Since I don't know much about this car (new to me), I wanted to ask a question about acceptable heat limits.

1) What should the normal coolant temperature be in stop and go traffic?

2) What temperature should the cooling fan kick on?

I was watching my digital dash readout as a waited for a period of time idling at a RR Crossing and it reached about 238 degrees before I heard the fan kick in.

That seems high to me. I think in terms of a 160 degree thermostat.

Is 238 degrees a normal or acceptable temperature at the high end?

Tom

 

The factory fan on temp is around 226, so you are seeing roughly normal temps in stop and go traffic. I'm not a fan of those temps myself. I have a 170 stat and reprogrammed fan temps to work with it. My stop and go traffic temps are around 185 and about 175 on the highway.
http://members.shaw.ca/corvette86/Co...%20Control.pdf

 

That is normal for stock.

 

160 thermo, better waterpump, and a bigger radiator. Also have your fans programmed to turn on at 190. You can have a manual switch installed so you can flip them on and off. It overrides the automatic system.

 

Let the games begin!

 

Thanks!
Yes! Let them begin, if you mean the fix-it games! That's where all the fun is. Doing the little mods and learning a car inside out.

 

read my website

 

If you are seeing 238* before the main fan comes on then there could be a problem. The main fan is controled by the ECM that gets it's coolant reading from the CTS (coolant temp sensor) in the front of the intake manifold (very important sensor). You may and may not have a auxillary fan located on the front of the radiator. You can see if from looking under the front bumper. It is controled only by a temp switch located between #1 and #3 spark plugs in the driverside cylinder head. That fan come on at ~238*. The temperature you see on the dash is not from the ECM, but from a coolant temp sender located between #6 and #8 in the passenger side cylinder head.

Factory setting for the main fan are burnt into the memcal (chip) in the ECM. Usually ~226* is when the main fan should come on. Depending on where you live...a 160* might be good and might not. If your t-stat is stock then it is a 195*. Here I use a 180* t-stat and have my fan programmed (in the chip) to come on at 200* and off at 180*. When driving MY temps stay around 179-181* and when idling it gets to around 201* before the main fan comes on. In my opinion I think the 180* t-stat is the best all around for the L98 Corvette.

Check between the A/C condenser for trash (bird nests, leaves, plastic bags, anything that will block air flow to the fins). Make sure the air is out of the coolant system as temps will stay on the hot side do to air pockets. Make sure the coolant level is full and there are no leaks in the system. Make sure the fan(s) are operating as they should. Use only the coolant the manual says. The L98 cooling system hold about 14 quarts total.

Recheck the temp for when the main fan comes on at idle.