160 Thermostat Hypertech question

[6speedTAthistime]

I just install the 160 thermostat in my 2002 trans am. The temp still sits right below 210. There doesn't seem to be any change. does this happen because of the dummy switch that only shows overheat condition? Or should it read lower?

any bit of help is appreciated.

[chieftransam]

i have this same problem..

[dlbrando]

a 160 degree thermo just opens up at 160, witout the rest of your cooling system backing it up it won't really make a difference. IE: changing fan settings to come on sooner, better radiator, get the crap out from infront of the rad.

Personally I dont really agree with changing thermo temps. Unless you are running a power adder that benifits from it (FI/N20), AND your car is tuned to run correctly. The thermostat doesn't keep your engine cool, it keeps your engine warm enough to run correctly. Messing with it without a tune does goofy stuff like ruining fuel economy because your computer never goes into a closed loop.

[sunsetorangess]

a 160 degree thermo just opens up at 160, witout the rest of your cooling system backing it up it won't really make a difference. IE: changing fan settings to come on sooner, better radiator, get the crap out from infront of the rad.

Personally I dont really agree with changing thermo temps. Unless you are running a power adder that benifits from it (FI/N20), AND your car is tuned to run correctly. The thermostat doesn't keep your engine cool, it keeps your engine warm enough to run correctly. Messing with it without a tune does goofy stuff like ruining fuel economy because your computer never goes into a closed loop.

yepp, He speaks the truth, unless you tell your computer its there your just wasting your time.
J

[6speedTAthistime]

I'm getting tuned monday, and the tuner told me to get a 160 thermostat. i just thought that it would be a little cooler then the stock thermostat.

But i see what you are saying.

Thanks for your help

I'll see what happens after the tune.
thanks again

[01Z28M6]

Opening the coolant flow sooner and turning the fans on earlier help to ensure that you do not reach the 220+ degrees that happens in hot weather and slow traffic. Lower temps are required when tuners optimize your air/fuel and timing. When these hottest temperatures occur your ignition timing will be retarded because within your PCM are tables that associate engine temperature with performance to protect your engine from detonation (knock). By cooling your engine a little more the PCM can keep your timing in the better performance matrix where it can maintain more timing advance to improve performance and fuel economy. Fuel economy is usually not mentioned with a cooler running engine because this is considered a performance modification and higher octane fuel is used for a more aggressive driving style.

This modification isn't much different than driving your car on a cool day as opposed to a hot one and that should give you some idea of its potential and effect. There is a point where being too cool will keep your engine in a commanded closed loop mode where a/f stoichiometric is not achieved and the engine oil cannot become hot enough to purge away fuel contaminants. Generally a 160° thermostat and lower fan-on temps do not cause this. Removing a thermostat altogether does....

[dlbrando]

not sure, ls1 stock is what like a 185 thermo. I went through this on a jeep forum and it took a Jeep tech to convince people of it. Granted, a jeep runs a 195 thermo so the radical change to a 160 will cause it to dump fuel in order to warm the engine up to its correct operating temp. I have a friend who is going through this now, and when he switched back to a temp range within his computers limits his gas milage and power magically increased again.

Running too cold a thermo, no thermo, and one that flows much faster than designed can all cause your car to run hotter, or not well at all. The last two can actually run hotter because the coolant doesnt spend enough time in the radiator to dissipate heat, flows too fast.

[SSTODD]

Your gage is basically a "dummy gage" so it will not show that change from 187 to 160. But the computer knows and that is the reason a tune is needed.

[Sarge]

Stock tstat and fan settings resulted n 205-210 for me.
160 Tstat and lower fan temps turn on resulted in 190 temps very consistantly....unless I just sit in traffic all day and themn it goes up to 210 again.....the biggest thing you can do is have the fans come on at like 180.....

[gbenz]

Where do you take car to get tuned? Do they have a dyno as well? I am in the Cincy area as well!

[sreve]

put a 180* in mine, gauge still reads 210* although i can see the change with a scan tool. the only gauge half way right is the speedo.

[9t8z28]

I'm getting tuned monday, and the tuner told me to get a 160 thermostat. i just thought that it would be a little cooler then the stock thermostat.

But i see what you are saying.

Thanks for your help

I'll see what happens after the tune.
thanks again

After the tune, I would suggest switching back to the stock stat. You are gonna use so much gas with the low stat.

[9t8z28]

I think 98 F-bodys are the only ones that read somewhat close to actual temp.

[mrr23]

After the tune, I would suggest switching back to the stock stat. You are gonna use so much gas with the low stat.

why? mine doesn't use anymore with the lower t-stat.

[9t8z28]

why? mine doesn't use anymore with the lower t-stat.

You are in Florida where it is warm and he is in Ohio where it is cold. The engine needs some heat so that it can run efficient in the cold.

[mrr23]

so, because you are up north, you should put the factory 210* t-stat back in?

[9t8z28]

so, because you are up north, you should put the factory 210* t-stat back in?

I am not sure if the factory stat is 210*, but Harris Speed Works suggested putting the factory stat back in for the winter months.

I was getting horrible gas mileage and the engine wouldn't heat up. It would run around 160*, I would have to let it idle for a long time, then when I started driving it dropped way to low.

I put the factory stat back in and it warms up faster and stays at around
175* and my gas mileage is back to normal.

[mrr23]

ah, now we're narrowing down the reason why. for the winter months, put it back in.

[9t8z28]

ah, now we're narrowing down the reason why. for the winter months, put it back in.

I don't understand your statement?

[mrr23]

After the tune, I would suggest switching back to the stock stat. You are gonna use so much gas with the low stat.

I don't understand your statement?

when you made your first statement, you didn't explain why, other than he's gonna use so much gas.

[9t8z28]

when you made your first statement, you didn't explain why, other than he's gonna use so much gas.

your right

[dlbrando]

I work at advance Auto, the the temp setting on the t-stat we list as OEM is 186*. Earlier I mentioned that you will run rich with a colder t-stat(especially if you have no tune or are in a colder area), this is because you engine thinks it is supposed to be within a set temp range and it will dump gas to try to bring engine temps up. It will never reach a closed operating loop with a t-stat that is too cold.

[6speedTAthistime]

thanks for all of your help. I dont think i'll have much of a problem in the winter months with fuel efficency since the car will be sitting in the garage collecting dust. It wont see the road again untill next spring. Of course unless we have a winter like the past where it was 60 degrees in december.

Thanks again