Looks about 160 to me and the OP said 155, just goin' by what he said......I'm calling "a tick" about the width of the needle...........so, this time of year, about the width of the needle below the middle (I can't believe this).

The pic of the gas gauge looks about right for where the temp gauge should be pointing, this time of year.

 

A 60 degree swing this time of year?.....that doesn't sound good either. Time for cooling system maintenance/sensor wiring check maybe?

 

I looked at my gauge (100, 210, 260) is what I have.

 

That still looks like a +/-60 degree swing to me and that's not right for this time of year. Time to check things out....git 'er done.

 

mine did that in my turbo laser and it turned out my t stat was stuck open... change out your t-stat with a stock 195 one

 

I think there are other issues to consider as well. Can't imagine reaching 215 with a "stuck open" t-stat, this time of year, and everything else functioning correctly.

 

It can with the vehicle sitting still and no airflow over the radiator. Also it maybe sticking. Opening when needed and then sticking open.

The tstat can always be removed and placed into a pot of water and then watch what it does as the temp rises. A candy thermometer can be used to guage the temp.

 

This time of year, the belt driven fan should be providing more than enough air while sitting still, presuming all else is good with the cooling system.........but is it......all good that is.

 

Well it is really cold outside now and when driving back from getting dinner I watched my temp gauge and had my heat on, full hot, fan on high. The heat was cool... coool.... coooool... then BAM!! Hot!!! I watched the gauge and it never hit the 210 mark, it was just to the left of it and it dropped right to the 155 mark as I drove, when I stopped it rose about a 32nd of an inch past the 155 mark. I took a pic once I parked at the house and this is where it stayed for about 3 minutes, then I shut the engine off. It's like 27 degrees F outside here.

 

"Does my temp look (act) normal?" Nope.

 

I bet if I block off some airflow through my radiator in this cold weather, the temps might look more normal... or normalize rather.

 

thats how mine is and my heat stays warm for as long as its on but i just put a new radiator in to so that might be a little bit of it

 

My heat doesn't even think about being warm until the tstat opens the first time... then I am good to go as long as I am driving and the water is flowing through the heater core. I am just waiting for a warm day... I just want to see if it changes things.

 

Coolant flows thru the heater core the moment the motor starts (heat selected on '93).....nothing to do with the t-stat opening/closing. Time for some maintenance.

 

It's a new heater core and it's not on heat, it's on vent with the temp selector on full hot. My "Heat" only comes out of the floor vents and defrost vents. "Vent" comes out of all of the forward facing vents such as Left, crotch, middle, right middle and right vents. "Defrost" works only through the left defrost vent, top dash vent and right defrost vent.

" " indicates selection on controls.

My main goal here was to see where everyone elses temps sit normally... given the temps here in NC at present and the fact that at a given temp my Tstat does open and my ride doesn't overheat, leak coolant or drop below then temps I have shown in my pics... I think it is probably ok. I know that cold air outside WILL have an effect on the cooling system. If it is sitting that cool on the gauge when it is warmer outside then I might suspect something.