Help my car is too hot!!!

[will1975]

Ok got my first vette last fall and it has been running pretty good so far except lately it has been running pretty hot. Last night driving in town it was around 248-250 before the fan was even coming on. Driving down the road it seems to hover right around 210 or so. When the car is just sitting idling the temp will creep up to 248 before the fan comes on, and it only comes on for about 10 seconds which is enough to bring the temp down to 236-238 at which point it slowly starts climbing back to 248. I have an 84 and I'm pretty sure that the sending unit for the guages and my temp sensor for the ecm are two separate things so was thinking that maybe my guage is off a little but the engine does feel alot hotter than it should be when the hood is up. Also when the temp gets high it seems to run a little crappy and likes to stall. I am just really scared of cooking my baby. I did a search already and thought maybe the leaf blockage theory was it but the car had a brand new radiator put in it last fall just before i bought it so I'm assuming that should be ok. Any other suggestions or whatever are very much appreciated. Thanks for taking the time to read my post!

 

[will1975]

sorry i meant 248 NOT 148.... lol
i have edited it and maybe somebody will respond now... hehe

basically just wondering what else could be my trouble besides a sticky thermostat.

 

[jmccloud]

Hot

More likely a fan controller (temp sensor that tells the fan to turn on). I'm not familiar with your year so I don't know where the controller is for sure. It's likely in the wires near the fan and somewhere behind the radiator. That controller can cause real problems. One of my kids had a Chrysler minivan with a bad fan controller (mounted on the wheel well near the back of the radiator) and lost a head gasket.
Good luck,
John

 

[will1975]

thanks a bunch!

I hoooked a jumper wire up to the fan and it brought the temp right down. I was thinking that the fan was controlled by the computer like the later models but turns out there is another one for the fan. Gonna get the cooler one too because i read they are much better than the stock ones. thanks for the advice

 

[geekinavette]

That's right, there are three temp sensors in all:

temp gauge - driver's side cylinder head
ECM - front of intake manifold
FAN - passenger's side cylinder head

Get the on-200 off-185 switch along with a 180 thermostat and you should be good to go.

Bill

 

[kingman]

Today, l stopped by my dealer, who used to be in my Vette club and he told me that the vette (mine is a 96 LT1) will run hot in traffic and that at 239 degree's the fan will turn on. This used to make them crazy until they were notified that they will run hot, but will never over heat!!

Should l buy this???

Alan

Also, all the catalogs sell a switch that will turn the fan on automaticlly except for the 96's. Why?????

 

[tyrel]

You can always pull and clean the radiator

http://www.batee.com/corvette/dcrg/readerstips/larsstuff/this_tech_paper_will_discuss_sim3.htm

I did this three summers ago and my coolant temp immediately dropped like a rock. Since then I've never seen my temp go above 225.

Good luck!

 

[vettered91]

Kingman

I think there mus be a switch to turn fans on on your LT1, but I don´t know where or how to do it. The way I solved this matter was with a Hypertech Power Programmer and 160° thermostat.

Before the 1994 You could buy a chip to do this work but since that year you need to re-program the computer or put some manual switch.

Your car must have a factory 180° tstat and the fans should turn on/of 240°/225 (factory settings too)

In my opinion you should do something about this factory Hi temps now.

Just my opinion

Good Luck!