Lately the car has been runing faster. Strange, I didn't do anything, but it'* just running harder. Which is cool...

but it'* been running hotter for a while. It used to stay at 190 all day long, no matter what. Lately, it doesn't matter if it'* in traffic or not, the gague goes a couple clicks above 190 and comes back down when the sytem cycles. I thought the antifreeze or therostat might ba bad, but I tested them and they are fine.

Then today, I took my daughter up to the snow in the mountain. It was 65 out at sea level, and it'* a 10 mile climb up to the snow, up steep roads. About 8 miles up, and 50 degrees out, the gague went up to almost 240 and it'* NEVER gotten that hot. I pulled over, turned around, and let gravity take us down. It cooled right down and never went back up the rest of the day. I know the hill stressed the engine as it would to any, and yes this was a steeper hill, but this bonnie has been through the rockies before and never got hot. (For anyone that may know, we went up Mountain Ave to Mt. Baldy in the suburbs of Los Angeles)

Is that a Dexcool thing? Is 80,000 miles on original coolant too much? Or is it maybe a head gasket problem? I hope it'* not the latter...any help is appreciated. Merry Christmas

Thanks