BROCKYJACK

The week before last we were cruising neighborhoods looking at Xmas lights and my 2011GS with 38k on the clock started overheating. Temps came up to 210 and I smelled coolant. Got on the road and she cooled down. So it would run in the normal range of 193-194 but come up to 01-205 at a light, then cool down to normal temp in .3 miles or so. In the garage at 205 the fan was not coming on. I took it to my dealership and before you say anything, the owner is a personal friend and my step son is my service writer and a former mechanic. They take care of me. Pressure test showed a leaking water pump. So it got a new pump, belts and coolant at a very fair price. That was last Tuesday. So I head home on my 66 mile commute and it is doing the same thing only now the low temp is 196, occasionally drops to 194 but runs mostly at 196. Still hot, 201-205 at lights then cools down to 196 when moving. Brought it back this morning and just picked it up. Everything spec'd out fine according to them and the fan is coming on when it should. The connections are all good, no trash in front of radiator etc. They cannot explain what it is doing now vs before. The new water pumps come with a new stat installed as the housing is different and the old ones don't fit. Suggested that maybe the old stat was not working right or that the temp sensor which was retained is now working more accurately after cleaning but they are not sure other than to say that all is within spec. The dic readout is so much more accurate than the gauge which shows very little movement during these fluctuations. I checked temps with the dic before or viewed it while passing by but never kept it there to observe it continuously like I have been doing this past week. Just curious as to how the temps run in other cars with factory stats in them.

BadAV

Your running and idling in traffic temps are perfectly normal. My 12 GS is currently running between 195* and 200*. I'm not sure what the OEM thermostat is on the Vette but it was 195* on my 2002 Avalanche. Our 08 Enclave ran 205* in normal traffic.

Huskerman

My GS will get up warmer than that sitting in line at a fast food joint....if I have the air conditioning on it will stay down due to the fans running all the time. Fan will kick in somewhere over 210 degrees when AC off but cools right down when it hits the highway again.....that's normal operating ranges for the C6......

EVRose

201-205 at a light is not overheating. If mine goes over 220 I would start to worry.

Don-Vette

Zero_6

That's normal. For the smell, change the cabin air filter perhaps.

BROCKYJACK

Do that regularly. The smell was only there initially when the pump started to leak. No more coolant smell now with new water pump.

gradywhite931127

Hey man, I actually do not own a C6, but own an 87 C4. I believe most vettes normally run around 185-195 while moving and in traffic will go up to 196+ depending how long you're sitting in traffic. My fan comes on when the temperature hits 226, and this will only happen if the car is sitting at idle for a very long time. At what temperature is the fan supposed to kick on in a C6?

unixcorn

While it all sounds normal, I might check the suction hose coming from the radiator if they didn't replace it. I have seen the spring that keeps the hose from collapsing rust away and suction from the water pump collapse the hose and limit water flow from the radiator.
I don't think you have that problem since you would be overheating under load but what the heck, nobody mentioned it.

WW7

These cars run cool compared to the C4 Corvettes...With C4s the fan doesn't come on until 228 degrees and goes off at 213 degrees.....WW

BROCKYJACK

Thanks for the responses. I was a little worried that I had some issue but it sounds like my temp fluctuations are within normal ranges for a C6/LS3.

VET4LES

Sounds normal to me.

NY09C6

In hot weather you can sometimes see just over 220 stopped in traffic.

Hameister

Mike, my 2 cents for what ever it's worth. I agree with the others.

2013 GS LS3 stock...
Here in Florida, in the summer, (96*), when stopped in traffic for as little as 5 minutes, DIC shows around 208*, 10 minutes or more, I'm seeing 214*.
Normal cruising 45mph+, I'll see 198*, with oil temp. at 170*.

This time of year, with ambient temps in the mid 70s, the range runs from 194* to 206*, and oil temp 160*, to 170*.

Your numbers sound normal to me.

BROCKYJACK

Thanks Hameister. How does your oil temp run so cool? Mine is a 2011GS A6, also in Fl and my normal oil temps are in the 210-220 range. From other posts I have read in the past that seems normal.

RichKiss

I was told by a wise man that newer cars have higher running temperatures because it burns off more emissions. My 11 Yukon operates at 210.

WW7

He must have a giant oil cooler to have temps that cool..Mine are the same as yours, today mine ran about 207 to 210 degrees at cruising speed...WW

Hameister

I cannot speak for other model years, or configurations.

Mine is a 2013 GS M6 completely stock. It has a large oil cooler just behind the grill.

If I lived further North and drove in temps. down around 40*, I'd probably need to put a piece of cardboard, or something, in front of the cooler, because the oil temp would be too cool.
When the temps drop to 50* here in January, and I'm cruising at 45mph, I'm lucky if the oil temp hits 155*, and that's really a little too cool.

However, realistically, I have to believe the GM engineers knew what they're doing when they designed this machine.

Jaime-Corvette

I think thats absoluelty normal. Mine does the exact same thing just the way you explained it. The only time you should shut it down and not turn it back on is if it hits 250° f. That may mean a butt load of problems. But im not too sure about the coolant smell. Mine is ls3 with 47k on the clock. Don't even get me started with the reverse cooling system on my c4 lt1 -_- i call it little red vacuum car now

Jaime-Corvette

Here in ca i drive to work every morning at 4 o'clock. Temps only as low as high 20s low 30s. I let car warm up from 45°f coolant temp up to 90-100°f temp. Only takes about 2 minutes.

A drive to work takes 10 minutes and by the time i park my car in my 'corvette parking only' spot... the car is at 196-201°f. I haven't really checked oil temp but im sure it might be normal.