95 Accord Engine Running Too Cool?

I have a 95 Accord with 70,000 miles on it.

The temp gauge usually runs about a quarter of the way up from cold, now
for some strange reason the gauge stays right on the blue (cool) part of
the gauge.

I just noticed it doing this 2 wks ago, I live in Florida so I always
keep an eye on the temp gauge in the summer, especially while in stop
and go traffic.

Sometimes it will barely move above blue area to the line but thats it.
If I turn the heater on it drops all the way down below the blue area
and it blows out *warm* not *hot* air so this rules out a bad sending
unit.

Does anyone know what could be causing the engine to run so cool?

Also, no work or preventive maintenance has been performed on the engine
recently that might some how cause this problem.

 

It seems your thermostat is stuck open. Cheap part to buy, but I don't
know how easy it is to replace on on your car.

 

======================

The manual says your rad should be full to the top, and the reservoir
full to the MAX mark. Have you checked your oil lately, while you're
under the hood?

Reply to group. 'Curly'

++++++++++++++++++++++

 

Thats what I was thinking, but in the 30 yrs that I have been working on
cars I've never heard of that. I've had plenty get stuck shut, but never
had one stuck open. You would think that the spring would close it.

 

Both are full, that was the first thing that I checked. And yes, my oil
is fine. : )

 

A few years ago the engine on my brother's VW would never reach normal
operating temp and there was very little heat from the heater. New
thermostat fixed the problem. The old one wasn't literally stuck open,
but it opened way to early.

 

(Ron) spake unto the masses in :

They get "stuck" open all the time. The spring gets weak and opens too
soon.

Make sure your coolant is topped up, both in the reservoir AND in the rad.

Check your heater output. Is it poor? In Florida at this time of year your
heater should be able to put out scorching heat.

How many minutes do you have to drive before the transmisison is willing to
upshift into overdrive/4th?

--
TeGGeR®

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Thermostats can fail stuck open. The one on my Volvo did so about a year
ago.

John

 

A question: How come the temp NEVER gets up to operating temp, even
after driving for 30 mins in 95 degree weather? (Stop and go traffic in
Fla.) The water/coolant should eventually get to operating temp because
the thermostat (supposedly) is stuck open.

Did that. That was the first thing that I checked. : )

As stated in my OP, the heater only gets warm, therefore, ruling out the
sending unit.

The engine goes into OD right away, always has, the engine temp doesn't
matter. Now, I once owned a 83 Celica that won't go into OD until the
engine got to operating temp, but not my Accord.

I also own a 88 Toyota Supra that doesn't have to heat up before going
into OD.

 

I finally got around to checking the thermostat today and it is not
stuck open.When I took it out, it was closed. So I tested it several
times in a pot of boiling water on the stove and it opens and shuts
without any problem. Any other thoughts on what could be causing the
problem.

 

From Click & Clack in the San Jose Mercury News for Friday 7/2/2004:

"Q
I'm having a problem that just started recently. When I start the car,
it takes a while for the engine to warm up. If I sit there, eventually
the temperature gauge will go up to normal. But once I start driving, it
goes back down to "cold", and cold air comes out of the heater. Turning
the heat on causes the engine temperature to drop even faster. It is
freezing in the car! I took out the thermostat and tested it, and it is
working properly. I changed the heater core, too, and the water pump is
new. Can you tell me what else I can look for or test?

Joe

A
TOM: Well, look for that thermostat that you tested and then
reinstalled. Because that's what's causing your problem.

RAY: I agree. You can test a thermostat by putting it in a pan of water
and heating it up. You use a thermometer to see at what temperature the
thermostat closes and opens up, and then you match that to the
thermostat's ratings. And I take it yours passed the test.

TOM: But thermostats are finicky. They can work intermittently. And they
can be "lazy", and open or close only some of the time. Besides, since
the average thermostat costs eight bucks, we ALWAYS replace the
thermostat first if the symptoms point in that direction.

RAY: Your thermostat is stuck in the open position, and it's never
letting the engine get up to operating temperature.

TOM: So your coolant is always circulating through the radiator. And
when you drive, cold air blows across the radiator and cools it off even
more.

RAY: Running the heat cools off the engine, too, since the heater core
is really another small radiator.

TOM: So, pop a new thermostat in there, Joe, and your problems should be
solved. And chalk up the cost of the new heater core you installed to an
expensive lesson in how to work upside down while lying under a
dashboard.