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Thought I would start a slightly diff thread.......coming off of Lavs coolant thread and the other rough idle thread that ended up being a temp sensor..........
sooooooooo where does your car temp needle normally stay?
of course I realize there are many variables.....lets consider summer time and temps between 70 and 85..........
Mine is 1 notch below dead center.....and its pretty much there all of the time. I will be changing my temp sensor to see if I get a diff reading.....should be interesting.
I will report back after I change my temp sensor.....
My temperature gage stays at the same place as your photo. It never, never drifts from that position after warm up. Doesn't matter if the ambient temp is 118F and you are idling for 30 minutes even. The same held true for my 1992 SC400 for the 20+ years I had it.
Mine is a tick above that, like to where you can barely see the line that yours is covering. It also never moves, regardless of ambient temp/vehicle load/etc.
I wonder just how sturdy the coolant systems are in our cars. I imagine rock-solid. Ever notice how you never hear any fans "click on" like you would in, say, an Acura?
Im driving through Death Valley en route to Las Vegas in a couple of weeks; last time there were like 20 cars overheated. Last trip car the car was rock solid, freezing cold air. Extremely high temps don't seem to bog this car down one bit, I've also noticed. Lots of other cars slow down lots in extreme heat; you can tell they are over stressed. Not the LS!
The gauge reaches this position on the dash at 176 degree fahrenheit and did not move until, well, I don't know because mine has never moved above this spot. I wonder how hot the engine has to get before she starts rising?
My coolant was initially 137 degrees when I started the vehicle and it showed on the gauge just a tad above the resting place. The coolant temp went as high as 201 when I opened her up getting on the highway. In general, the coolant temperature stayed between 190 and 198 depending on engine speed / load but does fluctuate a few degrees pretty often.
On an unrelated to temperature observation, the 13.0 battery voltage is really too low with engine running Lav. Have you checked the running voltage on the Nav screen lately to verify? You may need a new alternator soon.
Funny you mention that. I was looking at the same thing. Lights and AC were on during the test. Even under load the I did not see this rise above 13.1 volts. I will have to investigate this more but I don't think we are thinking about this correctly. Lack of amps under load would be the sign of a failing alternator if I am recalling correctly. I don't show any signs of not charging or supplying enough amps. Voltage should be steady. Amperage should fluctuate under load, I believe. I did have the system tested 4 months ago and it was fine. This is when we need RKW.... lol
Load or not you should be showing high 13's preferably over 14.0 volts with running engine. 13.0 volts is a precursor to dead battery. Check the voltage on the Nav screen and see what you get.
Alternators output slowly fades over time. 13.0 volts won't get you stranded tomorrow, but I'd keep a close eye on it. I DIY replaced my original alternator on the '01 at 255K miles, but wished I'd done it sooner.
13.4 - 13.5 voltage output is much better than 13.0 volts. Interesting there's such a discrepancy between Techstream and the Nav display check voltage. A new alternator will put out low 14's on voltage display.
Funny you mention that. I was looking at the same thing. Lights and AC were on during the test. Even under load the I did not see this rise above 13.1 volts. I will have to investigate this more but I don't think we are thinking about this correctly. Lack of amps under load would be the sign of a failing alternator if I am recalling correctly. I don't show any signs of not charging or supplying enough amps. Voltage should be steady. Amperage should fluctuate under load, I believe. I did have the system tested 4 months ago and it was fine. This is when we need RKW.... lol
Under load, you won't see the voltage rise. If anything, it may drop slightly. A failing alternator is detected with lower measured voltage.
13.4 - 13.5 voltage output is much better than 13.0 volts. Interesting there's such a discrepancy between Techstream and the Nav display check voltage. A new alternator will put out low 14's on voltage display.
I have been thinking about replacing the battery anyway. I would like to perform a load test on the alternator at some point and see how she acts. As far as the difference in readings I don't know. Volts are regulated via the voltage regulator correct?
Edit: It seems 14.2 is ideal. Probably a sign my alternator is starting to wear out. I double checked with my meter and I am getting 13.47 at the terminals. I really should test at the alternator itself to make sure it's not a cable or connection issue. I don't have any corrosion though. I would not mind trying a voltage drop test too.
07-10-15, 05:01 PM
Where does your temp needle stay generally?
