Temp. needle went the other way!!!

[Anthony1238]

Im not sure if this has happen before but... after about a half hour ride in my 89' i noticed that my temp needle was 3/4 for the way to the top... It has always stayed in the middle or lower since i have owned the car... but the strange thing was when i shut the car off the needle skyrocketted and went almost around in a cirle. i have only noticed this once and it hasn't doen it since... any idea why?
eek!

 

[AutoSHO]

My guess would be that either the Sender for the gauge is bad. It could also be the wire running up to the cluster, or the cluster itself is bad. If it continued to rise after you shut the car off that sounds more like an electrical problem, since the gauge should not have any power after the ignition is turned off.

 

[Anthony1238]

even if this has happen only once?

 

[JoeHoe_SHO]

My 89 does this as well. It will rise, then fall for the whole ride, then when I shut it down, needle shoots to the max...as soon as I turn the key again, it goes back down. Stupid old, obsolete electronic crap...not a big problem is it? Just gotta remember to keep coolent/water in the engine and check pressure and what not ever now and again.

 

[JaySHOguy]

Hahahah My '89 does the same thing, only if I leave the exterior lights on after turning the ignition off. In a matter of seconds, the needle is stuck at the top. Turn the ignition back on, and it drops back down.


Funky

 

[Anthony1238]

does anybody know why this is happpening and how to fix this?

 

[SHOfun 93]

My 95 does the same thing and am also wondering why it does this. Scared the crap out of me right after I bought it seeing the needle peg all the way up to "H". eek!