Slightly overheating

I noticed my temp needle gradually going from slightly to the left of midpoint to about a little to the right of the midpoint on the gauge after idling in traffic for more than a minute. The passenger side fan turns on. If I leave it in neutral and raise the rpm, the temps go back down. I'm thinking it's the thermostat or water pump.

 

[prove_it]

Make sure your radiator isn't dirty. How old is your coolant too? I would swap out the thermostat and flush the cooling system too and make sure you have a good mixture. That's all easy stuff to try first before the water pump.

 

The coolant is about 2-3 years old.

 

Are you running a stock radiator, or an aftermarket? Thats pretty old antifreeze also. I drain and flush mine once a year.

 

It's aftermarket stock replacement (non-aluminum). Actually, the coolant is about 1 year old as I had a busted hose last year which required a drain. I'll try the thermostat replacement first. Anybody use water wetter?

 

[Romanova]

What does the logger say?

 

[Barnes]

Quoting Romanova:
What does the logger say?



This. You probably aren't over heating at all. Coolant is probably just getting warmer than usual. However, you are simply guessing with the stock gauge. Check what your logger says.

 

Also check/replace your coolant cap.

 

The logger ranges from 216-230F. Seems kinda high. I remember it use to be in the 190-210F range.