Master Apex

Normal behavior for the car is to reach 3 bar within 7 minutes in ambient temperature between 20F - 100F. Higher ambient (say 90F) will make the car reach 3 bar sooner within 3 minutes of cold start (morning).

Recently, the car stay at 1 bar for aboout 5 minutes after start and then stay at 2 bar for very long time (15 minutes) before reaching 3 bar. At times, during normal driving the temp bar will drop back to 2. When this happens, I can still rev it up to 9K without limiter kicking in.

What is going on

xviper

Do you have any cooling mods installed?

mikegarrison

Check your thermostat. Maybe it has failed open.

xviper

Or opens too soon.

S2kracka

My recomendation is to get a new thermostat, it sounds to me like yours is wearing out.

Sideways

Sounds perfectly normal to me. If the ambient air is cool enough the engine temp can drop a little. The ECU knows it is warmed up and so it still has Vtec.

cdelena

First check the connection to the engine coolant sensor on the intake manifold. At least one member had a similar problem that was a lose connection.

dangarza

It can cool enough sure, but not enough to drop to 2 bars. I have neverseen my car do that.

Race Miata

Cold ambient temp can slow down the time it takes to get to 3 bars, but can NEVER be cold enough to drop engine temp if the thermostat is working properly. If not the thermostat, the culprit is most likely a lose connection as the other guy suggested.

juniorreds

Not for sure if this will help you out but I have the apexi I-moni that plugs into the obd2 port, well this device displays water temp directly from the ecu. When ever the water temp reaches 160 degrees or above 3 bars, anything under that registers 2 bars. I have the mugen thermostat and a majority of city driving I see 3 bars with a temp around 195 to 170, on the highway though, granted it's pretty cool here in Kansas right now I register just under 160 and have 2 bars showing at all times. Hope that helps a little.