OK, this week i noticed that while sitting in traffic the temp goes from the mid point between 100 and 220 which i'm told it about 180 (which is the rating of my thermostat) to 1 or 2 hashes above 220. When i get going it drops some but it just started doing this. Takes it about 40-50 minutes before it starts doing it.

What gives? I'd planned on chaning all the cooling companents in the car already as everything is still original. And I'd just like the piece of mind of not relying on almost 14 year old parts.

 

First thing i would check, as im having troubles with my cooling system too, is to make sure the fan is working. i dont know if you would have single or double or what but i found out my fan quit so yours might of too. I found a relay near the battery to be the problem for me. havnt got a new one yet though.

 

Dude, if its original cooling system change it. The car was ment to run up to about 220 and than drop down. Anything that goes over 220 there is something wrong. Especially with a 180 thermo. Try drilling a tiny hole in the thermo. It will eliminate the raise to 220 and the drop down. it'll just go up to 180. Now if there are some more problems I would check the fan. If its warming up when standing than the fan is not working, or not properly working. I highly recomend a switch so you can turn it on earlier. Also, I'd backflush the system, just get the back flush kit from checkers or autozone and cut into the heater core line, the one that goes into the heater core (the kit will tell you). Hook up a garden hose to it and go to town. That will clean up your system like no other. If everything else is good than you should not have any problems for a while.

P.S. A new water pump always helps, belive me! Get a bosch heavy duty water pump for 50 bucks from pepboys and you will be happy. I was!

 

Thanks for the info guys.
The transmission went out on the car, so I'm getting that fixed now, I'll try and replace flush the system when i get the car back and go from there, since that should be the cheapest thing to try.

 

sounds like all you need is a new thermostat. i put a 195 in mine and it solved all the problems. a 195 will let the coolant stay in the radiator longer.

 

Your transmission just fried... likely because it overheated... and now you're concerned with doing the cheapest thing possible to fix the cooling system?...

Flush system, replace thermostat (for Dallas I'd reccomend a 170-180 degree thermostat, GM dealership parts counters will have the 170), install a manual fan switch (all it takes is setting up a switch to supply ground to the trigger wire of the fan relay)...... every engine cooling modification I do is first and foremost with the transmission's health in mind.

 

Both fans were wired to run all the time when i got the car. It also has a new thermostat(180) that has less than 5,000 miles on it.