Temperture gage graually go down
Asked by JamesSBran Apr 05, 2013 at 11:07 AM about the 1994 Volvo 850 GLT
Question type: Maintenance & Repair
The temp. gage continue to gradually move down as I drive the car. when I stop and sit for a few the gage seems to start moving up. Can you help me? Thanks James
3 Answers
migration_judge_roy answered 11 years ago
Well on most cars there is a thermostat which is a blockade for the coolant stream that opens up when the temperature of the coolant reaches 195F (there are hotter or cooler ones out there too), so if it's only short trips the t-stat will never get a chance to open up, if you're just runnin' into the store, by the time you get back the t-stat will have opened up and allowed the coolant stream to flow hotter than 195. Hope this helps you James. Sounds like everything's runnin' smooth in slitherville~
If this is happening after the engine is fully warmed up, your thermostat is stuck open. As you drive, the air going through the radiator cools the engine. When it gets cool enough, the thermostat is supposed to close. Yours is not doing that. Yours is staying open and it's cooling too much. Replace the thermostat. Check the new one in a pan of water on the stove. You can watch it open as the water nears the boiling temperature. You can compare what you saw with the old thermostat.
thank you tenspeed. I have the same problem with my gauge. And during it being low the heat does not work. Could this be the thermostat?
