xtremerevolution Posted August 27, 2007 Report Share Posted August 27, 2007 This has been pissing me off royally for a while now. I just put in a 180 degree t-stat in my 95 Regal (3800 series 1). I previously had a 195 degree t-stat. Upon first tests, it seemed like the change was quite positive. I went around a few blocks that night driving for about 20 minutes, and the temp guage never went above the 1/4 mark. I was like WHOA DUDE! It works! I was quite happy to have an engine that ran much colder than before. On a side note though, the temperature was between 70 and 75 that night. Keep in mind that at this time, the Z34 hood louvers were already installed. So I'm driving the next day with my girlfriend in the car, and its a rather warm day, stuck in slow moving traffic on surface streets, so I turn on the A/C. I'm driving, and driving, and all of a sudden, I notice my temp guage rising above the halfway point. I think to myself (hmmm...that's strange). I ignore it, and continue driving with the A/C on. Not more than 15 minutes later, my temp rises to the 3/4 mark. I was a bit surprised, but I kept driving, and the temp kept rising. I pulled over at a Pep Boys and talked to a mechanic, and he told me I've got an air pocket in my system and I should turn my engine off and when its cold, take off my radiator cap and turn the engine back on. He says that the air will start bubbling out. So I went home, and when the engine was cold, I did what he said, and sure enough, the air pockets bubbled out. I noticed though that my coolant in the reservior was low, so I also filled that up too. I filled up the radiator cap entry with more coolant and closed it, assuming I had solved my problem. So the next day I'm driving through warm air again in stop-go surface street traffic, and I see this on my temp guage: So I'm like WTF MATE! So I turn off the A/C. It gets too hot, so I turn it on. The temp gauge went as far as to go clear into the larger red area, so I got scared and turned off the A/C and fans altogether. If I leave the fans off and floor the gas off a stop, the engine heats up almost immediately. So there's one thing I've noticed. When I'm sitting still in slow moving traffic, my engine will heat up to the 3/4 mark and stay there, no matter what. If the A/C is on, the needle starts moving into the red zone. If I'm moving 50 or more miles an hour, my engine starts to cool down, but never goes below the halfway mark. If the air is cool outside (below 75 degrees), the temp guage stays between the 1/4 and 1/2 mark. If the temp is cold outside, it stays below the 1/4 mark. I'm confused as to what the hell is going on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SigEpCutlass Posted August 27, 2007 Report Share Posted August 27, 2007 That's interesting... If I'm stuck in stop and go, my cutty sometimes goes way up on the temp gauge. However, if I turn my A/C on, the temp usually goes down. I figure this happens because the second cooling fan turns on that is hooked up to the A/C. With that being said, have you checked to see if your fans are functional? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slick Posted August 27, 2007 Report Share Posted August 27, 2007 Obviously, in slow or stopped traffic, your engine temps WILL rise because you don't have air rushing over your radiator and engine. I'm assuming that you didn't bleed out the system when you changed your thermostat? That little screw on top of the thermostat housing is your bleeder screw. Mike, Rachel's 95 Regal acts the same way. I know for the 2000+ Bonne's, they adjusted the way the temp guage works. It doesn't float around as easily as these vehicles do, because of the fact that many people were coming to GM when the guages were floating around so easily, but had no problems. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xtremerevolution Posted August 27, 2007 Author Report Share Posted August 27, 2007 Obviously, in slow or stopped traffic, your engine temps WILL rise because you don't have air rushing over your radiator and engine. I'm assuming that you didn't bleed out the system when you changed your thermostat? That little screw on top of the thermostat housing is your bleeder screw. Mike, Rachel's 95 Regal acts the same way. I know for the 2000+ Bonne's, they adjusted the way the temp guage works. It doesn't float around as easily as these vehicles do, because of the fact that many people were coming to GM when the guages were floating around so easily, but had no problems. Yeah I suppose they would rise, but for the temps to go way into the red is a bit scary. Did this have anything to do with me putting in that 180 degree t-stat? Is there something I should be worried about? Would it help to change the sensor? Should I still try to bleed the system? I'm not exactly sure what I should do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1990lumina Posted August 27, 2007 Report Share Posted August 27, 2007 Try bleeding the system more, and then check and make sure your rad fans are working. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xtremerevolution Posted August 27, 2007 Author Report Share Posted August 27, 2007 Try bleeding the system more, and then check and make sure your rad fans are working. Ok, will do. I know for a fact my driver's side fan is working (all the time at that). I'll have to check my passenger side fan later though. I'll try to bleed the system again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1990lumina Posted August 27, 2007 Report Share Posted August 27, 2007 IIRC the passenger side fan will kick it automatically when the a/c is on, or that's what happened in my Lumina. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xtremerevolution Posted August 27, 2007 Author Report Share Posted August 27, 2007 IIRC the passenger side fan will kick it automatically when the a/c is on, or that's what happened in my Lumina. That's what I thought too, but last time I turned on the A/C that fan didn't come on... Let me run out and check it real quick... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1990lumina Posted August 27, 2007 Report Share Posted August 27, 2007 IIRC the passenger side fan will kick it automatically when the a/c is on, or that's what happened in my Lumina. That's what I thought too, but last time I turned on the A/C that fan didn't come on... Let me run out and check it real quick... I don't actually remember what causes the fan to turn on, but check the relay to the fan (jump it with a paper clip or something)...there is something I'm forgetting about the a/c/fan thing..does the ecm trigger the relay? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xtremerevolution Posted August 27, 2007 Author Report Share Posted August 27, 2007 IIRC the passenger side fan will kick it automatically when the a/c is on, or that's what happened in my Lumina. That's what I thought too, but last time I turned on the A/C that fan didn't come on... Let me run out and check it real quick... I don't actually remember what causes the fan to turn on, but check the relay to the fan (jump it with a paper clip or something)...there is something I'm forgetting about the a/c/fan thing..does the ecm trigger the relay? Well I know for a fact the fan usually turns on when I turn on then A/C, but the last time I turned on the A/C that fan wasn't running, so that fan might be bad... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GP1138 Posted August 27, 2007 Report Share Posted August 27, 2007 Every W-Body I've ever driven does that, but not into the red. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1990lumina Posted August 27, 2007 Report Share Posted August 27, 2007 My Lumina NEVER goes past half on the temp guage..it goes up and down between quarter and half...at half the fan(s) kick on and the temp falls to a quater very fast. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slick Posted August 28, 2007 Report Share Posted August 28, 2007 Red is not good. Rachel's regal will go to the last white tick. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Posted August 28, 2007 Report Share Posted August 28, 2007 sounds like you got a bad t-stat to me. take it out and put the 195 back in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hell_raiser Posted August 28, 2007 Report Share Posted August 28, 2007 hope your intake gaskets didnt take a shit on you . i feal your pain Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xtremerevolution Posted August 28, 2007 Author Report Share Posted August 28, 2007 The strange thing is, if its cold enough outside to where I wouldn't need to use the A/C, the engine is fine, but the moment its warm enough and I start up the blower and the A/C, the temps go up. In slot traffic and heat, if I leave the A/C off, the temp goes down . I checked to make sure, and it seems that my passenger side fan isn't spinning anymore, with or without the A/C on. So should I replace the t-stat back to a 195? Or should I get a new fan? Would a 180 degree t-stat have an effect on the passenger side fan? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1990lumina Posted August 28, 2007 Report Share Posted August 28, 2007 The t-stat shouldn't have an effect on the fan..the fan should be on regardess. Unless there is something wrong with yourr 180stat out of the box (getting stuck closed or something) it's probably better to leave it as you SHOULD be getting cooler operating temps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xtremerevolution Posted August 28, 2007 Author Report Share Posted August 28, 2007 Problem solved. There was a short in the wire that goes to the fusebox where the fuse for the fan is. The wire was open and was touching part of the car's frame, and had burned the fuse. Once I fixed that and replaced the fuse, I drove around in Chicago's 90 degree weather, and the engine stayed halfway between the 1/4 mark and 1/2 mark with the A/C on in traffic. What a relief. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Posted August 29, 2007 Report Share Posted August 29, 2007 hooray for a cheap fix!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
synistershadows Posted August 29, 2007 Report Share Posted August 29, 2007 this same kinda prob is going on with mine but so far iv just left it due to finances but maybe help? i have no A/C as of right now im thinking the system is full of air or R12 im not sure but the guys at the rad shop said its gona be at least $700 for a retrofit anyways pretty much my car just runs at this temp constantly and OCCASIONALLY when i go up a hill it SOMETIMES goes doen ti 1/4 but not often one fan works i know the other i dunno buta yeah help would be appretiated. sorry for stealin the thread had one of my own goin but noone replyed this is where my temp sits Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.