I guess the 5th gens don't have a temperature gauge? The gauge should run close to the center at operating temperature... if it stays on the C you know almost beyond a shadow of a doubt you have a stuck open thermostat.

Another trick is if you can buy one of these little infrared thermometers for like $50, you could just shoot the engine and see how hot it is. Usually, the outside of hte engine is about 20* cooler than the inside.... on my cars with my thermometer at least. Maybe I have a bad thermometer, I don't know!


the only other possibility would be that your heater core is stopped up and not letting water run through it.

 

Is everybody done arguing now? Good.

Personally, I'd look at the thermostat first.

 

I was never trying to argue. I guess what I was trying to post, never came across right. All I meant was, no matter the percentage of coolant you run, has no affect on operating temp. It seems that some people think that more coolant= it runs cooler.

But +1 on t-stat.

 

I wasn't singling anyone out. It takes more than one person to have an arguement.

Regardless, let's just get back to the original question. And let cooler heads prevail. Life's too short to be pissed off all the time.