Coolent Temp Question
Thread Starter
Heel & Toe
Joined: Jun 2014
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From: South Plainfield N.J.
Coolent Temp Question
My coolant temp question pertains to my 2004 LT1. The temp gauge and the read out from the info center indicates that under normal or highway driving or with frequent traffic light and stop street intersections the temp stays around 195 degrees no matter what the ambient temperature is. However, when in heavy stop and go traffic for more then a few minutes the temp will climb up to and even a bit above 230 degrees. As soon as I'm able to drive normally the temp goes right back down to 195. I've only had this vehicle for three weeks and I had the dealer flush and replace the coolant as part of the purchase and the level seems to be just a little above the full mark on the tank when I check it after sitting over night. Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.
Thread Starter
Heel & Toe
Joined: Jun 2014
Posts: 20
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From: South Plainfield N.J.
Thanks for the info
QUOTE 8VETTE7 Pretty normal temps for a C5 in traffic. Cooling fans on the car do not come on until 226 degrees and then they are in low speed mode. If temp gets to 235 the fans will go into high speed mode. In low speed mode the fans go off if:
1) the coolant temp drops to 219
2) vehicle speed exceeds 35mph.
In high speed mode the fans revert to low speed mode when the coolant temp drops to 226.
You can force the fans on in low speed mode by turning on the AC at any temp above 185. However, the fans DO NOT operate if the vehicle is moving above 35MPH.
If you want to see if the radiator fins are clean, you can get the front end of the car off the ground and look up into the pocket where the AC condenser and radiator are located. These cars are bottom breathers so they tend to suck up anything on the road.
Based on a moving temp as low as yours, I suspect the radiator fins are NOT blocked.
If the car is stock, then the engine is an LS1 and not an LT1..........[/QUOTE]
Your right about the LT1 designation I guess I went brain dead as I was typing. The information you provided saved me from having to ask several more questions, I appreciate it. What are your thoughts on some of the coolant additive additives that supposedly reduce your engines coolant temp?
1) the coolant temp drops to 219
2) vehicle speed exceeds 35mph.
In high speed mode the fans revert to low speed mode when the coolant temp drops to 226.
You can force the fans on in low speed mode by turning on the AC at any temp above 185. However, the fans DO NOT operate if the vehicle is moving above 35MPH.
If you want to see if the radiator fins are clean, you can get the front end of the car off the ground and look up into the pocket where the AC condenser and radiator are located. These cars are bottom breathers so they tend to suck up anything on the road.
Based on a moving temp as low as yours, I suspect the radiator fins are NOT blocked.
If the car is stock, then the engine is an LS1 and not an LT1..........[/QUOTE]
Your right about the LT1 designation I guess I went brain dead as I was typing. The information you provided saved me from having to ask several more questions, I appreciate it. What are your thoughts on some of the coolant additive additives that supposedly reduce your engines coolant temp?
Thread Starter
Heel & Toe
Joined: Jun 2014
Posts: 20
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From: South Plainfield N.J.
QUOTE William Mine is the same and I also swapped out the fluid. At least I got rid of that pink stuff from GM.
Just the way the car is designed to operate from my research.
Bill[/QUOTE]
Thanks Bill. It sounds like you have issues with GM coolant, would you care to share your thoughts? Being a newbie to Corvette's I'm ready to learn as much as I can about these things.
Just the way the car is designed to operate from my research.
Bill[/QUOTE]
Thanks Bill. It sounds like you have issues with GM coolant, would you care to share your thoughts? Being a newbie to Corvette's I'm ready to learn as much as I can about these things.
Team Owner
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 22,198
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From: Kannapolis NC
My 2004 was doing the same with the a/c on. It should not. The a/c should force the fans on low speed around 185 under 35mph. I had a 30a fuse blown under the hood in the fuse box. There's one for each fan, large green fuses. Now that I replaced the fuse, the temp rarely goes over 200 with the a/c on. I let it sit at idle for about 15 minutes and it did get to 218 on a hot day. Minimum, check those two fuses. Also minimum, do what 8vette7 said and check the space between the radiator and a/c condenser. Almost daily, someone posts a temp issue that turns out to be clogged cooling fins.
Thread Starter
Heel & Toe
Joined: Jun 2014
Posts: 20
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From: South Plainfield N.J.
QUOTE65GGvert My 2004 was doing the same with the a/c on. It should not. The a/c should force the fans on low speed around 185 under 35mph. I had a 30a fuse blown under the hood in the fuse box. There's one for each fan, large green fuses. Now that I replaced the fuse, the temp rarely goes over 200 with the a/c on. I let it sit at idle for about 15 minutes and it did get to 218 on a hot day. Minimum, check those two fuses. Also minimum, do what 8vette7 said and check the space between the radiator and a/c condenser. Almost daily, someone posts a temp issue that turns out to be clogged cooling fins
Good stuff. The numbers I talked about where not with the A/C on, in fact I was under the impression that having the A/C on would only make matters worse. Thanks for enlightening me.
Good stuff. The numbers I talked about where not with the A/C on, in fact I was under the impression that having the A/C on would only make matters worse. Thanks for enlightening me.
Thread Starter
Heel & Toe
Joined: Jun 2014
Posts: 20
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From: South Plainfield N.J.
[QUOTE=8VETTE7;1587422414] Your right about the LT1 designation I guess I went brain dead as I was typing. The information you provided saved me from having to ask several more questions, I appreciate it. What are your thoughts on some of the coolant additive additives that supposedly reduce your engines coolant temp?
My experience is that the additives do very little to reduce coolant temps when you run a 50/50 mix of water and coolant. I personally don't waste the money and I live in a part of the country with 105+ temps for daytime highs in the summer.
If the temps you are seeing are with the AC running at stoplights and in traffic, I agree with 65GGvert that you need to look at your cooling fan fuses. There are 3 and they are in the engine compartment fuse box. #14, 46 and 49.
Thanks again. I kind of figured that stuff was best used in straight water application so I'm glad I chose to ask before I bought. I definitely plan on checking the fuses even though my condition seems to be normal operating temp. It pays to be safe rather then sorry.
Your right about the LT1 designation I guess I went brain dead as I was typing. The information you provided saved me from having to ask several more questions, I appreciate it. What are your thoughts on some of the coolant additive additives that supposedly reduce your engines coolant temp?My experience is that the additives do very little to reduce coolant temps when you run a 50/50 mix of water and coolant. I personally don't waste the money and I live in a part of the country with 105+ temps for daytime highs in the summer.
If the temps you are seeing are with the AC running at stoplights and in traffic, I agree with 65GGvert that you need to look at your cooling fan fuses. There are 3 and they are in the engine compartment fuse box. #14, 46 and 49.
Thanks again. I kind of figured that stuff was best used in straight water application so I'm glad I chose to ask before I bought. I definitely plan on checking the fuses even though my condition seems to be normal operating temp. It pays to be safe rather then sorry.
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Instructor
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True enough - as I recall, water has more than double the cooling ability of antifreeze. The more water in the mix, the more heat can be exchanged. Racers we sponsor run 100% water and Redline Water Wetter or a similar additive, plus soluble oil for the water pump etc. Aluminum is another issue, however, as cathodic (and other) corrosion will allow plain water to "eat" aluminum like crazy. That said, it doesn't take much antifreeze to protect aluminum - as the man said, Water Wetter or 20-30% antifreeze should be plenty. 50/50 is for freeze protection, not optimum cooling. Try running 100% antifreeze and see what happens :-)
Instructor
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But I also am wondering about the behavior of fans with and w/o AC. As you described, I see my "new" C5 running fairly cool with the AC on in traffic, with both fans running at as little as 187.
HOWEVER, how does it make sense that shutting off the AC turns off both fans at any temp - and the engine sits there and cooks up to 225 (in mine) with no AC (and presumably, less heat load).
I just tried a new Jet Programmer that purports to allow changes to the fan behavior. It has 3 settings: 160 thermostat, 180, and 195, with different fan settings for each (they say).
However, in practice all 3 settings are the same: both fans kick on at 195 with the AC ON. Turn AC off, and both fans also go off, and the temps climb just like stock.
Has to be a better way.
PS: BTW, Jet says this is not normal, and I am to return my programmer for warranty look-see.
HOWEVER, how does it make sense that shutting off the AC turns off both fans at any temp - and the engine sits there and cooks up to 225 (in mine) with no AC (and presumably, less heat load).
I just tried a new Jet Programmer that purports to allow changes to the fan behavior. It has 3 settings: 160 thermostat, 180, and 195, with different fan settings for each (they say).
However, in practice all 3 settings are the same: both fans kick on at 195 with the AC ON. Turn AC off, and both fans also go off, and the temps climb just like stock.
Has to be a better way.
PS: BTW, Jet says this is not normal, and I am to return my programmer for warranty look-see.
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From: Dear Karma, I have a list of people you missed.
St. Jude Donor '08-'09-'10-'11-'12-'13-'14-'15-'16
Precisely what I do as well. My mix is close to that; I run a 65/35 mix with a bottle of Water Wetter.