When I got this car I was told it had a bad waterpump. I put a new pump on it. I've been driving this car for about a week now.(driving the heck out of it) Hasn't overheated on me but seems to run high on the gauge (factory dash unit) but not into the red. I went thru the wiring diagram I have and traced it down to a bad fan relay. Even when I jump the terminals and get the fan to run, it seems high on the gauge to me. Is this normal for a K-car or do I have a problem to look into? I have a new thermostat to put in,but not sure if that would fix it. Car runs good with no smoke at all(oil or coolant). I know a 2.2 isn't fast, but this car will get up and go. Do I have a real problem here or is it just me?

 

It could be an air pocket in the thermostat housing. On top of the thermostat housing in the head where the top radiator hose goes in at, there should be a plug that requires an allen wrench or a hex bit to remove it. Remove it and top off the radiator until the coolant comes out of the hole where the plug goes. Then use teflon tape or a thread sealer on the plugs threads and put it back in, this will eliminate any air pockets. If this doesn't help, then obviously that wasn't the problem and let us know either way.[sm=smiley2.gif]