Coolant temps in reservoir after a 30 minute drive?

[flatblack]

I had an issue yesterday with the temp gauge instantly rising to over 250 degrees. We deemed it to be the fluid temp sending unit to the gauge. I drove the car for about 30 minutes to a shop to get the work done. When we popped the hood just after I got there and took off the pressure cap on the passenger side coolant reservoir. It wasn't hot at all. Warm at best. Both of us thought that wasn't right at all.

How hot should that coolant be in the resevoir? We're afraid that we have a thermostat that is stuck.

We removed the temp sending unit off of the drivers side in front of the cylinder head and checked for coolant flow through the block and it was good.

 

[DrumrBoy]

Wouldn't that confirm the possibility of stuck thermostat?

 

[SquadXX]

If its the thermostat, reach out to chuck tator for a less painful and expensive way of replacing it.

 

[FrankBarba]

Have you checked to see if you have air trapped in the system ?

 

[Mopar Steve]

Coolant doesn't flow through the tank as it does through the rest of the cooling system so the temp will be much lower

 

[JonB]

THE YEAR MATTERS ! Did I miss it? Is it a 2001? (Water Pump Impeller) Temp sender / Guage unlikely culprits. You say "instant" to 250. Was it truly instantaneous? (Electrical) or a quickly-spiking temp? (Water impeller)

It is most-likely just an air-lock due to trapped air in the block, and coolant therefore NOT circulating into the surge tank (reservoir) and the overflow reservoir. SUPPOSED to be a closed-loop system.

Have you checked the overflow reservoir in the RF Fascia? My Bet: EMPTY.

Call me for tips on how to BURP the air first..... [They used to be posted but lost in the 'purge years' ]

[email protected] 360.837.3937

 

[vancouver-gts]

Happened to my 99 GTS two years ago. Pulled over, no boiling over. Waited 10 minutes, driving home from a 250 mile trip no issues. Few days later it happened. It was the temperature sender. Replaced it, no more issues.