Ok, I snapped a couple of pics of my temperature gauge. I think it's registering low.

This is what it shows as "normal operating temp". at 35/40 MPH, after 20 minutes of driving.



Here is the idling reading after a few minutes. The radiator fan runs for about 2 seconds and then shuts off. The fan never runs with the A/C on.


I replaced the fan relay with one from the junkyard from a 97 850 that had "head gasket problems". Do these relays go bad often? Did I replace a faulty one with another faulty one? Or could the thermostat or thermal sensor be bad?

HALP!

 

 

Grrrr it deleted my text.

 

Thanks for replying. I think I'll try replacing the thermostat and the sensor.

BTW, these videos are great. Much appreciated.

 

The second picture with the needle at 3:00 is where it should sit normally.

 

Right. But that's why I'm concerned. The first picture is where it sits when everything is normal. If the gauge is reading low, that means that the 3:00 O'clock position is actually much hotter than it looks. When it gets to 3:00 it even smells hot.

 

Time for a thermostat and temp sender and then see what it does. I'd trust the gauge or a thermometer before I'd trust "smells hot".

 

Yeah...I just wish the darn radiator fan would run for more than one second or at least with the A/C on.

I got a new thermostat and coolant sensor today and will try to put them in Tomorrow.

Thanks for putting up with all my BS.

 

Had the same issue a few years ago. A new Thermostat and coolant temperature sensor solved the issue. Just be careful you do not strip out the Allen head/star bolts holding the thermostat housing cover on. I replaced mine with hex bolts so I can use a socket wrench the next time.

 

AND ... if you're going to go through the trouble of running to the store to pick up a pair of hex head bolts why not get stainless steel ?? Solves the problem of corrosion but I still put a little anti-seize on them

 

Ok, anytime you turn the AC on, and the AC works, the fan should come on. That issue has nothing to do with the thermostat.

When you are moving the air helps cool the motor. If the thermostat is bad, now a 78° stat instead of the 92° stat that it started out at, so the temp drops (stat not closing when it's suppose to). Then when your sitting, the car warms up enough to cause the needle to raise to where it's suppose to be because the car is at least 175°. When the temp gets up to 216° the fan comes on and remains on till it cools down to 204°.

I'm not 100% sure if a bad ECT will stop the fan from coming on with the AC. Replace it and let us know. I think it is possible that a junk yard relay can be bad. Sitting relays go bad and get stuck.