thermostat begins to open at 177 - 184 degrees...

[greenasgrass]

this is what is says in my 1997 manual. i dont get how my thermo is 195 deg if the thermo opens at 177-184 degrees, when im cruising it stays right at 180 degrees(right under the 185 degree line), and you guys say our cooling fan kicks on at 210 degrees. i dont see 195 degrees near any of those numbers!!!!! :eek:

[greenasgrass]

anyone have any thoughts on this??

[John_D.]

<blockquote>quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by greenasgrass:
anyone have any thoughts on this??<hr></blockquote>

You may have a 180 thermostat. Some people on here say it is a regional thing, with 195's in the north and 180's in the south. My '98 had a 195 in it, and I replaced it with a 180.

Most people on here say the dash gauge is not very accurate. I used an Autotap to get my temp readings.

The 195, with a 210 fan, should theoretically always run at a temp between 195 and 210. Since the thermostat will keep it up to 195, and the fans will keep it below 210.

The 180, may still max out at 210 in traffic, but should hold about 180 when going down the road, with a good airflow through the radiator.

[97CamaroRS]

Yea I have a 1997 3.8 and it stays around 185 degrees for me as well

[lord_gufi]

dont trust ure dash guages there horribly inacuate

after i changed my therm to a 180, i was toppin off the radiator... and i looked at the guaged as it aproached 180 and expected the level to fall... well 2 minits later after the car read 210 for a minit and a half it finaly droped and the gas guages are wrong i hit 150 on full and then i get 200 across the guage band and the tach is half a sec slow