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When A Car Overheats From A Blown Head Gasket Would The Temperature Gauge In The Dashboard Fluctuate Up And

Posted in Internal Engine Parts | Asked on Feb 7, 2012

Down, going from the 3/4 mark then dropping to the 1/2 mark and back up again. Or would it slowly keep rising to the top of the gauge without dropping down in temperature? Or maybe could the fluctuating up and down gauge sound more like a malfunctioning radiator cooling fan? 95 Honda Civic

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There are 3 Answers for "When A Car Overheats From A Blown Head Gasket Would The Temperature Gauge In The Dashboard Fluctuate Up And"

  1. Paul P says:

    Hi
    Sounds like a sticking thermostat or low on antifreeze.

  2. Juan says:

    There’s a good chance that it would simply because you could now have air in your cooling system and when coolant is not actively on the temp gauge it could temporarily cool down and then with the reintroduction of hot coolant it would go back up

  3. Mimatt says:

    Could be a faulty temperature sensor or thermostat. Usually when a head gasket goes bad it just overheats and doesn’t cool down until you turn the engine off.

    Check your coolant level and for visible leaks. Place a large piece of cardboard under the car after you’ve driven it. See if there is coolant on the cardboard after a few hours. Pull the dipstick and see if the oil looks ok. If it looks like chocolate milk, it’s a head gasket or manifold gasket leaking internally.

    If you don’t want to take the car to a professional, I would replace the temperature sensor and/or the thermostat first as they are usually pretty cheap.