Thermostat stuck open?
#1
12-20-2013 | 01:29 AM
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Joined: Nov 2013
Posts: 358
Likes: 11
From: Timmins, Ontario, Canada
Thermostat stuck open?
Sorry in advance for all the questions.
I noticed that my temp gauge stays pretty low, about a third to halfway between the C and the mid line). It would normally be slightly lower then the mid line with proper warm up and driving around. I also noticed it last week but that's when it was at it's coldest outside, and the engine temp dropped after coming off the highway and idling at a stoplight waiting for it to change. I watched it drop when i was stopped at the light. It was very cold and the truck sat at the airport all day. So cold that when i pulled out of the airport, i couldn't get the truck to shift into 4th until i was almost back in town. I found it funny that it dropped almost to the C line when i stopped, but it's been a little cold, I was still getting good heat from the heater at the time.
Ok, it's been pretty cold this past week, -28 C, -36 with the windchill, but today it was a nice and warm -14 C and it's still doing it. I still got good heat in the cabin, and the engine temp never went higher then half way between the C and the midline.
Does this sound like the thermostat being stuck open? If so, what manufacturer and part number would you recommend i put into my 3.7. If it helps, I would most likely pick it up at Partsource, Napa or Canadian Tire. And am i reading this right, the t-stat is in the bottom radiator hose, not in the top like i'm used to.
I'm looking to do an e-fan this spring. Should i put a stock t-stat now and do a 180 when i do the e-fan. Since it's winter, and i'm still getting good heat, would it be ok if i wait a while to do the t-stat, and do my e-fan at the same time (late winter, early spring, before it goes above 0 C in the daytime). I'm currently unemployed, so money is tight, especially now that i've done my Christmas shopping for my family. If i get the job i interviewed for recently, or the one i'm interviewing for in a few weeks, i'll be able to pay a shop to do the t-stat and the e-fan for me. Not that i can't do it myself, but i would rather have an actual mechanic do it so i have some kind of warranty on the labour, not just on the parts. It wont be at the stealership, i was quoted over $300 just to replace the t-stat today when i asked if the t-stat was covered under the powertrain warranty (which it isn't).
At least he told me that removing the clutch fan and installing an e-fan doesn't void the powertrain warranty, it would only void if the reason for needing the warranty was due to "external overheating". He tried to tell me that the transmission is cooled by the clutch fan somehow. This was coming from the service manager.
I noticed that my temp gauge stays pretty low, about a third to halfway between the C and the mid line). It would normally be slightly lower then the mid line with proper warm up and driving around. I also noticed it last week but that's when it was at it's coldest outside, and the engine temp dropped after coming off the highway and idling at a stoplight waiting for it to change. I watched it drop when i was stopped at the light. It was very cold and the truck sat at the airport all day. So cold that when i pulled out of the airport, i couldn't get the truck to shift into 4th until i was almost back in town. I found it funny that it dropped almost to the C line when i stopped, but it's been a little cold, I was still getting good heat from the heater at the time.
Ok, it's been pretty cold this past week, -28 C, -36 with the windchill, but today it was a nice and warm -14 C and it's still doing it. I still got good heat in the cabin, and the engine temp never went higher then half way between the C and the midline.
Does this sound like the thermostat being stuck open? If so, what manufacturer and part number would you recommend i put into my 3.7. If it helps, I would most likely pick it up at Partsource, Napa or Canadian Tire. And am i reading this right, the t-stat is in the bottom radiator hose, not in the top like i'm used to.
I'm looking to do an e-fan this spring. Should i put a stock t-stat now and do a 180 when i do the e-fan. Since it's winter, and i'm still getting good heat, would it be ok if i wait a while to do the t-stat, and do my e-fan at the same time (late winter, early spring, before it goes above 0 C in the daytime). I'm currently unemployed, so money is tight, especially now that i've done my Christmas shopping for my family. If i get the job i interviewed for recently, or the one i'm interviewing for in a few weeks, i'll be able to pay a shop to do the t-stat and the e-fan for me. Not that i can't do it myself, but i would rather have an actual mechanic do it so i have some kind of warranty on the labour, not just on the parts. It wont be at the stealership, i was quoted over $300 just to replace the t-stat today when i asked if the t-stat was covered under the powertrain warranty (which it isn't).
At least he told me that removing the clutch fan and installing an e-fan doesn't void the powertrain warranty, it would only void if the reason for needing the warranty was due to "external overheating". He tried to tell me that the transmission is cooled by the clutch fan somehow. This was coming from the service manager.
#2
12-20-2013 | 11:24 AM
All Star
Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 783
Likes: 0
From: Eastside Tucson AZ
A lot of verbiage to ask a few simple questions.
First, it ain't broke, don't fix it. Automotive (factory) gauges are notoriously inaccurate. If you're really worried about the low temp on the gauge, go to a decent independent garage or radiator shop and ask them to take a temp reading of the engine to see what your coolant temp really is. They'll use an laser, non-contact thermometer to do it.
Two, don't mess with the thermostat temp. Your truck requires a narrow band of operating temp to run efficiently and to control emissions. Yes, we really should worry about emissions--and your relatively new truck probably runs very clean.
Three, imho, don't convert to an e-fan. If your 3.7 uses a fan clutch and mechanical fan, it works optimally for your engine and is likely to be reliable for the next 2 or 3 hundred thousand miles. An e-fan doesn't improve throttle response or fuel mileage and it isn't a whole lot quieter than a mechanical fan. My experience on my '96, with a 5.2 V8, I took the e-fan off and tossed it in the trash.
If you're determined to spend some loot, have the truck detailed, washed, and waxed. You'll get more benefit from a clean, shiny truck than most anything you can do under the hood.
First, it ain't broke, don't fix it. Automotive (factory) gauges are notoriously inaccurate. If you're really worried about the low temp on the gauge, go to a decent independent garage or radiator shop and ask them to take a temp reading of the engine to see what your coolant temp really is. They'll use an laser, non-contact thermometer to do it.
Two, don't mess with the thermostat temp. Your truck requires a narrow band of operating temp to run efficiently and to control emissions. Yes, we really should worry about emissions--and your relatively new truck probably runs very clean.
Three, imho, don't convert to an e-fan. If your 3.7 uses a fan clutch and mechanical fan, it works optimally for your engine and is likely to be reliable for the next 2 or 3 hundred thousand miles. An e-fan doesn't improve throttle response or fuel mileage and it isn't a whole lot quieter than a mechanical fan. My experience on my '96, with a 5.2 V8, I took the e-fan off and tossed it in the trash.
If you're determined to spend some loot, have the truck detailed, washed, and waxed. You'll get more benefit from a clean, shiny truck than most anything you can do under the hood.
#3
12-20-2013 | 09:46 PM
Record Breaker
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 1,191
Likes: 1
From: Nova Scotia, CANADA
A lot of verbiage to ask a few simple questions.
First, it ain't broke, don't fix it. Automotive (factory) gauges are notoriously inaccurate. If you're really worried about the low temp on the gauge, go to a decent independent garage or radiator shop and ask them to take a temp reading of the engine to see what your coolant temp really is. They'll use an laser, non-contact thermometer to do it.
Two, don't mess with the thermostat temp. Your truck requires a narrow band of operating temp to run efficiently and to control emissions. Yes, we really should worry about emissions--and your relatively new truck probably runs very clean.
Three, imho, don't convert to an e-fan. If your 3.7 uses a fan clutch and mechanical fan, it works optimally for your engine and is likely to be reliable for the next 2 or 3 hundred thousand miles. An e-fan doesn't improve throttle response or fuel mileage and it isn't a whole lot quieter than a mechanical fan. My experience on my '96, with a 5.2 V8, I took the e-fan off and tossed it in the trash.
If you're determined to spend some loot, have the truck detailed, washed, and waxed. You'll get more benefit from a clean, shiny truck than most anything you can do under the hood.
First, it ain't broke, don't fix it. Automotive (factory) gauges are notoriously inaccurate. If you're really worried about the low temp on the gauge, go to a decent independent garage or radiator shop and ask them to take a temp reading of the engine to see what your coolant temp really is. They'll use an laser, non-contact thermometer to do it.
Two, don't mess with the thermostat temp. Your truck requires a narrow band of operating temp to run efficiently and to control emissions. Yes, we really should worry about emissions--and your relatively new truck probably runs very clean.
Three, imho, don't convert to an e-fan. If your 3.7 uses a fan clutch and mechanical fan, it works optimally for your engine and is likely to be reliable for the next 2 or 3 hundred thousand miles. An e-fan doesn't improve throttle response or fuel mileage and it isn't a whole lot quieter than a mechanical fan. My experience on my '96, with a 5.2 V8, I took the e-fan off and tossed it in the trash.
If you're determined to spend some loot, have the truck detailed, washed, and waxed. You'll get more benefit from a clean, shiny truck than most anything you can do under the hood.
The E-Fan does increase throttle response according to the people who have done it on their gen 3's.
And owning a 3.7L, I can guarantee it would increase both response and fuel economy, and I can say a E-Fan would be alot quieter (depending on fan) then the Mech Fan.
#4
12-21-2013 | 09:12 AM
All Star
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 759
Likes: 17
From: Ottawa, Ontario Canada
I have started using my remote start for a few minutes just before I go out when it is below 0C. It warms the tranny fluid a bit to help with early shifting.
As I recall, Timmins airport isn't too far from anywhere you can drive, so it might not have had time to warm up properly.
#5
12-22-2013 | 12:38 AM
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Joined: Nov 2013
Posts: 358
Likes: 11
From: Timmins, Ontario, Canada
That's right, the airport is not that far, about 16 KM from my home or about 12 KM or so of highway before I hit the city streets when I noticed the drop in temp the first time, and the truck was running for about 10 minutes before I left the airport. I don't remember if I have the towing package which would have the transmission cooler in the rad. I would have to check it tomorrow and see if the lines are there or not.
I just found the drop strange, as I haven't noticed it and this is be my third winter with the truck, but i never paid attention to the temp gauge that much until that one red light 2 weeks ago. Yesterday it seemed to warm up fully for the first time since I've been paying attention, and again it dropped very quickly when I stopped at a red light. I'll keep an eye on it and if it seems to be getting worse i'll replace the thermostat at that time, for now it doesn't seem to be hurting anything. I'm looking to replace the clutch fan for an e-fan in the spring anyways, and the truck should be around 50 000 KM's by spring. So when I do my next oil change, i'll do a full antifreeze swap, replace my t-stat (it's only a few bucks anyways for peace of mind), do my e-fan all at the same time.
I just found the drop strange, as I haven't noticed it and this is be my third winter with the truck, but i never paid attention to the temp gauge that much until that one red light 2 weeks ago. Yesterday it seemed to warm up fully for the first time since I've been paying attention, and again it dropped very quickly when I stopped at a red light. I'll keep an eye on it and if it seems to be getting worse i'll replace the thermostat at that time, for now it doesn't seem to be hurting anything. I'm looking to replace the clutch fan for an e-fan in the spring anyways, and the truck should be around 50 000 KM's by spring. So when I do my next oil change, i'll do a full antifreeze swap, replace my t-stat (it's only a few bucks anyways for peace of mind), do my e-fan all at the same time.