bad gauge or sender??????

[rowdie- stang]

I have a autometer water temp gauge and after my car runs for about 5 mins the gauge pegs at 250. the rad or the upper rad hose isnt hot at all. Is my car still overheating????I also have a brand new waterpump and thermostat and an electric fan that I let run the entire time my car was running.

 

[HISSIN50]

If there is air trapped in the system, then that can cause incorrect gauge readings.

You could bench test the sender, but if it is an electrical gauge be sure to supply the gauge with power and ground and ground the sender-body.

Good luck.

 

[rowdie- stang]

how do you bleed the air out of the system if it is in the system

 

[jerryD]

what i do is park on hill so the front of car is higher than the back. start car with no cap on it. when it gets hot enough the t-stat will open, letting watter and whatever air through. add your coolant solution now. put cap on and check temp once pressure builds back up.

 

[jaymac]

I read you other thread, too, but try using a meat thermometer in the radiator filler neck./ make sure the car is cold, then remove the cap and sit the meat thermo. in the neck and start the car. As the gauge starts to report the temp, match it against the meat thermometer. Some coolant might spill out, but not enough to hurt anything. You just want to do it for a few minutes to see if the numbers match up, then you can see if it's really the gauge, or if you're really runing that hot.
If you want, you can wrap a (dirty, old)towel around the meat thermometer to keep some water and pressure from escaping. Try this today... it's how I diagnosed my bad gauge, on soem goof advice from HISSIN50

 

[HISSIN50]

on soem goof advice from HISSIN50

That is the only kind of advice he gives.

 

[darthcual]

That is the only kind of advice he gives.

I second that!

 

[jaymac]

Ummm...ooops!!!!
If you would all look at your keyboard with me, you will notice the "D" and the "F" are right next to each other....
I meant "good", but i wrote "goof"
Ooops!!
Good advice, my friend, good advice

 

[4montecarlo]

where is the sender at on your car?
if its in the intake where the stock sender goes, i would say your tstat is stuck shut and the car is overheating.
matt

 

[HISSIN50]

I meant "good", but i wrote "goof"

This is what is referred to as a Freudian slip. Now I know what y'all really think. [sniff]. Ha Ha J/K.

 

[rowdie- stang]

Yeah the sender is in the stock location. The thermostat is a new one, but that doesnt mean a thing