temp gauge

okay so before my temp gauge was not working and i finally got it to work! Now that its working the temp will go all the way to HOT after a short drive, but if i just leave the car on after a start up it will stay normal just about near half way between cold and hot. Any one know what may be the problem here? Have already change the temp sensor and temp switch. Along with the thermostat, but the thermostat i got for it was one from Kragen and i was reading that those from autozone, kragen, or pepboys are no good, gotta go OEM. I purchased it cuz i needed one at the time and was not sure if the old one in there was working. After installing that new one, with new sensor and switch, my temp gauge work. Now after reading forums and researching thats when I read that aftermarket thermostat are no good, so I went back and test the old thermostat and it does function properly. Can it be the thermostat not opening? I mean the top radiator hose feel warm and the bottom hose is just like normal, dont feel warm like the top one. Any suggestion and help is much appreciated! thanks in advance

I would bleed the coolant before replacing T-sat. I’m running one from auto zone and it work grate without any problems.

do you bleed from the air-bleed bolt on the head?

Yes,its where the top rad hose go’s. Run the car with the rad cap on and open the valve. When it starts flowing steady,tighten it back up

okay sound good! I’ll try that, one other thing um the fans on the car, is the one on the passenger side the cooling fan and the one on driver side is a/c fan? which one is which? I was told that the one on passenger is the cooling fan, but the thing is that when the motor get hot and fan turn on, the one on the driver side is the one that turn on, but I was told the one on passenger side is the cooling fan? So can someone clearify me on this please! Sorry to sound such newbie but I just want to make sure XD

The one on the passenger side should be the cooling fan and AC for the other. Someone might of crossed the wiring/fans to run like that.

hmm so shall i rewired it? extend wires even if i have to so it can reach the other side or will it reach already?

Just keep it where it is. It don’t matter where the fan is as long as its working.

so it does not matter which fan is running? as long as one of the fan work when motor is hot? another thing is the owner before me or the one before them rewire the fan switch to the thermostat housing and the da9 i have is obd0, which the fan switch is suppose to be behind the block above the oil filter. Could this affect it?

If the fans are running,no. Ether there is air in the system,a bad T-stat,a bad water pump or a bad head gasket. If its bugging you that thing wore rewired,just put it back to stock. I think you should be ok after bleeding it out,if not,look at the other things i listed and go from there.

alright let me just bleed it first and see how it goes, if nothing changes or if anything changes ill let you know. Thanks for the input

Do not bleed from the bleeder valve its old technology that sucks , due to the fact that the bleeder is at the lowest point . To bleed it open the rad cap and do the soda bottle trick . As you put water/ coolant into the bottle the air will come out of there . Also check the coolant over flow because that needs water/ coolant in it at all times .

so i open the rad cap and turn car on? can you write a step by step on how to do so?

make sure your heat inside is turned onto hot but fan not switched on, fill the rad with coolant, open the 12mm bleed screw on the side of the head and keep filling the rad with coolant untill you have a steady flow of coolant, close the bleed screw. top up rad and the overflow bottle and fit the rad cap. start the engine and leave it idle and watch for temp gauge also keep checking the hoses, firstly the top hose will get hot untill the thermostat opens then gradually the bottom hose and rad will get hot. when the fans switch on to cool the rad both of them will work or they should but if only one is working it should be the one closest to the 2 rad hoses (left while looking at the engine bay) if that works ok while idling then bring it for a drive if it starts to over heat again you could have a faulty water pump that cant pump the coolant fast enough while driving or a head or headgasket thats failing under the pressure