180 Degree vs. 195 Degree Thermostat

ericv1984

ericv1984

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At oreillyauto.com, they have a 180 degree and a 195 degree thermostat. I was wondering what is the difference and is one better then the other?

1996 Pontiac Sunfire 2.2L 4CYL.
 
your computer system is calibrated to run with a 195, so unless you modify the ecm to run with a 180, use the 195
 
melsg5 said:
your computer system is calibrated to run with a 195, so unless you modify the ecm to run with a 180, use the 195
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Thank you. The car has been running a little hotter then usual. I was wondering, is that a sign of the thermostat going bad?
 
I also did a radiator flush about 1-2 months ago and just filled up the radiator coolant yesterday.
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if you filled up the coolant yesterday, you either have a leak or when you flushed it you left air in the system
 
melsg5 said:
if you filled up the coolant yesterday, you either have a leak or when you flushed it you left air in the system
Click to expand...

I just bled the coolant system. Left the coolant cap off with the car running and the heater on high (so the car could get up to running temp. faster) for 15 minutes. I read that there will be bubbles in the coolant canister and to turn the car off when the bubbles stop and top off the coolant then replace the cap. But, there were no bubbles. So maybe a leak then? But if there was a leak, wouldn't I need to top off the coolant every now and then from it leaking out? Cause the level of the coolant never seems to get any lower then it's at right now. And I haven't put anymore coolant in since the last time I did, which was almost two months ago.
 
As you indicate there is no leak since you didnt have to put any more coolant in. So how high is the temperature going?
 
melsg5 said:
As you indicate there is no leak since you didnt have to put any more coolant in. So how high is the temperature going?
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Well the needle on the temp gauge slowly goes up, if I am in stop and go traffic, and it will overheat unless I put the heater on high.

Like today for instance, there was an accident on the way home from picking up my gf from work. I was at the light sitting there a little while (the stop light cycled all the way through 5 or 6 times), maybe about 10 minutes. And I had to turn my heater on high until I was able to get going again. When I turned the heater on high, the needle was just under the yellow mark.
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Is your cooling fan coming on? It shouldn't go any higher then about 3/4 of the way up before the fan kicks on.
 
The engine overheating at red lights and such is a good sign that your fans arent working. instead of turning the heat on, turn the a/c on and this should over-ride the fans and kick them on. if not, then there is likely a bad fuse in the fuse box under the hood. if the fuses are good, have the relays tested. is there a check engine light on? if so, scan the codes and see if there is anything related to the cooling fan.

and as for the 180 degree vs the 195 degree thermostat. you can run the 180 without and repercussions. worst case scenerio it will throw a code in the winter for staying in closed loop too long. It will do no damage to the engine and you will likely see a power increase as the engine is staying cooler. I ran a 180 degree thermostat in my '93 Dodge Dakota and it loves it. My gf now has the truck, and that thermostat's been in it for 2 1/2 years now and its never had a problem. I actually just found out theres a 180 degree thermostat for my '99 Olds Alero, so I'm gunna be putting one in this payday. They are more beneficial than anything. I highly suggest a 180 degree thermostat!!!
 
2000SunfireGT said:
The engine overheating at red lights and such is a good sign that your fans arent working. instead of turning the heat on, turn the a/c on and this should over-ride the fans and kick them on. if not, then there is likely a bad fuse in the fuse box under the hood. if the fuses are good, have the relays tested. is there a check engine light on? if so, scan the codes and see if there is anything related to the cooling fan.

and as for the 180 degree vs the 195 degree thermostat. you can run the 180 without and repercussions. worst case scenerio it will throw a code in the winter for staying in closed loop too long. It will do no damage to the engine and you will likely see a power increase as the engine is staying cooler. I ran a 180 degree thermostat in my '93 Dodge Dakota and it loves it. My gf now has the truck, and that thermostat's been in it for 2 1/2 years now and its never had a problem. I actually just found out theres a 180 degree thermostat for my '99 Olds Alero, so I'm gunna be putting one in this payday. They are more beneficial than anything. I highly suggest a 180 degree thermostat!!!
Click to expand...

I do have a CEL but for a cylinder 1 misfire, nothing related to the cooling system. I had the fuses and relays tested, they are all good. The connector that plugs into the cooling fan is a little fried, so I was thinking that needed to be replaced but the mechanic tested it and it's still getting power. He also tested the motor and the fan kicked on so I don't know.
 
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