rcode

can anyone tell me what the acceptable temp is cruising at say 60mph i am running 205 deg f at all hiway speeds and think it might be too hot. just burped the air from the sys and relalized the thermostat is rated for 170 deg f so 30 deg higher seems a bit much . plus i have YET to see the main fan come on EVER but it works with the ac engaged at what temp are they suppose to come on. thanks lee

ezone

The original thermostat is supposed to begin opening around 170F, then be fully open by around 194F (90C).

Similar ratings on my own car only mine is fully open at 203F (95C), and when traveling on the e-way and interstate my ultragauge shows the ECT anywhere from 197-203ish F. If there is a car too close in front of me for very long (tailgating/drafting LOL) the temp may go a little higher due to reduced air flow.

.....so IMO your 205 may not be far out of line considering some age and small variations in sensor accuracy or thermostat accuracy, BUT if you had to burp your cooling system, then where did that burp come from?



If the cooling system becomes too low on coolant then the running temp can rise within the engine cylinder head area (and therefore be read as 'too hot' by the ECT)---but by the time that overheated liquid passes through the radiator and reaches the fan switch it's been cooled enough to not need to turn on the fans.

Even on a good day it can take a damn long time before the fans need to run, and any breeze blowing through the radiator can keep it cool enough to greatly delay or completely negate needing to run the fans.

If you can hold on to the bottom radiator hose with your bare hand, it's not hot enough to run the fans! (7th gen fan switch turns on around 203 F, but it senses the coolant temp coming from the bottom radiator hose--it's not the same as the ECT that the engine computer uses)

rcode

i changed the timing belt and waterpump about 5000 miles ago and am not sure if i got all the air out then.my temp at 70mph before the burp was 235 deg f so now thats at least more liveable at 205 deg f... i did a compression test and they went from 220-225lbs at 190 deg f. when i burped the sys with the funnel setup it took about 10 min at different rpms to get it to stop bubbling then i ran it another ten min at diff rpms and no bubbles showed up but its taking forever to get up to temp and in town its dropping below 170deg f. so its looking like a thermostat next then poss a hg if all else fails.thanks for you advice ezone its saving me a ton of time....lee