[hawk25]

Car has been randomly spiking rapidly with temp. This spiking happens in a span of 1-5 minute durations. Has any one else seen this?

 

[TheKrell]

Not on my 2012 300, but I most certainly DID have that happen from time to time with my Chevy Equinox with a leaky head gasket. It eventually failed catastrophically and I sputtered to a halt on the Washington Beltway. That's when I bought my 300.

 

[MADDOG]

What are the driving conditions? Stop and go? Slow traffic?

Has your ambient temperature increased with the onset of Spring weather?

Remember, you have electronically controlled cooling fans that come on at a preset coolant temperature, cooling the radiator core and coolant until the low end temperature parameter is reached, then they turn off. Once the coolant temp spikes again, then they come on again.

If this is happening in stop and go or slow traffic where external airflow across the radiator is not optimum, this is normal.

If this is happening while you are running at sustained highway speeds then this fan operation may not be normal and should be diagnosed.

First thing I'd do is watch the temperature gauge to make sure it's moving. You've done that. Now make a note of the driving conditions you are in. Get back to us on that.

 

[hawk25]

What are the driving conditions? Stop and go? Slow traffic?

Has your ambient temperature increased with the onset of Spring weather?

Remember, you have electronically controlled cooling fans that come on at a preset coolant temperature, cooling the radiator core and coolant until the low end temperature parameter is reached, then they turn off. Once the coolant temp spikes again, then they come on again.

If this is happening in stop and go or slow traffic where external airflow across the radiator is not optimum, this is normal.

If this is happening while you are running at sustained highway speeds then this fan operation may not be normal and should be diagnosed.

First thing I'd do is watch the temperature gauge to make sure it's moving. You've done that. Now make a note of the driving conditions you are in. Get back to us on that.

Highway speeds it seems ok but this will happen after getting off of highway or could happen while driving around town with no AC on. I thought it was very strange as Ive never seen it happen before since new.

 

[MADDOG]

I can understand how it happens in stop and go, in warmer weather, when airflow across the radiator.

A/C ON won't have much of an effect. It's all about airflow. Lose airflow & coolant temps go up. That's why the fans come on to drop the temps back down.