Automobile Troubleshooting

[Bluescout]

For crying out loud, just drive it out here and I'll fix it for you!!!

[Bassius]

i had this problem in my magnum last month...the T-stat was stuck OPEN...thus not allowing the engine to "normally" reach the operation temp...oh it'd warm up after about 20 miles or so of driving... but yeah. get your t-stat replaced.

 

i did mine myself. an hour of work and saved about $200.

 

thrustin you're an auto-noob

 

?

 

 

and for attention whore-ness

 

[Bluescout]

That Magnum makes me think of this:


[YOUTUBE]Ahp8zjSK0X4[/YOUTUBE]

[YOUTUBE]TElvTSDx25I[/YOUTUBE]

[rhat]

I plan to take my van into the auto shop at the college where I work in a few weeks once they are ready to accept vehicles again but until then, I thought I get some ideas here. If there's something critical going on, I do have a reputable local shop to take it to. Start the van up for about 10 minutes before I leave to go somewhere. The temperature gauge barely moves (it is pretty cold outside) but I am getting a little warmth (not much) from the heater. Today I drove the van to rehearsal (~40 minutes). The gauge didn't move from where it started (the initial slight bump) and the heat didn't rise much either. When I left rehearsal, I did the same thing (10 minute warmup) but on the way home I stopped to get some coffee and left the van running for another 10 minutes or so. The temp gauge came up about 1/2 way between C and H. I was getting nice warm air from the heater. Once I got on the highway, it dropped again. What's the dealio?

 

 

 

My truck did the same thing. My guess is you need the heater core flushed and replace the thermostat. that should fix it. beware of some scammer trying to sell you a head job. They can juke the results of the test. Take it to someone you really trust. If the thermostat stick closed you will overheat in a NY second. get your car to the nut twisters. Mine stuck closed after it stuck open and it blew up the radiator. They have plastic tanks on many of them and the tank can be the weakest link.

[rhat]

I plan to take my van into the auto shop at the college where I work in a few weeks once they are ready to accept vehicles again but until then, I thought I get some ideas here. If there's something critical going on, I do have a reputable local shop to take it to. Start the van up for about 10 minutes before I leave to go somewhere. The temperature gauge barely moves (it is pretty cold outside) but I am getting a little warmth (not much) from the heater. Today I drove the van to rehearsal (~40 minutes). The gauge didn't move from where it started (the initial slight bump) and the heat didn't rise much either. When I left rehearsal, I did the same thing (10 minute warmup) but on the way home I stopped to get some coffee and left the van running for another 10 minutes or so. The temp gauge came up about 1/2 way between C and H. I was getting nice warm air from the heater. Once I got on the highway, it dropped again. What's the dealio?

 

 

 

My truck did the same thing. My guess is you need the heater core flushed and replace the thermostat. that should fix it. beware of some scammer trying to sell you a head job. They can juke the results of the test. Take it to someone you really trust. A thermostat may fix it alone , but if its an older truck a heater core flush is just a good thing to do.

[t3ch]

... you did not seriously roll up in front of an auto parts store, park in the middle of the street, and throw up your doors for a nice car-shot...

[Bassius]

... you did not seriously roll up in front of an auto parts store, park in the middle of the street, and throw up your doors for a nice car-shot...

LOL

nah...during my {censored}ty summer economy i took a job working there. they had an employee car show...that was one of the shots

that wayne brady stuff cracks me up

[Thunderbroom]

Finally took it in this afternoon. Done.

 

For those of you that said thermostat, you win. It was not technically stuck open; it was blown apart.

[Bluescout]

What do I win????

[AluminumNeck]

A running engine will not stay cold. I don't care how fast your going.

 

 

your wrong.

[Thrustin]

your wrong.

 

 

I stand by the statement. I believe the symptoms were being exagerrated. Just look at my first post. I said thermostat + faulty guage. Faulty guage = exaggerated symptoms.

 

I don't know about you guys, but I put coolant in my cars, not coldant.

[Bassius]

Finally took it in this afternoon. Done. For those of you that said thermostat , you win. It was not technically stuck open; it was blown apart.

[Thunderbroom]

 

I stand by the statement. I believe the symptoms were being exagerrated. Just look at my first post. I said thermostat + faulty guage. Faulty guage = exaggerated symptoms. I don't know about you guys, but I put coolant in my cars, not coldant.

 

 

So you're suggesting I exaggerated?!? I described exactly what happened.

 

I told the mechanic what I said in the first post and suggested it might be the thermostat (seemed the most logical of answers that I obtained from this forum). He called to say that was indeed the problem after looking at it and to come and pick it up

 

BTW, the gauge is fine.

[Bluescout]

So you're suggesting I exaggerated?!? I described exactly what happened. I told the mechanic what I said in the first post and suggested it might be the thermostat (seemed the most logical of answers that I obtained from this forum). He called to say that was indeed the problem after looking at it and to come and pick it up BTW, the gauge is fine.

 

 

That's why you heed advice from a master certified mechanic.

 

now, what do I win?

[Thrustin]

I was not saying that I thought the guage was faulty. I was saying that I thought the symtomsbwere exaggerated. I still have a feeling they may be.

 

I did say "thermostat" though. You've gotta give me that. I called it. I win.

[Thunderbroom]

I was not saying that I thought the guage was faulty. I was saying that I thought the symtomsbwere exaggerated. I still have a feeling they may be. I did say "thermostat" though. You've gotta give me that. I called it. I win.

 

 

You may feel that the gauge was faulty, but the mechanic says otherwise.

 

The only thing you've got going for you in my eyes on this forum is you write fun songs. The rest of your bull{censored} is just that.

[AluminumNeck]

I stand by the statement. I believe the symptoms were being exagerrated. Just look at my first post. I said thermostat + faulty guage. Faulty guage = exaggerated symptoms. I don't know about you guys, but I put coolant in my cars, not coldant.

 

 

Your arguing with a ASE master Mechanic.

 

should we continue.

 

BTW a open thermostat or fialed thermostat can actually cuase low cooling system pressure and this can lead to localized boiling and steam build up. Steam in the cooling system often manifests as a wildly fluctuating temp guage.

 

Just a FYI.

[Thrustin]

I don't think the guage is faulty.

[Thunderbroom]

I don't think the guage is faulty.

 

 

I missed that.

 

Go write me a song.

[bassthumpintwin]

Had the same thing happen in my Chevy Lumina a few years ago. Unfortunately, the Lumina wasn't the most ingenious design Chevy ever came up with, and t-stat was buried under a bunch of stuff. It was basically impossible to remove the t-stat with a regular wrench, without dismantling a million other things, so I finally just gave up and sent it across the street to my mechanic, who was apparently able to finnagle an offset wrench in there and work it apart.

What should have been a cheap fix that only took 5 minutes... not so much.

[countrybass]

I'm a ASE certified mechanic, although I don't work as a mechanic anymore. It's your thermostat.

[BoundandBlocked]

I'm a ASE certified mechanic, although I don't work as a mechanic anymore. It's your thermostat.

[78pbass]

Hey Jeff - my money's on your T-stat...or you're blinker fluid's low.

[jrkman]

I was not saying that I thought the guage was faulty. I was saying that I thought the symtomsbwere exaggerated. I still have a feeling they may be. I did say "thermostat" though. You've gotta give me that. I called it. I win.

 

 

Backpedal much?

[Thrustin]

Backpedal much?

 

 

No. In fact, I've done my best in this thread not to back pedal at all. I called the problem in my first post. I also thought the symptoms were exagerated. I expressed this feeling by diagnosing a faulty guage.

 

You could say a lot of things about my content in this thread. Back pedaling is not one of them.