OK thermostat replaced. What a pain that was!
I had to remove half of the intake system just to get to it.
Well it seems to have cleared up my problem. I took it for a good 20 minute drive and the temp gauge maxed out at about 1/3 scale past "C" and stayed there as it did prior to the problem occuring. The idle seems normal again and I didn't notice the jerkiness in the shifting, though I'm going to continue paying close attention to that one.
I checked for the fuzzy blanket between the radiator and condenser, but other than a little bit of debris at the very top, it was clean.
The radiator was full and the reservoir partially full. I took the opportunity to replace the coolant since I had to drain it anyway. It was a little murky, but not oily at all. I just figured it couldn't hurt to give it fresh coolant. I went with a 50/50 mix, as I live in a mild Northwest climate.
The machine still needs some work in other areas. It badly needs a brake job, but I think I'll bring some business to someone else for that as I am not equipped or knowledgeable enough to deal with them myself.
The problems I asked about here seem to be resolved with just a thermostat replacement. I had a suspicion about that when I posted, but I'm only a quasi-mechanic when the neccessity arises.
Thanks for the advice. I was afraid I would get an ambiguous answer, but I was pleasantly surprised.
Friday, May 4th, 2007 AT 7:22 PM
