Wsup guys, thought id make a secondary post since this is an entirely different problem. Bought my 3.4 at 55k mileage, and theres more issues with it than i anticipated. My car gets really hot. Im told 180-200 F is normal running conditions. But when im in the hottest conditions for the car (10min of traffic), the car gets to about 220-230F. Thats about 3/4 of the way on the meter, a little too close to the redzone. The car gets hot pretty fast, even after about 15min of driving. Now on the highway im safe, the air damn seems to do its job well and the temperature reads only about 185F (1/3 of the way on the meter). Its as soon as i hit the red light district where i come to a stop that it gradually gets pretty high.

I checked the other night to see if my fan was working. I let the car idle for a bit and waited for it to get hot and see if the fan started up. Well, it did start up, but it seems to start up late. Starts up at around 220-230, the hottest the car seems to get, and the temperature doesnt decrease once the fan is going. Should the fan be starting up this late?

Im curious as to what i can change to ensure that my car stays at a decent temperature throughout the whole ride.

Thnx guys

 

The first thing that iw ould change is your thermostat. You can put in a 180-160degree stat if you want to , you can get it anywhere. Also, i would flush your coolant systen, Flush and Clean it , i used the prestone super flush , its a little yellow bottle with an abrasive cleaner in it, and also i would add the Royal Purple Ice coolant additive. Follow the instructions, its a little annoying and time consuming, but well worth the time and effort, my car runs nice and cool now, also remember to suck all the **** fluid out of your over-flow tank. That should get everything really clean and run like it should.


Flush/Cleaner http://www.prestone.com/products/coo...Treatments.php

Royal Purple Ice http://www.synerlec.com/prodsa/prpice.html

180-160 degree thermostat http://www.performance-air-filters.c...amp;partid=178

 

Awesome, thnx for the info, i also noticed i got a nice bug collection goin around the top of the radiator.

 

If it's hot out and you have the AC on and your in slow traffic it is not unusual for it to go to 235 degrees. At least with the 3.8L. It was designed that way for fuel efficieny. Mine has always done that. I keep it clean and the system works fine. I have tried out other 3.8 camaros in similar conditions and they all do the same. I know some guys who have put in 180 thermos or just taken them out and then had their check engine light come on all the time. I've checked with lots of people and 235 is not unusual or abnormal It is scary when it happens and of course it should not go over that. I put in AutoMeter pillar guages which are more accurate and they sometimes read 235 but never over that.

 

Go install the Prestone Flush Kit -- makes things easier, and only a few bucks at Wal Mart and couple minutes to install...

 

I took out the Dexcool and put in the green stuff. Lots of people arund here have been having problems with it. Gets gummy and yucky. Not sure why that is. Very few people around here are happy with it.

 

The temp you are seeing is normal for these cars, the fans are set to come on around around 225 and go off around 217. Therefore, when the car is not moving the temp will rise to 225 and never go below 217. When the car is moving at highway speed, the air rammed into the radiator will cause the temp to drop down to the thermostat setting, around 180.

 

You could always try a Fan Control Switch (might find it cheaper on eBay or elsewhere, though):

http://www.slponline.com/view_product.asp?P=63011



"Today's engines are built to run hotter-for reasons unrelated to performance! The higher temperatures mean less aggressive spark lead timing and lower advance curves or knock sensors, which retard timing at high engine loads to prevent detonation. If you run it hot, performance goes downhill. Stock cooling fans are set to activate at 215° F, too hot for high performance use. The easiest ways to optimize the performance of your car is to run it at a lower operating temperature. To combat high-operating temperatures, SLP Performance Parts developed an easy-to-install Fan Control Switch. This switch allows you to turn your car's electric coolant fans on manually, yet still retain stock fan operation. So, if you're sitting in traffic or at the track waiting in the staging lanes between rounds, you can click on your fans early to keep your engine operating efficiently and producing as much power as possible. Lowering your engine's operating temperature will not only increase performance, it will add reliability and longer engine life, decreasing the stress caused by heat fatigue. All necessary hardware and instructions for an easy plug-in installation are included with this part."

 

If your Dexcool is getting gummy & yucky, you are likely not flushing your system on a regular basis -- also try a Super Flush (citric acid based) - Prestone has one...

I actually switched from the green stuff to Dex-Cool on my '95 3.4L, which didn't originally recommend it.