temp gauge

I have a question about a temperature gauge. The car that I am driving is a 1993 mercury topaz. I have noticed that my temp gauge stays in the normal area, but in the higher portion of it. The car has anti- freeze, no leaks as far as I could tell, but occasionally I get a smell of anti-freeze when the heater is on, but very occasionally. But on some occasions, the temperature gauge stays in the lower part of the normal area. In other words, the needle floats. So the question I want to ask is this, what is the normal area the needle needs to be at? Or perhaps this is something that I should not worry much about? Thanks for the info...Gary

Reply to
gjs1336
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Floating is normal, but you probably want the needle to always stay more or less in the middle of the gauge. If it's at the lower quadrant of the normal (non-red) range, the engine will run less efficiently. If it's in the upper quadrant, the engine will not last as long.

I'd check your fan and your thermostat before doing anything else.

--scott

Reply to
Scott Dorsey

This used to be more common than it is today. Today's engines/ thermostats do an excellent job in holding water at a specific temperature. They used to float around a lot. I had a couple of somewhat underpowered cars (both straight sixes) that had a temperature gauge that acted as a rate of climb indicator. Going up mountains or long grades the temp would climb quite high, then drop off as we started down hill.

Most cars in nineties and current decade control quite closely (tight servo system). I do get concerned when a modern car has a fluctuating temp. I would just keep an eye on it, and if it starts to get too hot, first step would be replacing thermostat.

Reply to
Don Stauffer in Minnesota

You know, I got the same smells my 91 and replaced the heater core. Pressure tested the old core and it held 30 psi for weeks. I figure the hose clamps may have been leaking sporadically from thermal cycling.

Fluctuating needle is normal. The temp rises until the fan turns on. Fan stays on until the temp drops and turns fan off. Cycle repeats. Totally normal.

91 Topaz with 240,000kms.

Bulletproof motor imho.

Reply to
anon

I'd second the tstat. You can tell when the tstat in my truck opens - the truck warms up to normal temp + about 10 degrees (just above center) and then plummets to 1/4 scale when the stat opens - it's obviously not a slow opening one... it bugs me a bit, but it's an 18 year old truck, so as long as it has oil pressure... I'm not worried about it.

Could also be a sending unit that's going bad/getting caked in crud?

Ray

Reply to
ray

My 93 Ranger is exactly the same. Been acting like that since new. Kind of entertaining to watch...

Reply to
M.M.

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