[s-cars] temp gauge hokey pokey

[Paul Krasusky]

Morning-

With all the recent temp gauge, Tstat, multiMalfunctioning temp switch talk
of late, gee, thanks guys, apparently you sent out some sort of curse.
Either that or Pizzo somehow drove my car last night.  Dunno.

My temp gauge acted hokey this morning.  First noticed it a few nights ago,
I ran it pretty hard the last 2 miles or so of my 22 mile commute, and when
I came off the off ramp, I noted the gauge had buried down low.  Came back
up after a second, I dismissed it.

Today I started and ran it in garage with heat on Auto / Hi for say 3-5
minutes while I fluffed my quaff, ironed my skirt, and did my nails.  It's
been in the low 20s here and I wanted 'some' heat.  Get on highway, I'm
getting some heat as usual.  Get up to 4 or so lines on gauge (Major
Technical Term), oil's up, so I whomp it for a spirited burst.  Back off and
see temp gauge has dropped to 2-3 lines.  WTF?  Heat's still coming out as
normal (not much but some, still only few miles down road so far).

Figuring I'm sucking away the engine heat with the heater, I turn it off.
Gauge slowly recovers to a bit under the normal "5th line".  Turn heat back
on.  Gauge falls to a tick over the 4th line (More Major Tech Terms).  Stays
that way for remainder of commute, heat is nice and toasty now.

Get to sunny Hartford, come to stop, gauge falls back toward 3rd line.
Slowly returns to just over 4th.

Sssoooooooooooooo, aside from being an excuse to finally do that coolant
flush I've been meaning to do, what could I be looking at here?  I'm
guessing either Tstat or M(M)TS.  What the heck kind of fun repair is THIS
supposed to be?  What a jip...  no possible "angle" to play for some silly
upgrade of sorts.

Anyway, please, start laughing at me, I would, and let me know what you all
think (aside from that I'm a tool, that's well established).

TIA

-Paul
CT "big snowstorm today!" yeah, sure, uh huh
'95 //S6 needs Pizzo's lugs for snows to go on, oh well, and with
questionable heat situation
'58 TR3A heater was optional, mine don't have it