Cooling SYstem Question - running hot(ter)

[livewirevoodoo]

944na '87 auto 82k.. radiator and hoses new in july, timing belt new this sept..

All summer (since radiator replacement) car never budged past the 2nd tick on the temp gauge. When I'd turn the car off, I could hear the fan kick in.

Is the fan controlled by ambient temp, or internal vehicle temp? (Now that the weather is considerably colder (50s-60s during days) I cant hear the fan kicking in at all, and the radiator is cool to the touch.

During normal highway driving the temp indication runs slighly above the second tick mark on the gauge. It goes above half way between the second and third tick marks during idle. If i shut the car off, wait 30 secs, and start back up, the temp gauge returns to the 2nd tick solid.

What am I looking at here? Venting/bleeding the system? Temp switch? water pump?

Any pointers are greatly appreciated.

[Cebu]

The discription you give is normal operation(IMOP).

[newoldguy]

I have the same car as you but with manual transmission. When I shut the car off after driving, the fans always kick on for about two minutes. If I'm in stop and go traffic when its warmer, the fans will cycle on and off as needed. The fans are controlled by coolant temperature, not ambient temperature. If its cool enough out the fans may not come on because the coolant is cool enough. The bottom line is that I'm with Cebu, I think you're OK.

[UconnTim97]

Seems to me that it is operating normally too

[livewirevoodoo]

Sounds good to me then, thanks for the reassurance. I've learned to pay close attention to any deviations from the "norm" with this car.