Originally Posted by Thooks
This morning was the first COLD morning. Frost was on the rooftops of un-inhabitated buildings (Barns, sheds, etc.), and vehicles parked outside. So I'm guessing it was around 35 degrees when I pulled out of the garage.
Anyway, my 95 Accord 4 cylinder takes a good while to "warm up" to normal temp (on the gauge) and this morning, of course, it took longer. Plus, I was running the heat/defrost with about 60-80% on the heat part of the thermostat adjuster inside.
I sat at the school waiting for the bell to ring to let the crumb snatchers out, and the temp gauge warmed up to almost normal. Then, when I got rolling again, it dropped to almost cold again.
I drove another 8 miles to work and it had almost gained back to normal. By this time, the car had been running 25 minutes and it was not up to normal temp.
So, do I need a new thermostat? Or could this be much worse? The car runs fine in hot (86-88) degree weather.
LOL @ "crumb snatchers"
It could be...the thermostat may be stuck open. If it's stuck open it will take longer for the motor to heat up since you are immediately cycling coolant through the whole system and radiator. I've never had a car get the thermostat stuck open, so I can't say for sure, but you could try a few things.
After startup, feel the radiator hoses directly after start up. If the upper hose is immediately beginning to get warm, it could be stuck open.
You could pop in a replacement, or you could test your thermostat and see if it opens and closes at the appropriate temps. It should start opening around 170F and fully open at 195F.