High coolant temp

[Paolo]

Hi everyone,so the last day i was cruising in traffic and while idling at a red light my coolant temp went to 242 degrees,and engine temp sensor got a litte over the center mark,should i be worried?

[608RS]

if you've never done a coolant flush yet, i'd recommend it. 6+years on coolant is near end of life.

[Paolo]

Originally Posted by 608RS

if you've never done a coolant flush yet, i'd recommend it. 6+years on coolant is near end of life.

Yeah,never done it,i will as soon possible then,thank you,is there a reccomended brand for coolant?on the manual i have read about dexcool

[havelegs]

Mine was up to 215 the other day at a red light and 90 degrees outside.

[hrpiii]

Originally Posted by Paolo

Yeah,never done it,i will as soon possible then,thank you,is there a reccomended brand for coolant?on the manual i have read about dexcool

that is good and will work great.

[608RS]

Originally Posted by Paolo

Yeah,never done it,i will as soon possible then,thank you,is there a reccomended brand for coolant?on the manual i have read about dexcool

Go by whatever is recommended in your manual like you said. I would also recommend doing a new thermostat too, given the age of your car. it's a cheap part and coolant will get drained regardless.

also, via italia!

[qcman]

Originally Posted by havelegs

Mine was up to 215 the other day at a red light and 90 degrees outside.

I have an L99 too. Does your tranny ever get up around 215 perhaps 220 as well? Mine does in slow moving traffic so was just curious when I saw you had a L99...

[two_wheel_mayhem]

Before you swap the coolant you need to figure out what's causing it to overheat, because 7 year old coolant will not be the cause.

It's low on coolant from a leak or something has malfunctioned such as the electric fan. Something is wrong if it hits 240 degrees, unless you are idling in the desert with the AC on high I suppose.

[pyroguy]

Watch out with Dexcool that stuff SUCKS! I've replaced intake manifold gaskets on every vehicle that came from the factory with Dexcool except my Camaro and Impala because they are too young still. If you switch make sure you get all of the Dexcool out though because that will gum up the cooling system.

[havelegs]

Originally Posted by qcman

I have an L99 too. Does your tranny ever get up around 215 perhaps 220 as well? Mine does in slow moving traffic so was just curious when I saw you had a L99...

Not sure, I don't have a gauge to tell me. I would imagine it would get pretty high especially coming into the summer months where our temps in Austin could reach 110F on some days. The normal temp in summer is around 95-100, so I could surely see this running hot but I don't think I should be concerned as the fans will be blasting away, (blasting hot air on the hot engine)

[maddoggyusa]

Originally Posted by two_wheel_mayhem

Before you swap the coolant you need to figure out what's causing it to overheat, because 7 year old coolant will not be the cause.

It's low on coolant from a leak or something has malfunctioned such as the electric fan. Something is wrong if it hits 240 degrees, unless you are idling in the desert with the AC on high I suppose.

this! my malibu has 12 year old dexcool and works fine.

[Swacer]

Mine will go up to 219 highest on a hot day with AC on, but usually is 192-194 crusing.

My tranny temp under NORMAL driving conditions doesn't see over 190.

[two_wheel_mayhem]

Originally Posted by maddoggyusa

this! my malibu has 12 year old dexcool and works fine.

You should change it though

[ron123]

Originally Posted by two_wheel_mayhem

...
It's low on coolant from a leak or something has malfunctioned such as the electric fan. Something is wrong if it hits 240 degrees, unless you are idling in the desert with the AC on high I suppose.

Agree with the two_wheel_mayhem advice. 250 degrees is around the boiling point of 50/50 mix of antifreeze and water at 14 PSI; you are getting in the danger zone of fluid loss. When it runs hot do you see the electric fans spinning fast on the radiator? Did you let the car completely cool off and then slowly remove the radiator cap to see if the coolant is at the top of the radiator neck? After that the next suspect on the list could be the thermostat.
Ron