my chevy 350 got up 220 degrees today and i immediatly pulled over and shut it off.. is my block in danger, could i have blown a head gasket?
2007-01-24 11:17:27 · 7 answers · asked by Anonymous in Cars & Transportation ➔ Car Makes ➔ Chevrolet
220 degrees is not dangerous for a 350 Chevy .. as long as you do not dump cold water in the radiator while it is at this temp. If you must add water while it its hot make sure the engine is running while you are adding the water.
the ideal temp for a 350 should be between 180-190 degrees, depending on the thermostat you have in it.
The thermostat holds the water in the engine until it reaches the desired temp then it opens and allows the water to flow to the radiator to cool.. normally after the first release of cold water from the raider to the block it will result in the thermostat closing again, cause the water in the radiator is cold. this process can happen several times til the engine reaches the optimal temp. It is common (mainly if the outside temp is low) for the temp of the engine to reach 220 before the thermostat opens..
if this is the first time you noticed it I would do a test in you yard or idling somewhere.
1 Check the water level to make sure you have the proper amount.
2 Crank you engine and watch the needle climb. It should climb up.. possibly to 220 normally closer to 200. then after the thermostat opens you will see a sudden drop of the gage. this is when the thermostat opened. it will close again ant repeat the process.. All of this is normal.
3 if it climbs above 220 you possibly need a new thermostat ($5.00-8.00 if you install it) on more coolant.
I seriously doubt you caused any damage to your engine because it got to 220. But this could be a sign of other damage caused at an earlier point.
Do not compare operating temps from a 4-6- and 8 cylinder. They all operate at different temps.!
225 for a Grand Am is normal also 4 cylinders and 6's have a higher operating temp.
2007-01-28 02:32:15 · answer #1 · answered by http://www.BiminiTops.biz 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
check the coolant level in the radiator and the recovery tank..if low,take it to the shop and have it pressure tested to find the leak.it could also be the waterpump getting weak.it is possable it's a t-stat stuck closed but they are designed to fail open.if you see lots of steam out the tailpipe when the engine is at operating temp then there is a chance you blew a head gasket.
2007-01-24 22:50:49 · answer #2 · answered by bluelitnin 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Make sure you have coolant then drive to a radiator shop, not an auto repair, and have them check your radiator. Don't do thermostats and things till you are sure.
2007-01-24 20:11:01 · answer #3 · answered by tronary 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Among other things, it might be the thermostat not engaging. First make sure it's not because of a leak or because there's no coolant...
2007-01-24 19:26:12 · answer #4 · answered by Chris_Knows 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
buy a new thermostat and make sure radiator is not clogged but you will fry the engine if you keep driving it like that.
2007-01-25 09:51:51 · answer #5 · answered by jeffrey b 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
my electric fan doesn't even kick on until 225 degrees on my grand am and the mechanic said it's ok.
2007-01-24 19:46:33 · answer #6 · answered by mister ss 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
it is likely your thermostat failed. fortunately this is easy to fix. (and cheap)
2007-01-24 19:23:33 · answer #7 · answered by jeffrey m 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋