2000 Toyota Tacoma temp guage

2000 TOYOTA TACOMA
168,000 MILES • 6 CYL • 4WD • MANUAL
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CHAPPY42
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When I'm accelerating, my temp guage goes up dramatically, but when i let off the accelerator, it drops back quite a bit. Also, occasionally when I turn the engine off, the temp guage will go all the way to the top. It should drop to the bottom. If I leave it this way for a few hours, the battery ends up drained. After I either charge or jump the battery, it takes 8-10 times before i can get the engine to start. It cranks fine, but just won't kick. Once i do get it started, it runs fine. I thought it was maybe a head gasket filling a cylinder with coolant, but i haven't lost any coolant. Could a faulty temp sensor or guage cause these problems, or could it be the ecm.
Oct 8, 2009 at 8:48 PM
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KHLOW2008
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Hi chappy42,

Thank you for the donation.

The battery drain is caused by something shorting. You would have to perform a battery drain test to find out which circuit is malfunctioning.

The malfunctioning temp gauge is not due to a head gasket if you do not have any coolant losses. It would more likely be due to an electrical fault.
Oct 9, 2009 at 9:32 AM