why is the temperature gauge not moving on a 2001 chevy impala?

I have a 2001 chevy impala and the other day I noticed that the temperature gauge wasn't working. I got a radiator flush and that seemed to fix the problem. Tonight, i noticed that the gauge wasn't moving again! What could this be? Serious replies only. Thanks to all!

2009-03-10T20:27:58Z

Thanks for everyone answers. But I wanted to add a few more things. Yes, the heat is working. Full blast! The vents are also open.

Anonymous2009-03-10T20:12:32Z

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Before you had a coolant flush done to you vehicle, were you driving the car long enough to get the engine up to operating temperature? Is your thermostat opening? Is there heat coming out of the vents? A lot of times after performing a coolant flush, air gets trapped in the system. But because you said this was happening prior to the flush, it could be a faulty temp sensor. Only way to find out is to get it into a shop.

- Automotive apprentice

Peter2016-08-25T19:43:29Z

I just bought a 2002 Chevy Impala with 115,500 miles. The car runs good and shows no signs of overheating. However, the gas and the temperature gauges are not working. The needles on both gauges are all over the place and not reading accurately. What is the problem.

Charlie2009-03-10T20:26:24Z

If your engine is not overheating, then I bet it's just a problem with the gauge itself - for example it could be a burned out or loose wire for the temperature sensor in the engine, a blown gauge fuse (check your gauge box under the dash), or maybe the temperature sensor is plugged up with some radiator gunk and not reading properly. You can tell if your engine it overheating if the area around your feet in the car gets very hot when you're driving, or if you can smell a burning smell or see any smoke or steam from under the hood or at the windshield or even around the dash. If you haven't noticed any of that, then it's probably just a busted gauge apparatus and not urgent to fix.
If you do notice your engine getting really hot, it could be a stuck thermostat. The thermostat in a car engine is a mechanical valve that opens when the temperature of the engine gets high enough. When it opens, it lets the water from the radiator flow through the engine to cool it back down and maintain a constant engine temperature. This is not likely to be the problem, since you didn't say your engine was overheating, but pay attention next time you drive to see if you notice anything that could indicate it getting too hot.
If your engine is overheating, DO NOT drive the car any more until you get it fixed. This means getting towed to a mechanic. If you allow the engine to overheat, it will cause serious irreparable damage and could start a fire.

Ileana2015-08-10T14:41:11Z

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RE:
why is the temperature gauge not moving on a 2001 chevy impala?
I have a 2001 chevy impala and the other day I noticed that the temperature gauge wasn't working. I got a radiator flush and that seemed to fix the problem. Tonight, i noticed that the gauge wasn't moving again! What could this be? Serious replies only. Thanks to all!

Stephanie2016-01-30T02:18:56Z

temperature gauge moving 2001 chevy impala

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