Car running hot.
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From: Chi-Town
Car running hot.
I was driving the 96 SSEi on the highway today and noticed that the engine temperature easily went up to and past 200 F. I think I stopped at 3 stoplights, not really close to each other, and when I stopped at the third it went to the first tick after 200. This is unusual since my 93 is running COOL, and it was only 75 degrees out. The A/C was off and my coolant is full. Advice? 
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Also Pull the Radiator cover and clean the Radiator Fins with water, there may be some dirt trapped in there impeding air flow to the radiator...
Also everyone keep in mind that the 96-99 SC Bonnies Not so friendly Thin core radiator
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Also everyone keep in mind that the 96-99 SC Bonnies Not so friendly Thin core radiator
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From: Chi-Town
Forgot to mention, I do have a 180 degree drilled thermostat. Coolant was changed last year in July, so I sill have about another year on the fluid. Radiator was hosed down a couple of months ago.
The engine only kept cool when I turned on the A/C, it went down just a little bit below 200. Im wondering if my water pump is going out since its still original.
The engine only kept cool when I turned on the A/C, it went down just a little bit below 200. Im wondering if my water pump is going out since its still original.
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Its Possible... But with the Thinner radiator the car can heat up a bit..
My Car had the Radiator on the bottom... I replaced it with the unit on the top..
Your car has the unit on the bottom, unless it has already been replaced.. Cooling ability is not great with this radiator and an SC engine... You will notice it heating up depending on the situation.. Also part of the reason some do the Fan Override...
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My Car had the Radiator on the bottom... I replaced it with the unit on the top..
Your car has the unit on the bottom, unless it has already been replaced.. Cooling ability is not great with this radiator and an SC engine... You will notice it heating up depending on the situation.. Also part of the reason some do the Fan Override...
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From: London, Ontario, Canada
I hope you dont mind me putting my 2 cents worth in here. I thought I was having a problem with my car running to hot. I run a 198 degree stat in mine and noticed the fans were not kicking on. They came on only when A/C on. I hooked up my MODIS and after some detective work discovered that GM cars run hot normally. My fans come on at 105 celsius (221F).
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We do know that GM has it set so that the fans come on at 220ish...
He has a 180F thermostat, and in the cooler weather he'* starting to have it should be harder to heat up so quick...
I live in FL and hardly ever see 200F as I run a 180F thermostat and a Heavy Duty Radiator..
The Fan turn on can also be changed for him.. But we want to make sure the radiator is able to flow air through it to be able to cool off..
This also is not the first time we have seen these issues with the stock radiator, Some have gone to a larger radiator for this very reason..
Through 1995, if you had an SC Bonneville you got Heavy Duty Cooling, which included a beefy 1.25" cooling core as well as an oil cooler and a AUX tranny cooler.... Later years had neither and came with the standard core radiator..
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He has a 180F thermostat, and in the cooler weather he'* starting to have it should be harder to heat up so quick...
I live in FL and hardly ever see 200F as I run a 180F thermostat and a Heavy Duty Radiator..
The Fan turn on can also be changed for him.. But we want to make sure the radiator is able to flow air through it to be able to cool off..
This also is not the first time we have seen these issues with the stock radiator, Some have gone to a larger radiator for this very reason..
Through 1995, if you had an SC Bonneville you got Heavy Duty Cooling, which included a beefy 1.25" cooling core as well as an oil cooler and a AUX tranny cooler.... Later years had neither and came with the standard core radiator..
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From: Chi-Town
Originally Posted by jr's3800
He has a 180F thermostat, and in the cooler weather he'* starting to have it should be harder to heat up so quick...
Looks like its normal for my car considering that radiator. Id install an override switch but id need a more permanent solution (moms not gonna know when to turn it on
), and moneys' short. Its less than a year before I graduate from college, hence (hopefully) less than a year before I get my first paycheck, therefore less than a year before I can do anything major to the car like a thicker radiator which I have been eying.Id like to bring up another thing if I may: I've spun my pulleys and the water pump seems to spin freely, though "stepping" like when you spin an electric motor. I did notice however that my tensioner pulley doesn't spin freely, I feel slight resistance, yet its only 20k old. Is that normal?
Sorry for long post but I love to talk alot.
