I just got my camaro 97 z28 auto, if im cruising it go around 180 or if i get on highway it get more cooler, then if im let it idle or stuck in traffic it go up to 210 or 215 !!!!.

 

nope, just check your coolant. The temps will rise when your at idle since your not moving and no air is cooling the motor, but make sure your fans kick on.

 

my coolant is little below the hot mark, but over the cool mark, what kind of coolant i can use, I HATE DEXCOOL, heard so much **** about dexcool.

 

210 is fine

 

Cool mark...hot mark....what?

There are no marks. Take the radiator cap off to check to see if your coolant is topped off. That over flow reservoir is meaningless to your cooling system.

Dexcool is designed and is perfect for your car.

You ARE running too hot when idling, it should NOT get that hot just by coming to a stop. You most likely have a fan problem. Maybe they are BOTH not working and only one is. Also, if they are like the LS1 systems, they must work on both low and high settings together.

Check them out.

 

210 is NOT too hot. Most cars run around there. I'm surprised the dude's car goes below 180. In fact, I'd sooner call that a problem (but I won't). Engines are not as efficient at low temperatures.

Flush your coolant if you like. Good idea to do that every now and then anyway.

 

I have 110,000 miles on my 427 stroker engine and it has never seen 215* in normal driving conditions. Except once when I lost a serpintine belt while on the highway doing a hard core run and a few times racing around aggressively in hot *** weather with the A/C "on".

Mine stays at 180-190 or so all the time pretty much, unless I'm in heavy traffic, 95* weather with my A/C "on". Then it'll get close to the 210 mark, but it will never get to it. These are temps using a scanner.

Also, my car, no matter how long it sits, will never get above about 190*. It just doesn't. So I think he has some fan issues, especially since he's noticing it getting hot now.

Fans, fans, fans......

Its also alot of times dirty condensors that make people start running hot. Gotta clean them every 3 years.

Clean system + 160 t-stat + properly running fans = 180*-190* when driving normally. Proper mix of water/coolant can cause a big difference too.

 

Mine stays at 210 all the time, at least on the gauge. Every car I've owned with the exception of my POS truck (which I think has a stuck open thermostat as it gets crap for heat) has run between 200-210.

I don't run 160 stats. If you live in New England and you drive your vehicle in the winter, you would be a fool to do so.

 

how to test if my fan is working ?

 

Quick way: Is your car overheating? No. So I'd say yes.
Obvious(?) way: Let it idle for a while and watch and see if the fan comes on?

 

Ok, this morning I let it idle for about 20 min, it reach above the 210, then my passenger fan kick on, and it came back down to 210 and it stay their, so i turn off the car. is that normal ? I properly doing coolant change, and put in 160 thermostat. i have 2 question.

1: Where I can get 160 thermostat, that can fix my 1997 z28, cause I search and few peoples having problem with fix issue.

2: How I can get much coolant out as possible, and what coolant should I put in it ? thanks

 

210 is normal with a stock t-stat, and you don't need a 160. Where do you live? Do you drive it year round?

 

I just got this car 3 day ago lol. Im currently live in MS, I think im going to drive it year round.

 

DEFINITELY leave stock t-stat in, and leave it how it is now. It's not overheating even slightly.

 

Your fans should be coming "on" together and going "off" together. You have a fan issue. When you see 210 on the temp guage your t-stat has already opened up and started swapping hot coolant from the engine/heads with cooler coolant that has been sitting in the radiator. If only one fan comes on it will not cool the hot coolant that just flowed into the radiator to get cooled. It will take longer. And if you are actually driving it in traffic, it will be a losing battle....until you get moving steadily on a highway or long road where the fans do not do the cooling....the front lower air dam does. That is why you cool down when moving.

Get the fan fixed. And also see if your LT1 fans are supposed to have a high and a low setting, like the LS1's do. Make sure that part is working in the system as well. Get a 160 t-stat. Get the fans programmed to come on sooner. The stock t-stat is pathetic IMO, it not only makes your engine run 210+ at idle, which is hilarious IMO, it puts your engine and all the other parts under your hood through a large heat cycle every time you drive it. Temps going up and down that much is not good for anything. Hoses, gaskets, metal, plastics, etc.... do not like getting hot then cool, then hot, then cool as it is....when its large temp ranges, its just worse. Why do you think 160 t-stats were built for us.

My engine runs pretty steady at 185-190 or so, all the time. Its great. My fans run together always, and they run at a low and high setting.

Best/easiest way to flush and get every drop of old coolant out without jacking the car up or taking engine plugs out.

Cold engine.
Remove radiator fill cap.
Remove the t-stat. (2-3 minute job)
Put t-stat housing back on. (1 minute)
Take the entire radiator drain valve (petcock) "off", don't just open it. It'll drain faster with it off and thats what you want. ((Buy a new petcock, sometimes they break when you remove them all the way, they're like $2.00))
Take a hose and stick it in the radiator fill cap, running medium to high.
Start the engine.
Let it run for about 15-20 minutes or until the water is running out the drain CLEAR.
When it does your entire system is clean.
Put the t-stat back in.
Put the drain valve back in. Use the new one, what the hell.
Put half a jug of Dexcool in the radiator. (Or if you live in very cold places, 1 ½ jugs of Dexcool)
Fill the rest with water. (one bottle of water wetter can't hurt, your choice)
**Let it run and warm up till the t-stat opens once and starts to flow, to see if the level drops, just to make sure the system is completely full of coolant, if it drops just top it off. Then wait one more time for the t-stat to open and start to flow, then top it off again.**

Done.

If your system is sealed, don't mess with it for another 5 years or more.

 

I don't know man, I think thats too high of a temp for sitting idling. I've never seen anyone get to 210+ just sitting idling.

I'd rather have it around 185 idling, like mine is.

But he can do what he wants to.

 

Perhaps a poll is in order. My car warms up and runs at 210. All the time.

 

He's got a bad fan anyway. The suggestions we BOTH should be giving him are...fix the bad fan. Not to NOT worry, that 215 at idle is good. If he fixes it and brings back 50% of his cfm cooling air from that other fan, he won't get to 210+ just sitting idling.

And you can bet his temps are way over 215 the way these temp gauges read.

Don't know what a poll will do. I have a fully built 427ci that runs cooler than anyones car I've ever seen. I have a 160 t-stat and my fans come on sooner too. 11 year old factory original fans too, so its not like they get overworked either.

 

Well, I agree. If his fan is broken then he should fix it.

 

210 is a good temperature for a street car, leave it alone, stock thermostat....I dont care what your 427 runs at, thats not a stock motor, and ur cooling system is not stock. Its very bad to run an engine too cold. A thermostat is there to force an engine to get warm, not keep it cool. The stock stat does not cause huge heat cycling, it should start to open at what ever stock is rated at...(what is it 180, 190?) and the car should run around 210 consistantly... it doesnt open and close open and close.... if u are sitting in traffic for a few minutes its normal for the temp to rise a cpl degrees, stop stressing and do not put a 160 thermostat in your car and mess with your fans to try to get the car cooler...all ull gain is some premature wear...