At some point in the near future I'm going to flush coolant and put in a new thermostat. I currently use dexcool and have zero issues but want to play it safe. Operating temps for me are generally 175-185, hit 190 or so sometimes in the summer.

Does it make sense for me to still go ahead and get the PEL500110 thermostat that lowers operating temps or would that be harmful based on my current temps? I've got enough problems without creating any...

thanks

 

Your temps now are really good how are you measuring them ? I just put in my 180 stat and I'm running 193 to 198 and its 0 Celsius out
As far as the coolant it's easy to change over to the green stuff and cheap so I would just do it When I took out the dexcool it was a rusty colour dirty and its only 40 k old

 

I was running in the 175-185 range a month or so ago and it turned out my thermostat was stuck open. After installing a new thermostat my temps went up in the 215 range in no time. Turned out I had a clogged radiator and somehow between it and my broken thermostat I was running much cooler than I am now. I'm staying between 194-198 now with a new radiator and 180 stat.

Not trying to worry you at all about your cooling system, it could just be alot better than mine. Just trying to say if you decide to change your thermostat and your temps go up I wouldn't be surprised if it's the same case as mine.

 

Yeah!!! Those are some nice temps, Im at 195.8F after my new 180 thermostat and new coolant

 

How are you reading your temp? To me your temps are a sign of a partially stuck open stat 175&185° are lower than normal operating temp on a D II should be closer to 188° to 195° ish

 

Mine are 196 avg with the 180 stat I wish I had the ultra gage when I had my old stat prob runing 205 210 not sure. I don't know why they call it 180 stat if it still runs at 195. Unless that's a industry standard 15 degrees above set point

 

It just opens fully at 180degrees, the rest is up to the cooling system.

 

A good point is raised, in the US stats are normally marked for temp where they start to open, and fully open is about 15 degrees beyond that. The D2 thrmostat, mounted in a chamber of horrors buffeted by fan blast, won't track exactly to the temp sensor inside the manifold full of hot coolant fresh out of the engine block. Once the stat is fully open, it has no control over the situation, the radiator is all that is left. Does not mean you are overheated. Just means you have gotten to the edge where the thermostat has no impact because it is wide open. Now if the radiator is sludged up, temps may continue to rise. If you are warm this time of year, what will cooling system do when it gets really hot in the summer?

 

Makes me wonder what the temps are like in the summer b

 

i've got an ultra gauge, and i watched it more closely today. didn't have to drive too far but it is running closer to 181-185 around town. maybe it is stuck but i was wrong about the 175, didn't see it hit that low after it got hot. got up to 188 on a big hill.

my hoses are in excellent shape (look brand new), head gaskets recently done and while i know dexcool is evil mine has never looked bad and i never lose any coolant anywhere.