95 MTX running cold

[pejohnson]

My 95 MTX has been running very cool lately. It typically doesn't even make it to the L, more like the first line before the L. I'm thinking of putting a new thermostat in. Should I get the 180 or 190? Also on a side note. I've had the 95 for close to 2 years now and the overflow tank never holds any fluids. I have checked it multiple times for leaks and have confirm there are none. My light comes on every couple weeks, I'll add a little fluid and then another couple weeks will pass before I have to do it again. Any thoughts on that issue? This one has me scratching my head....

 

[gmail]

Change theromstat with stock 190 I thought it was 195 but I could be wrong.
The colder t stat in stock form will cause the engine to be in warmup mode making it run richer plus will have no real cooling benefit.

A leak could be a million places.. check water pump look around the timing cover for anything.
Check by the trans where the heads connect and the valley between the heads.
The radiator could be cracked.
The drain plug could be leaking at the bottom corner of the radiator
A hose could be leaking..

Your gonna have to look around for dried up or wet coolant at all cooling line or connection areas

 

[rubydist]

first, it sounds like your thermostat may not be closing, so it is causing the car to run cold. I would replace it with a new thermostat since they are cheap and not difficult to change.

second, you have a small leak somewhere - likely on the top side of the engine. this is allowing a little coolant to leak onto the motor where it evaporates rather than dripping on the floor/ground. I had this on my red 94 and it took me 6 months to discover that the top radiator hose leaked at the rear clamp - it would drip on top of the trans and evaporate so that it never dripped on the garage floor. only by accident did I find it one day when I opened the hood with the motor warm and found a little puddle there.

 

[pejohnson]

Would a leak off the engine cause the overflow tank level to lower? That doesn't make since.

 

[pejohnson]

I do have a small leak on the driver side of the radiator. I never is enough to drip onto the garage floor after driving. Because of the leak would this create a vacuum and pull the fluid from the overflow into the radiator to compensate the lose in fluid from the leak in the radiator. I do smell radiator fluid after every drive, so something is going on. I just assumed somethings going on with overflow tank.

 

[SHOdded]

No fair, you said no leaks

If the drop is gradual, this radiator leak could certainly be the culprit. Time to replace it, I would think, but first to pressure test and make sure that's the only leak in the system.

 

[pejohnson]

No leaks at the overflow tank is what I was referring to in my initial post. The radiator leak was not something I thought was an issue as it pertain to my initial post. Sorry

 

[rubydist]

Would a leak off the engine cause the overflow tank level to lower? That doesn't make since.

of course. the job of the overflow tank is to keep the engine/radiator full of coolant. when some of it leaks out of the engine/radiator circuit, the engine will pull coolant out of the overflow tank as it cools. then the overflow tank will gradually get lower because the coolant is going into the engine, where some of it is leaking out.

 

[pejohnson]

Okay then, time for a new thermostat and aluminum radiator.

 

[pejohnson]

Which thermostat doe you guys recommend, 180 or 190 degree?

 

[rubydist]

190 is factory.

here at the top of the world, I use 180.

either would be fine for you.