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High Coolant Temps? - Reason?

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Old 06-21-2007, 11:59 AM
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yell03
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Default High Coolant Temps? - Reason?

Outside Temps are not overly high lately, maybe low 80s, yet this morning I looked and saw my coolant temp at 221 when I pulled in to the parking lot at work.

Yesterday on the way home I noticed my temps going up to 210-212 and coming down to the 190s and going back up to 210-212 in rush hour.

Is this normal?

I must admit I often downshift and let the engine rev up to 3500-4000 to hear my Borlas, maybe that is the reason.

The only mod besides the catback is my K&N intake and free cold air mod.
Possibly bending the shroud down a little to get cold air to the filter is blocking the radiator ever so slightly.

I think I am just being overly paranoid and my temps are normal.

Yesterday I had removed my hood liner, but I put it back on this morning, I don't think that makes a difference.

My 2005 automatic never goes over 214-217. but being an automatic it never revs very high, unlike me playing with the manual tranny for fun.

What kind of temps are you guys seeing?

Howard
Old 06-21-2007, 12:07 PM
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Abomination
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I do notice when I downshift that the temprature goes up a bit. The temp's were bothering me too last summer (vegas so 120's). I added a bottle of water wetter and took off the fuel rail covers. That actually helped about 10 degrees at all times. High on that success and the fact that GM gives you a coolant drain petcock, I emptied the radiator and filled it with 15% antifreeze 85% distilled water and 2 bottles of water wetter, gave me about a 15 degree average difference at all times.

I then said screw it and bought an electric water pump but again its 30-40 degrees hotter than what your talking about.
Old 06-21-2007, 12:12 PM
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not08crmanymore
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around town = high temps
Highway = 190's w/my z51 and all it's coolers.You're in the normal range,I believe.
Old 06-21-2007, 12:15 PM
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Silverspeed
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Car's are starting to run hotter and hotter for emissions purposes. It's normal.
Old 06-21-2007, 12:18 PM
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yell03
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Thanks guys.

Highway cruising is always in the 188-199 range.

Stop and go rush hour is where I see the temps creep up until I get moving.

I thought it was normal.

Howard
Old 06-21-2007, 12:23 PM
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Je zz C6
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Just started having the same problem two weeks ago on my 2005 Z51 Automatic. It jumps from low 100 to well over 200 and have even gotten "Check Coolant Level" on my DIC. Took it to the Stealership last week and was told that the cap had was a "loose cap" and that's what the problem was, so now they ordered a new cap for me, should get it this week. HOpe this fixes that problem.
Old 06-21-2007, 12:28 PM
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Wayne O
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I noticed my coolant temp was higher than normal yesterday...it was 200 and 205 at one point but it was 108 outside and my a/c was cranked. My coolant typically runs at about 195.

I'm no expert and I'm not sure what the acceptable ranges are but that may be entirely normal....fluctuating depending upon the load and driving conditions. Maybe Shopdog or another mechanical expert will confirm the normal operating range.
Old 06-21-2007, 12:33 PM
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Originally Posted by Wayne O
I noticed my coolant temp was higher than normal yesterday...it was 200 and 205 at one point but it was 108 outside and my a/c was cranked. My coolant typically runs at about 195.
Those are all about the same numbers I've gotten here in Havasu the last few years in the heat, and around town.
Old 06-21-2007, 12:51 PM
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Sounds normal to me.
Old 06-21-2007, 01:00 PM
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Pretty typical numbers.
Old 06-21-2007, 02:27 PM
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072LTC6Z51
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Sounds totally normal.. Driving today windows up, air on, in 88 degree temp. Stop & go traffic in town I saw 221*. As soon as I started moving along at a good pace went down to 194*. I used to worry about that & my oil pressure but my car runs great & now I don't stress it anymore.
Old 06-21-2007, 02:52 PM
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I feel much better, thanks all.

Howard
Old 06-21-2007, 03:23 PM
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Patman
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The factory fan settings on these cars are way too high, even if you keep the stock thermostat you can keep your coolant temp below 205 pretty much all the time if you get the car tuned and have the fan settings adjusted lower.
Old 06-21-2007, 05:00 PM
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Larry B.
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With the AC off the cooling fans don't come on until around 220 deg.F
With the AC on, one fan is on all of the time. Your car will actually run cooler with the AC on if you are in slow traffic. Mine never goes above 205 and that's in 95 + weather in stop and go traffic.
Old 06-21-2007, 05:19 PM
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Originally Posted by Silverspeed
Car's are starting to run hotter and hotter for emissions purposes. It's normal.
Old 06-21-2007, 05:22 PM
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rwebcon
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Well in Arizona I run in the low 200's. Normal to me!!!!!
Old 06-21-2007, 05:26 PM
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The C4s and newer Corvettes are designed to run at a higher temperature. As I understand, it helps with emissions and with keeping your synthetic oil cleaner.

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To High Coolant Temps? - Reason?

Old 06-21-2007, 05:27 PM
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6 speed Sid
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Mine runs about where your's runs, so all seems ok. I have a problem in seeing those high numbers, but they seem to be normal.
Old 06-21-2007, 05:52 PM
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shopdog
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Originally Posted by Larry B.
With the AC off the cooling fans don't come on until around 220 deg.F
With the AC on, one fan is on all of the time. Your car will actually run cooler with the AC on if you are in slow traffic. Mine never goes above 205 and that's in 95 + weather in stop and go traffic.
There is only one fan. It is a variable speed fan. It comes on at low speed at 192 F (or on at low speed any time the A/C is on) and reaches full speed by 230 F. This can be adjusted by tuning. You can change it so it is at full speed at 192 F. If you do this with the stock thermostat, you should see a stable 196 F water temperature in stop and go traffic.

I have my fan programmed for full on at 192 F, and in 93 degree stop and go traffic in Atlanta, I see a steady 196 F water temperature. This means the radiator is getting sufficient airflow so that the thermostat can properly do its job of tightly regulating coolant temperature. A car with stock fan settings won't show stable water temperatures under these conditions because the fan won't be running hard enough to provide enough cooling air, and the engine temperature will only drop into the control range of the thermostat at highway speeds.
Old 06-21-2007, 09:14 PM
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yell03
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I was out in rush hour today on the way home, temps were around 85.
Top was down, ac was obviously not on.

Coolant temps were typically around 194-199, sometimes after sitting at a light it would go as high as 207.

The highest I saw was maybe 212.

I can deal with it, it is normal.

Thanks for all the great info, I soak all this stuff up.
You never know when it will come in handy.

Howard


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