Temp Guage High and Oil Guage Low

[PewterBird]

After I sit in traffic, my temp goes way up, fairly slowley makes the 210 to 250 in about 3 minutes.

Here is the wierd part. If I am able to get going like 45, it will quickly drop down back to 210 in about 5-7 seconds. It seems like an awefull quick cool down.

Also If I get stuck in traffic. I will shut down the car in fear of redlining the temp guage. I will start back up almost insantly and it drops back down to 210. Another aweful fast cool down.

As for the Oil guage, I usta sit just under 60 now it starts at 60 and slowly move down to about 35-40. 35 & 40 is generally really low for this car. It always usta stick right below the 60 all the time.

Need some help here. I don't know if the engine is really overheating and oil pressure dropping or if the guages are just messed up. Other than the guages, there have not been any drivability problems.

EDIT: Forgot to mention. With the car off and the key removed, The oil and temp gauges are 1/4 of the way raised, when the rest of the guages are sitting on the low point peg.
WTF ???

[Nicklz]

Your temp is not engine temp but coolant temp. As soon as you get moving again the coolant has air flow in radiator cooling temps back down. Same for turning it off in traffic. After you restart the coolant that was in radiator and stayed there since engine was off, is significantly cooler the longer enigne is off.

You may also have air in the lines somewhere, you might just wanna get it flushed too. Just to be on the safe side. It's general 40ish for a flush.

As for oil pressure gauge not sure. Possible oil pump going bad?? Mine always stays right at 60.


---NOTE I am not a mechanic. Just giving my best educated guess/

[PewterBird]

I just had it flushed. I will bleed it though.

I don't think they did when they finished.

[Ex-5.0]

Your guages are probably ok and your car is running hot. Maybe the fans aren't coming on or something is blocking the air flow like a plastic bag in front of the radiator.

The oil will thin out when it gets hot so the lower oil pressure is normal. 35 psi isn't too low at idle.

If the '99 temp guage works same as the 2000+ guages then it probably makes sense that it drops from 250 right to 210 when the car starts cooling down. In the 2000+ cars the temp guage is driven by the engine computer and not directly from the temp sending unit. The computer keeps the guage at 210 when the actual temps go from 210-230 or so. I think they do this because many people don't understand that the cooling fans won't even come on until about 230 degrees and think that 230 on the guage indicates a problem. Your car is probably cooling down from 250 to 230 or so and then the guage drops right away to 210 even though the temp isn't that low yet.