Since couple weeks ago, I found the water temperature is way too low, on highway, it never can raise up to the warmed up temperature(176F), it constantly moving around 131 to 149F, the longer you driving at highway, the temperature going lower, the outside temperature is around 68F. It could only raise to the normal temperature at the indoor carpark or traffic.

I did replaced the thermostat but it doesnt help, does anyone has the same experience and advise? Thanks

 

Are you getting hot air from the vents? Are you sure it's not simply a temperature gauge/temperature sensor issue?

Later, Steve

 

Basically I am not getting any warm air even I turn my AC to Hi...

 

My recommendation is to confirm the engine is not getting warm. I'm a bit leery of simply relying on the A/C outlet temperature.

You can connect an OBD2 code reader/data viewer/logger to the car's OBD2 port and monitor coolant temperature in real time. From a cold start at idle the coolant temperature should go up about a degree every second or two.

Or you can put the car in the air and with the cold engine idling use an infra-red temperature gun to measure the temperature of teh engine/hoses at various places to confirm that areas/hoses that lead away from the engine are getting hot.

I'm having a hard time imagining an engine running cool. It should get up to temperature in about 10 to 15 minutes depending upon how cold it is to start with and wether you let it idle or drive it.

A stuck open thermostat is a possibilty but you say you replaced the T-stat? Did you use a factory T-stat? Or a "low temp" T-stat? Did you test the T-stat in a pan of hot water on the stove to ensure it opened at the right temperature and closed again when cool?

But you need to be sure the engine is really running cold and for this you need to rely upon the engine coolant temperature telemetry from the OBD2 port and it is best to have independent confirmation which is why I suggest you use an infra-red thermometer to take temperature measurements around/under the engine to confirm the temperature is really low, abnormally low.

 

Funny I have seen this 2x. New OEM t-stat, car still takes a long time to warm up. And if it's cool, while driving on the highway the car will cool down to @ 150 deg. Car had big alum rads, new hoses, new OEM coolant, new t-stat, and Redline Water Wetter. Weird issue. Maybe faulty thermostat? All I can think of.

Is the car a tip or 6 speed? The last car had a Tip and it was deemed a faulty valve that was not letting the coolant flow.

 

Yes, I did connect an OBD monitor and real time watching the temperature. And the T-stat is a factory one. If I drive it, as per I said, after 15 minutes driving in highway, it raise and drop at around 140F to 149F, stop and let it idle, it could get up to 176F. In the other way, sometimes you could smell and see the car is running higher idle mode to try to warm he engine up.

 

Its a tip and have a factory thermostat replaced but doesnt help, may I ask which valve you are talking about?

 

Somebody on here or rennlist.com just went through this. Turns out there is a valve or thermostat of some sort on the TIP transmission that can bypass the coolant flow to the radiators causing the car to run cold.

 

Ohhhhhh, there still a valve on the tip can affect this, let me try to post there too, thanks

 

Btw, this has been resolved by replacing the heater coolant valve(tip only), a very common part which cost usd10-35 and it can be replaced in 30 minutes.

 

Understand you have a Tip, wondering if this was also used with the GT2 tranny? I have same issue with my car. Getting it checked this week.

 

Seems not, only tip has this valve...

 

Yes, If I recall, the gt2/3 uses a trans cooler and if you check Rennlist there has been others with gt2/3 with the same issue.

 

yes gt2 has a transcooler with a valve

 

Confirmed- yes it does have a valve which is getting checked along with the temperature sensor. Between those two we will get it sorted and not to challenging to get to (with tools and lifts of course!).