> Good morning > Today we were in the single digits (6), warmed up the van no problem and > it ran fine but as I was travling into work the temp guage kept droping > until it started to run rough. I pulled over let it warmup and it ran fine > until the temp droped again . What is your opinion? I replaced the temp 2 > about 3 months ago. > Darren > Lowell MI > 84 GL Your thermostat is sticking and requires replacement. Meanwhile, you can remove the upper grille, place cardboard in front of the radiator so that it covers about 3/4 of the radiator's fins, then reinstall the grille. Not a good permanent fix ... but will allow you to drive the van until you can replace the T-stat. It's not good for the engine to run it too cold. Drive van ... watch temp gauge ... adjust as necessary. I had a thermostat in my '84 that stuck open in the winter ... while I was driving from Virginia to Maine. I had some cardboard under the rear carpet (just over the engine bay) that I kept there in case I needed something to lay on while effecting roadside repairs. I'm sure glad I had it with me. I was then able to drive at normal speeds without the engine losing power and I had heat inside. At speed, the temp gauge was reading about where it did with a working thermostat. Mike Houlton, Maine '84 GL 7 pass '85 GL Westy |
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