Help! 1999 Vette LS1 overheating????

[BEEDEE]

I have a 1999 Vette coupe, standard LS1, automatic. When running at highway speeds the temp. ranges from 196 - 199 F. When I stop and idle the raises up to 230 F. Also at highway speed the oil pressure ranges from 40 to 44 psi. and around 30 psi at idle. Normal or?????....Thanks....BEEDEE

 

[timfitz63]

Despite the seemingly large swing in indications, these readings are all within the normal operating range of the vehicle (see your Owner's Manual). Haven't noticed such a wide temperature swing on mine, but it seems to me mine operates around the 220-230 deg F range -- and I am around 1,500-2,000 miles to the south of you. I have noticed similar variations in oil pressure on all my vehicles. In fact, in the case of the latter, the Manual states that oil pressure will vary as a result of many different factors (engine speed, outside temperature, etc.).

Unless either gauge starts indicating in the red bands (which should be accompanied by a message on the DIC), you're probably fine. You could also cross-reference the gauge readings against readings available on the DIC to verify that the gauges are indicating properly. But it sounds to me like they are.

 

[BEEDEE]

Thanks timfitz 63...I feel better already............BEEDEE

 

[Toms007]

Yea, like timfitz63 says, that sounds normal to me.

 

[WLS Ruby 93]

Hot

Sometimes when I do not have the AC on and I'm in slow moving or dead traffic I turn it on to energize the cooling fans and that cools the temperature down quickly. My '98 automatic runs in about the same temp range, 190-210.

I have 50/50 antifreeze in the system and I put a bottle of Water Wetter in the cooling system last year as a precaution.

Keep 'em rollin' :W
Bill

 

[TooFast]

Sounds to be within normal range to me.

 

[1998vette]

Mine used to run that hot until...

I use to have that reading at around 225-235...I yanked the radiator and found it full of pea gravel and bits of road tar mixed with hair and sand. The AC condenser was that way too...After flushing the fins with air, vacuum, water many times, I finally got the them clean...You could barely see through them when I started...
The temps went from 225-235 to 199 to 212 tops! While a car CAN run at those higher temps, I don't think it is normal....

 

[lowflyer]

Overheating

I've found that the radiator can easily be partially blocked with leaves, paper, debris and other fine things due to the location of the inlet.

The other day I had stopped to get my mail at the end of the block and left the car running with the A/C on. I happened to notice a small whirlwind under the nose of the car from the electric fans, that was pulling up junk from the street.

I crawled under the car later that week and found that the upper 1/5 of the radiator was full of grass clippings, leaves, etc. I used compressed air to blow as much of it out as I could and then fabbed up a metal screen with some 1/4" wire mesh I had left from another project.

Now, some of the smaller stuff still makes it up there, but most of the junk stays on the screen, then drops off when the low pressure drops away.

Check the rad if you have a warm running C5, seems to be the moral of the story.

Ken Edney
Chandler, AZ

 

[1998vette]

...and lightly tapping on the radiator helps loosen things up...I would tap and then either use air or vacuum...The stuff that came out vs just blowing it out tripled...I ended up pulling the radiator and cleaning it out but of course the AC condenser was also pretty plugged up as well...That is when I started the flat handed tapping on it...When that worked so well, I tried that on the removed radiator and even more stuff came out to where it was almost completely clean between the fins....