My "04" buick lesaber has a digital temp read out on the dash, it got up to 192 deg F, today.

Well I checked the op manual and it does not designate a temp standard.

pretty much says that if the idiot light does not come on , I am good to go.


when should I be concerned?

Look up what temperature the thermostat is. A store like Advance or Autozone should be able to tell you but google will have the answer. My car's thermostat is 180 degrees but it runs hotter is running it hard. 192 should be well within operating temperature though.

IIRC your low speed fan comes on at 210 and the high speed comes on at 230. 192 is fine.

On my semi truck, the air fan doesn't engage until the coolant reaches 210 degrees. Newer engines seem to be engineered to run hotter than stuff from yesteryear.

Is 192 hotter than normal?

Generally speaking, 192 is fine.

There's a temperature sensitive valve inside your radiator called a "thermostat" that opens up at a certain temperature and permits the engine coolant to flow through the radiator to cool off. At low temperatures, the thermostat stays closed so that hot engine coolant circulates near the engine to help the engine warm up to optimal temp.

The OEM thermostat for your 04 Lasabre opens at 195 degrees. Give or take a few degrees for both your temp guage and the thermostat, it sounds like the thermostat is doing its job--engine warms up to approximately 195, thermostat opens up and circulates the hot coolant through the radiator and maintains that temperature while you drive.

They run them hot for emissions control but I have read that it shortens the engine life. I run mine at 180 degrees and the emissions passed easily.

thanks folks,
my last car ( the little red grand prix) went out do to a coolant system failure ,
so I wanted to be sure.

quote:

Originally posted by 41:
They run them hot for emissions control but I have read that it shortens the engine life. I run mine at 180 degrees and the emissions passed easily.

Not in the diesels. Switching out to the wrong thermostat really pisses off the software and generates problems with combustion. I would think new gas engines would perform best with the thermostat that is specified, providing everything else is working nominally. I'm with you, though. Getting used to seeing temps +200 takes some getting used to.

quote:

Originally posted by Rotndad:
IIRC your low speed fan comes on at 210 and the high speed comes on at 230. 192 is fine.

Winner winner, these puppies run hot, they walk a fine line between the high speed fan turning on and overheat temp.

192 is fine. It has a 195 thermostat. If it had a gauge it would be slightly below half-way. The radiator fans, if you aren't running A/C or defrost, come on at about 221. A sustained temperature this or more is cause for concern. With a 50/50 antifreeze/water mix and a 16 lb. pressure cap, the boiling point is about 260.

quote:

Originally posted by sigcrazy7:
On my semi truck, the air fan doesn't engage until the coolant reaches 210 degrees. Newer engines seem to be engineered to run hotter than stuff from yesteryear.

Yes, diesels they're running much hotter than the old days for emmissions output reasons.

My 2014 Tacoma seems to open @ 125 and runs at 186. It gets up to 192 when idling on a warm day at a stop light.

Water at sea level boils at 212 degrees.
The boiling point will increase about 3 degrees for every pound of pressure in the radiator.

Hence read the pressure on the radiator cap.
Most modern vehicles will run a 15 psi cap. Therefor water boiling temp is now 257 degrees.
Add a mixture of Coolant and it will go even higher.

Most modern engines now run a mixture of metals and aluminum especially in the heads.

Most engines nowadays run the best between 195 and 205 degrees.

The temperature on the thermostat is at the point it starts to open by a spring. It is fully open at a slightly higher temperature.

So if your vehicle calls for a say 185 degree thermostat it is best to run a little hotter than that.

Engine fans start to come on at about 205 to 210 degrees. Some engines will start to cut of ignition in a gas engine or cut back fuel in a diesel engine at about 235 degrees.

Thermostats in a cooling system are mechanical not like the ones that run your furnace that are on or

https://durathermfluids.com/pd...re-boiling-point.pdf

193.6

quote:

Originally posted by sigcrazy7:
On my semi truck, the air fan doesn't engage until the coolant reaches 210 degrees. Newer engines seem to be engineered to run hotter than stuff from yesteryear.

My Mack MP8 runs 177-182 all day long, on hills climbs to 210 fan kicks in brings down to 198

quote:

when should I be concerned?

Ima taka guess.... when that idjut light is on...

Give me an analog temperature gauge all day long.

quote:

Originally posted by fischtown7:

quote:

Originally posted by sigcrazy7:
On my semi truck, the air fan doesn't engage until the coolant reaches 210 degrees. Newer engines seem to be engineered to run hotter than stuff from yesteryear.

My Mack MP8 runs 177-182 all day long, on hills climbs to 210 fan kicks in brings down to 198

Yep. Back in the day I would never let my CAT 3406 get to 210. Those had a habit of dumping their water in the pan when they got hot (BTDT).

My ISX runs at 180 or so, but it's hard to watch it get to 210 before the fan runs. Then again, climbing hills at 1150 rpm also takes some conditioning to get used to it.

quote:

Originally posted by sigcrazy7:

On my semi truck, the air fan doesn't engage until the coolant reaches 210 degrees.

Then again, climbing hills at 1150 rpm also takes some conditioning to get used to it.

Old truck driver here also.

Engine fan comes on at 210 is usually because of lack of highway speed air flow like pulling a hill or stop and go traffic on a hot day. 210 fan on is to keep it from rising.

I remember them days pulling the hills
We watched the Pyro (Exhaust Temp) more than the water temp. Caught myself at 1250 degrees once pulling 70 out of Denver with a Cummins 370.

1150 RPM Pulling. Just think the old Maxadines were made to pull that low and so where the old CATs like the 1693s and the 3306’s. Yup seem like engine RPMs for Diesels made a big circle back to where they started.

quote:

Originally posted by ontmark:

quote:

Originally posted by sigcrazy7:

On my semi truck, the air fan doesn't engage until the coolant reaches 210 degrees.

Then again, climbing hills at 1150 rpm also takes some conditioning to get used to it.

Old truck driver here also.

Engine fan comes on at 210 is usually because of lack of highway speed air flow like pulling a hill or stop and go traffic on a hot day. 210 fan on is to keep it from rising.

I remember them days pulling the hills
We watched the Pyro (Exhaust Temp) more than the water temp. Caught myself at 1250 degrees once pulling 70 out of Denver with a Cummins 370.

1150 RPM Pulling. Just think the old Maxadines were made to pull that low and so where the old CATs like the 1693s and the 3306’s. Yup seem like engine RPMs for Diesels made a big circle back to where they started.

I run yachts with larger diesels.....but with the old detroit 2 strokes and mechanical diesels, we'd keep the pyro's at 850F or lower......I run 1100 hp MANs and they run at 1250-1400F EGTs at 80% load and that's normal with them........Yeah......It's shocking.....some cats run at 206F coolant temp brand new at 80% load (80% load is continuous load rating on most recreational marine engines).