Did a coolant flush, added "green stuff", forgot to top off reservoir - Page 2 - Camaro5 Chevy Camaro Forum / Camaro ZL1, SS and V6 Forums

Black_SS10 · 03-08-2020, 06:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Teeth

To answer, since I got distracted last night.

It is running on the stock thermostat, and it was suggested that I do get the 160 degreethat, which I'll probably get here soon enough.

The car can barely stay in idle traffic for a minute or two without sending my coolant, oil and trans gauges up in temp, which is really bothering me since I do have auxiliary coolers just for the oil and trans. I'll do some more looking into it, I'm just really worried about the car.

It gets really bad when I come off of highway speeds and into any normal street...

Up in temp, you mean more than normal and climbing?

Are you fans even kicking on? It could be an air pocket, but usually they work themselves out. Are you having to top off your coolant quite often? Are both the upper and lower radiator hoses hot? Maybe a stuck thermostat. No matter what T-stat is used it shouldnt get that hot. What does your oil look like? I honestly wouldn't drive it until you figure it out.

Teeth · 03-08-2020, 06:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Black_SS10

Up in temp, you mean more than normal and climbing?

Are you fans even kicking on? It could be an air pocket, but usually they work themselves out. Are you having to top off your coolant quite often? Are both the upper and lower radiator hoses hot? Maybe a stuck thermostat. No matter what T-stat is used it shouldnt get that hot. What does your oil look like? I honestly wouldn't drive it until you figure it out.

I dont have much of a choice since it is my daily now. The temps get higher and higher it seems, climbing at the worst times

Thinking I need a better Tstat for sure... My coolant is doing well enough, I'll go out and buy another gallon since I ran out of the last one. I can hear the fans working hard when I shut off the car.

Black_SS10 · 03-08-2020, 08:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Teeth

I dont have much of a choice since it is my daily now. The temps get higher and higher it seems, climbing at the worst times

Thinking I need a better Tstat for sure... My coolant is doing well enough, I'll go out and buy another gallon since I ran out of the last one. I can hear the fans working hard when I shut off the car.

So you're constantly adding coolant??? That shouldn't be happening! Who did your cam?!?! I would be taking it back to them. Did you check your oil and make sure it doesn't look like a vanilla milkshake? A 160 stat will help with lowering temps, but only if the rest of the cooling system is working properly.

rdavis · 03-08-2020, 08:57 PM

Call me crazy, but I run a 180 stat with lowered fan settings. Works great. When moving runs at a solid 183. In traffic runs the mid 190s. Didn't want to go too cold.

Black_SS10 · 03-08-2020, 09:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rdavis

Call me crazy, but I run a 180 stat with lowered fan settings. Works great. When moving runs at a solid 183. In traffic runs the mid 190s. Didn't want to go too cold.

That's not crazy. I don't see below 190 or above 200 with a 160 stat and my fan settings.

Teeth · 03-08-2020, 11:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Black_SS10

So you're constantly adding coolant??? That shouldn't be happening! Who did your cam?!?! I would be taking it back to them. Did you check your oil and make sure it doesn't look like a vanilla milkshake? A 160 stat will help with lowering temps, but only if the rest of the cooling system is working properly.

Sooo....my fans never turn on I figured. lol

And no, I have coolant in the thing now, the oil is fine and so are all the other fluids.

I think I just need a better Tstat for the car since I'm running this sort of setup, everything is fine at highway speed. But then my next question is why is my foot getting so hot when the car is on?

Black_SS10 · 03-09-2020, 05:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Teeth

Sooo....my fans never turn on I figured. lol

And no, I have coolant in the thing now, the oil is fine and so are all the other fluids.

I think I just need a better Tstat for the car since I'm running this sort of setup, everything is fine at highway speed. But then my next question is why is my foot getting so hot when the car is on?

Even with a factory Tstat, the car shouldn't get that hot. You didn't do much in mods that would create more heat that the factory system can't handle. There's something wrong. If when you're not moving and you're heating up, maybe your fans are coming on at too high a temp.

What do you mean your foot is getting hot? Do you have the air on?

Teeth · 03-09-2020, 10:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Black_SS10

Even with a factory Tstat, the car shouldn't get that hot. You didn't do much in mods that would create more heat that the factory system can't handle. There's something wrong. If when you're not moving and you're heating up, maybe your fans are coming on at too high a temp.

What do you mean your foot is getting hot? Do you have the air on?

I have the AC on, but that shouldn't make my feet hot at all, it gets worse when the car runs hotter. I know I need a replacement oil cooler for the engine, but would that really increase the heat so much?

Greenhornet2 · 03-09-2020, 10:54 AM

Ok rifling through this, Teeth it sounds like your fan's are not working at all. That is a problem you must have your fans operational for slow speeds and stopped driving, get that fixed asap. A Tstat won't help any of that if your fans are not working. a 160 degree seems kinda pointless, I have one and the cooling system doesn't have the ability to keep it that cool, I run about 180, so 180 Tstat would be fine. As far as your foot getting hot, how hot are we talking? You are now running headers and if they aren't ceramic coated headers run HOT and can actually glow under WOT and that could be what you are feeling especially if you removed and heat shielding.

Avenging Orange · 03-09-2020, 03:40 PM

Why is it so hard to get a simple answer? I think it has been asked many times what kind of coolant temps are you getting when you say 'higher'?

pyroguy · 03-09-2020, 08:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MrChrisLS3

The basic reasoning behind Dex-Cool is that it is a phosphate and silica based chemical, rather than ethelyne glycol, like the green stuff.

Dex-cool is used because it inhibits corrosion in aluminum engines and engines with aluminum parts. The green stuff will change color in an iron block but will not change color in an aluminum engine, when it starts to corrode.

The downside to Dex-Cool is that it will sludge when exposed to air, and of course, if combined with the green stuff.

Dex-Cool got a bad rap in the late 1990's and early 2000's when it was discovered, or blamed for intake gasket failures on certain V6 engines that had coolant flowing through the intake.

Is better to go green? I would say no, not really. The Dex-Cool is purposed for aluminum engines, engines that are designed to run hotter than the old school iron blocks. The system in the aluminum engine is a high pressure system, which also inhibits the coolant from reaching the boiling point.

Also, given what can happen if you switch to the ethylene Glycol coolant with out completely, totally, and absolutely flushing the engine of the Dex-Cool and any residual silicates, I would say staying cool with Dex is the way to go.

If temps in the engine are hotter than normal, it's because there is an issue in the system. Changing the coolant is not going to fix that.

But that's just how I look at it.

Pretty comprehensive summary of the bad press DexCool got. I've not been a big fan since I replaced intake manifold gaskets on a '98 Grand Am 3.1L V6, '00 Blazer 4.3L V6, '01 Impala 3.8L V6, and found out that the '02 Grand Am 3.4L V6 I bought at the time had just had the gaskets replaced for the same reason.

I wouldn't go so far as to say with air it sludges either, but I definitely agree with the "Green" and DexCool playing well together. The radiator shop I went to saw the issue regularly and heavily advised that if converting to be sure that ALL of the DexCool was out before converting to "Green".

Quote:

Originally Posted by Avenging Orange

Why is it so hard to get a simple answer? I think it has been asked many times what kind of coolant temps are you getting when you say 'higher'?

I was wondering the same thing as to specific numbers of "higher". 200*F is higher than normal, but still in standard operating temps. However, 200*F on a 160*F thermostat is reason for concern.

Teeth · 03-09-2020, 09:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Greenhornet2

Ok rifling through this, Teeth it sounds like your fan's are not working at all. That is a problem you must have your fans operational for slow speeds and stopped driving, get that fixed asap. A Tstat won't help any of that if your fans are not working. a 160 degree seems kinda pointless, I have one and the cooling system doesn't have the ability to keep it that cool, I run about 180, so 180 Tstat would be fine. As far as your foot getting hot, how hot are we talking? You are now running headers and if they aren't ceramic coated headers run HOT and can actually glow under WOT and that could be what you are feeling especially if you removed and heat shielding.

It probably just is my headers getting hot. I don't think there is enough heat shielding by my feet now that I think of it

Quote:

Originally Posted by Avenging Orange

Why is it so hard to get a simple answer? I think it has been asked many times what kind of coolant temps are you getting when you say 'higher'?

240F

ariZona28 · 03-09-2020, 10:04 PM

240 is pretty darn hot for casual driving, even in traffic. I think you need to do some basic troubleshooting before you cook your engine. All air out of system. Fans coming on and spinning in correct direction, note temp they come on. Fans coming on with AC selected. Good airflow through radiator. T-stat opening. Ignition timing correct. I've had to do some pretty hillbilly tricks on other vehicle types trying to figure hot issues including driving with no hood and 12v direct to fans for temporary full time operation. I wouldn't drive your Camaro for transpo until problem is fixed and I would definitely not run the AC. Get a rental or something. You live in AZ, you need to fix this soon before the weather gets toasty.

Aqua Blue RS/SS · 03-09-2020, 10:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Teeth

I dont have much of a choice since it is my daily now. The temps get higher and higher it seems, climbing at the worst times

Thinking I need a better Tstat for sure... My coolant is doing well enough, I'll go out and buy another gallon since I ran out of the last one. I can hear the fans working hard when I shut off the car.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Teeth

Sooo....my fans never turn on I figured. lol

How do you hear the fans working hard but they’re not coming on at all? Most of this thread doesn’t make any sense...

03-08-2020, 08:57 PM	#18
rdavis Drives: 2012 SS Join Date: Feb 2016 Location: Lubbock Texas Posts: 121	Call me crazy, but I run a 180 stat with lowered fan settings. Works great. When moving runs at a solid 183. In traffic runs the mid 190s. Didn't want to go too cold. __________________ 2012 2SS/RS 6speed, Howards asa cam on 113lsa Stainless works LT's, NPP exhaust, Z28 Cai, 3.91 gears. Tuned by Blue Thunder 2 racing Lubbock Texas.

03-09-2020, 10:54 AM	#23
Greenhornet2 Drives: 2011 Camaro 2SS LS3 Whipple Join Date: May 2019 Location: Connecticut Posts: 1,925	Ok rifling through this, Teeth it sounds like your fan's are not working at all. That is a problem you must have your fans operational for slow speeds and stopped driving, get that fixed asap. A Tstat won't help any of that if your fans are not working. a 160 degree seems kinda pointless, I have one and the cooling system doesn't have the ability to keep it that cool, I run about 180, so 180 Tstat would be fine. As far as your foot getting hot, how hot are we talking? You are now running headers and if they aren't ceramic coated headers run HOT and can actually glow under WOT and that could be what you are feeling especially if you removed and heat shielding. __________________ Whipple 2.9 CAI ID1050x injectors ZL1 Pump JRE FPCM JMS Voltage booster JRE Rough Idle blower cam BTR .660 springs CHE trunnion kit 1 7/8 Speed Engineering Borla Atak JRE scoop 1.5" lowering springs BMR trailing arms and toe links Cradle inserts 704WHP 603WTQ 93 octane

03-09-2020, 03:40 PM	#24
Avenging Orange Drives: 2010 Inferno Orange 2SS/RS Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Clermont, IN Posts: 3,297	Why is it so hard to get a simple answer? I think it has been asked many times what kind of coolant temps are you getting when you say 'higher'? __________________ 2010 Inferno Orange 2SS/RS M6 Black Leather, Sun Roof, OBX Headers, Borla touring axle back, Cold Air Inductions CAI , non synthetic fluids, BMR total bushing upgrade/1" lowering springs, DSE 32mm rear sway bar. GM fe4 shocks/struts/LCA's, AAM 3.91 diff, Vertini RFS1.8 20x9 +30. Conti ExtremeContact Sport 275/35/20. sjm autoprod ABL dash kit. Mike Norris tuned 413/419. Avenging Orange: 43 years of not buying into the Hype........and damn proud of it!! https://youtu.be/9JD9it6SmB8 https://youtu.be/xmelTlEzI34 KICKING CANCERS ASS SINCE 2015!!

03-09-2020, 10:04 PM	#27
ariZona28 Give speed a chance Drives: 2015 Camaro 2LS, 2015 Camaro Z/28 Join Date: Nov 2019 Location: Mesa, Az Posts: 2,225	240 is pretty darn hot for casual driving, even in traffic. I think you need to do some basic troubleshooting before you cook your engine. All air out of system. Fans coming on and spinning in correct direction, note temp they come on. Fans coming on with AC selected. Good airflow through radiator. T-stat opening. Ignition timing correct. I've had to do some pretty hillbilly tricks on other vehicle types trying to figure hot issues including driving with no hood and 12v direct to fans for temporary full time operation. I wouldn't drive your Camaro for transpo until problem is fixed and I would definitely not run the AC. Get a rental or something. You live in AZ, you need to fix this soon before the weather gets toasty.