2013 Grandsport stuck in slow traffic yesterday for about a half hour and noticed water temp pushing 225 degrees. Is this normal??? Noticed car is usually around 205 as this is my first vette not really used to seeing those kind of temps just curious about it. See on alot of threads guys using 160 degree stat. Pros/ Cons to changing out factory stat. Car only has about 600 miles on it. No Mods.

 

Perfectly fine man. DON'T mess with the thermostat. The fan kicks in at full blast (actually 90% duty cycle) until 235º... and that is pretty much the case with EVERY car out there. The only difference is the ultra great majority of cars have a BUFFERED coolant temperature gauge, meaning the needle doesn't move from 190º to 235º, because it's considered normal temperatures. On the Vette you can see precisely what the temperature is, and people not familiar with that freak out and think they have a problem. Engine is designed to operate at those temperatures, and so is the fuel system. Start messing with the stat and your engine would be running too rich and too cold in winters and cool mornings. Mess with the fan, and you can burn it. Leave the thing alone . Hope this helps.

 

Hmmmmmm.....

I have a 160 T Stat & haven't encountered ANY of the above problims... I also have a 2600 stall converter, CAI, Kooks Headers, etc..

My car runs at 196 in HOT weather in TRAFFIC.... on the highway at 60 - 70 mph it runs at 175 - 180 I get HEAT in the winter in 5 min... My fans were also reprogrammed to go on sooner.. & I have run my BEST 1/4 mile time with the engine temp at 150 deg...

I also have a "Casper" switch that allows me to run the fan with the engine OFF on HI or LOW speed to cool it at the track..

And in 80+ deg weather around town (stop & go traffic) if I use the manual (Casper) fan switch the car will run at 180 - 190 !

The 160 is one of the best mods I've done,,, although it helps all the other mods because my car runs its best time at 150 - 170 deg !

I just checked an ELP JC has a lot of mods to his car, BUT they all are for "LOOKS ONLY" no "PERFORMANCE" mods... and that is "FINE" with me, I don't have any "Bling" mods to my car so each owner should do what he/she prefers best..

I think you should sit tight for a few days/weeks and SEE what some of the other posters say.. be sure you see if they are into "Performance" or "Bling" ...

Nothing wrong with Bling if thats what you like .. then ask some to post photos of their cars.. if its "performance you want check with guys who have done performance mods...

 

Our 2006 and now 2009 run 195 on the highway, 210-225 in traffic. Perfectly normal.

A 160 thermostat will only make the engine run cooler when it doesn't need to- during warmup, or on the highway. If you reprogram the fan, then you can get it running cooler some other times, but for most of us the problems are not worth the slight gains.

A dedicated drag racer like jpee has a different set of goals and needs from ordinary folks like me.

 

That's because I don't pretend to know better than the team of engineers who designed the car . Furthermore, because I decided not to make questionable 'mods' doesn't mean I don't know anything about them. I'm not against mods, but EVERYTHING on the engine is designed as a system, and just changing the thermostat or other stuff like that means it's good for the car. Adding better cooling (not just cranking up the duty cycle on the stock fan, which might burn it) might not be bad, but changing the thermostat is. Finally, I'm being simply smart not to risk my warranty with questionable 'performance' mods. But to each his own. People can do to their cars whatever they want. Unfortunately, many are not fully aware of the risks, both to the warranty and the engine. Peace out.

 

Sadly yes it is normal - and if you have an auto it is cooking your tranny fluid too. I highly suggest a 160 t-stat with new fans temps but the second requires a tuning adjustment. I dropped my coolant and tranny temps by 20 degrees with this in warmer climates it is highly recommended

 

Sounds normal. Don't worry about it.

 

Normal operation. I drive in heavy traffic and the temp gauge is between 210 to 220

 

Our 2009 is stock, I changed the A6 fluid at about 50k miles and sent a sample to Blackstone Labs. They said both the fluid and the transmission itself were in excellent condition, recommended I go much longer before the next change.

I also send a sample of the used engine oil to Blackstone after each change, never any indication of problems from heat.

The car is a daily driver, but sometimes I run it HARD on the back roads.

Based on how other members on this Forum are doing; if you leave the thermostat and fan settings stock, your engine will probably be worn out after only 300,000 miles.

 

Normal temps

 

I notice my '13 is running 190 at highway speeds. The '06 would go 192-194 in the same conditions. Haven't seen the new one above 192 yet, but the weather has been cool. I used a Diablo to increase fan % on the '06, and it worked well in the hot weather. I think the highest temp I ever saw was 202-204 in stop and go. Once underway, it dropped to 192 quickly. I think the 160 is too low when you consider cold weather driving. And even the 180 is meaningless as outside temps rise as the coolant temp is going to rise with it whether the stat opens at 160 or 190. Keeps it cooler a little longer, I guess, but not worth the tradeoffs in cold weather. But, to each his own.

 

Installing a lower temp thermostat is crazy IMO. Engine, oil, tune, etc., is designed to run at a minimum operating temperature of 190º, winter or summer. Also altering the tune not only voids engine warranty, but it's also bad news IMO. If you want engine to run cooler in summer, simply turn the A/C on and call it a day. The ECU will run the fan as much as possible without burning it. But to each his own.

 

Why run the AC when you can buy a "Casper" switch that will turn the fan on anytime you want either HI or Lo speed... I personally only use it at the race track.. but on several occasions I was in heavy traffic.. and just turned on the fan and it ran 185 deg...

My reason for using a 160 T Stat is "CONSISTENCY" at the drag strip..

Last yr I won a little over $4000 that alone "seems" to be reason enough for "ME" to use a 160.. I'm NOT speaking for any other Vette owners who either use or DON'T use a 160 T Stat...

This yr I've been to 4 races 1 WIN...1 RU both paid nice $$ and lost early in the other 2....no one is perfect LOL

 

Well, if you're using your car for drag racing, then it might make sense along with an intake that keeps the air charge cool like Vararam, etc. However, for the street or even the road course, I agree with others that 160 degree thermostat does not make sense at all.

 

^^^I also run a 160 stat, my car will idle all day at 181. down the highway 158 in the winter and the oil temp still reaches 205 and trans 165. summer like 90 today 170s water going down the road and trans 165 and 205 oil, i have a cartek fan module it has the fans come on full at 181, the car is an 05 and has never had a problem with the fan or connection. i drag race and get my best times on hot laps, not go slower on hot laps, my 5th hot lap is faster because the rear and trans and oil temps get hotter, if i didnt have the cooling it would heat soak and go slower on the 2nd pass, the reason gm runs hot is for emissions and better gas mileage to avoid the gas guzzlers tax

 

Unfortunately nearly everything you posted is patently wrong

My car runs 170-185 with a 160 tstat depending on outside temp. There was no change in fuel economy or anything else with this mod. Altering the tune is bad news only if you don't know how to properly tune or have a moron for a tuner. Turning the A/C on doesn't help a whole lot when your coolant temps are already high even with the fan running.

You need the t-stat opening sooner and the fans coming on earlier to keep coolant temps down and detonation or timing retard completely under check in warmer weather. Having tuned about 600 cars I can speak quite clearly to benefits of a lower t-stat in warmer climates (or for racers anywhere) in LSx powered vehicles.

GM runs coolant temps warmer to help with emissions and nothing else. Gas mileage is unaffected in any car I have ever seen and the benefits are better performance, cooler tranny temps (for auto cars), and less detonation in warmer ambient temps.

 

i find turning the air on makes my cars temp get hotter