So my thermostat is going bad and I need to figure out which one to get. There are different degrees and I have no clue which I should get. Can somebody give me a quick rundown on thermostats??

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|| 2002 Bonneville SSEi :: 116k ||
-- Current Mods :: Drop In K&N Air Filter, Rockford Fosgate 6x9's, Code Alarm CA550
-- Upcoming Mods :: 15% Tint, Replace Stock Speakers, Aftermarket HU, Intense FWI

195 degrees is the stock thermostat. Some people run a 180 degree to keep it cooler. A 160 degree is for heavily modded engines.

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-Tom

2003 Silverado Ext. Cab - Charcoal - 128,000 miles - Stock...for now.
2000 SSEi - Gone, but not forgotten.

I got the same question yesterday from my daughter who inherited my 94 SSEi.

"Daddy, how come the heater doesn't work when it's -35C outside?"

Cause I installed a 180 stat my dear.

Great for the summer but too cold for sub zero temps.
Around here on the coast where the temp rarely goes below freezing, it's fine to go 180F all year round. I run 160's in all my summer driven vehicles.

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2000 SSEi - SilverBullet - 78,000 kms, 4" "straight shot" custom headlight ram air inlet, TOGs, 1.9's, Lsd, 2.9-3.4"MPS 10-15 psi, Ported GenV, EGR eliminated, OR pushrods, oil volume kit, trani cooler & shift kit, Titanium retainers, 90 lb springs, 160 Stat, 42# injectors, Fuel pump voltage increase, Wideband O2, 3" to dual 2 1/2" Magnaflows, Snow Meth/water injection, after SC temp gauge, 255/50WR17, timing commander set 15-18*@WOT, 2 speed Fan over-ride, disabled DRL, Solid motor mount, Meziere Electric water pump, adjustable fuel pressure regulator, Drilled & slotted rotors/ceramics, GXP sway bars and STB, Upgraded and rebuilt transmission with ZZP 2500 rpm stall TC, Pioneer Bluetooth stereo with sub and 800 W amps, PB 13.5 quarter, (April 2014 car of the month)

Given your mod list <or lack there of> along with your typical climate, I would have to recommend the 195* for your application.

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~Randall~


1993 Buick Park Avenue - 197k - Some odds and ends done - Simply won't die
1994 Buick Regal - 78k - Bone stock - Always ready for a good kicking
1990 Oldsmobile 88 - Gone to a better place

I run a 180° year round in MN and my car gets plenty warm, even when it's well below 0°F. It's only 15° difference, not like a hundred. I don't see how it makes a difference. When my stock 195° was bad and the car only got to 160 degrees, yeah, that was cold, not to mention it threw P0128 almost daily, but it's been perfect ever since. Do a good coolant flush with a "Mixes with Any Color" coolant and install either a 195 or a 180. Either should be fine.

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Bye Bye:

RIP sandrock

I put my 195 back. I have a half hr commute and in the last 7days the temp has dropped to 20 or so. I could not get warm at all the whole drive. I replaced my radiator a few moths ago and with the 180 stat my temps always ran at about 150 unless I was in the city. Anyway that extra 15 degree rating made all the diff. Use a new gasket and o-rings if you can get them.

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2001 Bonneville SSEi. 1598xx mi.
great car. Wrecked


Burnt Bonny.

Note if you pull the injectors to obserbe fuel delivery...make sure you leave the plugs in and disconnect the ign. Believe me

Um, I'm guessing you had a bad 180* then. My temps are always 180*-185 on the highway, no matter the speed.

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Bye Bye:

RIP sandrock

Well here's the story 00Beast: Last year my car ran and leveled out at 210 (according to my meter). That is with the an undrilled 180 STANT T-Stat bought 2 years prior. I then replaced my Radiator this summer. After that the meter read 140 - 150 after the car was fully warm, actually. In the city with traffic lights and stop and go congestion it might get up to 200 and if I used my fan override it would drop back down to that level and stay there. So the 150 temp did not produce enough warmth in the cabin. That's when I went to the 195. Now it hovers at 195 unless I am in heavy traffic then it jumps up to about 210. I do have an air mix problem in my heater. My left side gets less heat than the right. Don't think that's the reason though. Don't know if my dash meter is right or not. Will my Actron III give me a more accurate reading?

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2001 Bonneville SSEi. 1598xx mi.
great car. Wrecked


Burnt Bonny.

Note if you pull the injectors to obserbe fuel delivery...make sure you leave the plugs in and disconnect the ign. Believe me

I still think your thermostat was bad. Your radiator might have been plugged, causing the higher temps. A 180* thermostat should have the coolant at 180* or higher. If not, it should close until the coolant gets back to that temp, then open again. That's its one and only job. Were these readings according to your stock gauge?

If your Actron shows live data, it should show whatever the temp sender is reporting to the PCM.

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Bye Bye:

RIP sandrock

A new 180 would be an easy check. I can try my scan gauge too.

Does the car run smoother at 180 coolant temp?

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2001 Bonneville SSEi. 1598xx mi.
great car. Wrecked


Burnt Bonny.

Note if you pull the injectors to obserbe fuel delivery...make sure you leave the plugs in and disconnect the ign. Believe me

I haven't noticed a difference in smoothness, it's mostly about KR and a little better performance.

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Bye Bye:

RIP sandrock

So do I get out the turkey timer and check it out or do I just buy one?

K

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2001 Bonneville SSEi. 1598xx mi.
great car. Wrecked


Burnt Bonny.

Note if you pull the injectors to obserbe fuel delivery...make sure you leave the plugs in and disconnect the ign. Believe me

The stock gage and the scanner data match throughout the cycle except at one point the scanner was reading 180 and the gage read 150 for a few minutes. Maybe it is the gage?

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2001 Bonneville SSEi. 1598xx mi.
great car. Wrecked


Burnt Bonny.

Note if you pull the injectors to obserbe fuel delivery...make sure you leave the plugs in and disconnect the ign. Believe me

I had a 180* stat installed in my Bonneville, I never had any problems with it not getting warm enough even when it was well below 0*.

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-Matt

what year was your bonneville?

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2001 Bonneville SSEi. 1598xx mi.
great car. Wrecked


Burnt Bonny.

Note if you pull the injectors to obserbe fuel delivery...make sure you leave the plugs in and disconnect the ign. Believe me

Mine? 1993 SSEi.

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-Matt

Spoiledred, let's try not to hijack this topic. It sounds like you have an issue that needs to be troubleshot seperately.

To the author: I run a 180° in 2 of my cars year-round. Both are drilled in varying degrees. The SLEeper for slight bleed/bypass (performance) and the Schooner for burping air bubbles to the radiator when the thermostat is closed. I have no problems with either of those cars in the winter (yes, Oregon does get cold).

The ZiLLA runs a pretty heavily drilled 160°, and I wouldn't suggest that option for any winter driver or even daily driver unless modified very well including a PCM tune or some kind of fan control.

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Click here for mod list for both cars
93 SSEi, 95 SLE (supercharged) 97 Buick LeSabre Limited
PontiacDad at WCBF '04: Cruise control? That's like surrendering!
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Think you could get warm at -50F

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06 Grand Prix GXP Diablosport Trinity , No DOD , Transgo SK , MSD 8.5MM Wires , NGK TR6IX plugs , LED's , Optima RedTop , Projector Retro , 3K Fogs , 20" Led Driving light , K&N CAI w/ Volant oversize air filter , Raybestos Brakes
94 SSEi NGK Plugs , Blue Streak Wires , Pulled Maf screen , Custom Exhaust , Raybestos Brakes , 12" MTX Audio sub and amp , Piaa Plasma Ion Foglight Housings , HIR His' and Lows' , Tinted Tails

We had -45F temps and my car still heated up fine w/ a 180 Sadden. That was after sitting out all day.

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Bye Bye:

RIP sandrock

Well thats not to bad then maybe ill try it out in the GXP. Not really planning on putting too much money into the ssei. It gonna become the gfs dd

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06 Grand Prix GXP Diablosport Trinity , No DOD , Transgo SK , MSD 8.5MM Wires , NGK TR6IX plugs , LED's , Optima RedTop , Projector Retro , 3K Fogs , 20" Led Driving light , K&N CAI w/ Volant oversize air filter , Raybestos Brakes
94 SSEi NGK Plugs , Blue Streak Wires , Pulled Maf screen , Custom Exhaust , Raybestos Brakes , 12" MTX Audio sub and amp , Piaa Plasma Ion Foglight Housings , HIR His' and Lows' , Tinted Tails