Completely baffled with temps/tstat/heat etc

[econoaddict]

the regular t-stat works just fine....numerous people have said that it has not made a difference either way.

Mine had a regular one in it and it worked fine for summer time, come winter my temp gauge would barely move. Installed a 2 stage and bingo right back to fully warm and reading where it should.

[Evil D]

Pressure in the system increases the boiling point of the coolant.
Without the pressure in the system the coolant would boil at a lower temperature.
Possibly creating steam voids in the cooling system and causing hot spots in the head or cylinder walls.

Huh...didn't know that. So then, is the temp changed by the pressure somehow? I'm realizing i know a lot less about cooling systems than i thought.

[Festiva Time]

Fan turn on point

Not to interrupt, but where is the needle on y'alls gauges when the radiator fan kicks on? I'm either crazy or the one in my car kicked on when the needle was barely 1/4 of the way into the little bracket. Is this right?

It should kick on after 1/4 but before 1/2. If it reaches 1/2 way mark I stop driving!

My '90 Festiva in the summertime, normally does not get higher than a little pass the 1/4 mark. In 115 Degree weather, as long as I do not remain stationary for more than 10 minutes, I can drive without the Radiator Fan. For A/C use, you need the Radiator Fan.

[Festiva Time]

Pu241 is correct.

Pressure in the system increases the boiling point of the coolant.
Without the pressure in the system the coolant would boil at a lower temperature.
Possibly creating steam voids in the cooling system and causing hot spots in the head or cylinder walls.

Pu241 is right....that is why cars (& trucks) Cooling systems are pressurized.

Steam is why you blow head gaskets, and radiators.

[Pu241]

Huh...didn't know that. So then, is the temp changed by the pressure somehow? I'm realizing i know a lot less about cooling systems than i thought.

No, the temperature of the coolant isn't changed so much as the boiling point of the coolant is changed so that it remains a liquid at the operating temp of the engine. Otherwise, the coolant would boil and the heat transfer would be reduced causing issues with various engine components.
The same reason you use a solution of coolant(ethylene or propylene glycol) and water (boiling point 100 C/212 F). The coolant has a higher boiling point than water so the solution will boil at a temp higher than that of straight water, which affords protection from overheating.

This will make little or no difference in the temperature or volume of heat being released from the heater core. Which is more a function of engine temp and heat transfer. If you have a partially or fully blocked core then no heat transfer occurs. Thus no heat in the cabin.

[Pu241]

Not to interrupt, but where is the needle on y'alls gauges when the radiator fan kicks on? I'm either crazy or the one in my car kicked on when the needle was barely 1/4 of the way into the little bracket. Is this right?

It should kick on after 1/4 but before 1/2. If it reaches 1/2 way mark I stop driving!

My '90 Festiva in the summertime, normally does not get higher than a little pass the 1/4 mark. In 115 Degree weather, as long as I do not remain stationary for more than 10 minutes, I can drive without the Radiator Fan. For A/C use, you need the Radiator Fan.

What you have to remember is that the thermo switch to turn the fan on and the gage that we use to monitor temp via the instrument cluster and the temp input to the ECU are all independent. Meaning that your gage temp may read/show one thing and the fan and ECU sensor another.
Many times the gage sensor reads low due to corrosion of the sensor contact, the bullet connector. Or, the thermistor is bad. Clean up the contacts or replace the sensor and you may well get a different reading. Not the best of solutions but I solder the gage wire, sans bullet connector, directly to the sensor in the head. I get a much more sensitive output. I can see a difference in temp reading by driving up a prolonged medium grad incline/hill.

[200KGPGTP]

Hmmmm fodder for thought. Maybe I'll clean/replace it once it gets a bit warmer out. Cause it kinda bugs me!! Every car I've ever had the fan kicks on when the gauge is in the middle.

I already knew they work independent of each other, I was just using it as a reference.