How cold is too cold?

[lolcantturn]

Ever since I put new gaskets everywhere after I blew my headgasket from extreme overheating, my car's been running well. However, the needle never goes past the blue now, and now that I changed it from water to anti-freeze, it barely goes past the white line before the blue!
Is this too cold? The car runs fine so it doesn't worry me..I'm just wondering if theres a side effect to this?

[stumble_t]

the sensor might be shot.
does the heat get hot?

[Dj Buttchug]

I just did a full rebuild and mine does the same thing pretty much. Mine heats up and right when the thermostat opens the temp goes back to the white line above the blue.

My stock radiator must work really well. plus im running a 2100 cfm e fan and it pulls a lot of air.

Im assuming it will be ok. car runs fine so im not gonna worry about it. Nothing wrong with a better than average cooling system. as long as you not stuck in closed loop or something which would cause shitty mileage and other issues...

[ak-]

... it from water to anti-freeze, it barely goes past the white line before the blue!

...right when the thermostat opens the temp goes back to the white line above the blue.

[lolcantturn]

the sensor might be shot.
does the heat get hot?

The heat does get hot, the sensor works well because when I saw one of my coolant hoses was letting out steam and a little bit of water the temp raised a little.

I just did a full rebuild and mine does the same thing pretty much. Mine heats up and right when the thermostat opens the temp goes back to the white line above the blue.

My stock radiator must work really well. plus im running a 2100 cfm e fan and it pulls a lot of air.

Im assuming it will be ok. car runs fine so im not gonna worry about it. Nothing wrong with a better than average cooling system. as long as you not stuck in closed loop or something which would cause shitty mileage and other issues...

Same here..mine heats up at a nice progressive rate, then the therm opens up and stays in one place.
I don't have a stock radiator though, but I have a stock fan and a new water pump.
I get 15MPG city according to the OBC.

[Adrian_Visser]

Which thermostat did you use? stock is 88*C, maybe you got a 76*C thermostat by mistake.

[CorvallisBMW]

ugh.....

Yes there is something very very wrong with BOTH of your cars (OP and buttchug). A car should sit at 1/2 temp ALL THE TIME, regardless of your new radiator/gaskets/whatever the fuck you put on there. The job of the thermostat is to keep the engine at a CONSTANT temperature. If you're running too cold that means your thermostat is stuck open and allowing too much coolant in to your radiator.

So either you forgot to put in your thermostat, it's stuck open, or you bought the wrong one. Fix it or you'll get shitty mileage, ruin your plugs, get water condensate build-up in your oil, shorten the life of your motor, never pass emissions and a whole clusterfuck of other things.

[dreamchasin]

ugh.....

Yes there is something very very wrong with BOTH of your cars (OP and buttchug). A car should sit at 1/2 temp ALL THE TIME, regardless of your new radiator/gaskets/whatever the fuck you put on there. The job of the thermostat is to keep the engine at a CONSTANT temperature. If you're running too cold that means your thermostat is stuck open and allowing too much coolant in to your radiator.

So either you forgot to put in your thermostat, it's stuck open, or you bought the wrong one. Fix it or you'll get shitty mileage, ruin your plugs, get water condensate build-up in your oil, shorten the life of your motor, never pass emissions and a whole clusterfuck of other things.

I've seen many m20s, never once did I did one that sat at half.

[lennon]

I've seen many m20s, never once did I did one that sat at half.

never once did you did one? true. well every one (and basically any car) that's in proper condition sits at halfway.

[matt]

It might be a little to either side of halfway, but it should never run fully cold.

You will cause accelerated engine wear running that cold.

[Wh33lhop]

Your car should not be running cold because of your radiator. Maybe a tiny bit colder if you've got a much bigger radiator (like a few degrees on the temp gauge) but if you are not even getting hot enough to register on the temp gauge that points to either your gauge/sensor or your thermostat. Even some new thermostats have been known to stick open.

[lolcantturn]

Well, the thermostat I have I bought from a local franchise auto store...
on the website it says its rated to open at 180 Degrees? lol wut ?

[dreamchasin]

never once did you did one? true. well every one (and basically any car) that's in proper condition sits at halfway.

My fault, been up for 32 hours. No I have never seen one that sat at half. When I had the m20 in my ETA it was in perfect running state, never went above 1/4. Until the headgasket blew, but that was because I failed to put a new fan clutch in.

[lolcantturn]

My fault, been up for 32 hours. No I have never seen one that sat at half. When I had the m20 in my ETA it was in perfect running state, never went above 1/4. Until the headgasket blew, but that was because I failed to put a new fan clutch in.

very interesting hmm. it didnt have negative effects on your engine? how was gas mileage?

[dreamchasin]

very interesting hmm. it didnt have negative effects on your engine? how was gas mileage?

18-25. It was chipped, and I don't have a light foot.

EDIT: no it had no negative effects whatsoever. I drove an hour and a half away beating on it the whole time up crazy long steep hills and all. Then an hour and a half of beating the way home.