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coolant temp

Old Nov 12, 2005 | 10:01 PM
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Default coolant temp

I had a coolant temp gauge installed about 2 months ago. Since its been installed..I haven't sat in traffic or let it idle at all till yesterday. normally it would sit between 195-205...but when i sat in traffic..it went up to 224. what is the highest it should go before i get worried?
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Old Nov 12, 2005 | 11:05 PM
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From: Schiller Park, ILL Member: #317
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224 sounds about right for sitting idle/slow moving traffic if you still have stock fan settings.

Stock fans are set to cycle at (low speed) on @227/off @218, and (high speed) on @235/off @228.

The reason your temps were much lower when moving at speed is because the stock stat begins to open @ 177-184 and is fully open by 195, so as air passes through the radiator at higher speeds it keeps the temps down closer to the rated temp of the t-stat. When sitting in traffic or at idle, you do not have the benifit of much air being forced through the radiator, so the coolant continues to heat until the fans cut on.
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Old Nov 12, 2005 | 11:38 PM
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Originally Posted by RPM WS6
224 sounds about right for sitting idle/slow moving traffic if you still have stock fan settings.

Stock fans are set to cycle at (low speed) on @227/off @218, and (high speed) on @235/off @228.

The reason your temps were much lower when moving at speed is because the stock stat begins to open @ 177-184 and is fully open by 195, so as air passes through the radiator at higher speeds it keeps the temps down closer to the rated temp of the t-stat. When sitting in traffic or at idle, you do not have the benifit of much air being forced through the radiator, so the coolant continues to heat until the fans cut on.
I know all of that..I'm just wondering at what temp does it become a problem? my cooling system is stock right now...and when I start to get into drag racing more and auto xing...i want to know where the limit is.
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Old Nov 12, 2005 | 11:42 PM
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From: Schiller Park, ILL Member: #317
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Well, the factory designed the system to run at those temps so I don't think it will ever become a "problem" if the car stays (mostly) stock. But if you plan to mod and want the most power possibile then I'd set the fans to run cooler.

I've had three LS1 cars, two bolt-on cars and one more heavily modded, and I've run them all with fan settings to keep temps around 195-205 at all times. That's worked fine for me.
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