mk2001c

I recently picked up a '93 and noticed it takes a long time for the coolant and oil temps to come up to normal operating temps - roughly 15 minutes cruising on the highway in sixth to get the oil above 180 with ambient temps around 70. This is double the amount of time my AMG takes. Is this normal? Wondering if the thermostat is working normally but I think they usually fail closed vs open.

oldalaskaman

sounds normal to me , also sounds like its had a lower thermostat installed and possible a re flashed prom, course also 'pends how hard I shove my foot to the floor, hope this helps

Scotsman

That would sound normal to me in my '92. I have a 170 degree (I think)thermostat and an electric waterpump. On my 16 mile drive to work I generally only see temps in the 175 - 180 range depending how hard I'm on the gas. And I only see those temps about 15 min into my 25 min trip. Highway cruising gets me around 181 to 185 steady. I don't know if I'm all that pleased with those temps since they are low for our cars but I'm going to observe it for this summer and make a decision.

c4cruiser

That seems a little long to me. When I had my '92, I could see 190 coolant temps in about 5-6 minutes of just idling in my driveway. If I simply stated the car and started driving in residential traffic, normal coolant temps would display after about 3 miles. It has the stock 190 'stat.

With my '87, I can see 180 degrees in just under 5 minutes with just idling from a cold start. It will also get to 180 in about 2-3 miles of driving with speeds in the 25-35 MPH range. It has a 180 degree 'stat.

Oil temps do take longer to get to "normal" which would be anywhere from 10 to 20 degrees above coolant temps. If you drove the car hard, oil temps would climb faster.

You could very well have a lower temp 'stat in the car. Some people swap one in because they don't like (or understand why) the car runs normally at around 190 to 220 or so. The coolant temp is designed to help with emissions and still deliver performance.

69SSC5

sounds like normal to me... hey at least its not getting too hot..... thats normally the complaint, you might be the first to ever say their C4 is running too cool

BADDUCK

Sounds low but OK range. Someone has probably modded the system in some way.

QCVette

The time sounds about normal to me. In my 94 the coolant gets to temp before the oil temp gets to temp. The oil temp takes about 15 to 20 highway miles to reach steady temps.

The 180 oil temp sounds a little too cool. Like C4cruiser said the oil temps usually are higher than the coolant temps.

mk2001c

Appreciate the feedback. I take a look at how long it takes the coolant to get up to temp tomorrow. With a stock T-stat, should it stabilize around 190-195 on the highway?

BADDUCK

A car thermostat doesn't set the temp like in your house. It opens around that temp and allows coolant to circulate through the system. You car should warm up quicker with a higher stat because it withholds full coolant flow longer.

mk2001c

Coolant stabilized at 193 on the highway. Is that about right with a stock t-stat? Trying to determine if I have an aftermarket t-stat in the car.

STL94LT1

Yes, that temp is with a stock 180* thermostat. A 160* stat will run ~178*.