My aftermarket temp gauge keeps climbing. It slowly climbs about one degree every two seconds. My gauge reads up to 260 then says "high". Reads "high" for about 20 to 30 seconds before it drops to about 235 then gradually climbs back up. Could it be a bad thermstat? My fans work but I don't think the come on when there suppose to. I know this because when I turn on the car without starting it, the fans come on. I'm thinking it's a bad thermostat but I just wanted to know if it could be soething else. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance

 

Are both fans running properly and on what speed? Where is you temp sender mounted? Does the system seem to be holding pressure?
I guess it could be a bad thermostat but I still wouldn't overlook the basics. Check your radiator to make sure it's clean, especially on the side that faces the AC condensor. Over time mine can get plugged up with lint, leaves, bugs and debris. You might consider a complete flush of the system and, since they don't cost much, replace the thermostat. New caps don't cost that much either.
https://www.rx7club.com/3rd-generation-specific-1993-2002-16/coolant-recall-fan-controller-schematic-location-385773/
https://www.rx7club.com/3rd-generation-specific-1993-2002-16/cooling-system-flush-info-441967/
^Couple of links from the stickies that might be helpful.

 

Where are you at in Va.?

 

I was thinking about flushing the radiator but I heard a lot of horror stories about it. I was just recommended to drain and fill. And my fans seem to be going only one speed, I've never seen it go any other speed. Advance Auto Parts is selling a thermostat for about 9 bucks including the o ring. Might give that a shot, but not sure if it's my thermostat that's busted.

 

Don't use a non-OEM thermostat (at least not one from the every day auto shops). Many people have had bad luck with them. Call Ray at Malloy Mazda and order an OEM one. He will ship overnight if you are will to pay the little extra for the shipping.

 

We'll I don't know what the horror stories were, but I've done it and it was pretty straightforward. There is a drain plug in the engine block, driver's side. IMHO, it's very worthwhile, since it's inexpensive, you probably don't know how old the coolant is and it might help clear passages. 50/50 ratio of coolant to distilled water afterward. Just takes some patience to properly "burp' the system, a process probably explained in one of those links.
As far as the fans go, I have no direct experience but guessing you should check the relays and connections.

 

I'll probably end up draining and refilling my radiator. A few people told me that sometimes when you get your radiator flushed it can possibly cause your radiator to leak from very small cracks. Has this ever happened to anyone?

 

That's because the cracks those people are talking about are clogged with "gunk" before you flush it so they aren't leaking. Flushing typically washes out the "gunk" and then you find the leaks. It's not that it "creates" leaks, it just shows you that you already had them. It's the same thing people say about switching to synthetic oil causes oil leaks. It just discovers what was already there.

 

That's exactly why I'm debating flushing it or just doing a drain and fill. I'm a little tight on money at the moment and I dont want to cause more problems, but at the same time I don't want to just put "band aid" type fixes on my car. FD's are no joke. First it was the boost leak. Fixed that. Now it's spiking at 12 psi, so now I need a boost controller. Need to replace my back rear tires with one having a bubble and is unbalanced. And now my temps are climbing. I need some cash badly....PM me if you guys can spare some. J/K