The past few weeks, I've been reading way too much about engine coolant temps, trying to determine whether or not my '96 is running hot. It certainly seemed to be, in city traffic, A/C on, and the needle on the stock gauge routinely parked over the "L" in NORMAL. I mean it, I'd been up till barbaric hours of the mornings, reading about what temps are normal for the serpent. Finally, I picked up an SCT tuner, and did a few data-logs on my laptop, in ambient temperatures of about 87 degrees, in pretty high humidity.
My average running temperature was around 204 degrees in stop and go city traffic, with the A/C on. At this temperature, my stock gauge needle was at the beginning of "A" on the dial. Sitting still, the needle rose to the end of "L." Here's the shocker: as it turns out, with the needle at the end of "L," we're talking actual temperatures of only about 216 degrees, maximum. I've confirmed this temperature at the crossover coolant pipe with my infrared thermometer gun--although this temperature differs quite a bit, depending on where on the pipe you aim the device.
Anyhow, my thoughts on this whole experiment:
1. These temperatures are perfectly fine, with 216 as a max.
2. My stock gauge is a drama queen, prone to hysterics and hyperbole.
3. Once the gauge reaches the middle, it begins to speak in loud terms of rather tiny changes. On my gauge, the needle moving from the end of the letter "M" to the end of the letter "L," only represents about an 8-10 degree change in actual coolant temperature.
4. The sensitivity of the stock gauge varies widely from one car to the next. A cat on another forum (maybe it was this one) was animate that by the time the stock gauge reaches "L," your coolant temperature is 250 degrees, and that you've not only warped your heads, but destroyed your marriage and all your friendships, lost your job, and that anything remotely pleasurable in your life, from there on, will be swiftly replaced by excruciating pain. Maybe I'm exaggerating a little, too...but my temps are nowhere near 250 with the needle on "L".
Anyhow, does anyone have any thoughts or experience on any of this? Thanks.
My average running temperature was around 204 degrees in stop and go city traffic, with the A/C on. At this temperature, my stock gauge needle was at the beginning of "A" on the dial. Sitting still, the needle rose to the end of "L." Here's the shocker: as it turns out, with the needle at the end of "L," we're talking actual temperatures of only about 216 degrees, maximum. I've confirmed this temperature at the crossover coolant pipe with my infrared thermometer gun--although this temperature differs quite a bit, depending on where on the pipe you aim the device.
Anyhow, my thoughts on this whole experiment:
1. These temperatures are perfectly fine, with 216 as a max.
2. My stock gauge is a drama queen, prone to hysterics and hyperbole.
3. Once the gauge reaches the middle, it begins to speak in loud terms of rather tiny changes. On my gauge, the needle moving from the end of the letter "M" to the end of the letter "L," only represents about an 8-10 degree change in actual coolant temperature.
4. The sensitivity of the stock gauge varies widely from one car to the next. A cat on another forum (maybe it was this one) was animate that by the time the stock gauge reaches "L," your coolant temperature is 250 degrees, and that you've not only warped your heads, but destroyed your marriage and all your friendships, lost your job, and that anything remotely pleasurable in your life, from there on, will be swiftly replaced by excruciating pain. Maybe I'm exaggerating a little, too...but my temps are nowhere near 250 with the needle on "L".
Anyhow, does anyone have any thoughts or experience on any of this? Thanks.
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