i have an 88 TII and it runs 1/4 on the temp gauge but when i have the a/c on it will go to a little over half any one have any ideas

 

Could be any of the usual cooling system failures: stuck thermostat, air in the cooling system, clogged radiator tubes, gunked up radiator or condensor fins, corroded water pump impeller, missing undertray or upper panels, etc, etc...

 

A/C makes any car run warmer... not just ours.

 

need a temp gauge to see if it is a normal increase or not, 15F or so increase with the A/C on is fairly normal.

 

I wouldn't call a 15degF rise normal, I'd call it an old car with mild cooling system issues. At a constant load I'll see 84-85degC (183-185degF) with the A/C off and 86-87degC (187-189degF) with it on.

Rising from 1/4 to 1/2 on the stock gauge definitely indicates a problem. Not a huge one, not a healthy cooling system either.

 

It's normal.
The shitty, tiny excuse for an electrical fan just does not cut it.


-Ted

 

The main clutch fan probably does most of the work anyway, since the heat coming off the condensor will have the same effect on the thermoclutch as the heat coming off the radiator. The stock auxiliary fan is similar to the auxiliary fan used on most cars.