Hey guys i did some searching and couldnt really find any good answers on here. I bought a 180 degree thermostat for my car, i dont like that it runs normal around 220, i havent put it in yet. I was wondering if anyone else has done this and if they had any problems afterwards like running rich, etc.

 

i got a 160 with no problems

 

Well if your good with a 160 i should be fine with the 180, any reason you went with a 160 over 180?

 

160 will richen up the mixture. When i put a 180 in my mileage got better.

 

Your fan should come on about 15 degrees after your thermostat rating , for example a 160 thermostat, the fan should come on at 176. The chip should be modified for this change.

 

do they make a fan thermostat switch that comes on at a lower temp to replace the stock one?

 

you can try the hypertech one, on at 176/ off at 166 or if you have a 180 thermo use the on at 200/off at 185 switch.

 

yeah change the switch. a 180 is fine. 160 is too low. keeps the car in open loop burning up uneccesary gasoline

 

I agree. My mileage even went up when i switched to a 180 stat.

 

well im gettin 19mpg in city drivin with the stock t-stat, i might try and put it in today, if not next weekend.

 

180 is what Ive been running for the last 5 years. Seems to be the perfect middle ground for me. Not to cold and not to hot. Just right.

 

i run a 195 at the moment but will also move to a 180 soon. In this northern CA heat (90-100*) the highest i hit was 203 in traffic on the freeway.

 

The thermostat controls the MINIMUM operating temperature, it does NOT control the maximum temperature.

If you're changing the thermostat because the operating temperature is more than 15 degrees above the thermostat rating...and the thermostat is not actually defective...you're changing the WRONG THING.

 

I would highly recommend getting a 180* thermostat and more importantly a 185* on/170* off thermal fan switch.(this is the big plug on the passenger side engine under the exhaust with one wire going to it. WARNING: it plugs the cooling system, so expect fluid to come out. During the summer about 105* in cali i can drive aggressively and it will stay around 180 all day...maybe creeps to 190 if i'm going up a steep grade for a long period of time.

 

So tell him what he needs to do to fix the problem

 

BE CAREFUL with the bolts you are going to take out..i had to change my intake cause i broke a bolt and decided to drill it out and then use i screw extrcter which broke too.. you live and you learn.haha

 

The "problem" is that you aren't used to newer engines running that hot. There's a REALLY GOOD CHANCE that it's completely normal. With electric fans, the running temperature may be more than 15 degrees above the thermostat rating until the fans bring the temp back down. (depends on what temperature rating the fan thermostat is; or how the ECM is programmed.) It would be worth your trouble to ensure that the fan(s) work properly and engage at the temperature the engineers have set. Nothing like defective temp senders or burnt-out fan motors to create overheating problems--and that isn't fixed by installing a lower-temperature thermostat.

If everything else including coolant level and the radiator pressure cap checks out OK, and if you insist on "fixing" what isn't broken, your best bet is to change the temperature that the fan(s) engage. If that doesn't get you what you want, you'll need to install the 180 thermostat, and lower the fan engagement temperature again.

 

he wants it to run cooler so your advice is what we already said