My 83 300D acted up a bit when I first got it, temp running high (around the 100 mark), twitchy indicator etc. I couldn't drive it last winter because the axle shafts broke. I fixed them in the spring and have been driving the car on and off all summer. The temp stayed right where I like it, about a half inch off the 80 degree mark. Until This morning. It was cool this morning, 46 degrees or so when I left for work, the temp went right to 100 and stayed there or a little under all the way into work.
Why does the car indicate it's running hotter on a cooler day? Could this be a function of the thermo fan? Seems that as long as the outside temp is high, the car's engine will run cooler. Sort of odd, no?

My guess is a short somewhere. My temp. guage jumps around and I am in the middle of diagnosing and trying to fix.

I will post when I have the answer.

Stephen

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85 300D 305K miles WVO(105K so far), Mine
82 300SD 235K miles BIO-D, Wifes
96 F250 SC PSD 4X4 285K MILES BIO-D, Ours
89 BRONCO 182K MILES sold
Finally Compression Ignition Only!

Rmmagow.

Sounds like a corroded or bad temperature sensor.

Louis.

On the hotter days, are you running the A/C? If so, that will also run the aux. fan and help keep the temps down.

a/c A/C AAAAA//CCCCCCC What the hell's THAT. A 123 with A/C you gotta be kiddin' :-) Actually, no, my a/c never worked since I got the car. In fact last summer I had the aux wired up to run all the time and it didn't maje any diff. Really funnym by this afternoon the outside temp was up to about 78 degrees or so, car ran nice and cool all the way home. I'm taking a couple of days off and will swap out the temp sensor and fool around withthe gauges a bit. Mostly, it 's just a curiosity since the engine doesn't have a hot smell or anything. I'm thinking too, it probably even runs better a bit hot. Thing gets a pretty religious 29 MPG and I'm always on it.

Wow, I just can't believe it got down to 46 somewhere already? I've never lived anywhere but Texas, so I only know one weather pattern...

__________________
Jimmy L.
'05 Acura TL 6MT
2001 ML430 My Spare

Gone:
'95 E300 188K "Batmobile" Texas Unfriendly Black
'85 300TD 235K "The Wagon" Texas Friendly White
'80 240D 154K "China" Scar engine installed
'81 300TD 240K "Smash"
'80 240D 230K "The Squash"
'81 240D 293K"Scar" Rear ended harder than Elton John

It was about 82 here today, cooler then normal. Ran my a/c on low fan and medium cool on the wheel, on a hot 95 degree day it will give you an ice cream headache. Love the 134 conversion. The road trip fuel use average was 31 mpg and I cruised about 65 mph most of the time.

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'10 Chrysler T&C Stow-N-Go White. Grandpa's ride.

'13 Chrysler 200 Touring Candy Red. Grandma's ride.

Age and cunning will always over come youth and vigor.

How about a sticky thermostat? It is possible!!!

My AC doesnt work that well but it doesn't seem to run more thatn two or three deg. hotter with it on. I have never heard the aux fan come on which makes me think it's not really running as hot as it shows.

Stephen

__________________
85 300D 305K miles WVO(105K so far), Mine
82 300SD 235K miles BIO-D, Wifes
96 F250 SC PSD 4X4 285K MILES BIO-D, Ours
89 BRONCO 182K MILES sold
Finally Compression Ignition Only!

yeah, I am betting some kind of sticky thermostat too. I;ve got a few of them, I'll swap today and see. It's now a scorching 51 degrees. This is cold even for RI. Not much of a summer this year, only ONE day over 90. Last year we had two weeks of 100+, that's summer!