Well I noticed something strange with my 88 firebird 305 tpi.

I noticed the temp go just over 220 when it never did that before. today while in a 7 min traffic jam I looked at the temp and it was 250 !!!!! I freaked and didnt know what to do so I new I have to get rolling to get some cool air.

Anyway once I exited the lane it took like 5 sec and it was down to about 175. I found that strange that it dropped that quick and alll i did was role about 5- 10 mph.

Serious problem? I had the water pump changed 3 months ago. and I have no leaks.

the outside temo when that happened was 37 F.

Really hope some one knows what it could be. I think maybe the fan is not kicking in.... ? what else can it be? I want some tips before I go check it out. as long as i am in motion it doesnt go over about 210.

Thanks.
Sam

 

i think you need to get another temp guage... there is no way you can cool a car in 5sec from 250-175. and it should never be in that range when outside temp is 37* like you say.

i think your guage is acting up and it never really was at 250. try and get an aftermarket guage and use that.

mine was always reading too high, and would bounce around all day. i got an autometer electrical and its dead on!

check your temp sensor is on the driver side head between #1 and #3 cylinder. check to make sure the connections are OK 1st.

i would also keep an eye on it as you drive, if it starts doing crazy things, get an aftermarket guage.

 

Thanks for the reply KillJoy,

I happened again today. How sure are you that it is the temp gauge? or do you mean the sensor?

I wonder because today I noticed something very puzzeling that maybe you know what it is or maybe someone else can help

the car temp gauge read 255 so I reved the engine to 3-4000 and as i did that the reading dropped and dropped untill it reached about 190. So if it was the meter would it react to the reving?

I was thinking along the lines that the water is not being circulated at low revs for some ****** reason *frustrating* is that even possible? can the coolant located next to the temp sensor be trapped?


One more thing, the heater was blowing nice warm air and then suddenly it stopped blowing hot and instead blew cold air. I have no leaks anywere. Can the coolant be trapped so that it doesnt make it to the heating matrix.... ?

at 270 I expected HOT airr but got cold?

I know that is all too strange.

 

I have a similar problem, I just changed the thermostat too hoping it would fix it. My car warmed up normally at first so I thought it fixed the problem, all the sudden i look and see if at 250*. I turned around to go back home and kept low rpms going about 30-35 mph and it dropped way quicker than i think is possible to about 200*. I didnt think to play with my heater controls though.

And yea, i was wondering if you mean the guage or the actual temp sensor in the head. or both.

Also, would flushing the coolant help if its a posible circulation prob. My coolant is a slightly dark green but not bad.

thanks

 

Well,

Stupid me Noticed that I needed engine coolant..... I alwas took a quick look at the container next to the radiator and there was always little there but when i looked closer the tube that sucks out coolant was just above the coolant level....!!!


Anyway I noticed my engine oil turned black comapared to the nice light transparent brown i had earlier. So, I changed the oil and filter ASAP

1)Have I damaged my engine due to the high temp? How can i know if damage took place?


2)After changing the oil (10-30) the preassure falls to about 15 when standing still with a gear in. Before the oil cange and after the heat up the preasure never went down under 25 PSI. However once i roll it is back at 30-35 PSI (about 1100 RPM)

Does it affect performance?

Thanks,

Sam

 

Yeah, what you experienced seems to be the common air pocket problem. If you open the cooling system for some reason (thermostat change etc), you might create pockets of air in the engine. If this pocket gets to your heater core, there is no hot water in it and it blows cold air. If the air pocket gets to your gauge, it will not read the actual coolant temperature (might show ANY number). If the air pocket is large enough, differnt parts of your engine will heat up more than usual and that would explain the burnt oil.

Glad you got it figured out.

Hope this explains some.
Lou