can anyone give me an idea on normal coolant temps. before cooling fans kick on? mine seems to go to around 220-225 before fans come on. outside temp. is 80-90deg. I got my car last nov. so this is the first summer with it. also, can anyone tell me a rough estimate on price to fix a bad wheel pressure sensor, and is this something a tire shop can handle? any help will be greatly appreciated!

 

car is a stock 2000 c5 auto. Trans.

 

I got my car back today after I left work. The shop manager did say that there is a very, small crack in the coolant holder (where you pour the coolant in) He suggested I replace that. He said they replaced the coolant and cleaned and claimed that they drove the car and the temp was going no higher than 226. They also put in a 180 thermostat. So I get in my car and drive home. I live I would say no more than 10-15 minutes from the shop. Before I even get home my temp had hit 234. When I pull in my drive way it hit 236. So I call the shop and tell the shop manager and he tells me it could be from the small crack in the coolant reservoir, that he told me about and claimed that when pressure builds up in it the temp goes up. I asked him how was the car only hitting 226 when he was test driving it, but yet it's hitting 234-236 for me. He of course repeated what he previously stated. I am at my wits end. I dont even know if they really did clean the radiator as I asked. I know they changed the coolant and put in a new 180 thermostat. Not sure if the cleaned the radiator or any other cleaning that I asked. How can I clean the radiator myself? I dont have any jacks to jack it up. As my brother has them who lives out of town. I also have no air compressor. Can I just try and get under the car and hose it down? I'm just at my wits end...with the temperature. Thanks for all of your guys help. You have been more helpful than the shop.

 

Mike,

Your temps are normal for a stock C5 Corvette. If you want to reduce the temps there are three things you should do: 1) Buy a DeWitts radiator and have it installed. 2) Buy a 160 degree thermostat from someone like Lingenfelter Performance Engineering. 3) Have a shop reset the temperature at which your cooling fans turn on and turn off - Both fans should come on at 190 degrees and go off at 185 degrees.

 

Had my car 20 years in AZ running those temps regularly. If it really bothers you do all of the above mods. But GM wouldn’t sell the car if they thought those temps were harmful.

 

Ask early C7 Z06 owners if they believe GM wouldn't sell a car with temperature problems.

 

Haha. Good point. I meant more that these temps are common among ALL c5s as opposed to only one product line of the generation and under certain extreme conditions which causes actual overheating and the computer shutting itself down.

 

There are like four threads RIGHT NOW on the front page of the C5 tech forum about coolant temperatures.

Clean. Your. Radiator. Compressed air, blown through the radiator fins, back to front.

Everything else is gilding the lily on a stock-ish street car. DeWitts radiators are awesome but you don't need one on a car with stock power. 160 degree thermostats will not be more effective than 180 degree thermostats if your temperatures are at 236F. Setting your fans to turn on earlier is only masking the issue.