Need a little help.. I live in the south mile from Gulf 100%+ it's hot..My 96 LT-4 with air on at about 85% out side does good about 90% takes awile but will get too hot.. I am going to this fall put in some more power and I know it will be hot then for sure .. I see on E-Bay these 3row Alum. radiators anybody have one I thinking 3row Alum and one more fan and something to help push more air in the thing.. Maybe a high flow water pump and the Radiator.. All this will work moveing ,at a red light then what.. I have tryed that additive stuff NOT... I an not going to put more power in if I can't cool it ..It's a driver ..On the road moveing works great, in town not so much... Thanks...

 

Have you cleaned between your radiator and ac condenser? That area can be full of leaves/trash that will cause you to run hot.

 

Thanks .. I just finished a reso on the vette reworked hole car It's clean everthing cleaned and or replaced but all stock..One thing you have to remember it's 100+ down here..Below 80 works fine .. Thanks

 

get the fans reprogrammed to come on earlier.
If youre looking at the gauge it will appear hot but its normal temps

 

Yeah I lived in Florida for a decade, never had any problems with my car over heating. Must be something going on IMO.

 

Can you define "hot"?? What coolant temps do you see; in-town and freeway? The LTx C4's are designed to run hot to help with emissions. With a cooling system in good condition, coolant temps of anywhere from 195 to 230 are considered "normal"

You can expect higher temps in slow stop and go city driving. But as soon as the car starts to move, there should be enough airflow thru the radiator to bring the temp down.

As mentioned, check the front of the A/C condenser for debris and dirt that may be stopping airflow. Also look between the condenser and radiator for more debris. Most of the time, this stuff can be vacuumed out or you can use a garden hose to flush the junk out. Point it at the inside of the radiator and spray to the front.

Might be a good idea to do a coolant flush and refill. You could replace the thermostat with a lower temp, but if there are other issues like dirt, or possibly a collapsing radiator hose, or just sludge in the cooling system, a different temp 'stat may not be a real help. It might even be time for a water pump. But be careful doing a WP r&r so that you don't get water on the Opti.

Do the inspection/maintenance stuff first before swapping the radiator. A stock cooling system can handle more HP from mods if the system is working right.

 

Thanks ..The fans come on earlier.. The 96 has some mods all been retuned and reprogramed .. Anyway to add a temp gauge to get real time temp . It all worked great untill the outside temp went to 90%+ .. If this cool sys. was working right think it will handel 100 more hp.. in the heat... I'll have to check that IMO...

 

I'm just giong by the gauge .. It takes a little wile but will peg out.. allway to last line I think is 240.. .. I just finished a resto on this 96 hoses water pump OPIT Spark radiator ..Olny thing not replaced was block intack just all out side stuff.. Anyway to put a real time gauge on to get real time temp may just be reading wrong...

 

Are you using the digital temp display or the analog gauge? The C4 analog gauges are not linear; the more the needle moves toward the higher temps, the less distance the needle travels.
So at some point the thickness of the needle itself can cover as much as a 30-40 degree value.

The digital temp display is much more accurate.

 

Thanks for all your help.. I am going to take all the cooling sys. out an give it a good look Rad. hoses Ect. all new GM stuff 160 stat. all new.. I have never just let it run with me looking at the motor. I am going to do that and see if anything is going wrong hose or something. I need to know the real time temp that 240 thing not going to get for me.. Way tooo much money in this thing to let it get too hot.. It aways runs good I think gauge wrong..THANKS... I think I'll just tape a $1,000 pill on the radiador see if that will fix it..With these C-4s it's a money thing for sure.. The parts guy at the GM dealer I buy parts from just brought a new vett with the money I spent on this one ..Got to love it..LOL

 

Thanks c-4 cruiser I use the stock gauge. The one in the dash.. I am going to find out real time temp ..Too much money to be hopeing it's right.. It lakes a wile but in will go to 240 in town..Maybe move up north.. Dallas I'm in Houston maybe not..Thanks

 

You still haven't answered his question though.
There are 2 gauges in the dash, an analog (old fashioned dial and needle) and a digital temp gauge.

Push the gauges button on your dash and cycle through all the displays until the digital temp gauge is displayed.

What is the digital gauge temp reading?

The analog gauge will look like it's "pegged" while sitting at idle for any length of time.

With a properly functioning cooling system (free of blockage, proper coolant mix, and correct pressure cap), the digital gauge shouldn't ever get above 235° F. (even sitting in 100°+ temps).

 

Your right I have not pushed the gauge button to see the other temp.. I wiil do that .I just used the one in the dash .. It's in a cooled area right now I will take it outside and see what temp is ..I will look at the other gauge.. The digital one...... Thanks

 

OK, went on road trip,needed milk about 7-8 miles round trip... stop and go the digital gauge went to 235 and went back a forth 231-235 I was moveing a little .. Puilled on side of road when was at 235 and it went to 245 fast and I don't think it going to stop got back on road and went back to 235-231.. LT-4 with about 3000 miles on new Rad ,hoses.. 160% stat new pump, I have not looked but should be clean just 3000 miles sence put back together.. It's 100 outside.. Now what????? Air was on high... I have a little strip about 2" to help force air in at bottom of air intake to rad..

 

Now try to find out what temp your fans are kicking on at. Are they getting the right speed?

What stat do you have in it?

 

I have a 160 in it.. I haven't realy check the fans when they come on or speed . I guess that's a volt thing I don't do very much Ele. on these C-4s I have a guy ...I do everything else.. Mech. insides ,seats carpet and body .Got to let somebody have some fun.. I am thinking about a LLyod E. motor this fall he is out of Dallas I am going 383, heads and soforth about 450 hp I just don't think the stock Sys. will handle the hp. If I am going to have to work on it might as well redo the cooling to handle the ex. hp.. Three row Alum. new fans high flow pump and on and on.and let my Ele. guy make sue it's working right..I think the cooling Sys. is weak in these vetts.. I just want to get in and go with no prop...Thanks for all the help.. What's another $1000..Going fast not cheep..Thanks

 

The fans have 2 speeds. Water temp above 219, or oil temp above 270, A/C head pressure above 189psi will turn the fans low speed. They will turn off after the temp has dropped about 11 deg or the head pressure drops to 150 psi. High speed will turn on at 228deg, oil temp above 277 deg, head pressure above 225 psi. The "hot coolant" light comes on at 260 I belive. Make sure there is no air in the system. There is a bleed screw in the thermostat housing. Put a rag under it and open it up till water comes out. For a normal stock cooling system 210-230 is normal.

Just because you have a 160 stat in, it will not make the car run cooler. You need to reprogram the fans to turn on lower. Also make sure they are both turning on, low and high speed. I used to run all stock cooling equipment with my 396 and it ran under 200.

 

Also there is a tube that comes off the back of the heads. I've seen it plug up at the head with crud, but not sure if it will cause problems bleeding the system of air.

 

Thanks for the info..It all worked great the outside temp went past 90%and here we go ..The fans are the old ones came with vett . The rad. new hoses stat. and soforth .. I guess under 80% even a bad sys. will work ok ..It was working good so that the heck new stuff ..Guess not. Lot's things have to come togethter for it to work right . I am going to take all the info that people were nice to give and see if I can make it work like new. People say that the stock sys. will work so I will have to check it out and make sure it's all working like it did when new..If not going biger. I had it out on the interstate last night and the dyno tune had done what a ride.. If want to haul have one tuned. Didn't help with cooling.. Ran down interstate temp about 80% outside with air on ,let's say buck two five in a heart beat ..Temp 195-200... Thanks for your help....

 

As said, always go by the digital gauge. The analogue gauge is what I use to tell me to check the digital.

You have two fans. The first one kicks on at 228* and the second at 230*.

On a hot day sitting in traffic or at idle 235* is nothing to worry about. At that point though, the fans will be going and you should it drop. The Fans will shut off at 215*

Idle the car and check if your fans are coming on at these temps.

If you're getting into the 240* range (digital) then you have some concern. (If the fans are coming on)

First, since there was recent work done on the cooling system, I would suspect air in the system. Do a search and you will find how to bleed it.

If not that, then I would suspect dirt and debris in the shroud area. Clean it out with compressed air, do not spray it with a hose!

If not that, then you may have a faulty, incorrect t-stat.

Of course that the coolant was replaced with Dex-Cool (orange coolant) and at the right mixture.