thermostat
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 251
Likes: 1
From: Pensacola Florida
thermostat
getting ready to flush the coolant system and was wondering if I can drop my t-stat down to a 160 degree . was not sure if the computer would read everything ok or will it throw anything off. Thanks for any help giving.
Richard
Richard
Race Director
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 10,554
Likes: 33
From: Not on either liberal coast.
This gets asked often. You might try a search or search this forum in C5 Tech (in the red banner).
Use keywords "change thermostat" or "lowering temperature" or similar. It usually gets hotly debated whether it's worth the effort on a street car.
The computer will make some adjustments (within parameters) to the fuel trim and timing.
There are some caveats in doing this modification in terms of possibly not burning off condensation in the oil, more frequent oil changes, engine wear, heater temperatures.
The general consensus is that you also need to change the fan on/off settings to see full benefit of a thermostat change. That can be done by a "pro" tuner or some hand held products.
Use keywords "change thermostat" or "lowering temperature" or similar. It usually gets hotly debated whether it's worth the effort on a street car.
The computer will make some adjustments (within parameters) to the fuel trim and timing.
There are some caveats in doing this modification in terms of possibly not burning off condensation in the oil, more frequent oil changes, engine wear, heater temperatures.
The general consensus is that you also need to change the fan on/off settings to see full benefit of a thermostat change. That can be done by a "pro" tuner or some hand held products.
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 251
Likes: 1
From: Pensacola Florida
I live in Florida and it runs a little warm in the summer so I thought if I could get the temp down just a bit it might help some. When sitting at a light or having to sit still for any time at all the temp just gets a little higher than I like it to be.I just wanted to try and keep it down just a little . Thanks for the replay and I will search the spots you wrote down.
Richard
Richard
Race Director
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 10,554
Likes: 33
From: Not on either liberal coast.
It's normal that the temperatures will rise slightly when sitting still. As long as they go down when moving again, everything is working as engineered. I'm in AZ and the same happens to mine. At highway speed, the temperatures are stable.
Make sure there's nothing blocking the radiator/condenser. These are bottom breathers and suck up all kinds of stuff...plastic bags, leaves, bugs, paper, sand. That stuff reduces the cooling abilities. Make it a routine to check regularly for debris. You can also install a screen to reduce the big stuff from getting up there.
Using keywords "radiator fans temperature" on corvetteforum in C5 Tech, I found lots to read. There's plenty more to research with those same keywords.
Quote:
"The low speed cooling fan is commanded on when the coolant temperature reaches 108°C (226°F). It is turned off if the coolant temperature lowers to 104°C (219°F). The high speed cooling fan is commanded on when the coolant temperature reaches 113°C (235°F). It is turned off if the coolant temperature lowers to 108°C (226°F). When the A/C is on and the coolant temperature reaches 85°C (185°F), the low speed cooling fan will be turned on at vehicle speeds less than 56 kPh (35 mph)."
Make sure there's nothing blocking the radiator/condenser. These are bottom breathers and suck up all kinds of stuff...plastic bags, leaves, bugs, paper, sand. That stuff reduces the cooling abilities. Make it a routine to check regularly for debris. You can also install a screen to reduce the big stuff from getting up there.
Using keywords "radiator fans temperature" on corvetteforum in C5 Tech, I found lots to read. There's plenty more to research with those same keywords.
Quote:
"The low speed cooling fan is commanded on when the coolant temperature reaches 108°C (226°F). It is turned off if the coolant temperature lowers to 104°C (219°F). The high speed cooling fan is commanded on when the coolant temperature reaches 113°C (235°F). It is turned off if the coolant temperature lowers to 108°C (226°F). When the A/C is on and the coolant temperature reaches 85°C (185°F), the low speed cooling fan will be turned on at vehicle speeds less than 56 kPh (35 mph)."
Last edited by hotwheels57; Jul 19, 2009 at 11:09 AM.
Drifting
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 1,722
Likes: 138
From: Florida
St. Jude Donor '09
getting ready to flush the coolant system and was wondering if I can drop my t-stat down to a 160 degree . was not sure if the computer would read everything ok or will it throw anything off. Thanks for any help giving.
If your want to lower your summer operating temeperature at low speeds (< 30 MPH), you will have to adjust the operating range on your fans.
If you want to lower the operating temperature while the engine is under heavy loads, you will have to install a radiator with more cooling capacity.
Last edited by ipuig; Jul 19, 2009 at 02:16 PM.
Race Director
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 11,152
Likes: 890
From: South Western Ontario
The thermostat won't help on stop and go driving. 160 degrees is too cold for a street driven LS1 anyways. You might want to consider installing a new 190 degree thermostat if you're worried about the old one failing.
Peter
Peter
