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#1
Heel & Toe
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I just purchased a 2001 C5 and it has only 46,000 miles. It has a 165 degree thermostat in a drive-thru it heat's way up. I live in Rhode Island can anybody advise me on what I should do to get it to run cooler?
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Art17 (04-26-2020)
#3
Safety Car
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How do U know it is a 165 unless U installed it or is that what previous owner told you. That is not the stock thermostat, prob was a 180 or 190 but anyway how hot does it get. U say heats way up, what is the temp number and how long does it take to heat up, 10 min 30, etc. You have two cooling fans behind radiator and one kicks on around 205 or 210 and if temp continues to rise the high speed fan kicks in around 230 or so. Don't hold me to these numbers but they are approximate. First see if the fans are coming on, look at the fan and listen and see if they are on. Also when ever the AC is on the fan comes on automatically, see if that is the case. I assume you have antifreeze in rad and it isn't low. These cars run pretty hot, mine runs about 190 unless you stop or in traffic and then the temp goes up pretty fast but never overheats. They make a mod called coolet mod that allows you to turn the rad fan on anytime with a key type fob or you can have your fans set to come on at a lower temp with someone with a tech II computer.
#4
Heel & Toe
Thread Starter
it goes up over 220 and it gets there pretty quick. i'm considering to use water wetter. I've used it before.I lived in vegas and had a 69 camaro with a 427 big block and it worked
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slothman (04-26-2020)
#8
Burning Brakes
Get a tune so that the fans kick on sooner. Mail order with ECS in Cream Ridge NJ (supporting CF vendor).
Also, get the front end up in the air and clean out the radiator. These cars are bottom feeders and suck up a lot of garbage (adding the screen underneath is a typical mod as well. Thermostat may not be operating as designed either. Unless you really know the previous owner, take nothing for granted. Simply throwing in a lower operating thermostat isn't the cure all to run cooler.
Also, get the front end up in the air and clean out the radiator. These cars are bottom feeders and suck up a lot of garbage (adding the screen underneath is a typical mod as well. Thermostat may not be operating as designed either. Unless you really know the previous owner, take nothing for granted. Simply throwing in a lower operating thermostat isn't the cure all to run cooler.
#9
Burning Brakes
clean the radiator with a air compressor. Also change the coolant. Dexcool only. if you get a diablo tuner you can manually chnage the fans as to when they kick on.
#10
Le Mans Master
Pro Mechanic
Welcome to the asylum...
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My Vette Life (05-02-2020)
#12
Le Mans Master
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Aside from that everyone has come up with the typical things to check. Will sit back and see if the OP figures it out.
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#14
Heel & Toe
Thread Starter
My car has less than 47,000 miles and the previous owner was a 60 yr old gentleman. He took very good care of it. I just got nervous when the temp gauge went up to 220. I ran water wetter in my other corvettes and in my 69 Z-28 with a 427 big block. I had no problems and I was living in Vegas at the time. I'll probably run it in this one too.
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Yeah, I hate high temps too even though the LS1 is okay with it. Fist thing you need to do is clean the radiator and then clean the radiator again. Hit the condenser while you are at it.
Unfortunately ECS stopped doing that. Worried about the EPA rampage.[/QUOTE]
[QUOTE]
I wonder if Chuck Cow stopped doing them too?
Unfortunately ECS stopped doing that. Worried about the EPA rampage.[/QUOTE]
[QUOTE]
I wonder if Chuck Cow stopped doing them too?
#16
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Welcome to the forum, Brad! You just need to run your Vette by the nearest Newport Creamery and get it a cabinet! (we have some long-time friends who live in Johnston and Providence). I appreciate your commitment by investing in a lifetime membership, and actually need to do the same myself! Keep us posted on the water wetter solution!
#17
Instructor
220 is normal Little trick which sounds goofy but it works is cut on your A/C when in long drive thru it will force the fans to come on at high speed and will coll it down.
#18
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My car has less than 47,000 miles and the previous owner was a 60 yr old gentleman. He took very good care of it. I just got nervous when the temp gauge went up to 220. I ran water wetter in my other corvettes and in my 69 Z-28 with a 427 big block. I had no problems and I was living in Vegas at the time. I'll probably run it in this one too.
Yeah I think you are all good. If you have a good tuner near by as suggested by others they can turn the fan on and off temps down and it will make a huge difference. I know I panicked the first time I saw it get up around 230 something when it was 90 degrees outside. Since then the car has been tuned a couple different times for various mods with the fans adjusted. It rarely goes over 200 anymore.
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