bahrain z28

hello there,
i just bought a 98 Z28 Camaro (LS1) and i don't know if what is happening is normal or not.

at first the low coolant light warning turned on i called the previous owner and he said its totally fine and it will go off once the engine is cooled. turned off the car and started it after a while and the light was gone.

the same day I've noticed that the coolant temperature gets to 104 or 105 C and drops back to 75-80 C. it keeps doing that when i leave the car idling for like 5 minutes. when am driving though the temperature is always about 80 C.

when the A/C is on this never happens.

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ANOTHER PROBLEM

the oil pressure is between 140 - 275 KPA (20-40 PSI) always. even when i floor it. it barely gets over 275 reaches 277 or so... sooo is that ok ??


and forgive me for my poor English.


thanx in advance

02v8ta

iTrader: (8)

1. It's a common problem to have that light come on when there is no problem, that's why they got rid of them in 2000 i think. So the previous owner was correct as long as there is enough coolant in the system. Alot of people learn to ignore or unplug the light. I did.

2. A steady temperature when you are driving is normal, the car is getting air flow through the cooling system. If it gets noticeably hotter when idling it could be an over heating issue, but not by much. I think if my conversions in my head are right you're only slightly above normal.

3. The oil pressure is normal expect when flooring it, around 20 psi no lower is okay at idle and it should be over 40 PSI when flooring it.
Have a proper oil change done on it, oil, filter, and check to see what oil has been run in it previously to use the same. If not use manufacture recommendations, any shop will know what to use if you don't tell them a preference. I suspect it is just over due for an oil change and the filter is done for. The oil pressure naturally runs low at idle though no worry.

Good luck.

bahrain z28

Thank you,
And I forgot to mention that I think my cooling fan is a bit weak. And do you thing replacing the thermostat would soulve the problem ?

wssix99

iTrader: (5)

Welcome to the group!

This is a typical problem when the coolant level sensor goes bad. I think the bit about it being taken off the car might be a myth. I understanding was that it was kept for the entire manufacturing run of the car.

Regardless; it is a very important part, especially in a hot climate. The sensor is there for a reason - to tell us when we are critically low on coolant. The sensor saved me from burning up my engine when I had a bad water pump that was pushing air in to the system. I highly recommend replacing the sensor.


It should be like this all the time.


This is not normal, is a low temperature, and could be a bad thermostat. I recommend replacing it. If the thermostat sticks in the open position, the system will cool the engine too far.

When the A/C is on, the engine has to work harder, which will require more cooling capacity, so its no surprise that the coolant temperature goes up in this situation. A good thermostat should keep you around 100C all the time, no matter the condition.


If you are not in the red section of the gauge, you are OK. But this sounds a little low. What kind of oil are you using?

eb110americana

iTrader: (4)

+10 on everything ^^^^^^^ wssix99 just said.

bahrain z28

@wssix99 thanl you soo much bro.
I'll change my thermostat tomorrow, people recommend 160 degrees.
Regarding the oil pressure, I just changed the oil and went for Mobil1 (10W-30). I've noticed a huge difference in the oil pressure, idling: 20 psi =138 KPA. 2200 rpm: 37-39 psi = 275 KPA. My friends camaro is a bit higher also. But his engine is always cool coz he installed 160 F thermostat and programmed the fan to kick in earlier than stock. Soo I think cooling is somehow related to oil pressure maybe? Since the oil will be cooler. ???

Thank you again

02v8ta

iTrader: (8)

sounds like it was over due for an oil change to me, glad your pressure is back

djfury05

iTrader: (30)

Try boiling the stock thermostat first to see if it is seized or not. Stock temp is 187 so it should open around there. I thought mine was seized til I tried this. So maybe it'll help you save some money/time.

wssix99

iTrader: (5)

It depends on what you want. 160 degrees will give you a little more power, but the stock 210 degrees should give you better emissions and fuel mileage.

I'd suggest telling your friends that you have a 160, (so they will be impressed) and then keep a 210 in the car so you won't burn as much gas.


I think that's a good choice for where you are using the car.


I'd echo 02v8ta's comment. Its probably because you just did an oil change. (I notice the same thing on my car when I change the oil.) As you drive the car a bit, you will probably see the pressure come up a little bit as the oil starts collecting contaminants.

bahrain z28

i thought that thermostats come with a stamp that says their temperature
i am pretty sure that my car is on the stock thermostats coz it is 110% stock

where am living, the temperature reaches up to 50 C. in summer .. so i have to keep my engine cooled in every method possible . + fuel is cheap around here. a full fuel tank will cost me around 5.000 B.D which is like 13-14 US$

bahrain z28

http://postimage.org/image/g4a3lr8gb/

is that normal oil pressure ?
driving 90 KM/H on 1600 RPM with 100% warmed up oil

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http://postimage.org/image/kel36cm0n/

car stopped for traffic, in (D) my foot on the brake.

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my friend does 275 KPA (40 PSI) when driving 80-90 KM/H . RPM= 1600
am doing 206-210 KPA (30 PSI).
and does 10 PSI make much difference (Not performance wise)

02v8ta

iTrader: (8)

Oil looks normal to me, as long as it doesn't hit the red a trigger a warning light to come on.

bahrain z28

thanx a lot.
u just made my day