1986 Lincoln Town Car Temperature gauge fluctuation.

1986 LINCOLN TOWN CAR
68,000 MILES • 5.0L • V8 • RWD • AUTOMATIC
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SWEET DADDY SIKI
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I have a 1986 Lincoln Town Car...I've recently noticed that when driving that the temperature gauge will begin to run cooler after the car has been running for 15 mins...approximately when the t-stat opens.

I can smell antifreeze near the radiator after pulling into the garage. The upper radiator hos is extremely hot, but is pressurized. The lower radiator hose is not as hot, but is also pressurized.

I placed a piece of cardboard underneath the vehicle, but have not noticed any antifreeze on the cardboard...either after sitting overnight, or while letting the vehicle run.

I am losing a slight bit of antifreeze in the overflow every time I drive the car.

Could this be that the radiator could possibly be leaking ( pinholes ), a faulty t-stat, or perhaps a bad water pump? The gauge did quickly spike to the 3/4 zone one day, but fell back to it's lower that normal reading...could the temp sending unit cause this erratic behavior?

Thanks
Nov 10, 2014 at 7:02 PM
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HMAC300
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have a pro pressure test the coolant system for a leak it may be a gasket
Nov 11, 2014 at 6:27 AM