So I went camping Friday and had my car fully loaded with gear and my brother in the passenger seat. I noticed as I was driving the temp guage was going higher than usual. Wasn't overheating but running a bit hotter then it should. When I got onto the freeway it got cooler as the wind cooled the engine. I thought it was running hotter because of the load I had but when I got home and unloaded everything and drove it. It did the same thing and it's getting a little over half way on the temp guage but it will vary. Any ideas?

 

-Tanner

Obvious places to start would be coolant level and fan operation.

I cant stress this to you guys enough, you need some means of seeing the actual temps. The gauges on the EA81s are terrible. I cannot say the same for your car, but step one when a gauge abnormality catches your eye. Test. Get yourself a laser temp gun.

Is it possible the car someimes runs at this point on the gauge and you have just become aware of it and its bugging you?

Mice nest between the main radiator and the A/C radiator.   Thermostats wear out and freeze up.  Old radiators lose their ability to cool properly due to a buildup in the cross tubes.  Cars with A/C should have a double core radiator.

Edited August 30, 201510 yr by scoobiedubie

warmer air outside also reduces cooling effect, as does sticky thermostats and old temp sender units can also be tricky. I had one that never went above quarter no matter what I did. A digital minder revealed otherwise, prompting swapping sender for another used one that was happy to go above quarter when temp went up !

Are both of the radiator fans supposed to come on at the same time? If so then only one is kicking on it seems

Well I guess one is for ac. I'm thinkin it might have a bad temp sensor or a bad thurmostat. I guess all that stuff is good to replace anyways along with hoses and all that good spoob.

Well I guess one is for ac. I'm thinkin it might have a bad temp sensor or a bad thurmostat. I guess all that stuff is good to replace anyways along with hoses and all that good spoob.

make sure the system is full of coolant.  The temp gauge on the dash is not accurate from car to car.  But if it normally runs at say 1/2,  and it suddenly runs higher than normal, it means check everything, something isn't right.

Check your coolant level.

If you haven't maintained the cooling system in awhile, now is a good time to run through it.

Check the main hoses, replace if necessary. Maybe replace the radiator if $$$ allows, as they can be had relatively inexpensive.

When you fill the radiator, it is best to have the car at an incline (nose up) and after it is filled at the neck, start it up and turn the heat on full blast, then fill as the level goes down. If it starts spilling out, cap it off and then put some coolant in the reservoir.

 

Your car has dual electric fans? I would imagine it would have one mechanical fan (drivers side) and one electric fan.

The mechanical fan should spin all the time as it's attached to the water pump. The electric fan should run any time the A/C is on (if your a/c works) and also when the coolant temp reaches 210 F (IIRC).

Check the wires coming off the electric fan at their connections for dirt, etc.
Make sure the ignition is off when you check. If it is in any position other than off it can turn on suddenly. Not likely but possible.