truck won't stay warm
12-28-2012, 10:41 PM
#1
poopin.....on this thread
Thread Starter
truck won't stay warm
It's been pretty cold around here the last few weeks...0*F isn't uncommon. And the truck will come up to temp at highway speeds but when I slow down for a stop light or slow speed cruising through town it cools enough for the heat coming through the vents to cool.
Anyone got an idea?
Could the tstat be getting stuck open?
The fan not slowing?
Anyone got an idea?
Could the tstat be getting stuck open?
The fan not slowing?
12-28-2012, 10:47 PM
#3
always dirty
It's been pretty cold around here the last few weeks...0*F isn't uncommon. And the truck will come up to temp at highway speeds but when I slow down for a stop light or slow speed cruising through town it cools enough for the heat coming through the vents to cool.
Anyone got an idea?
Could the tstat be getting stuck open?
The fan not slowing?
Anyone got an idea?
Could the tstat be getting stuck open?
The fan not slowing?
12-28-2012, 11:16 PM
#4
poopin.....on this thread
Thread Starter
Well guess ill swap it out tomorrow. Glad it stuck open and not closed. Do they only make one temp? I remember my dad used to change the stat in his old truck to a 210 in winter and a 180 in the summer.
12-29-2012, 12:39 AM
#5
Senior Member
Interesting. If the thermostat was stuck open, the engine would not get to warm up completely at highway speeds. At highway speed, more cold air is travelling through your radiator, carrying away the heat of your coolant. With an open t-stat, the coolant doesn't get held in the engine block long enough to pick up heat.
If the coolant level was low, the temperature would tend to be normal travelling at highway speeds and climb rapidly whenever you came to a stop. So that's not the problem either.
A thermostat stuck closed would cause the temp to rise dramatically. Today's thermostats have a bypass hole, so stuck closed isn't likely to cause overheating. Further, they are oriented so that they are held closed by a spring pushing against the water flow. In other words, they are designed to fail open, not closed.
When the air from the vents is blowing cooler (at a stop) what is the temperature gauge showing? Does it drop, stay the same, or go up?
And yes, thermostats come in different temperatures. Just a guess, but your truck most likely uses a 185* thermostat.
If the coolant level was low, the temperature would tend to be normal travelling at highway speeds and climb rapidly whenever you came to a stop. So that's not the problem either.
A thermostat stuck closed would cause the temp to rise dramatically. Today's thermostats have a bypass hole, so stuck closed isn't likely to cause overheating. Further, they are oriented so that they are held closed by a spring pushing against the water flow. In other words, they are designed to fail open, not closed.
When the air from the vents is blowing cooler (at a stop) what is the temperature gauge showing? Does it drop, stay the same, or go up?
And yes, thermostats come in different temperatures. Just a guess, but your truck most likely uses a 185* thermostat.
12-29-2012, 01:13 AM
#6
Senior Member
Interesting. If the thermostat was stuck open, the engine would not get to warm up completely at highway speeds. At highway speed, more cold air is travelling through your radiator, carrying away the heat of your coolant. With an open t-stat, the coolant doesn't get held in the engine block long enough to pick up heat.
If the coolant level was low, the temperature would tend to be normal travelling at highway speeds and climb rapidly whenever you came to a stop. So that's not the problem either.
A thermostat stuck closed would cause the temp to rise dramatically. Today's thermostats have a bypass hole, so stuck closed isn't likely to cause overheating. Further, they are oriented so that they are held closed by a spring pushing against the water flow. In other words, they are designed to fail open, not closed.
When the air from the vents is blowing cooler (at a stop) what is the temperature gauge showing? Does it drop, stay the same, or go up?
And yes, thermostats come in different temperatures. Just a guess, but your truck most likely uses a 185* thermostat.
If the coolant level was low, the temperature would tend to be normal travelling at highway speeds and climb rapidly whenever you came to a stop. So that's not the problem either.
A thermostat stuck closed would cause the temp to rise dramatically. Today's thermostats have a bypass hole, so stuck closed isn't likely to cause overheating. Further, they are oriented so that they are held closed by a spring pushing against the water flow. In other words, they are designed to fail open, not closed.
When the air from the vents is blowing cooler (at a stop) what is the temperature gauge showing? Does it drop, stay the same, or go up?
And yes, thermostats come in different temperatures. Just a guess, but your truck most likely uses a 185* thermostat.
12-29-2012, 09:17 AM
#7
poopin.....on this thread
Thread Starter
You raise a good point wrvond. I think I'm going to go ahead and swap out the tstat anyways since its cheap and simple...oh and the wife is away today so I won't be getting yipped at to do anything lol