Corvette Forum : DigitalCorvettes.com Corvette Forums banner

96 corvette over heats in traffic

1846 Views 17 Replies 12 Participants Last post by  cosmo
I need to turn on air conditioning to get the fan to run otherwise it overheats in hot weather if stuck in traffic. Is there 2 fans or one?
1 - 18 of 18 Posts
I had something similar happen on a 95 camaro of mine.. Apparently a code was tripping because when I took it to the dealership they found it. After a little work they had it working properly again. It wasn't too big of a deal to fix. Of course, this could be any number of other things but lets hope not :D
Check to see if there is alot of debris blocking your radiator.Sometimes leaves and crap gets caught between the radiator and the condensor coil.
You have 2 fans. They turn on "LO" at 228* & "Hi" at 238*. How hot is the engine getting, using the digital readout?
Yea, like mentioned... make sure their is no debris in front of your radiator blocking some airflow......It's also not a bad idea to have your PCM reprogramed for the fans to come on at lower temps(the factory settings are ridiculous at best) which is why most have them changed.......... www.pcmforless.com is a good place to have the PCM reprogrammed for this and a more performance oriented tune at the same time.........or hook up a manual switch to the fan relays so you can control the fans from inside the car.....these are both VERY common solutions for many overheating issues, "especially" at idle on the late C4 Vette's.....you can also run a higher mixture of water in relation to anti-freeze which will also help a good deal, as will some Redline water wetter or one of the similar cooling and lubrication products(IE: purple ice, ECT..) ............Joe:thumbsup:
See less See more
As Viscount pointed out, these cars run hotter than the older models. Temps in the high 2teens, low 2twenties is not overheating, it's normal. What does your digital readout show?
over heating 96

You have 2 fans. They turn on "LO" at 228* & "Hi" at 238*. How hot is the engine getting, using the digital readout?
The key was not checking the digital read out. Low speed fan comes on at 227. I was nervous when the temp gage went over the 3/4 mark. You set my mind at ease
The key was not checking the digital read out. Low speed fan comes on at 227. I was nervous when the temp gage went over the 3/4 mark. You set my mind at ease

The analog gauge is not linear, the half way mark is not 180* (half way between 100* and 260*), it is actually closer to "normal" operating temperature.
The key was not checking the digital read out. Low speed fan comes on at 227. I was nervous when the temp gage went over the 3/4 mark. You set my mind at ease
This happenes too me as well in my 93. I got very worried but was set to ease when I let the motor idle with no AC on and the fans came on at 230. Thats still a little high... So I think Im going to do a thermo.

Joe
wat t-stats u guys running? any high flows?
First, get underneath the front end and spray some simple green let it soke then spray the hell out of it with the hose to clean the radiator and condensor out. Then, put in a manual fan control swith, it allows you to let the computer do its thing, or over ride it and turn on one or both fans. Do both of these and your car will run a bit cooler if your still concerned put in a lower temp thermostat. Mine now runs at 180 sitting in traffic with both fans on.
wat t-stats u guys running? any high flows?
Stock.
You should get a lower temp stat that is high flow, but defintely cleaning the rad and condensor is ur #1 priority and controlof the fans!
Absolutely!
Hey guys 1 thing to keep in mind. If you change the T stat to a lower temp
you need to reprogram the prom for it. Also If you reprogram the prom to kick the fans on at lower temps it's a good idea to go to a lower temp T stat.
Here in Georgia my 93 always ran hot during the summer months. Up in the high 230's at times. I flushed the cooling system and replaced the anti freeze.
Also cleaned the crap out of the radiator fins. My solution was a performance chip that changed the fans to turn on at 190 and off at 176. I also had to go to a 160 degree T stat after installing the chip. My car now runs at about 193 in summer heat and traffic. :thumbsup:
Most of you taking about this problem have a LT-1. I have a L-98 and it too runs hot. As far as I know both fans work, and the radiator is clean. Would doing a lower T-stat and chip help me out as well?
Yes. But keep in mind during the winter months in colder states when the car is cold the computer will run your fuel a little richer until your engine heats up to operating temp.
well we discussed this before about t stat

and the culprit is waste heat the stat will warm u up faster but when its open its as open as the others so after a i/2 hr runnig it doesent matter .
so it was said before here that fan air flow is cooling down waste heat
on a un modified cooling system

other scernieros coul change facts but thats my story
and im sticking to it
cosmo
1 - 18 of 18 Posts
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top