My daughter's 97 Eclipse (2 L, manual, non-turbo) started acting weird this morning. As she drives (surface streets, not highway speeds), the temp gauge seems normal, then starts to go to max, then swings back down to almost normal, then back hot, etc. Would a bad thermostat cause that? Other things? Maybe a bad sending unit? Thanks - Brian
Could be thermostat, sending unit, or air in the system (if it was opened up and not bled properly). In any case you would be very wise to immediately address the problem, as that engine has an aluminum head that doesn't like to get hot and is pricey to repair.
Low coolant, sticking thermostat or a relay/fan flaking out. The sending unit is pretty rugged.
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