So I warm my car up for 5 minutes or so before I get in for the trek to work. (I dont expect heat in 5 minutes, its jsut to get the fluids going) Then I hop in and start the drive, it gets 1/8 - 1/4 of the way up the temp gauge and I get some warmth in 15 minutes of city driving and idling. Then once I get onto the "highway" section of my drive I get up to cruising in 4th with no real load on the engine and it cools tight off, almost to the cold line. then I stop at a light. As I idle there the temperature starts to rise again and I get heat back but then once im back up to crusiing it cools back off.

Is it my thermastat being stuck open?

 

wouldnt that be from the colder air / more wind your sucking up from driving faster on the highway. and once you slow back down less air is cooling the engine. making it run a bit warmer.

thats my guess, then agian it could be the thermastat

 

I thought that as well for the first bit, but to cool right off after driving for 40 minutes kind of swung my idea out the window.

 

your thermostat is stuck open...wats happenin is since the t-stat is stuck open your coolant keeps circulating, so when you're movin the air passin thru the rad keeps coolin down the coolant but while you're at idle theres no air passin thru it except for when your fan turns on(which is spose to only turn on when it senses a certain temperature)therefore keepin your coolant at "operating temperatures"

I dunno bout the SOHC's but on the DOHC its easy to change the T-Stat its rite under the rad cap =)

 

I think singles have a housing that its under (from my understanding of the service manual), so im goign to take it apart this weekend and changer up.

 

Here is a pic of the SOHC's thermostat....

 

Thnak you Ill print that off to make it easier to take apart later. Do I refil the system from the Pressurecap? or where from, im used to seeing cars with the cap on the rad

 

Yes, and then fill the reservoir.

 

Thank you again!