1991 Dodge Spirit Wonky Water Temp Guage

1991 DODGE SPIRIT
250,000 MILES • 4 CYL • 2WD • AUTOMATIC
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ARTEBY
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4 cyl. 1991 Dodge Spirit

water temp gauge goes to max hot, engine light on:
thermostat replaced
temp. sender replaced
fan working
no water leaks or loss of coolant
water pump ok
after 5 minutes:
gauge returns to normal, engine light off
no change in oil pressure
no change in vehicle speed throughout
appears to be high water pressure after short drives

if head gasket related, will compression test help?
Oct 21, 2009 at 2:05 PM
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CH112063
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You could pressure test the cooling system.
The head or gasket may be bad, with 250,000 miles it is quite a car. After the pressure test, pull the plugs and crank it over to see if any cylinder sprays out coolant. They may all spray out coolant. The engine has reached the end of a great life. All doors that close, open other doors.
Oct 23, 2009 at 12:30 AM