I have a 1996 eclipse I read earlier about the guy who had the same problem as a dude earlier except my engine temp gauge says that I am overheating but I looked and my fan is working. It only does this at idle when I drive it goes back to normal. I need to know if I damaged my motor or if this is just a bad temp gauge I looked to see if the temp gauge was corroded and it was but if it is a bad gauge then why will it go back to normal when I drive it. HELP ME PLEASE .....................................................

Could be your radiator cap...I would replace that and your thermostat first. Both are very cheap and should be done anyways.

2007 wrx

I had a problem where I overheated at idle because my upper radiator hose was always loosening. After that happened a couple times I took the hose off and saw that the plastic inlet that the hose clamps too was was destroyed--it fell apart upon removal of the hose. Check your hose, the inlet, radiator cap, and entire radiator. Sounds like you're loosing pressure somewhere.

Tony

Ebay intake/Pacesetter header/OBX catback/PT lifters/PT clutch
AF/X UDP/crankscraper/Symborski shift kit/ shortened shifter
3KGT 16X8s

I'm fairly sure the temp sensor reads high when not fully submerged in coolant. At idle (car not moving) the air settles to the highest point in the system - the rad cap/thermostat neck where the sensor is. When the car is in motion, enough coolant flows thru the neck to submerge the sensor - reading normal temp while driving.

This at least explains what I and a few others here have seen with our own 2gnt's.

If this applies to you as well, make sure your coolant level is all the way to the top of the cap neck. If it's not, you have a leak - find and fix it... the gauge and sensor are fine.

My leak was the radiator, at the bottom where the plastic end tank attached to the fins. Replaced it with same design from napa, no problems but I wish I had known about radiatorbarn.com then.

-T