so my car is running at about 215-220 depending it goes up and down whats the normal operating temp on these cars during the summer?

my car runs just over 200, about 203.

That is too hot! Your ECU starts pulling timing at 206, IIRC.

I don't understand the ecu is doing? what and what is IIFC ? I'm new to this so how do i fix it?

I would try a 180* T-stat did great for me i stay around 190 to 203 and that's at bandimere

If you have DSM LINK and can run your fans all the time I would get a 180 deg T-stat and if you dont have link get a 160 deg and that should help alot

turbotsi4life said:

I don't understand the ecu is doing? what and what is IIFC ? I'm new to this so how do i fix it?

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At a certain temperature, the ECU retards the timing advance....essentially lowering the power of your car because it is too hot.

IIRC means, If I Remember Correctly. My motor blew last summer, so I haven't dealt with it all for a while, to remember the exact temperature where it becomes an issue.

Is it running hot on the highway or in traffic? Do you have an aftermarket intercooler? Stock fans? What ratio of water to coolant are you running? Really...the OEM thermostat should be fine.

So i do have fmic and i am running stock fans and 50-50 anti freeze with a wetter additive and its running around 215-220 what kind of t-stat should i buy and where from (locally) im putting a stock exhaust on on monday so i can pass emissions so i can have it put in then

Lower temp termostat isnt going to help shit.
A 160, 180 degree and 190 degree thermostats are all fully open at 200 degrees..... so how is that going to lower your temps?

If you are over heating/hot at idle then you have a lack of airflow. If you have big gaps around the radiator and front cowling, then the air is going to go around or recirulated at low speed instead of having cool air sucked in and forced through the radiator.

What Seth said! That's what I was getting at....

Most likely the problem is your intercooler is blocking flow to your radiator....I am assuming you ditched all the stock ducting in the front bumper when you installed it? That stuff actually did something. You need to get air forced through your radiator.

Ok i dont think the fmic is the problem it was on there when i bought the car and this high temp problem only started 2 wks ago i have had the car 3 months

Is your water pump going out? and or are your fans even turning on?
+1 with the stock T-stat should work fine. I would only run a lower one if you wanted coor temps at idle and so forth.

turbotsi4life said:

Ok i dont think the fmic is the problem it was on there when i bought the car and this high temp problem only started 2 wks ago i have had the car 3 months

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It has been pretty warm lately. Try just replacing the thermostat with a stock temp one.

The fans are coming on correct?

So the water pump is new and i just put on a 170 deg t-stat and its still running way to hot any body Know how to run both fans to a relay so it would work kinda like dsmlink until i get v3 (running all the time) im ok with that.....

Is the return pipe from the radiator hot or is it noticeably cooler?
And is it running hot after cruising on the highway for a couple miles?

It is allways hot but it gets hotter on the highway in traffic its about 210 and highway it hits 220 but when i use this kids dsm link and have my fan allways on its 190 tops so i want to wire her up to run my fans pulling air thru the radiator until i can get my own dsm link

Shouldnt need the fan on the highway, fans cant even pull anything close to the amount air that should be passing through the radiator on the highway.

Having the fans on all the time is a crappy baindaid fix, and not fixing the actual cause.

If you are running hot while cruising on the highway, then you either have some really bad airflow issues to the radiator, or your water pump isnt moving enough water for some reason.

Its more then likely one of these things;
Lack of airflow to radiator do to missing shrouding or blocking by frontmount.
Low on coolant
Bad water pump
Blockage in radiator

When you say blockage in the radiator what do you mean?
how do i get more air to the radiator with my front mount on there?
So my car running like this is effecting my emissions huh?

I need some help man and im broke but i dont want to hurt my car so if you can help me Sbiqqi
please

sorry to bump but today i used my a/c for the first time since i have owned the car.
my temp always runs 170-180 well today when i turned on my a/c running down the interstate my temp went from running 170/180 to 205 is this normal. if i stop the temp slowly starts to drop back to normal.

I am having a hard time believe that dsms are not supposed to run at 206.

Can anybody cite an FSM that states timing is pulled at 206+ or cite the ECU code that states this, or is it more dsm myth?