my temp gauge only reaches to about 75 on the gauge. have i got a problem

1996 felicia lxi plus

Not even when idling?

Common Felicia problem is a broken thermostat which means that coolant temp is always a bit low when you are rolling at normal speed. But even then temp should rise when idling/queuing (and the fan should start at around 100 C).

If yopu leave the engine idling for 5 mins. or so and the gauge still only reaches 75 I would guess that the temp sender is broken - or a bad connection or even a faulty gague, but those alternatives are less likely.

I have a very simlar problem :(

My temp gague never lifts off the lower stop. Although the fan does cut in once i have been ideling for a while. I shorted across the thermostat on the radiator (Simulating max readable temp in the rad by the thermostat) and the fan cut in but the gague didnt rise. I'm assuming a dead gague in the dashboard?

Thanks

Scrap

I had that problem and solved it by replacing the temp sensor on the top of the thermostat housing. If you want to check the gauge on the dashboard you have to short the temp sensor not the sensor on the radiator. I hope this helps.

Also check that the top hose stays cold at the radiator end about 5 minutes after a cold start, just in case the thermostat's stuck open, and the symptoms are a result of your typical trip distance as much as anything else.

Also check that the top hose stays cold at the radiator end about 5 minutes after a cold start, just in case the thermostat's stuck open, and the symptoms are a result of your typical trip distance as much as anything else.

Done! Typical trip distance.. hmm... i work 40miles away :P Also, even after a 6hour trip from hell from bristol the other week, my engine still showed nothing.

Bought a new temperature sender, gonna just wait till car cools so i can fit, will report back!

Caio for now!

I'm pretty sure it's the sender now; just making sure it wasn't co-incidence making it look like it was something it wasn't.

I'm pretty sure it's the sender now; just making sure it wasn't co-incidence making it look like it was something it wasn't.

Hehe.

All done, replaced sender, went out for a drive, and wow! My car has a temperature again! woop wop!

Also, I dont know if its my imagination, but the car appears to be ideling smoother too, with a lil more power... probably just me.

Cheers guys!

Scrap out

It probably is idling better. The sender is used to give engine temperature to the EMS, and if that thought the engine wasn't quite up to temperature it was running it slightly rich.