car running at 140degress?

[331 stang91]

So i drove around the other day for about 2 hours with the car running about 180. The for no reason the needle on the gauge (auto meter mechanical) got berried. So I thought maybe the thermostat got stuck open. So I put in a 180 and the thing still runs at about 141 or so . Any ideas on why that could be?
Thanks for the help

 

[stangbear427]

You may have a bad sender, or a kink in the line. My mechanical H2O temp started acting funny awhile back, and they told me to pull it out and make sure the light plug in back was in strait. Don't see how it could matter, but it works fine ever since. Call Autometer.

 

[331 stang91]

Thanks I'll try it

 

[04sleeper]

Also be sure there is no air in your system. If the mechanical gauge's sensor has air around it, it will not read properly.
Try this.

Unscrew the sending unit out of the intake, then use a dropper or turkey baster and fill it up with radiator fluid to make sure there is no air under it. Then screw it back in.

 

[Killer50stang]

So i drove around the other day for about 2 hours with the car running about 180. The for no reason the needle on the gauge (auto meter mechanical) got berried. So I thought maybe the thermostat got stuck open. So I put in a 180 and the thing still runs at about 141 or so . Any ideas on why that could be?
Thanks for the help

Stock? I'd go with autometer if so, the stock ones never work correctly.

 

[331 stang91]

No its an autometer like I stated above thanks for the suggestions

 

[stangbear427]

Also be sure there is no air in your system. If the mechanical gauge's sensor has air around it, it will not read properly.

Ditto that. I'm a little pissed that I didn't mention it, as I had that happen too. Turned out to be a radiator leak- my Autometer was really going nuts although it was reading way hotter than normal, not cooler. The air pockets get wicked hot even though the coolant isn't, so every few minutes it would spike at like 250* then settle back down to 180*. So yeah- what sleeper said too. Air in the system is never a good thing anyway.

 

[HISSIN50]

also be sure the sender is grounded properly. excessive use of teflon tape etc can diminish the ground of the sender to lower intake, which in turn diminishes the readings. one can use duct tape to tape a ground wire to the sender body as a quick check. good luck.