Temp gauge

Maintenance/Repairs
1

i have a 98 contour with 2.5 i was driving and came to a stop when i took off i heard my valves chatter i looked down at my temp gauge and it was pegged on the hot side got it home let it cooled down the gauge was still there and the coolent light was on started the car seen no leaks turned on the ac it was putting out cold air and the fan wasa working let it run for a bit checked top rad hose it was warm and the lower one was cold water was going through it so do you think i have a thermost giong bad or something else

2

Yeah, OK, it’s a thermostat going bad or something. Replace the thermostat because they’re cheap. Fill up with coolant and hope for the best.

3

You may have been lucky, but driving home (or even to the next block) with the gauge pegged is a very poor idea.

4

hmm, water pump? i dont know

5

Is the radiator full? WHICH fan was working? Was the engine cooling fan, behind the radiator, running? You may need a shop to check it out… just to be sure there’s no gremlins in there.

6

Probably a thermostat going bad, but whenever a vehicle overheats you should pull over right then.

Continuing to operate an overheating vehicle is only contributing further to engine damage.
You should keep a close eye on the oil level as overheating will cook piston rings, which then means you may now own an oil-burner.

7

turning on the AC does nothing good to help determine cooling ability. the heater/AC fan is likewise unrelated. (as a matter of fact turning on the AC actually creates more load on the engine and heats it up further) turning on the HEAT does help determine the cooling condition.

if there is any oili in the radiator you will have to take this to a mechanic to have the head gasket looked at.

when you were driving home did you notice any steam coming from the hood?

you have to determine the radiator water level (when cold) and the level in the overflow expansion tank.

if the water level is up there, start the car with the radiator cap OFF and look to see if the coolant is moving in the radiator. this should take only about a minute or so. (if no movement, i suspect your water pump is bad)

if the coolant is moving, (after shutting off the car) try feeling the two hoses leading to the radiator. if they are really soft and mushy change them.

on the outside chance, the thermostat costs about $10 change that too.

  1. check oil dip stick for level and milky oil water.

  2. check water level

  3. check radiator flow

  4. check hoses for collapse

  5. replace thermostat