the needle on my thermostat gauge is stuck past 260 wont go down even when the car's off, do you think it's just the sensor or is there soemthing actually wrong.

 

well it normally stays in the same postion it was when the engine was shut off, so it sounds like your wire to that sensor is grounded out, which will make it stay pegged out and since as soon as you apply power, it's going to stay there. you need to chase that wire down and see it it is grounded out somewhere. and then, too, your sensor could be bad, but not likely. normally they don't read right or at all if they're bad - not the other way around.

 

thats what happened to me a couple of times. Both times was the temperature wire was touching my header manifolds. Check the driver side header manifold to see any wires touching.