WHat should be my operating temp for for my 98 Saturn car?

NICDIC2006

MEMBER
1998 SATURN SL2
140,000 MILES

I just got my Saturn a complete rebuilt 700 miles ago, plus new radiartor, waterpump, hoses, themostat. It ran cool, the fans hardly turned on before. Now I have noticed my dash gauge is running hotter than before the rebuilt, so I plugged my Ultra Gauage to my OBDII plug and my reading are 195-197degrees. I told the guys that rebuilt it I'm running hot and that said that is normal. The first 70degree day I noticed my fans turning on a lot. I nevered noticed this before the rebuilt. I called them back and they said they put in a 195degree stat and they are still telling me this is normal temps. One thing I did notice that the radiator is made out of Alumimun and not Copper. So who's right?

Thank you.

2 Replies

RASMATAZ

MECHANIC
75,992 POSTS

--Normal temp-is 195-220degF

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Wednesday, March 28th, 2012 AT 12:18 AM

SATURNTECH9

MECHANIC
30,870 POSTS

The fan doesnt turn on till 222-226 degress the temp gauges will read just over half way on the gauge when the fan comes on. The thermostat is supposed to be 195 degrees also the radiator core is aluminum and the tanks are plastic they come stock that way. The thing you have to watch on those cars is the coolant temp sensor. That year only has one and when they go bad they read colder then actual temp. So the temp gauge reads lower then actual temp so it could be over heating and you would never see it on the temp gauge. The sensors have a high failure rate I have replaced tons of them. They also leak coolant into the connector corroding them.