do i have a stuck thermo, or a 160?

[cam98aro]

my car takes FORERVER to warm up (about 10 min of driving)and it stays relativily cool (all of you guys say it should run at 210, or the needle pointing straight up) mine runs usually on the line between that and the 160 mark.

If the thermo was stuck, wouldnt the car eventually overheat though?

[HokieBird]

Thats were my car runs too. Unless it's sitting in traffic then it will start creeping up. You are correct that if your thermo stat was stuck the temp would keep going up and most likely over heat.

[KBeezy]

Not unless the thermostat was stuck open [img]smile.gif[/img] And if that was the case, it'll almost never warm up [img]smile.gif[/img]

[cam98aro]

Originally posted by KBeezy:
Not unless the thermostat was stuck open [img]smile.gif[/img] And if that was the case, it'll almost never warm up [img]smile.gif[/img]

if the thermo was stuck, it would overheat, since the water is just circulating, and not sitting in the rad getting cooled off.

[slow6]

http://auto.howstuffworks.com/cooling-system2.htm

[98Camaro3.8]

Originally posted by victimizati0n:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by KBeezy:
Not unless the thermostat was stuck open [img]smile.gif[/img] And if that was the case, it'll almost never warm up [img]smile.gif[/img]

if the thermo was stuck, it would overheat, since the water is just circulating, and not sitting in the rad getting cooled off. </font>[/QUOTE]I wonder why you can take the thermostat out and run without killing your engine, then? ;)


FWIW, it's been said many times that the stock water temp gauge is horribly inaccurate. It's pretty much useless. Get a scanner to see what it's really running. Mine normally shows halfway between 160 and 210, but it's actually hotter than that.

[ February 17, 2006, 07:21 PM: Message edited by: 98Camaro3.8 ]

[FirebirdGT]

Originally posted by victimizati0n:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by KBeezy:
Not unless the thermostat was stuck open [img]smile.gif[/img] And if that was the case, it'll almost never warm up [img]smile.gif[/img]

if the thermo was stuck, it would overheat, since the water is just circulating, and not sitting in the rad getting cooled off. </font>[/QUOTE]WHAT?? :eek:

IF the T'stat was stuck CLOSED, the engine would overheat since the water would NOT be circulating.

IF the T'stat was stuck OPEN, the engine would not fully warm-up on cold days.

[BobbyZ72]

i think your fine, you just have a 160 t stat, thta is about where mine runs. if your worryed about it pull that baby out and have a look.

[slow6]

drop the thermostat in a measured temperature of hot water 160F + then you'll know.

[cam98aro]

yea, i wanna take this 160 crap out.

i hate it. (if it is even a 160)

[KBeezy]

Originally posted by victimizati0n:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by KBeezy:
Not unless the thermostat was stuck open [img]smile.gif[/img] And if that was the case, it'll almost never warm up [img]smile.gif[/img]

if the thermo was stuck, it would overheat, since the water is just circulating, and not sitting in the rad getting cooled off. </font>[/QUOTE]*smacks forehead*

Learn how the cooling system works before you do any more diagnosis! please!

[cam98aro]

Originally posted by KBeezy:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by victimizati0n:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by KBeezy:
Not unless the thermostat was stuck open [img]smile.gif[/img] And if that was the case, it'll almost never warm up [img]smile.gif[/img]

if the thermo was stuck, it would overheat, since the water is just circulating, and not sitting in the rad getting cooled off. </font>[/QUOTE]*smacks forehead*

Learn how the cooling system works before you do any more diagnosis! please! </font>[/QUOTE]learn some common sence before you do!

do you know what the radiator does? It cools down the coolant, if the coolant is just flowing through the rad, it isnt cooling down at all.

That is what the thermostat does, stops the water in the rad so it can cool down, then lets the cool water back into the engine.

If you didnt need a thermostat, guess what? Cars wouldnt have them.

I would love to see you try driving your car on a nice hot summer day without a thermostat in your car, and have it NOT everheat.

[98Camaro3.8]

Originally posted by victimizati0n:
learn some common sence before you do!

do you know what the radiator does? It cools down the coolant, if the coolant is just flowing through the rad, it isnt cooling down at all.

That is what the thermostat does, stops the water in the rad so it can cool down, then lets the cool water back into the engine.

If you didnt need a thermostat, guess what? Cars wouldnt have them.

I would love to see you try driving your car on a nice hot summer day without a thermostat in your car, and have it NOT everheat.

That is totally 100% wrong. The thermostat is there to keep the engine from being too cold, because an exteremly cold engine is not efficient.

Your car will not overheat without a thermostat, it would run too cold.

[KBeezy]

Originally posted by victimizati0n:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by KBeezy:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by victimizati0n:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by KBeezy:
Not unless the thermostat was stuck open [img]smile.gif[/img] And if that was the case, it'll almost never warm up [img]smile.gif[/img]

if the thermo was stuck, it would overheat, since the water is just circulating, and not sitting in the rad getting cooled off. </font>[/QUOTE]*smacks forehead*

Learn how the cooling system works before you do any more diagnosis! please! </font>[/QUOTE]learn some common sence before you do!

do you know what the radiator does? It cools down the coolant, if the coolant is just flowing through the rad, it isnt cooling down at all.

That is what the thermostat does, stops the water in the rad so it can cool down, then lets the cool water back into the engine.

If you didnt need a thermostat, guess what? Cars wouldnt have them.

I would love to see you try driving your car on a nice hot summer day without a thermostat in your car, and have it NOT everheat. </font>[/QUOTE]BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHAHAHAHAAHAHH

Dude, you do realize you're talking to a mechanic? I've forgotten more than you know.


Seriously, go look at how a cooling system works. Flowing through the radiator is what decreases the tempature of the coolant - the radiator has what are called "cores", which transfer the fluid from one side to the other. Inbetween those cores and around those cores are fins, to protect the cores as well as direct the flow of air which is being (in stock situations) pulled through by your cooling fans. The coolant flowing through the radiator core is cooled as is transfers from one side to the other, because of the difference in tempature from the air surrounding/flowing past the cores and the coolant itself.


Newb.

[slow6]

i looked on www.howstuffworks.com and it shows that soon as the thermo opens, the radiator also gives off water back. dont see liquid just sitting there, but who knows..

I have a 160F in mine and my temp gets up to 223F with both fans blowing, i'm running lean though.
IAT is 50F