Struggles uphill

Guys mature?

 

Yes; gen3 has an electric water pump and the CEL does NOT record or set a code for an over-temp. event. All you get is the temp lamp in your dash that triggers around 248+F. On rare occasions, the water pump may throw an under or over speed code; but that's usually due to air bubbles in your cooling systems. You should monitor it with a P10 HUD. I believe that rjparker has pictures of his setup.

 

The answer to your question is yes, the engine water pump can go bad without triggering a trouble code. See the link provided by rjparker in post #4.

 

Depends on the event: there can be a P0117 code, which means there was a reading from the sensor, at one point, for at least half a second, that was so extreme the ECU thought it might be a wiring short and not a real reading.

Which it can be sometimes. But if you ever get that code and before you know whether it was a wiring short or a real reading, you should not delay trying to find out.

 

It does look like coolant seeping but it could be spills as well.

Obviously if you are losing coolant in the passenger side reservoir would escalate need to focus on the problem.

I would probably get some brake clean and remove the residue to see if its a current leak.

Knowing how the coolant temperatures are doing in realtime is very useful.

 

Cars used to have a rudimentary coolant temp gauge. My ScanGauge could show temp; unfortunately it was the likely culprit in an escalating series of braking anomalies (Check Hybrid System warning, brake/traction lights, and work-to-rule braking ). Had to disconnect it.

 

Your ScanGauge must have had a bad upbringing. Mine's been plugged in for 16 years and been fine.

 

Yeah, apparently something flakey with the OBD port, possibly exacerbated by the constant mass, inertia of the plug. Seemed like the cascade of errors commenced with going over some sort of bump. Not sure though.

Remember driving daughter-in-law's Sunfire to Costco for a gratis flat repair, muttering "even this $hit-box has a coolant temp gauge".

 

The cable I have plugged in at the DLC3 connector has a low-profile 90° plug with the cable coming out the side. I don't remember if that's the one that came with the ScanGauge or is one I bought. But because of the shape it probably puts less bouncing force on the connection than you'd see from a plug sticking straight out.

 

think I can find mine...