5th Generation "Hot" engine

[kboosman]

This is my first post, so please bear with me. I just bought a 93 Celica GT convertible for my daughter (I believe this is a gen 5). While the temperature gauge never moves above the halfway mark, the engine hood seems to be very hot when the car is stopped. In fact, we used this spray-on wax on it the other day and now there are lots of little bubbles in the wax...like the heat melted the wax and then the wax resolidified after it cooled. The idle seems to be set a little high on the car as well (it's an automatic with 154,000 miles on it). Would the idle cause the engine to be "hot". Do you think that the temperature sensor may be stuck in the halfway position and isn't really reflecting the engine temperature? What is the first thing we should be looking at to see if we really have a problem? Thanks!

[Createdtoburn]

Honestly, I dont know if you know it, but most hoods tend to get pretty warm after its been running a while ;-) Especially if your Celica is like mine and doesnt have the big foam heat cover underneath the hood. Mine is just bare metal. I have a 92 Celica with the 1.6L engine. My hood gets pretty warm after a while, but my engine never goes above normal. Infact this car stays cooler then any car I've ever had. Especially a night, its usually only a quarter of the way up, if not on cold. Of course it also depends the area you live in and how your weather is.

But for instance, in hot weather its always around middle after its warmed up. But I guarentee it's not overheating. I probably wouldnt worry too much about the Hood getting warm really. Unless its getting so hot your paint is melting off haha.

[kboosman]

Actually, the paint is much more faded on the hood and top of the front fenders than the rest of the car. (It's red). I assumed that it was because of the way that the sun hit it but then when we started to notice the heat, I wondered if it really was "melting off". Personally, I think we are worrying about nothing, but my husband seems to think there is something going on with the engine. The car seems to run fine and except for "over revving" when you put it in park (which I think is the idle being set too high), it's a great car. I actually want my daughter to give it to me because it was so fun to drive. Thanks.

[AWDios]

I've run my alltrac without a hood liner for quite some time, and I guarantee that my hood gets hotter, but I have no paint problems.

[Createdtoburn]

Shiit my whole car is faded red. So is my friends toyota pickup. The older Toyota paint just seems to get oxidized real easy. Buff/wax that shit and it will shine right up though!

[Greatwars]

same hot here,,,,, so i guess it's normal,,,,, and i also dont have the foam

[kboosman]

Thanks for the responses. I feel much better about the issue now. Now, if I could just convince my daughter to let me have the car! I kind of fell in love with it when I drove it back from South Carolina after we bought it.

[Createdtoburn]

Yeah I fell in love with my Celica the first time I drove it. I just loved the feel of the whole car.