temperature gague readings / car runs hot?
 

ok... on my car, if i just city drive, it gets to a little under half way
but if i go for a spirited city drive, ti gets to middle
on the freeway, it seems to rise slowly from middle to a little over middle
on a curvy road and over 5000rpom, it seems to be on 3/4 up... sometimes even 4/5!!

is that normal? or is there something wrong?

what should i do? i dont want to overheat it..........

if its an s5 you've already done it and even with an s4 that is damn close! I would get another tstat (mazda oem), flush the radiator and maybe get another oem cap.

*nods* Mine (S4) was having problems with the gauge getting uncomfortably high. There are a few things to check.

See if your fan clutch is working. With the engine hot, the fan should NOT spin freely - if it does, the clutch is gone, you'll need to replace it or put an e-fan on it. If it's working, good. Let it be.

If the thermostat hasn't been replaced, now is a good time to. Mazda OEM, not aftermarket. That fixed my problem - and an older thermostat may be fine until things get really warm, then stop working properly. Mine had no problems until I got things too warm because of a bad fan clutch (not overheated, just a bit warmer than they should be). Then it stopped functioning properly.

Finally, what kind of car do you have? If it's a non-turbo, you shouldn't have cooling problems at all. If it's a turbo, and you've done some modifications to it, you may just be outpacing what the stock cooling system & radiator can handle.

-=Russ=-

Yesh, i would say the Fan clutch is a Deff thnng you would want to check out

Also, check to make sure the underbody cover (?) is in place. It bolts in under the engine compartment, and directs airflow. If it's missing, a lot of air will just skip out under the radiator, and on the highway where ram air is the bulk of the cooling, you'll have problems.

-=Russ=-

if the cooling system is working like it should, you will never need the underbody trays. it's a good thing to have, but that should'nt be the culprit. do what russ said though. install a water temp. gauge too. but it's pretty safe to say, you're over heating. make sure your sytem is bled. are the radiator hoses expanded?

thanks for the reply
where could i get a mazda oem thermostat?

also... i was driving, i notice when the temperature climbs up, when it reaches around 3/4, it drops down to a little under half, and slowly go back up on spirited driving...

You can get an OEM t/stat from your local dealer....they shouldn't cost that much. Make sure you get the gasket/o-ring too

Mazdatrix is where I purchased mine.

If the temperature is "jumping" like you describe, I'd place money on a bad thermostat. If it's sticking, it will cause what you're seeing.

-=Russ=-

thank you for the replies!

Also, I have two more question -

how much would the thermostat cost? and are they all standard? i think this might be a good chance to get a 165 ish one?

where exactly is the idle mixture screw and what does it look like? i cant seem to find it near my airbox....

Mazda OEM and they are cheap at www.mazdatrix.com or www.mazdaformance.com

witch one is the correct cap http://www.mazdatrix.com/b8.htm

Yeah the Mazdatrix ones should work just fine (the only problem being shipping if you need it bad), and the OEM dealer price is only $18.20 if you need one tonight and have to go to a Mazda dealer

is G or H the right cap for an 88 tII?

thanks guys!

ordered it today - it costed 21.95
comes with the gasket
i guess now would be the coolant i have to buy!


but yeah... where exactly is the idle mixture screw? do you think you could take a picture for me? i cant find it...

A bit on info about the under engine plate. It is not there to help cooling or cooling airflow as used with an aircooled engine.(Many VW owners killed their engines by leaving the cooling tin off because it didn't look pretty!) It has two designed uses. 1. Smooths the aerodynamics of the underbody for less parasitic drag. 2. Acts as a barrier to protect the engine from thrown up debris, sand, water, etc. (I once lost an engine on an RX-4 because a small stick kicked up and passed through a slot in the plate. It hit and broke off the ceramic head on the oil sensor, causing the oil to drain and disconnecting the oil idiot light ("4s" didn't have oil gauges, but I added one to all of my non OEM oil gauge equipped rotaries after that!) I found out that the lower oil sensor checked the oil level in the pan and when the oil was low, the sensor grounded lighting the light. No ground to the wire = no light. The engine temp gauge started going up and before I could get to the side of the highway, the engine fried. Luckily the dealer decided to replace the engine under warranty. (Had 51000 miles on a 50,000 mile warranty, but the dealers took care of their customers back then!!) That was a one in a million thing to happen. The stick was still in the slot when they pulled the engine.

it is fixed now
it is AMAZING what a coolant flush and a new thermostats would do!
i thought my coolant seals were going at the time...
here is a picture

http://slpin.com/images/uhoh.jpg

now it only goes up to 1/3, 1/4 at night...

Good to hear! When I was having cooling issues, I debated upgrading the radiator, but the $20 thermostat completely fixed it. Sometimes it's the simple things...

-=Russ=-