Welcome to the Corvette Forums at the Corvette Action Center!

summer cooling

Joined
Jun 20, 2002
Messages
2,510
Location
Tallahassee, FL
Corvette
none right now :(
I have posted about the orange Vs. Green cooling before, but I really want to know how everyone is doing since we are into the extra hot summer months.... I am convinced the orange stuff doesn't work well... My car runs a bit over 200 with the A/C on, and I have a 160 degree thermostat. My '93 used to run under 190... Could there be a blockage or something? or does the orange stuff not cool as well?
 
I'm green

Never used the other.


Vig!
 
I have not really noticed a difference since I switch to dexcool (orange)
 
any other ideas for me? The radiator doesn't have anything stuck in front of it blocking air, the fans work fine, nothing is leaking.... the car only has 37k on it? what should i check?
 
I was going to post something along these lines myself. I noticed my coolant temp running a little warm as well and was going to inquire as to what everyone else was running for temps. I checked the manual for the temperature at the hash mark I'm currently running at, but forgot the value, probably around 200 as Vettelt193 stated. I believe I have the standard thermostat.

When I purchased the car the owner told me that he just had the water pump replaced. The resevior is a little on the low side and I'm wondering if the person that did the work took the time to appropriately bleed the air out of the system. I will be checking this tonight as I top off the levels.

So what is everyone running for coolant temps? The oil temp doesn't get real warm and the fans are working properly.
 
with the stock T-stat, 200 would be normal, since the factory thermostat is 195 degrees... Chevy put such a high temp. in because it keeps the cats hot, which reduces emissions... I would put in the 160 degree and see how it runs... you could run down to ecklers and pick one up, they are $20. If you need instructions for installation I can provide them for you, anyone can do it with basic tools.
 
I tried the orange and it cost me a bundle....car ran 30 degrees hotter and blew out the radiator, at one point the temp guage went to 299 and stopped. Cleaned it all out and went back to the green stuff...now it runs 195 and no higher. GREEN for me...
 
coolant

My 95 with a 180 stat runs198 on the highway and will get to 230 in stopped traffic when the fan kicks on and cools down to 200. Sometimes with the air on it will reach 235 and hover. Both fans work properly...no blockage in radiator area.... she just runs HOT by my standards but is ok by gm standards. I like my autos to run 185 .... i cant justify a power programmer just to lower temp... Had other things to buy ( Tires, Chrome ZR1s, Mufflers etc)
As long as it dont reach 245 nothing to worry as far as i am concerned.
 
i don't understand

on my L98

i think the temp is diffearnt on c4's and c5's


cause,, my L98 85'

runs at like 185 to 195 in 105 weather

well it was running 220

but it was my stat sticking,,, anyways

when my L98 heats up past 210 I can feel the car loosing horse power

do you guy's feel your car loosing horse power when your car hits 230 degrees? which doens't make since when the comptuer is set to come on at 230 degrees,,, since i notice this horse power loss at this point can this give me a clue that something is wrong with my engine,,??? anyone know
 
just a question with the terminology-who makes the green stuff ?i'm running a 160 thermo. but temps. are always high 230+ at times it's hot in s.c. and i'm in the process of checking my fans now-found a bad sec. relay but with would still like to try a coolant that works better thanks ,dennis :w
 
You might try removing the radiator and cleaning out the area beneath and between the radiator and condenser. I had read that often here and when the radiator went I was surprised to find leaves, feathers, sand, rocks, bubble gum wrappers, 2 hiway worker mummies and a dog tag...returned to the first owner.
It made a big difference.

It was explained to me that the vette is a sports car...made to run close to the limit. The cooling system is made the same way...it operates at it's limit. Any change to the system causes it to work below or above the limit. When only half the radiator is clear to receive cooling air...you have effectively removed 50 percent of the cooling capability, while will most definitely cause it to run hotter.
Now that mine is clean, the temps are much nicer...even in 100 degree weather it still runs 195 with the a/c on. I have learned to keep it clean.
 
There have been many problems uncovered relating to the DexCool. It often gels in the system after a period of time. There has been much written about this lately and many folks upset with GM who doesn't seem to want to take responsibility (I wonder why?)

I have always used plain old Ethylene Glycol and changed it every two years to prevent corrosion of the aluminum heads.

Good luck,
 
At the beginning of the first road trip in my '85, with the a/c on the "service engine soon" light came on after the temp rose slightly above 200. We stopped to let it cool, took off again without the a/c and it was fine. I notice the temp above 200 at times but never see the "service" light unless the a/c is on.

I'm installing a 160 soon and hope this helps. Any thoughts welcomed.
 
I had terrifying experiences with my L-98 running hot in bumper to bumper traffic,bank drive thru bank,restaurant,etc.,anything that kept air from flowing thru the radiator on a constant basis.The fans *did* come on,but it seemed to get too hot IMO before they did.Scary.

I installed a manual fan switch from Mid-America and I when I am sitting in line or something like that and it gets too warm,I flip the switch and cool it down.It also helps me relax instead of stressing out on the temp gauge.:w
 
Rechecking the gauge values it hovers around 210 normally and occassionally runs warmer from there. The owner's manual recommends a 50/50 mix of distilled water and antifreeze to be used in the cooling system. Is this what everyone is using? I'm thinking about a 160 thermostat but first I need to top off what I have and see if there is any air in the system. Didn't work on it last night so maybe this weekend.

Also ordered the Helm service manual. Can't wait to get that so I can start really tearing into this car. ;)
 
Vettelt193 said:
I have posted about the orange Vs. Green cooling before, but I really want to know how everyone is doing since we are into the extra hot summer months.... I am convinced the orange stuff doesn't work well... My car runs a bit over 200 with the A/C on, and I have a 160 degree thermostat. My '93 used to run under 190... Could there be a blockage or something? or does the orange stuff not cool as well?

One thing to remember is that the orange and green stuff is an anti freeze agent, it is to keep things from freezing. It does little to assist in cooling. For summer cooling you are best off with plain water. The anti-freeze does contain some anti rust agents but you can get that with a bottle Prestone rust inhibitor. Unless you live in an area where freeze is a real problem, just stay with water. Or run water in summer and add anti freeze in the winter.
rdgfx3 said:
I had terrifying experiences with my L-98 running hot in bumper to bumper traffic,bank drive thru bank,restaurant,etc.,anything that kept air from flowing thru the radiator on a constant basis.The fans *did* come on,but it seemed to get too hot IMO before they did.Scary.

My 90 was doing the same. In fact I hard wired the cooling fans to stay on but did not help much. So I pulled the radiator and cleaned the fins, they were packed with crud. Added a Stewart high volume pump, 180 t-stat, and plain water. Now it does not get over half guage in stop/go traffic with a/c on and 98+ degrees out. Seldom hear the cooling fans kick on.

tom...
 
Never use just water...


Water boils at 212 ºs at sea level (14.7 lbs per square inch)

Why is it important to mix antifreeze with water?

Antifreeze contains chemicals that protect your engine against rust and corrosion, as well as freeze-up and boil over protection. Water is required to activate the chemicals in the inhibitor package. Furthermore, adding water to antifreeze actually increases the freeze-up and boil over protection provided. For example, a mix of 40% antifreeze and 60% water provides freeze-up protection down to -10°F and boil over protection up to 259°F. In comparison, a mix of 70% antifreeze and 30% water provides freeze-up protection down to -62°F and boil over protection up to 270°F. However, we do not recommend adding more than 70% antifreeze. This would limit the corrosion and freeze up protection and heat transfer capabilities of the antifreeze.

By adding antifreeze you actually raise the boiling point for the mixture, which gives you some breathing room on a hot day. People who just use water are asking for trouble.
 
I agree

But I do not have any figures on just water alone under pressure
( Boiling point )...Hmmmm science project here..

Now you can argue that what is the best ratio of COOLANT/Anti FREEZE for your paticular climate/enviroment.

And it's proven that coolant reduces the heat transfer of just straight water but it's fractional......

I agree NEVER use just water alone.



Vig!
 
C4's should actually run cooler with the A/C on while in stop and go traffic.... When the A/C is on, the car runs the fan(s) and the temperature should actually be very stable.... When the A/C is off is when the car will heat up to 230 before the fans turn on...

-Thanks Eagle, your experience is the one I was looking for... I just have a feeling that the orange stuff doesn't work as well... My '93 ran so much cooler that it seems the orange stuff is the reason for such high temperatures.
 
Summer cooling

Higher running temperatures generally mean that there is something slowing down the flow of coolant through the system i,e. restriction such as gunk in the small passages in the heads or the radiator/heater cores. A backflush is recommended periodically or when 10-15 higher average running temperatures exist. If you are doing your own engine, pull the expansion plugs and blow it out with high pressure water jet. Otherwise there are rinse agents that break down the deposits and restore normal flow.
 

Corvette Forums

Not a member of the Corvette Action Center?  Join now!  It's free!

Help support the Corvette Action Center!

Supporting Vendors

Dealers:

MacMulkin Chevrolet - The Second Largest Corvette Dealer in the Country!

Advertise with the Corvette Action Center!

Double Your Chances!

Our Partners

Back
Top Bottom