For some reason my car started getting hot yesterday, I'm thinking the cap took a dump so I replaced it. My car usually runs a tiny bit under halfway I'm guessing 210 or so ... if I start driving it runs about five degrees cooler immediately. Come to a stop.. she heats up 5 or so degrees and holds steady until I drive again... Is this normal?

 

Add coolant to your overflow bottle, it's probably just a little low. You might also want to open your bleeder screw real quick to make sure there are no bubbles trapped.

 

I'll try that asap... thanks for the advice.

 

Some variation in temp. between moving and stopped is NORMAL though. On mine it can vary as much as 20*.

 

I disagree. If your fans are set to come on at 210 degrees and you car runs hotter than 210, either your radiator is too small (unlikely on a car with an almost stock motor and a stock radiator), or there is a problem with your cooling system. My car runs gets up to 210 and stays there rock solid, regardless of the temperatures outside. If it goes higher than 210, I can guarantee that I will check my coolant overflow bottle and it will come up a couple of marks short.

Z28SORR's temperature fluctuation is probably due to his 160 thermostat. Either the fans are not being turned on early enough, or the stock radiator simply can't dissipate enough heat to keep the car under the thermostat opening temperature.

 

My cars temp changes from about 185* when going 65mph to a little less than 210* when at a stop. I don't see why it wouldn't change b/c from what I understant the fans push air through at the equivilant of moving at 40mph and w/ air being pushed through at 65mph it would only make sense that it would run a little colder.

 

No one posted anything about running higher then 210*. In fact, because of the 160* stat. my car fluctuates more like 50* from ~210* to ~160*. When it was stock it fluctuated between ~210* and ~190* or about 20* which is NORMAL!
If the temps. never drop below the "fan on" temp. then they would always run. And this is NOT normal.