Coolant temps going up?
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 922
Likes: 0
From: Dallas TX
Coolant temps going up?
my 02 Zo6 runs fine when i drive but when i sit in traffic for a few minutes the coolant temp goes up. The lighest i let it go up too was just over the 220 mark, then i shut it down or il start driving and it goes down again. The car is stock. Anybody experienced something like this? And i checked the reservoir and i filled it up with coolant.
Instructor
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 118
Likes: 0
From: Raleigh NC
Take a look up under and into your radiator. They may be junk and road clagg stuck up there. Pull any out. Then take a high pressure air hose with a long thin wand and blow all and any remainind sand and junk out.
this is a common cause of elevated engine temps
Good luck
this is a common cause of elevated engine temps
Good luck
Le Mans Master
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 5,561
Likes: 448
From: Atlanta metro Ga.
Your temps are completely in line w/ the stock t-stat and fan programming.. Shutting down the car is un-necessary.
You have a few things you can do to "fix" this..
Swap your stock 192 degree stat w/ a 160 - 170.
Modify the fan programming to turn the fans on sooner. This will require HPTuners or LS1Edit.
Alternatively, you could purchase an external fan controller. 
You have a few things you can do to "fix" this..
Swap your stock 192 degree stat w/ a 160 - 170.
Modify the fan programming to turn the fans on sooner. This will require HPTuners or LS1Edit.
Alternatively, you could purchase an external fan controller.
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 922
Likes: 0
From: Dallas TX
Originally Posted by Dan_the_C5_Man
Your temps are completely in line w/ the stock t-stat and fan programming.. Shutting down the car is un-necessary.
You have a few things you can do to "fix" this..
Swap your stock 192 degree stat w/ a 160 - 170.
Modify the fan programming to turn the fans on sooner. This will require HPTuners or LS1Edit. Alternatively, you could purchase an external fan controller.
You have a few things you can do to "fix" this..
Swap your stock 192 degree stat w/ a 160 - 170.
Modify the fan programming to turn the fans on sooner. This will require HPTuners or LS1Edit.
Alternatively, you could purchase an external fan controller.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 5,561
Likes: 448
From: Atlanta metro Ga.
Originally Posted by F1_SS
Is just doesnt make me feel right to see the temps go from 190 (sometimes when driving they are at the notch right below 190) to over 220 with idling. the car is bone stock. Ill try it today and see how hight the coolant temp get up to.
Most people go w/ a lower t-stat, and fan reprogramming, but you could just do the fans and get most of the benefit.
The fact that the temps drop to 190 while cruzing verifies your cooling system is fine.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 6,147
Likes: 32
From: Dallas TX
get a 160 degree thermostat and have your fans turn on sooner through ls1 edit and it will fix that
my car used to do that
now with the vararam, water pump, and 160tstat 190 is about as high as it gets; around 170 cruising
my car used to do that
now with the vararam, water pump, and 160tstat 190 is about as high as it gets; around 170 cruising
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 2,743
Likes: 3
From: Davie Florida
Originally Posted by Dan_the_C5_Man
Trust me, that's GM's "design".
Most people go w/ a lower t-stat, and fan reprogramming, but you could just do the fans and get most of the benefit.
The fact that the temps drop to 190 while cruzing verifies your cooling system is fine.
Most people go w/ a lower t-stat, and fan reprogramming, but you could just do the fans and get most of the benefit.
The fact that the temps drop to 190 while cruzing verifies your cooling system is fine.
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Corvette Engines RANKED by Peak Torque (70+ Years of Muscle!)
Joe Kucinski
Corvette ZR1X Will Be Pacing the Indy 500, And Could Probably Race, Too!
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Corvettes Coming to Mecum Indy 2026!
Brett Foote
Top 10 C9 Corvette MUST-HAVES to Fix These C8 Generation Flaws!
Michael S. Palmer
10 Revolutionary 'Corvette Firsts' Most People Don't Know
Joe Kucinski
5 Reasons to Upgrade to an LS6-Powered Corvette; 5 Reasons to Stay LT2
Michael S. Palmer
2027 Corvette vs The World: Every C8 vs Its Closest Competitor
Joe Kucinski
10 Most Common Corvette Problems of the Last 20 Years!
Joe Kucinski
Race Director
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 14,542
Likes: 5
Originally Posted by F1_SS
my 02 Zo6 runs fine when i drive but when i sit in traffic for a few minutes the coolant temp goes up. The lighest i let it go up too was just over the 220 mark, then i shut it down or il start driving and it goes down again...
That's why GM calibrated it the way they did -- the car's fine -- your mind is not, why in the world would you pull over at 220?
Because of a rash of these Chicken Little posts lately, I paid real close attention to my water/oil temps today.
At 68 degrees ambient, my water temps were around 195 (hey, I have the stock 190 thermostat), while my oil temperatures climbed into the 210 range (as I was getting into stop and go traffic). That never went higher than 225, which was nice, since that means any condensation and water boiled off. The coolant stayed at 215.
All's well.
Last edited by EHS; Apr 6, 2005 at 12:48 AM.
Heel & Toe
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 17
Likes: 0
210-230 is normal operating temp for your car, your cooling fans come on at about 228 and off at 210. these temps will not hurt anything so no reason to shut it off or get worried. the factory designed temps are good for emission bad for HP. for best HP you want to be 170-180 range. With all that said 220 bugs me too, so my first mod after buying mine was a 160 thermostat and reprogaming the fans. i did mine almost 4 years ago and just orderd a hypertech programer & thermo.. wasn't alot of other options known to me at that time. the hypertech worked fine my temp never goes over 190 in traffic and mostly stays around 175. an edit tune would be best after you change the thermo but if you plan to go that route might want to go ahead and do your first round of mods air filter,plugs,wires,thermo,exhaust or whatever you have in mind before your appointment with the tuner.