Should I get a 82 degree thermostat?

[Mieran]

My XE gets hot in traffic even in this freezing weather and fan kicks in

Its alright when driving over 20 but as soon as its moving slowly temperature starts to rise.

I've been advised to run a 82 degree thermostat, but I was reading some threads on here and people say that you need a hot engine for it to perform well, and making run cooler will reduce mpg.

What do people think, is it a good idea to replace it or not?

Cheers

[Benn]

The car will get hotter when sitting running. When the fan comes on does the temp go down? Does it say around 95-100? The fans ment to kick in, you should be happy.

[Astra Dan]

^ What he said.
If you're worried, fit a new stat and flush out the cooling system at the same time and fill with a good strong mix of anti-freeze. If you're still concered, try a new water pump (sometimes the plastic impellor can spin on the shaft, metal ones are easily available).

[Mieran]

When the fan kicks in, temperature only goes down to 90 and then it starts heating up again.

So this cooler thermostat is a bad idea then?

The only reason I asked is because non of the cars I've owned before heat up this fast, specially not in this weather.

[slonik]

Mieran
what type of radiator do you have? air con or small one?

[Mieran]

Mieran
what type of radiator do you have? air con or small one?

I'm not 100% sure.

My Corsa used to be a 1.4 and I think it had air con.

[M/PORT]

If your not sure about it having aircon before the conversion, There a couple of way to tell.

Is your glove box shallow or is it deep and goes all the way back.

Or the 3 interior heater adjusters on the dash, One should pull out for the rear window heater and if you have air con there will two instead.

[Pitstoppete]

chappy, as the guys said u have a cooling problem that wont be cured with a lower temp stat, they are an utter waste of space.. the low temp ones are for a hot climate like Aus. when your stat is opening you havent got enough capacity to cool the coolant in this weather, you have a problem that wont go away.
u need some cooling system maintenance, test the thermostat, give it a mega flush out, have the rad out and use some viakal etc on it, 50-50 new anti-freeze/rain water and a jet wash of the rad fins wouldnt go a miss.

[Benn]

If it had ac, check to my sure the ac rad still isn't in there. But as its not going in to the red or boiling over just a clean thru should be fine. No cooler running stat needed.

[slonik]

different in radiators.

i was trying small radiator from c14nz on corsa xe and engine was warming up to fan very fast - about 3-5 minutes standing after drive. it was in spring (temp about 10-15 degrees).
later i was trying to use wide aircon rad, and car could standing more time on place and warming up more 90 very slowly, even in hot summer, on 28-30 degrees!

[Greydj]

You got a fault there. Your water is not being cooled properly. Changing the thermostat is unlikely to change anything.

With the symptoms you describe you have either got a faulty water pump or a part blocked radiator or hose. I am not sure of the pipe routing in a Corsa but if the pump has failed it is possible you wont get a good supply of hot water into the heater. When the engine is hot open the windows and put the heater on full, if the temperature of the air from the heater is already cool or drops to cool it is probably the pump, if it stays hot and reduces the engines temperature it is probably a blocked rad.

[turbo gav]

2nd on the water pump plastic fins snapped off or the metal ones rotted away. Should take a little while in traffic before the fan kicks in. You can use a 1.4 Corsa rad with a LET without any problems too.........My XE in the van runs to cold at the moment with new stat etc so had to block 1/3 of rad with cardboard lmao

[slonik]

Greydj
if his pump was really broken, his engine would be overheated very fast.

[turbo gav]

Greydj
if his pump was really broken, his engine would be overheated very fast.

There is a difference between worn and broken

[slonik]

on cali c20ne with broken pump i was overheating engine very quickly, antifreeze was boiled and fan didn't work, because fan sensor in radiator (pump didn't move coolant to rad).

When the fan kicks in, temperature only goes down to 90 and then it starts heating up again.

[slonik]

turbo gav
oh, how is it? i know it worn when it leaks

[turbo gav]

turbo gav
oh, how is it? i know it worn when it leaks

I have seen some shockingly rotten metal ones and the plastic blades were spinning on the shaft on my LET water pump.

[slonik]

turbo gav
on my c20ne i had rotor free rotating on shaft. it was metal, some cheap brand.

[Mieran]

Thanks for the advice guys.

I will look into the problem instead of replacing the stat.

[turbo gav]

Thanks for the advice guys.

I will look into the problem instead of replacing the stat.

Try everything else first but if its still getting hot look that way. Post up when you find the problem please

[Astra Dan]

Greydj
if his pump was really broken, his engine would be overheated very fast.

Not so. The example that sticks in my mind was a Corsa with a 20XE in. At legal speeds it was fine. On a track or other high speed areas it would overheat in seconds. In trafiic it was fine etc. It was only at high RPM that the blades spun on the shaft.

[Mieran]

Yesterday I was going through the paper work and receipts that came with the car and one of them was a LMF invoice for a 82 degree thermostat

I can't ask the seller if he installed it or not but is there a way of telling if its original or 82?

[Benn]

Watch the temp gauge when the stat opens....

[Mieran]

this is a stupid question but how do I know when the stat is open?

[Pitstoppete]

this is a stupid question but how do I know when the stat is open?

the top hose will/should go from warm to the touch to bl00dy hot when the gauge reads highest, stat should be opening and then the temp guage should fall a bit as the cooler coolant goes round the engine and reaches the sender for the gauge. rad might steam abit at the drivers side top area as the hot coolant starts it's way across/through the radiator.

best way to check is have it out and read the engraved lettering on it. while you have it out boil a pan of water on the stove and watch it open when u dunk it in, from a bit of string. even better, use a thermometer to determine what temperature it starts to open and at what deg.C its fully open, if it will fully open in those circumstances. std is 92/107 iirc, so it shouldnt be fully open unless its under pressure in the engine, but u will get a feel for its its opening at all and if its too early. if too early the whole engine wont warm up fully and you wont drive all the nasties/moisture/water droplets out of the oil, thass why its a 92 deg C stat as std.