Car runs cold

Asked by doctorwho Jan 18, 2010 at 04:02 PM about the 1992 Toyota Tercel

Question type: Maintenance & Repair

Temp gauge rarely goes above cold. changed thermostat twice, flushed, and all fluid levels proper. On the rare times the temp gauge goes up to 1/4, Heater nice and toasty. Even in the summer the temp gauge rarely goes to 1/4 or above. any ideas????

4 Answers

30

same problem with my 94 lebaron. changed thermostat twice, changed temp sensor, checked temperature with digital multimeter to make sure my gauge was working. when idling, my fan come on at normal temp but it goes down FAST to below normal range. any tips?

2 people found this helpful.
65

i have worked on cars since i was nine years of age the best thing for an engine is for it to run cold because there is less friction and heat build up there is a way to fix the problem the timing maybe a little on the low side or (retarded) to much but it will not hurt any thing remember the cooler the engine the longer it will last

65

Hey doctorwho. I have a 93 Tercel and the same is true for my car. The temp needle stays in the lower quarter of the guage regardless of how long or fast the engine has been running. (And I live in Houston with 100 degree summer temps) Turning on the heater results in the temp guage going lower. It's normal for these cars. Just to be on the safe side, since you replaced the thermostat already, you may also want to change the engine temp sensor/sender. It's about 10-15 bucks from any parts store, worth checking it off the list. Here's a link: http://www.oreillyauto.com/site/c/detail/BOR0/WT522.oap?year=1993&make=Toyota&model=Tercel&vi=1279560&keyword=wt522+ Enjoy!

3 people found this helpful.

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