thermostat?

[Phil Rose]

At 9:07 PM -0500 1/23/05, Dan Wing wrote:
>Been really cold here for a few days. Yesterday, I let my car idle 
>for a few minutes (after I had driven 30 miles). I got the two beeps 
>and the overheat/low coolant sign. Turned the car off and had no 
>problem when I got back in an hour later and drove home. Slightly 
>low on coolant this am, as if it had puked some. Happened again 
>today when I recreated the circumstances after topping up.
>
>Temp gauge read at the high end of usual (below the big hash mark) 
>and I did not notice the fan coming on. Heater seemed to be working 
>unusually well, as if coolant temp might have been high.
>
>Could the thermostat (2 and 1/2 years old) stick in such a way as to 
>trigger the sensor for the warning, while the temp gauge still reads 
>OK?

I think it's more likely that the radiator fan is inoperable because 
the fusible link is broken. Replace the fuse as soon as possible, or 
your coolant system will eventually overheat to the extent that the 
plastic radiator (tank nipples) will be damaged (much $$). A 
replacement fusible link (80 amp) is only about $2 at dealers; Pep 
Boys carries a version of fusible link that can work without much 
modification needed.

Phil
-- 

Phil Rose
Rochester, NY
mailto:pjrose at frontiernet.net