normal operating temperature is?

[samborskij]

I have a 94 LT1, live in NC and would like to know what is the normal operating temperature? I have seen operating temperatures of 239 degrees this summer in traffic. Granted it has been brutally hot 97 degrees on many days but isn't 239 degrees a little extreme even for a Vette?

By removing the radiator fill cap (when cool) I have determined the thermostat opens at 210 degrees (visually seeing contents flow and looking at digital guage).

My first fan will come on at 225 degrees.

At idle the car temp ran up to 228 degrees and stayed there.

I forced the 2nd fan to come on by starting A/C and then shut off A/C. Second fan stayed on till about 225 degrees then cut off.

I have checked the radiator by looking through the small opening on the passenger side of the engine compartment and verified that there are no obstructions underneath where air comes in.

So again, what is normal?

 

[Tuna]

Yes.

I have seen similar on my 92 (pre-mods) and on a previously owned 96.

Seems scary doesn't it but it's okay.

 

[JonM]

You may have an air restriction problem...I got this from a post written by Vigman...



The importance of a CLEAN radiator

I know this has been written about before.. BUT~

Hey guys.. I was starting to have a running hot issue in my 88 Vert
( just a late summer reminder)...

I went and bought a NEW radaitor off E bay ( 120.00 + shipping )..

But when I went to install it the radiator wasn't the problem at all.

It was the 1/2 trashcan of shredded junk trapped behind the condenser melted into the front of the radiator..

It took me 45 minutes to get the area clean enough to put the new radiator in..

No it not a stretch of reality.. there was that much STUFF trapped, buried, wedged, nested... and everything from newspaper,leaves, twigs, bird feathers, string, styrofoam packing peanuts PLUS a carrige bolt.

Here's the deal.. the AC condenser is 1 inch shorter ( 1/2 on top & bottom ) than the radiator.. allowing debris to go over or under the condeser getting shredded as it flys by.. into nice juilan fries to clog your ariflow.

I estimate I was using less than 30 % or the radiators surface area!

I cleaned the stuff out .. put the new radiator in.. and DROPPED 20 DEGREES in cooling.. 205 is as HOT as I can get her.. with the A/C running full blast at idle.. in So Cal.. 95+ degrees outside.

So I have a good used radiator in case anyone could use it in the So Cal area ( automatic style ).

The job took me 3 hrs total....it was a bear ( due to old stripped hardware found on disassembly). But this was a good thing.. I wish I took some pictures..

...The Horror.... The horror.

Vig~

 

[MTRHD101]

Sounds normal on the temp, a friend of mine has a 99 and it works just like yours.. They make several plug n play items to change when the fans come on, you can even do a 180 thermostat with the mods to have the first fan come on at 200..

 

[Robertwav1]

I have a 94 LT1, live in NC and would like to know what is the normal operating temperature? I have seen operating temperatures of 239 degrees this summer in traffic. Granted it has been brutally hot 97 degrees on many days but isn't 239 degrees a little extreme even for a Vette?

By removing the radiator fill cap (when cool) I have determined the thermostat opens at 210 degrees (visually seeing contents flow and looking at digital guage).

My first fan will come on at 225 degrees.

At idle the car temp ran up to 228 degrees and stayed there.

I forced the 2nd fan to come on by starting A/C and then shut off A/C. Second fan stayed on till about 225 degrees then cut off.

I have checked the radiator by looking through the small opening on the passenger side of the engine compartment and verified that there are no obstructions underneath where air comes in.

So again, what is normal?

You had to force the fan on at 228° ?
My secondary fan comes on at 228° and lowers the temperature some 20° before it shuts off. Has always worked this way (stock).

 

[tyrel]

Hmm, 239° seems a bit high to me. In stop and go traffic with my a/c on full blast, I never go over 220°. I do agree that a clean radiator is very important, and is the reason, I suspect, for a lot of overheating problems. This site is great if you want to clean it yourself, it walks you right through the procedure:

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

 

[ON 7TH]

i ran a grd wire to a toggle switch & then to the fan relay,wedged the switch between the capet on the rt trim area so i didnt have to drill a hole.can turn on the main fan anytime.btw,your operating temps are the same on my l98 & i do clean the external area of my rad a couple times a year .

 

[Hrtbeat1]

i ran a grd wire to a toggle switch & then to the fan relay,wedged the switch between the capet on the rt trim area so i didnt have to drill a hole.can turn on the main fan anytime.btw,your operating temps are the same on my l98 & i do clean the external area of my rad a couple times a year .

I did the same thing as a temporary fix. IIRC the wire you want to switch to ground on the relay is blue or blue with a white stripe. I actually jumpered both relays to the switch, if I threw the switch both fans came on.

 

[Fabinatl]

My 96 Lt4 always ran in the 230's even after cleaning and replacing the radiator. (stop and go Atlanta HOt summers).

My 92 Lt1 was running 230's in hot summer stop and go traffic until I cleaned the radiator. Now it runs no more than 210 in hot stop and go traffic.

Cleaning really helps most of the time!

 

[NPI]

Related question- I have a 92 LT1 and yesterday I noticed it was running hot, I see neither cooling fan would come on. I shut down it at about 248 degrees. Did some tracing, wiring is intact. I ran a hot lead to 1 fan (bypassed right by both relays) and grounded the other lead on fan, but after trying both, neither fan ran at all. I can see 1 fan cooked, but both? What am I missing here? Thanks

 

[MTRHD101]

Positive on one side, ground on the other terminal.. If it wont run its bad.. Maybe the secondary fan was bad for awhile and you never noticed it until the primary quit..

 

[Samauriwarrior]

Cleaning the radiator

I just want to let you know how this thread has helped me. After reading about the problem I decided to take a look at my radiator area. I am still learning about my 93 that I purchased 2 weeks ago. Although I did not seem to have a heat problem I looked at the radiator and was surprised to see a large area covered by what seemed to be a brown rug. I started to move some of it around and found it caked to the radiator. I got out my trusty vacum cleaner and a cleaned thea rea out. I suspect it had been there a long time and was just getting worse. Thanks to this thread I will keep an eye on this area.

You may have an air restriction problem...I got this from a post written by Vigman...



The importance of a CLEAN radiator

I know this has been written about before.. BUT~

Hey guys.. I was starting to have a running hot issue in my 88 Vert
( just a late summer reminder)...

I went and bought a NEW radaitor off E bay ( 120.00 + shipping )..

But when I went to install it the radiator wasn't the problem at all.

It was the 1/2 trashcan of shredded junk trapped behind the condenser melted into the front of the radiator..

It took me 45 minutes to get the area clean enough to put the new radiator in..

No it not a stretch of reality.. there was that much STUFF trapped, buried, wedged, nested... and everything from newspaper,leaves, twigs, bird feathers, string, styrofoam packing peanuts PLUS a carrige bolt.

Here's the deal.. the AC condenser is 1 inch shorter ( 1/2 on top & bottom ) than the radiator.. allowing debris to go over or under the condeser getting shredded as it flys by.. into nice juilan fries to clog your ariflow.

I estimate I was using less than 30 % or the radiators surface area!

I cleaned the stuff out .. put the new radiator in.. and DROPPED 20 DEGREES in cooling.. 205 is as HOT as I can get her.. with the A/C running full blast at idle.. in So Cal.. 95+ degrees outside.

So I have a good used radiator in case anyone could use it in the So Cal area ( automatic style ).

The job took me 3 hrs total....it was a bear ( due to old stripped hardware found on disassembly). But this was a good thing.. I wish I took some pictures..

...The Horror.... The horror.

Vig~

 

[tigmaned]

gee i wonder if my gage is wrong?? mine goes to about 193 then after stat opens drops to 180 ish. last owner i think did the lower temp fan turn on since they come on then.

 

[NPI]

Positive on one side, ground on the other terminal.. If it wont run its bad.. Maybe the secondary fan was bad for awhile and you never noticed it until the primary quit..

Certainly possible that they both finally quit. Like I had posted, I ran a hot wire to 1 lead and grounded the other, and nothing. I'll replace the motors and hopefully be back at it . Thanks for the advice, Mark

 

[My Prozac]

My 93 runs about 195 on the hiway and about 205 in the city. Check in front of the radiator, the front of a C4 works alot like a vacume cleaner it will pull stuff in there you'll have no clue where you picked it up at. Next I would change the fluid and have the system flushed it did wonders for mine, it even gets better gas milage. If the fluid is new I have heard that the stuff called "40 below" and "water wetter" work good as an additive.

I was told in traffic always run the air conditioner, it will make the second fan kick on and stay on pulling more air in

 

[NPI]

Well, I replaced both fan motors today, as they were both cooked. I found a plastic Wal-Mart bag remnant wrapped around the fan spindle on the primary fan, jammed up the works good. The secondary motor had no obvious trauma, but probably just burnt out from constant on. Can I send the bill for the motors to Sam Walton's family?

 

[samborskij]

Thanks

a quick rehash of problem I was overheating, running as high as 239 degrees in stop and go traffic. Mainfan came on at 210 degree, 2nd fan at about 240 degrees......I tried flushing radiator, installing new 180 deg. thermostat with no luck..... I resisted removing radiator as I didn't see any debris in peep hole on side of radiator a/c condencer housing...... Finally I gave in and followed the instructions on http://www.batee.com/corvette/dcrg/readerstips/larsstuff/this_tech_paper_will_discuss_sim3.htm
(thanks for link TYREL)
....Lo and behold it was a true pain in the ass to disassemble and get back together but as they said there was enough debris and unidentifiable stuff in the radiator front to start my own Pacific Island. I removed it all and as best as I can tell to this point as high as my temp. has risen is 220 degrees in severe stop and go traffic. Runs at 197 to 205 the rest of the time except at Interstate speeds, 75 MPH where it's steady on 197 deg.

thanks again all you fine folks, Sam