Knowing that guages are different for each car, I was curious to ask...
On flat stretches on the Highway the car runs at midway on the guage. However with NO A/C on, when pulling up long hills in Upstate NY (elevation 1272- / I-84) the car seemed to be approaching 4/4 on the guage but never overheating. The car would return to 1/2- 3/4 once started down the hill. Just curious. Does this sound normal/ familiar?
Mine never gets that hot, but I don't really have any logng steep hills, there's long ones, and steep ones, but not both together
Even on the hardest hills (had to shift down into fourth a couple times) on a 300 mile road trip a few weeks ago my guage never got above half way. Did around 140 km/h for most of it and never got hot.
straight up and down most of the time, even when beating on it. almost one notch higher happens if going slowly up a hill in traffic, same hill wound out in 3rd @ 100kmh all the way = straight up and down.
I'd recommend that you hookup a digital gauge somewhere around the radiator or wherever the coolant will pass. Maybe the steep incline is creating a blockage for coolant to pass??? 4/4 is pretty hot... I'd imagine in the range of 110C :shock:
If your coolant is that hot, just imagine how hot the head must be... Pocket of air getting trapped somewhere in the motor... Maybe you should do a bleed of the system with the expansion tank cap off. get the air out
and btw, is your coolant level at max?
forgot to mention. If you hookup a nice thermometer to your rad, go on a hill that makes your temp climb. If the thermometer stays low and your gauge reads high, there could be a blockage. (the rad should read around 80-90C. If it does go higher, your fan might not have the high speed switch)
Troubleshooting tips:
Fan operating temps:
