Correct Engine Running Temperature?

[Matt M PA]

I remember much talk about this in the past, yet cannot remember exactly what the "right" answer is. Where should the Temp gauge read on my 2000 GTS? (If memory serves me, the manual says anyplace but in the red is okay.)

It was around 75 degrees tonight, and while cruising the gauge seemed to hover around 190-200. When driving slowly through town, or stopped, it would rise about halfway or a bit more towards the 225 mark. I have never seen it go past 225 regardless of the outside temp. It only just dips below 190 when cruising for about a mile..and then, it is not even the needle width away.

Before it was put away for the winter, I seem to remember it running at the same temps.

So, what exactly is "normal"? Should I be concerned about the known water pump issue? I doubt it is a "burping" problem as the Wizard had to do that after the 999 recall.

Thanks folks.

One more thing that may-may not matter. The heater blows HOT out of the floor vents. I thought that a good hot heater could mean a good water pump.

 

[V10 MOJO]

sounds fine to me

 

[Ron Hickey]

Your temperature gauge is neither consistent nor accurate. If you had a DRB hooked up and it was constantly displaying the coolant temperature from the engine computer, you would see that there's not a lot of correlation between what the gauge reads and what the computer says. According to the service manual (2001), with the A/C off, the fan comes on low at 207 degrees, high at 216. It shuts off at 199. Listen for the fan operation and note the gauge when it comes on and then comes on high. You may notice that it doesn't always come on at the same reading on the gauge. But the DRB would show that the fan is working exactly like it's supposed to. I've done these tests with a PDA running the Ease Diagnostics (Roe Racing). I've noticed that with the needle at what I call the "3/4 mark" on the gauge (you called it 225), I've seen the coolant temperature read as low as 214.

 

[Newport Viper]

My car the gauge reads high, compared with the real temp on the DRB.