Operating temp Question

[Bob Wooten]

I have a 98 Grand Prix, 3.8L NA motor.  I was noticing that it appears to
run cold.  how hot is it supposed to run?

the gauge looks like this.  the "--->" is where the temp sits most of the
time.

260 ------
       ---
       ---
       ---
       ---
       ---
     -----
       ---
       ---
       ---
       ---
       ---
210  -----
       ---
       ---
       ---
       ---
       ---
-->  -----
       ---
       ---
       ---
       ---
       ---
160  -----


If I take (210-160)/2 + 160 this indicates that the motor is running @ 185.
this seems to be pretty darn cold considering that this is a 98 model car.
my 71 came with a 185 stat, I would think that this car would tend to want
to run warmer, maybe 210 or so where the middle of the gauge is.
unfortunately I don't have a scanner for the car, so I don't know what the
ECM thinks the temp is, but it seems to be quite happy.

it also appears that that the ECM controls the voltage to the cooling fans.
when it gets up @ just above this 185 point both of the fans come on, but
they only draw a small amount of air.  I cant imagine that this is all these
fans can pull, so I am guessing that it has a DAC or something that it
outputs to the fans to control how much air they pull. am I way off base or
what?

Boy, these new fangled cars gots all kind O stuff in dem.

Bob Wooten
r71chevy at earthlink.net
www.r71camaro.homestead.com

----- End of forwarded message from owner-diy_efi at diy-efi.org -----
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
To unsubscribe from diy_efi, send "unsubscribe diy_efi" (without the quotes)
in the body of a message (not the subject) to majordomo at lists.diy-efi.org