Hello--
As you can see, I am new around here, so please be nice! I have been drivingthe sameVolvo for 10 yrs. I just can't seem to let the car go! I do have a new car, but drive this more. Recently, my water pump blew and replaced it. At the same time, I was told that the thermostat needed to be replaced. Ok, so I did that too. Now, that I have been driving the car for a couple of months; its starting to read warm again. When I say warm, the arm is clearly above the white dot. Like today, I was driving on the expressway with the heat on, going about 75-80, and the arm was well above the white dot, but not close to the red. I am wondering if the thermostatcould be malfunctioning, since it was hovering below the white dot on the ride home. It's not a constant, so I'm not really sure what it could be.

Also, I just noticed on my passanger floor board, what looks like the fuel pump rely is hanging down. I gather they disconnected this when they worked on my car.What exactly does this do and how can I really tell if that's what it is?

Thanks!

 

The Temp compensation board might be bad. It might not be running hot at all but the guage is saying it is.

Is the relay a white one that is rectangle?

 

yes, that is what looks like the fuel pump relay. I'm wondering if this is why my car won't start in extreme cold, rainy, or damp conditions. I did notice that the wires to the battery are raw, so i'm going to tape them up. I'm also going to see if my battery is getting low. I was really curious to know what exactly the relay does, since it seems to be unpluged. Once again, thanks for the help.

 

If it was unplugged the car won't run at all.
Maybe they changed it and left the old one there?
Or did they not seat it in the bracket?

 

I'm not exactly sure, but it is hanging. I am running by there later this week. Thankfully, I have another car to drive in the mean time. Once again, thanks and will keep you posted.