Coolant temp question/problem
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 360
Likes: 0
From: Canton GA
Coolant temp question/problem
During the summer months in traffic my 85 would heat up to 225+ deg. and kind of level off, then cool once the fans had run for a min... After reading around on here, that was nothing really to worry about...
Now, in the winter time, it heats up to normal, but when driving on the freeway it will go down to 145 deg!!
I know that cant be good...
If I had a stuck thermostat, why was it heating up so much in summer?
What else could cause something like this?
Now, in the winter time, it heats up to normal, but when driving on the freeway it will go down to 145 deg!!
I know that cant be good... If I had a stuck thermostat, why was it heating up so much in summer?
What else could cause something like this?
Race Director
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 17,298
Likes: 33
From: The Top of Utah
Because once the thermostat is open, it has done everything it can to cool the engine. It ran at those temps in the summer because of the rate at which the engine produced heat vs the rate at which the radiator could dissipate it. The same is true in the cooler weather. The thermostat merely regulates the MINIMUM operating temp of the engine, by staying closed until the engine temp comes up. Once the stat opens, it has finished it's work. Since 145° is lower than the 195° of the factory thermostat, I'd say your's is failing in maintaining the desired, designed, minimum temperature. It sounds like it is stuck open. If you will think about what a thermostat does and how it works, you will have answered your own question.
RACE ON!!!
RACE ON!!!
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 360
Likes: 0
From: Canton GA
cool thx guys!!
in the fall it would get down to like 160* and I though "cool, I already have a hi-po thermostat"
oh well. haha
any suggestions as to temp I should get? 90% city 10% road course
I'm thinking 180* ?
in the fall it would get down to like 160* and I though "cool, I already have a hi-po thermostat"
oh well. haha
any suggestions as to temp I should get? 90% city 10% road course
I'm thinking 180* ?
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 360
Likes: 0
From: Canton GA
well this is my first Vette and I've already had to put alot of time and money in her just to get her road worthy, so I dont know if the warmup time is long or not *shrug* Compared to my other vehicles, yeah it takes a long time, especially for the oil to come up to temp.
Looks like 180* it is..
Thx!
Looks like 180* it is..
Thx!
