Weird problem with my temp gauge in the morning..

[JeffM]

I like to go start my car like 10 mins before I leave for work in the mornings just to warm it up a bit (damn you, winter).

The past three times I did it, after just about 10 mins, I go out, and the temp gauge is way up in the red, check gauges light is on, and the (heat) vents are blowing out cold cold air, like the AC.. If I turn the car off for 5 seconds, then start it again, the gauge drops, and it instantly blows hot air. Weird..

Then this morning, it did it again, but instead of turning it off, I just started driving. Less than a min later, the temp gauge dropped to where it should be, and instantly the air changed from freezing to warm..

Weird.. Any ideas?!

thanks!

[Christopherrr]

sounds like a bad thermostat to me...

[4THGEN Z]

or possible air in the system....did you have any work done to the cooling system lately?

[JeffM]

or possible air in the system....did you have any work done to the cooling system lately?

No work done to it lately.. Should I put a new thermostat in?

[SteveH95Formula]

There might be too much water in your anti-freeze. Check to see if its green or fairly clear.

[fastTa]

or possible air in the system....did you have any work done to the cooling system lately?

This is most likely the case. Try filling your coolant resovoir with some Dex-cool or the new Prestone yellow and then bleed your system at both bleed screws.

It probably also wouldn't hurt to replace the thermostat.

The reason you are getting cold air through the vents when the heater is on is because the warm coolant is being prevented from running through the heater core.

[JeffM]

Just an update: I got a jug of the dexcool, and a new T-stat. I drained the old stuff (manual said to change at 100k, and that's what I'm at, so it needed that), then I put the hose up to it, and flushed it all out.

I then changed the t-stat, and filled it back up with a 50/50 dexcool/water mix, and it's back to normal again.

Thanks for the help!

[Christopherrr]

glad it was a cheap fix for ya...