Engine running "too cold" possibly?

I've got a 180* t-stat installed, non-drilled.

This winter, the car had TROUBLE heating up. If I let the car sit in one place, it would eventually creep up to around 200*, and the heater would blow hot. But once I got the car moving, the temp would drop down to the big notch right in between 100* and 200*, which has got to be *150.

My regular operation temperature seems to hover around one small notch right above 150*. Couldn't be more than 160*.

Today, it was kinda warm (high 50s) and the car is still running this cold. I thought it was the really low air temperatures that were causing this, but now I'm curious as to what the hell is going on.

To be honest, my car is acting like my Regal did when I ran a 180* drilled t-stat. Car didn't like to heat up in the winter.

Any ideas?

Sounds like the thermostat needs replacing. It's sticking partially open.
Replace with another 180*. Try a new one and see what happens.

i agree with rick. thats what it sounds like. BTW this is off topic, try using a 195 with 4 3/16" holes in it. lol you wont have any heat. thats what i have, in upstate NY. but who need heat. its so over rated

Corey, how low is your temp gauge reading that you do not have any heat?

The fact it is a 180 is not the problem. It's either sticking open, or maybe you are Waaaaayyyyy overdue for a system flush. But I'd think that would make you run warm... Cheap/first option is to swap in a new 180. My winters are a lot colder than yours. I run a 180 non-drilled, high flow tstat from NAPA. I warm up normally and stick at 180-185, as my fans keep it from going higher.

Okay, I'll swap out a fresh 180* t-stat. Dave, what was the brand you purchased? I'll look for the same one.

I've never had the coolant system flushed, but like everyone said, that wouldn't make the car run COOLER.

I'll get on this job this weekend.

I don't recall the manufacturer... sorry. SuperStat maybe? It's not a NAPA cheapie, but not expensive either.

How long have you been driving the Riv? Running the Dexcool or the generic green stuff? Should think about a flush & fill every 2-3 yrs.

I know I'm late on this, but you've perfectly described a stuck open thermostat.

I've been driving the car for a little over two years now. I don't know how to flush the system, is it something that I should be doing myself, or have someone else do it?

Also, I'm running the Dexcool orangish colored stuff.

Just draining the radiator and refilling with new coolant annually will do good things for your cooling system. You don't need to 'flush' as long as you replace a good portion of the coolant periodically. Otherwise you are almost better off taking it to a shop that can flush it for you. I find that draining the system, filling it with that 'flush' stuff and water, running it, draining again, filling with water, draining again... leaves you with a large amount of leftover, contaminated coolant that you can't just pour down the drain. I think you are better off to have it flushed somewhere instead.

FWIW I have read an awful lot of bad things about DexCool lately, and I'm going to start using the green stuff next time I have coolant out of my car.

Another good reason to have it flushed professionally, they usually do a pressure check and use a temporary chemical to clean out rust and deposits before the flush.

I need to get this coolant flush done, and I also want to get the brake fluid completely flushed and replaced.

I think I know just the guy for the job... (don't worry, it's not me).

AA wrote:

Corey, how low is your temp gauge reading that you do not have any heat?

its never goes above the 1/8th mark

That's bad, man. Better get it fixed (only $10) to prevent some damage later on.

palermocorey90 wrote:

AA wrote:

Corey, how low is your temp gauge reading that you do not have any heat?

its never goes above the 1/8th mark

You sure there is even a thermostat in there?

Bert

with a 180 thermo and no EGR, my car rarely stays above 1/8th on the temp gauge and I still got a decent heater.

You guys running cold are flirting with disaster, imo. From Cobra Valley Balanced T-stat page:



Text info:

"The all too commonly used 160 degree thermostat is way too low to be considered for performance or engine longevity. As the chart illustrates, engine wear increased by double at 160, than at 185 degrees. So then, why do the 160's exist in the first place? The 160's were commonly used in older, open loop cooling systems where only 6 pound radiator caps were used, and low 212 degree boiling points were experienced.

In contrast, modern cooling systems can see upwards of 260 degrees in coolant temperature with radiator pressures exceeding 45 pounds. Many early hot rodders found the 160's to be better performing than the 190's, however, the in between "180" appears to satisfy both ends of the spectrum. The correct water temperature is required for the cylinders to achieve a minimum specific temperature in order to allow a fully homogenized Air/Fuel mixture to combust efficiently. Guess what the minimum number is… right! 180 degrees.

Even so, you might see some still recommending the lower 160's, for no other reason than to possibly get that last drop of horsepower out, at the high price of dramatically reducing the life of the engine and it's internal components."

I replaced my thermostat with a Stant Superstat 180* - car heated right up to 180* no problem, coolant flowing just fine. Maintained that temperature all day.

Yeah, problem solved. Thanks everyone!