Replace my 195 thermostat with 180

Not really, IMHO, unless you have a partially plugged cooling system and are trying to limp it by another couple years. The engine will be perfectly happy at 195-205ish. Too cool is just as bad as too hot, you know, doesn't let the condensation boil out of the oil and can even cause the computer to stay in open loop which will cause rich running and fuel dilution of the oil.

nate

This is a counterproductive and poor idea.

No, quite the opposite -- it will greatly prolong the length of time it takes for the engine to reach operating temperature, which means fuel enrichment will be active longer, which means greater oil dilution. Also, less fuel economy. Use the thermostat temperature specified!

You're car will still run at what ever temperature it runs at now, just with the 180 degree thermostat is will take it a little longer to get to operating temperature. What dictates you're running temperature is the cooling system and not the thermostat.

If you replace a 195 deg thermostat with a 180 degree thermostat it will take the same amount of time to warm up to 180 degrees. How much above 180 degrees depends on driving conditions. It you are sitting in traffic in hot weather it won't make any difference with most cars because the temperature will be above

You will have to get used to the idea that since the late 1970s, engines have been designed to run hotter than they did previous to that time. The trouble is in your head, not in your engine compartment.

Quite right. Internal combustion engines are heat engines, and as such they are more efficient running at hotter temperatures. Obviously there are limiting factors on how hot you CAN or would WANT to run an engine, but in general hotter means more efficiency. That's what physics text books say anyway.

Furthermore, the dashboard temperature gauges installed in production cars are not even *close* to being precise instruments. Many of them are phony gauges, idiot lights in the form of a gauge, with senders set up to give one of two readings: "normal" or zero. Ford is infamous for this. Even where a real gauge and sender exist, they're not precise enough to indicate anything other than "cool", "normal" or "hot". This, however, does not prevent automakers from adding calibration to the gauge face to give the illusion of quality.

I'm thinking of a TSB from one of the major automakers dealing with exactly this problem: Owner complains of engine running too hot as indicated by dashboard temp gauge, but proper thermostat is installed and engine is not actually running too hot. Solution: Install a resistor in the wire from the temp sender to the gauge so as to drop the reading a bit.

True!

DS

Is it worth it? Well having lived in Texas for a short time, I would say yes. 180 shouldn't effect a OBD-1 car, yet an OBD-2 car may have to have the ECM program updated. Charles

Of course you would. But then you *also* said welding cable is unsuitable for battery use because it is "designed for higher amp draws".

I've lived in Texas all my life and a lower thermostat still doesn't do anything unless you can get your fans to come on earlier, otherwise, you're pissing in the wind.

Sounds like the consensus is check the 'stat and make sure it's operating in the right range. Then put on a tranny cooler & synthetic oil in the engine. If your rad isn't silted up that should be more than enough.

Plus, oil is cheap, change it often.