Radiator or thermostat??

[maldo]

I decided to go home today and visit the parents for the weekend. About halfway here the temp gauge started to move. It usually sits at just above half or 3/4, but it seemed to rise just near the top hash marking the outer most exceptable temp. When I would speed up it would decrease slightly, when the brakes were applied (usually slowing down to around 40km/h) the temp would go up. It would also be at the highest point when at a stop. This is strange in that the temp gauge has never really moved on me. I don't know if it has been stuck but it always is where it was the previous day, even if it is below 0 outside. The temp gauge never went to the overheating stage but it still seems strange. Could it be my thermostat that is possibly stuck shut or is my rad failing? I know that the heat should increase slightly at lower speeds due to the turbo being just being it but it has never resulted in this high of temp. Remember, this was at 110-120kmph. <P>I may check to see if my temp sending unit is faulty. I am also going to inspect the rad for any leaks or airlocks. If my rad is failing, can the GS rad provide any better cooling? Can it fit? I will also be checking the coolant mixture.<P>FYI - B6T motor using RS radiator and B6T thermostat.<P>Any ideas?

[boostedmx]

prolly the thermostat. that aluminum cylinder head is very sensative to overheating so dont drive it hot

[Guest]

hey sup maldo<P>It sounds like the thermostat......with me, everytime i drove it would drop down to below the cold mark, then at idle it picked up to normail operating temp as there was no cold air to cool it down..it looks like your thermostat has locked shut, whereas mine locked open to have a reverse effect as you r experiencing...<BR>So i am saying i am 99.9999% sure its the thermostat..DO NOT buy a cheap knock of one.. i first bought one from crappy tire and it did not fix the prob..then 2 weeks later i went to a mazda dealer and bought one fo 20 bucks cdn and voila, it worked..very easy to install yourself....<BR>a radiator is like 600 bucks, so u have nothing to loose by replacing the thermostat.. and i bet u it will fix your prob as i have seen many cases like this...<BR>hope this helps<BR>later gater

[ProtegeSTS]

also make sure that your fan is turning on. I had that problem, where the fan just wouldnt turn on as temps rose.

[Crazed8056]

Hey ProtegeSTS,<P>What ended up being the problem w/ your fans, mine seem to be doing the same thing but the temp stays within limits.

[ProtegeSTS]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Crazed8056:<BR><STRONG>Hey ProtegeSTS,<P>What ended up being the problem w/ your fans, mine seem to be doing the same thing but the temp stays within limits.</STRONG><HR></BLOCKQUOTE><P>It was actually the fan switch itself. We didnt realize it until the car overheated while 2nd in line for a run at an autocross. We put a direct wire straight from the battery to the oem connector. We hooked the other end upto my old foglight switch. So now, i have to pay attention to my coolant gauge, and turn my fan on and off as i see fit. This is just a stop-gap measure until i get time and money to goto a dealer to get the new switch and wiring setup, since we hacked the crap out of the oem ones.

[Crazed8056]

Hey ProtegeSTS,<P>I dunno' if thats it, but seems to be the proble. I just havn't seen or heard them kick in since I changed out my radiator. Also, what do you think this costs to get fixed?<P><BR>Thanks