Through my searches, I have found a general dislike towards 160 thermostats but here's my real set of questions…

Could dummy cats (straight pipes) and a 160 deg t-stat cause low cylinder temperatures?

The reason I am asking is that I am having a plug fouling problem and I’m wondering if this could be the cause.

The service manual states that a plug one step hotter could be used to alleviate plug fouling so if the above is true, should I go maybe two steps hotter?

I also have an SLP chip (I know, I know, get a custom chip.) and I was under the impression that a 160 t-stat had to be used with it.

Last question, where can you get the numbers for a hotter plug?
I’ve been to all the local stores and they have no clue what I’m talking about.
All I get is “We just carry stock applications”.

Thanks,

Scott

 

I can tell you the whole problem is that SLP chip. I had one as part of my SLP Performance Package and my laptop showed a BLM of 109. Then burned a custom based off the stock AXXF and it instantly jumped up to like 125.

The SLP chip is junk. I still have the bin on my computer though for the heck of it. I hacked up the MEM-CAL to install a 29C256 chip into it...

 

I know what you mean about the low blm's. Mine have been at 108 ever since I've owned a scanner.

What I don't get is that I have had this car for about 11 years and never had this kind of issue. These problems only started when I "replaced" my cats and since I was reading about 160 t-stats, I though the two might be related.

 

If they are 108, then the car is taking out as much fuel as it possibly can, and maybe not getting enough out, thus causing the fouling of the plugs. You got serious tuning issues there IMO, if its pegged at 108.

I run a 160 down in TN and you won't hear me complain...

 

I know, that's why I asked the question

I've been running a 160 for my entire ownership of the car with no problems.

This only started to happen after my cats were cleaned out so maybe that combined with the low t-stat is giving me low combustion chamber temps and not letting my plugs self clean themselves and fouling and misfiring and bringing my BLM's into the low 100's.

Tuneup so far consists of Distributer, coil, cap & rotor, wires and plugs (which foul), air filter, fuel filter and a pcv valve.

Basically, I want to buy a set of plugs a step or two above the stock setting but I can’t find any and also, I just thought I'd toss my theory out to see what came back.

 

Any other opinions/ideas?

 

you 02 sensor isn't getting hot enough. it's never reaching 600 deg. your running in open loop and your car thinks it's way to cold. you cat runs at around 1400 deg. your o2 to run optimaly needs to be at 600 the car ussaly provides some heat back to the o2 sensor to get it hotter. they sell a fake signal for it so you can adjust the a/f ratio and it just plughs into were you o2 senso would in the wireing harness sends a fake signal saying the 02 sensor is warm and you can adjust that to how you want it. or buy a heated 02 sensor.

 

I should have mentioned that I have one of those and I do go into closed loop.