195 Degree Thermostats

[toobroketoretire]

I have always run 195 degree thermostats but two years ago I decided to try a 180 degree just to see how I felt about it. It was in the dead of winter when the morning temperatures can hit 15 degrees and I quickly found out how BAD my heater worked with the 180 degree thermostat. With the 195 degree thermostat my heater was doing a pretty good job within 5 miles but with the 180 degree thermostat it took a whole 10 miles to get my interior warm enough to suit me.

 

[stevolwevol]

I have always run 195 degree thermostats but two years ago I decided to try a 180 degree just to see how I felt about it. It was in the dead of winter when the morning temperatures can hit 15 degrees and I quickly found out how BAD my heater worked with the 180 degree thermostat. With the 195 degree thermostat my heater was doing a pretty good job within 5 miles but with the 180 degree thermostat it took a whole 10 miles to get my interior warm enough to suit me.

I don't believe my Vette would stay at 180* during the summer around here, or I would run a 160. Solution? DON'T your car in the winter!

 

[toobroketoretire]

I didn't like the 180 degree thermostat at all in winter use because it took such a long time for my heater to warm my cabin. At least 10-12 miles and even then it wasn't warm enough to suit me. As my cooling system will heat to 210 degrees on a 100 degree day in stop-and-go traffic with the A/C on I see no point in running a cooler thermostat. Not where I live anyway because it'll vary 100 degrees from winter to summer. And I replace my thermostats every 5 years or so to ensure I never have any thermostat failures. I find it really odd that people will readily spend hundreds of dollars on a new intake or camshaft or roller rockers but not change their $7 thermostat every few years.

 

[Vettehead Mikey]

Here we go again with stuff that defies physics, first person experience and common sense.

First- 15*F/-9C is hardly 'cold'. Trust me. It goes down to -25F/-30C here. That's 'cold'.

A 180 thermostat opens 15* lower than a 195 and accordingly, heat is supplied to the cabin that much sooner. No idea why your car is the opposite

The cabin on my car with a 180 thermostat is toasty warm in no time at all and within minutes I have to reduce the heat setting and fan speed.

All GM cars, not just Corvette, came equipped with a 180 thermostat for decades, up until the 'smog' era prompted the need for hotter running engines. I've never heard of anyone mentioning the lack or delay of cabin heat.

 

[SVO]

The Corvette cockpit is small enough that it doesn't take long to warm it up in winter, with a 180* or 195* t'stad. Don't know about Canada, but here in Texas, in dead of winter, put top down, crank up the heater and drive on.

 

[toobroketoretire]

I've never heard of anyone mentioning the lack or delay of cabin heat.

Well, now you have! A 15 degree increase in coolant temperature going thru the heater core makes a BIG difference when the interior of the car is only 20-25 degrees. Until the interior parts get warmed up they absorb heat. Same goes with a 150 degree interior when you turn the A/C on. It takes time to cool the interior parts down and until then they radiate heat into the air inside the cabin.

 

[Vettehead Mikey]

But I start getting heat before you do using a 180 thermostat. You're still waiting for yours to open, I'm already warm.

 

[GTR1999]

I have run 180* T stats in my C2 & C3's without any issues at all. I drove my DD 69 vert through CT winters and never had to wait longer then the engine getting warm to have plenty of heat. I think about 75 they moved up to 190-195* Stats for emissions along with choked exhaust and retarded timing.