What is a average water temp when engine running at idle warm? I notice that my water temperature averages 210- 212 F at the highest point when parked waiting line in the parking lot to pick up my kid from school. When I creep up it gets down to 208 F. When I leave the parking lot it gets to 204 F. I get the readings from my Ultra Gauge. The stock gauge sits in the center as I mostly pay attention to the Ultra Gauge.

The level in the overflow is at the top. I have not seen any leaks or white smoke. The oil dip stick shows not water mixing.

I need a base line temperature when to really react. Right now I'm just curious having not had to deal w/a head gasket... yet. I have just under 51k mileage.

Thanks-

 

Should be in 190's when under way. Check your fan clutch, when warm, and truck TURNED OFF, spin blade by hand. If it goes more than one revolution, clutch has lost internal fluid that makes it work properly. You could also be low on coolant, need radiator flushed, need thermostat cleaned out or replaced, belt route could be wrong, and water pump could be dying. Agreed you will get better info from Ultra Gauge.

Pix of dexcool sludge in radiator, metering holes clogged in D2 stat, ultra gauge of an overheating D2. See https://landroverforums.com/forum/ro...ht=Ultra+Gauge for pix of normal ultra gauge readings

 

you are probably fine. Watching the scan gauge or the like, will drive you nuts and lead to your early demise. I used my Innova gauge and was always concerned with the slightest jump in temp. I finally took it out of the truck and only use it to check friends' cel. I now drive with a smile on my face and no stress. Not that the temp isn't important, but there are those on the forum that would suggest that any temp reading over 199 requires a head gasket replacement. Simply not true. Temps on these trucks vary, even when everything is working factory new. Good luck. Phil

 

IMHO runing at elevated temps for long periods of time can leads to HG problems and other problems. The factory gauge lulls us to sleep, while a more accurate gauge allows a responsive owner to take care of little problems before they become bigger.

From the RAVE:


The thermostat is used to maintain the coolant at the optimum temperature for efficient combustion and to aid engine warm-up. The thermostat is closed at temperatures below approximately 82 °C (179°F). When the coolant temperature reaches approximately 82°C the thermostat starts to open and is fully open at approximately 96°C (204°F). In this condition the full flow of coolant is directed through the radiator.

The thermostat is exposed to 90% hot coolant from the engine on one side and 10% cold coolant returning from the radiator bottom hose on the other side. Hot coolant from the engine passes from the by-pass pipe through four sensing holes in the flow valve into a tube surrounding 90% of the thermostat sensitive area. Cold coolant returning from the engine, cooled by the radiator,

conducts through 10% of the sensitive area.

So stat being wide open would be 204F, but that is maximum flow. Why, this time of year, would you being pumping out that much heat? Maybe in summer, when towing uphill, etc. But not out enjoying the fall foliage or first snow. Now you are not in HG area, unless you have coolant loss, white smoke, milk in oil, etc. Cooling plumbing route attached.

Could be mud caked radiator fins, trash between radiator and condenser, calcium build up from using non-distilled water, Dexcool sludge, etc. But your truck is running a slight fever. And over time, it will increase.

An additive that also works is the watter wetter or puprple ice products, they are "wetting agents" (soap) that decrease the size of tiny bubbles formed by hot metal in contact with coolant. They really do work, more noticable in summer..

IMHO the D2 stat metering holes, if clogged, would raise the baseline temp of stat operation. There have been posts about this.

You bought the Ultra Gauge for just this sort of issue, now you know something is happening, and you have plenty of suggestions of free or cheap things to check, and the whole RAVE download is waiting for you in my signature panel. Some light bedtime reading for those sophisticates that enjoy "Brit Lit." Time to open the hood...

 

Last week I tested 2 D2's here in Denver and the results were about the same as yours. Stop and go was running in the 203 to 205 range, long term idling went to 206 to 206 and at highway speeds around 198 with an ambient air temp at the high 58 degree range.
For mine that was just a hair higher then this time last year and I will be replacing the viscus clutch and adding a bottle of Water Wetter soon to bring it down another 5 to 6 degrees.

 

It is a well known fact that extended idling will raise engine temp, but then once the engine fan comes on it will cool the engine back down.
Your engine temps are fine, as long as the electric fans are not coming on for aux cooling you are fine.
It makes no difference what the outside temp is, when a engine idles for extended periods it will heat up, does not matter if it is 100 or 20.
Unless it is facing the wind and the wind chill is -whatever the engine is going to heat up.
Thats what gas engines do, diesels are another story.

 

My point, obviously mis-stated, is that rolling down the road at 40 mph plus you should expect to be under 200 degrees this time of year in the northern hemisphere. If your traveling speed base line temp is high, there is something that needs attention. It may not be major, just low coolant, obstructed radiator fins, etc. When at idle, it is nice not to hit 212. 204 driving down the road for extended time seems on the warm side. Mike's statement goes along with that, and so do photos posted by Spike.

 

my truck hit 172 the other night when i was coming down a hill at 60 and it was 24 degrees out. it was awesome... back up to 204 when i was coming up the hill.

 

The thermostat's job is to keep the coolant in a range of temperatures, not too cold, and certainly not too hot. Normally, that temperature is in the 190's when underway at modest speed (40 - 70 mph) on level ground. The fully open temp is rated at 204 degrees, once you go beyond there the thermostat no longer controls things, because it is not open/closing. Would not matter if you had a 160, a 180, or a 195 thermostat - one you are well beyond the nameplate rating you don't have much reserve cooling capacity left.

So, as an example, if you are driving at 50 mph steady today in November, and you are at 204 - 208, what will happen when you are stuck in traffic next summer? There is some little problem that needs attention. Not a stop driving the truck problem.

You know when you would expect your truck to be working harder (towing, sand hogging, long hills, Houston traffic, etc.). But if you are already at max cooling, what will happen when you need more? Likewise, if you encounter low temperature, wind chill, etc., you may have to block off part of the radiator area to keep temps normal. That's why semi's have those button up covers for the radiators.

You would question things if you had to drive around with the gas pedal on max to the floor. You should also question things if the cooling is approaching max. Of course, most of us don't have an oil PSI gauge, so we could be driving around at 10 PSI at 50 mph. Would that be OK? Well, no idiot light is on. But that doesn't make it right...

I just went out and popped a 195 stat back in my truck. Cold, it will warm up to 212 and sit there for a short time, then drop back down to 189, then back to 196, then settle on about 192 - 194 at 50 mph, 50 degrees outside. Using an electronic device (scanner) to read a mechanical function lets you see the "overshoot", etc. The thermostat is doing what it is designed to do. The baseline should be considered as what you do at moderate speed and load, at idle it will rise, but too much and that indicates other little problems, like fan clutch, dexcool sludge, etc.

 

Update-

- Coolant change was done ~3 months ago to Peak Global green w/ Water Wetter
- T-stat was changed at same time
- Bleed out air when I noticed air gurgling a few days after change
- New Serpentine belt about 4 months ago

Fan blade spins around by hand with no hessitation at hot and cold when engine is off