Hello all,
I am new member and I like to say hello and see if someone can help me with an issue I am having 2009 fiat 500L, I live in Rome Italy and yesterday I drove from Rome to Pisa (3 1/2 hour drive). I was there for an hour to pickup my son and began my trip home. (After another 3 1/2 hour drive) When I got a few minutes away from where i live (Thank God) the engine temperature indicator light raised above the half way bar line and to the last bar. I turned the engine off and parked the car. A few hours later when the car engine was cool, I opened the hood and checked the cooling fluid overflow reservoir tank and the fluid was at the correct mid level. I noticed no leaks and hoses seem to be fine. I then went and started the engine. After a minute I turned the air conditioning on high and verified that the fan went on . I turned it on and off a few times to make sure the fan motor was working. I then shut the air conditioning off and let the engine run for 15-20 minutes. During that time a noticed the fan turn on to cool the engine and the engine temperature indicator light never exceeded the halfway line. After a bit I turned on the air conditioning and after a few seconds the engine temperature indicator light began to rise. I shut the engine off before it over heated. The car thermostat was replaced exactly 2 years ago. ( it was replaced because the car suddenly overheated with the white smoke and antifreeze leaking all over the place). There are no leaks and fluid seems to be fine. Did anyone have the same experience or may know whats the problem? I want to be well informed if I cant fix it myself and need to bring it in for service. Thank you

Hello , sorry if this is a silly question but when temperature gauge went above the half way was the fan for radiator running?
Did the gauge go to the red sector?

Than you for your reply and question,
Yes the fan was running. Yes the gauge went over the half way sector and gradually going higher. When I drive the car (even for long periods the gauge always remains in the center
halfway mark . last time i have seen it go to the top is when the thermostat blew.

Have a look at your radiator to see if anything is blocking the airflow.
Plus check the fan blades are attached to the fan motor.

Ok Ill do that. also I noticed a lot ( it is full of dead insects in front of the car. I just washed it the other day before taking the trip. maybe that can cause less air flow? I will check it better also check the fan blades attached to the fan motor. I know that the fan is turning when the air conditioning is turned on and when the car engine is running car idle.
Fan also goes on when I turn off the engine. I will keep you posted.
Thanks for your help

jackwhoo said:

Have a look at your radiator to see if anything is blocking the airflow.
Plus check the fan blades are attached to the fan motor.

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The fans working and I feel the air blowing when I put my hand on the outside near the grill . I had the Engine running
for s good half hour AC on low . The was idle all this time . I didn’t move it from its parking spot so the fan was running most of the time. After a half hour with the heat indicator gauge always staying in the center of the gauge never exceeding . After another 10 minutes I decided to put the AC to the highest level. After a couple minutes the heat indicator light exceeded the half way line and raised to bars. The fan was running and the car never over heated ( no steam ). May be I need to add more antifreeze? Before I started the engine I one again checked the excess tank and the antifreeze was at the minimum level line . Maybe a fuse?
I please let me know if you ever seen this. Thanks again

gman64 said:

The fans working and I feel the air blowing when I put my hand on the outside near the grill . I had the Engine running
for s good half hour AC on low . The was idle all this time . I didn’t move it from its parking spot so the fan was running most of the time. After a half hour with the heat indicator gauge always staying in the center of the gauge never exceeding . After another 10 minutes I decided to put the AC to the highest level. After a couple minutes the heat indicator light exceeded the half way line and raised to bars. The fan was running and the car never over heated ( no steam ). May be I need to add more antifreeze? Before I started the engine I one again checked the excess tank and the antifreeze was at the minimum level line . Maybe a fuse?
I please let me know if you ever seen this. Thanks again

Click to expand...

Well done you have done good checks.

Your car has a very strange fault and no I have never seen this before.
No you don't need to add coolant.

When you put a.c. on high level does the fan speed up from speed it goes with a.c. on low level?

Please do what you did before running engine till indicator half way , turn a.c. to high so indicator goes over half ,then turn a.c. back to low and see if indicator drops to half way and let us know.

Ok

We started the engine and the car was heated to the mid range of the thermometer gauge. After a bit the car fan went on with the low speed after a 20 seconds it shut off and the gauge always maintained a middle level. Then after five minutes I started revving the engine and after a while the fan went back on again at a low speed. Then shortly after the fan went to the high speed. The a.c. Was never turned ok and the temperature gauge always stayed at the same level. I will also like to say that the fan he remained on high speed for the past 5 minutes and has continued running. After a while still without putting on the a.c. The temperature gauge as surpassed the half way mark and fan is still running on high speed. I’m still in the car and still haven’t used the a.c. The gauge still hasn’t gone down to mid level. If u see this I’m still by my car let me know if u want me to try anything else

This is the gauge at the moment. Another 5 minutes have passed . It still hasn’t gone down to halfway level

Put the heater on fully hot and interior fan on full , see if temperature drops and radiator fan stops or drops to low speed

gman64 said:

This is the gauge at the moment. Another 5 minutes have passed . It still hasn’t gone down to halfway level

Click to expand...

Put the heater on fully hot and interior fan on full , see if temperature drops and radiator fan stops or drops to low speed

You may want to get out of car or you will get very hot

Thanks for picture of gauge very helpful

I have the a.c. On full blast when I rev the engine the gauge goes back to half but when I stop revving it the temperature goes back up one bar. Now it just went up to bars and I shut the ac off

Ac is off. I will let car run to see if the temperature will go down on its own. Fan is still on high speed

Before trying the gauge went up again. I will put heat up on max and air speed max. Will let u know how it goes

The heat gauge dropped two bars but it’s still one bar above the halfway line at the moment

Heater is still full blast but the gauge remains one bar above halfway

Fan always still running