 260 miles on a tank of gas. Dunno if this is good or not on average but i was impressed with the ole gal

 

[jgilbs]

i had this happen to me right before my tstat was about to go. consider it an early warning sign. it sounds like your tstat is sticking closed, then opening fully, then if the engine cools down a bit, i will close part way and stick there for a bit. best bet would be to change it out. its cheap insurance.

 

[Carl D.]

I agree, it's a early warning, change it. It's cheap and easy. 260 is pretty good. I get about 240 per tank, but i'm lift with bigger tires.

 

[DeRocha]

I agree with the others. When my T-stat started going bad I would notice the temp needle getting higher on the gauge before dropping back down (when the T-stat finaly opened).

 

[j602]

I agree also. Same exact thing happened w/ mine. Easy and cheap replacement, and makes a big difference. Yeah that's pretty good mileage. The most I've gotten out of mine is about 230 but that was city driving so I'm anxious to what I can get out on the highway. Later.

Josh

 

[Glacier991]

Been a while since I changed mine (I'm on my 3rd at 200,000) but I recall seeing a brand where if they failed, they failed OPEN. See if that's possible for your Ex when you replace.

 

[Sonicxtacy02]

Thx guys. I'll get on that today!1

 

[jfsledge]

I have a stock 92 Sport and get at least 320 miles per tank of mixed driving. Lately its been getting 19.5. MPG.

 

['92Bauer]

I have a stock 92 4 door eddie and this weekend i drive up to Cape Cod, this trip was about 240 miles one way which i made in about 4.5 hours and only using a half a tank. Now my X which usally gets about 15 MPG with a mixed of city and highway driving got over 21 highway MPG this trip which pleased me very much with the recent gas prices it cost alot less then I expected.
My X which has over 137,000 was loaded with my system (Cap, Amp and threes 12's in a box), 2 people and a couple of bags.

 

[Sonicxtacy02]

How in the WORLD do you get the thermostat housing off. I can barely reach 1 of the 3 bolts needed to take the thing off. Is there a trick i'm missing or should i just take this to the shop for this one?

 

[DeRocha]

In order to give yourself some room you should remove the Air intake tube, Serpentine Belt, and tensioner (if it is still in the way). These things take under 10 minutes to remove and will give you better access.

 

[Sonicxtacy02]

Sorry to bring a post back from the dead but I still have this issue. I cant seem to remove the tensioner as i cant get to the lower bolt. Any tips on how to get to it?

 

[Crazy5711]

Not to steal the thread, but I have been having my own temp gauge problem. Does anyone have any idea what could be wrong if my gauge is always low or not even registering, even after long trips on a hot day? I'm a little concerned because its been over 100deg here lately and will be getting hotter. The forecast has highs over 100 all week, so if there is a problem, I want to get it fixed before I have some kinda problem.

 

[DeRocha]

What were you able to remove?

 

[DeRocha]

If your temp is always cold then the T-stat is sticking opened allowing the engine to be continioulsy cooled. You should replace it...

 

[Sonicxtacy02]

I removed everything except the bottom bolt on the tensioner. I can move the adjuster out of the way but cant get a second hand in to get to the bolt with a wrench.

 

[Crazy5711]

If your temp is always cold then the T-stat is sticking opened allowing the engine to be continioulsy cooled. You should replace it...

Thanks