Hi,
About a month ago I noticed erratic temp. gauge behavior. Once the car was on the road for a few minutes, the temp gauge goes from cold to 1/2 in about 5-10 seconds, then shoots back down to cold to 1/4 temp. I refilled my coolant and it went away for a few days. I've had to put in new coolant every 3-4 days for the last month but am noticing it is not having as much of an affect on controlling the temp. as it did.
Last few days I've noticed that the heater is taking longer to warm up and blow hot air (about 10 min) whether parked or driving. I have not noticed any smells or puddles of fluid/ liquid inside the car.
I am thinking this could be either the intake gasket (which I have read is a common issue with my make/ model), a heating core, or a head gasket.
Am I on the right track with the potential cause?
What steps could I take, if any, to diagnose better before I take it into a shop?
How urgent should I consider this issue?
About a month ago I noticed erratic temp. gauge behavior. Once the car was on the road for a few minutes, the temp gauge goes from cold to 1/2 in about 5-10 seconds, then shoots back down to cold to 1/4 temp. I refilled my coolant and it went away for a few days. I've had to put in new coolant every 3-4 days for the last month but am noticing it is not having as much of an affect on controlling the temp. as it did.
Last few days I've noticed that the heater is taking longer to warm up and blow hot air (about 10 min) whether parked or driving. I have not noticed any smells or puddles of fluid/ liquid inside the car.
I am thinking this could be either the intake gasket (which I have read is a common issue with my make/ model), a heating core, or a head gasket.
Am I on the right track with the potential cause?
What steps could I take, if any, to diagnose better before I take it into a shop?
How urgent should I consider this issue?
Feb 1, 2010 at 9:41 AM
