I was just wondering if I could get some ideas as to what is causing my overheating. Just changed my thermostat. And in regular driving it runs in the 189 range but in traffic it goes to 230 and sitting there I can watch the temp drop to 217 within 15 seconds then as I start driving it heads back up to 230.I checked and the Fans are working properly! Any help would be appreciated.

 

What thermostat did you put in when you changed, the stock one? In stop and go traffic those temps are not really that high. Also when you say 217 and 230, do you mean oil temp or coolant? First thing I would do is check your radiator (it's behind the ac condensor, most mistake the ac codensor for the radiator) A lot of times things will get stuck up in there, leafes, sticks, road debri etc.. since the car rides so low to begin with. Again, sitting in traffic 230 is not that bad , also depends on what ambient temp is as well, this has a big impact.

Also could be due to air in the line as well like schmaltzr pointed out.

 

I'm no mechanic, but I've heard that sometimes if you don't get all the air out of the block, it will cause it to overheat. There are proper coolant bleeding procedures to eliminate these air bubbles. I had this kind of a problem with a Toyota. Was the thermostat defective, or did you change it because you thought it would help the overheating? If you were having overheating before you changed the thermostat, then I would suspect a bubble. My 'vette goes to 220 in traffic all the time, then when the fan kicks on, it goes down to about 200. This is common. These engines run on the hot side and from what I know it isn't anything to be concerned about. One investment I always make when I buy a new car is the official GM Mechanics manual. They vary in price based on which vehicle you buy it for and range from about $150 t- $250. They are easy enough to read, and there is a flow chart of diagnostic analysis that is easy to follow for each kind of problem. They also include torque settings, proper maintenance operations and a treasure of other information. Before I take my 'vette in for a procedure to be done, I look it up in the manual, so I can ask the service rep the appropriate questions and also kniow when is is full of **** and is trying to pull a fast one on me. It has saved me thousands in unnecessary fixes and on some occasions actually assisted the mechanic in getting the car fixed faster.

 

the ambient temp was @ 96 degrees and has been around this temp for at least a month and a half! I used the GM Thermostat . And I am talking about coolant temp!

 

mine did that so I used compress air to blow out radiator fins and AC fins. Then it was fine. make sure u use glasses as alot stuff will come out if u never have cleaned it before.

 

I don't think 230 is really that high. I normally ride at 195 on highway, 200 city, and 215-220 traffic. Whats 10 degrees .