:banghead: i bought a 1995 olds cutlass supreme with a 3100 v6 automatic with 200,000 miles from a buddy of mine. the car runs but he said it would get hot like every few days or so, then one day it got hot and he shut it down and didnt mess with it for about a year. i got it and it started right up. i cleaned the engine and i dont see any sign of a cracked head or blowed head gasket.there is no antifreeze around the tailpipe or anything. my problem is i cant work on it any futher because the temp gauge is always pegged out on hot :screwy: . so i took that dash apart and if the key is off you can move the temp gauge needle down by hand but as soon as you start the car it peggs out and the hot light comes on.could a bad sensor cause this to happen? if so which do i change? any help is appreciated because i am no mechanic, but i am willing to learn. i am just trying to test the basic stuff before i move into the hard stuff. i appreciate your time. thanks

if the coolant temp at the radiator cap is 185F to 195F ( check it using a meat thermometer while running and up to temp ) then it's either a coolant temp sensor or the guage is malfunctioning