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rdancd816:
My temp needle used to remain between the 1 and the 8 in "180". In bad traffic, it rose to right of the zero, and I discovered one of my radiator fans had burned out.
You should check to see if your fans are working before you take it in. When the car is fully heated up after a spirited drive, park it in idle, turn on the AC real low, and get out of the car and put your hand under the front bumper, just in front of both wheels.
You should feel a blast of hot air from both sides. The driver's side is the primary radiator and the passenger side is the secondary, which usually starts up under an AC load.
If one or the other isn't working, this may be the reason behind your needle moving up and you'll be able to gauge the costs involved (the part cost me $175 and the labor was 2 hours. Stealership wanted $650 but I cheated the man once again). I temper this statement with the fact that my car's cooling system is working well and not leaking, and sitting in traffic does raise the needle a bit, but not much. Certainly within operating range... and Houston's outrageously hot most of the year.
Today, my needle sits squarely on the line marking 180 to the left of the numbers... probably a bit lower than it should be. That's because I swapped gauge faces and getting those needles back exactly where they belong is an artistic talent I do not possess. Search on my gauge face thread for all the gorey, frustrating details.
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