Ironxcross

iTrader: (8)

As stated.

ZONES89RS

iTrader: (25)

Prolly none to a tiny bit. Might go up even, i have never noticed a difference except it ran better.

Formula350

iTrader: (3)

Shouldn't lose any. Your fans will stay on all the time till you get a tune that's centered around a 160º, but you should see a small increase if not in HP/TQ but MPG.

Ironxcross

iTrader: (8)

I got the tune a while ago, I haven't been able to go on a nice long highway trip to test the mileage, I average 20 with mostly city driving.

Formula350

iTrader: (3)

Well the tune for 160 won't help full untill you run the 160. The fans on will cool things down more, like I run 200 w/o my 160 in yet as apposed to what most run (230~).

infinitebird

iTrader: (11)

Once again, your thermostat has no effect on your fan settings, and there is nothing to "tune" for a 160 thermo. It is purely a mechanical part. You can tune the fan settings if you want. They work with the thermo in cooling but are completely separate in the sense that one has no effect on the operation of the other. Changing the thermo will not make the fans run all the time or anything like that.

LiENUS

In theory changing the thermo could make the fans run all the time, If you had a tune for a 160 degree thermostat and changed to a 180 degree thermostat your fans might be trying to cool your engine down to a temperature that is unachievable with a 180 degree tstat, however in this case the only way for that to happen is if he got the tune for the 160 tstat before swapping from his 180 to the 160.

Formula350

iTrader: (3)

Shows JUST how little you know.

This is DIRECTLY from a stock tune file.
Fan 1 on: 107.75ºc / 226ºf
Fan 2 on: 113.00ºc / 235.4ºf

Now, if you do what I did, and tune (as in, change when the fans turn on) the fans for a 160º TStat, and I'm running the stock 180º, then my engine is going to run cooler. As a result of that though, my fans will be turning on not only much sooner, but will be running all the time. Not exactly something I want, since I'd like them to last.

My current tune for fans is as such.
Fan 1 on: 82.25ºc / 180.1ºf
Fan 2 on: 93.50ºc / 200.3ºf

So, if you take into what I said above, my fans run all the time, since I'm running around 203ºf. Now, when I get around to putting in my TStat, I won't have that problem anymore.

Now, the reciprocal of this, is if I HAD a 160º TStat, and no tune, then the fans wouldn't kick on until 226/235F. Essentially leaving the TStat open all the time, since the fans only shut off around 210 I believe.

So, do you NEED to tune for a 160º TStat? No, but will it basically make it an ineffective upgrade? Yup.

infinitebird

iTrader: (11)

If you're fans are running all the time then yeah you set the fan temps too low. But that's not what I meant. He said "Your fans will stay on all the time till you get a tune that's centered around a 160º", which is completely incorrect. If you set the fans WAY lower than stock like say 160-170, and ran a 180, then yes they could conceivably run all the time. But if you're still on a stock tune or the fan settings are stock and you swap to a 160, your fan operation will not be affected.

infinitebird

iTrader: (11)

Sure, but that's not what you originally said. You said that the fans would run all the time UNTIL you got the fans tuned for a 160. I took that to mean that just changing the thermo would cause that. You never mentioned already having fan settings that are very low. That is what will cause the fans to run all the time, not which thermo you are running.

Formula350

iTrader: (3)

So if I put in a 160 on a STOCK tune (which temps I listed above), you're telling me that my fans will not be effected? I'll agree to a point, but the fans are there to keep the motor cool along with the tstat. They work in conjunction. W/o the fans turning on the cool down the coolant, the tstat won't function how it's supposed to. It'll just stay open all the time until the temp reaches the point when the fans come on. And the will lower the temp some, but not enough to cycle the tstat. One may as well just not run a tstat until the can either get a manual fan switch, or them tuned properly. Seeing as the same thing will be happening in that case. The tstat will just stay open all the time on a stock tune. It's like having the AC on in the house with the windows open.

Just in case you're not following
http://auto.howstuffworks.com/cooling-system8.htm
http://auto.howstuffworks.com/cooling-system9.htm

Ironxcross

iTrader: (8)

I'm not arguing how it works, but what I'm trying to figure out is that if running an engine at a lower temperature will reduce the mileage.

95 Z28

iTrader: (21)

I had one in my 95 Z28 and noticed no drop in MPG whatsoever.

infinitebird

iTrader: (11)

Yes that's exactly what I was saying. Sorry if there was some confusion. All I was trying to get at was the fan operation is completely separate from the thermo type. The one does not affect the other accept possibly indirectly (like if you get a lower temp thermo it might take longer for the fans to come since it will typically run slightly cooler).

Slowmaro95Z28

Anything said about the tune not having to do with anything on how the car runs is completely false. The tune isn't just for the fan setting, it's mainly for the temp the o2 sensors see that the car is warmed up to oprating temp. If you use a 160 stat with no tuning the car will never be to "operating temp" unless it's tuned to be such a low temp. Trust me, i had it both ways and until I had the right tune it made no difference at all.

Zralou

iTrader: (3)

My fans don't work on their own. I put in a 160* stat and have noticed under cruising (no traffic, 70-80 mph) a drop in temp of around 5*-7*.

On a car with functioning fans set at factory specs, there will be no difference in the 180* or the 160* as to when the fans operate, as both stats will be fully open at the temp when the fans are programmed to kick in.

Ohh, and in response to the original ?, I just got back from our annual trip to Alabama (about 1200 mile round trip) and no noticable difference in MPG with the 160* stat to the previous trips with a 180* stat.
Sara Lou

phirepower

iTrader: (2)

You will not notice a drop in mileage, the only compromise, or potential risk is for emissions. Occasionally switching to a 160 makes the car less emissions friendly. Theres usually even a warning on the 160 boxes stating that the are not for emissions controlled vehicle. the 160 will have no affect on the fan times, it purely regulates the flow temperatures for coolant, allowing the coolant less restricted flow as the engine heats up. The only way to change times for fans to come on is with a tune, or a fan control switch.

+3 with Zralou, slowmaro, Infinite (dead on)

I think some people should just not post

phirepower

iTrader: (2)

When I say some people I'm not pointing any fingers but I'm looking at you formula350.... lol

infinitebird

iTrader: (11)

Dude you are "completely wrong" here. Sorry to say but that's the way it is.

Like I said in the other thread (where you stated that accel optis were good quality), maybe you should do more research before you make statements like "completely false".

"Operating temp" or the temp which is related to the o2 sensors has nothing to do with what thermo you are running. You can adjust that in the computer but it has nothing to do with the thermo. The stock setting for that parameter is 32 deg C (89 deg F). That temp is easily reached by any engine after a few minutes regardless of the type of thermo (as it is designed to, since open loop is only used for the first few minutes).

Furthermore, that parameter is not intended to have any association with what the temperature rating of your thermostat is. The thermostat has no interaction with the computer or any electronic components. It is purely a mechanical part.

You are correct in your experience that putting in a 160 without a tune (for the fan settings, etc) will typically not make any real noticeable difference, but it's definitely not because of that reason.

B4C_LT1

my car would always get extremely hot and fans would kick on at stock settings....put a 160 thermo in the car and now it wont get past 185 and the fans are on as soon as i start the car...no tune