Before my thermostat and coolant temp replacement i ran around 200. After i run around 210-215. But then i am in texas, and on cold days i wont go over 199.

 

Mine was doing this and it was a bad head gasket. I've posted my issue somewhere in this forum. It was between cylinders #2 and #3. This was found by my dealer also.

 

Since spending most of its time in Florida, the HHR usually runs 196 or so. In December I was in upstate NY where the temperatures were below 20F most of time and the car ran 205F or so most of the time. I came back to Florida and the car ran 196F. I drove back to upstate NY last week and again in the cold temperatures, and the car ran 205F. Just a curiosity or what?

 

Might be a bad mixture. I was running 70% dex 30% water. Next weekend gonna go 30% dex 70% water to run cooler. I wanna see if there is any gain from that. If not ill go back to 50/50

 

I live in ny myself and although my ss is in storage through the winter months I still have driven it. Before it snowed and they put the salt down.
The odd thing I find as mentioned above is that the colder it is outside the hotter ther car seems to run.
Almost as if the car was programmed or engineered to run hotter on cooler days.
I have checked this over and over.
If it was say 34degrees out it may run 210 or maybe 212 on the highway at times.
But when it is like 70 plus it normally will not see over say 200.
Of course ifnit gets any hotter outside the ac is on which in turn sswitches the fans on and keeps the temps dow. Lower.
Great discussion/thread

 

This morning it was 30 degrees. After a little warm up, down the interstate and my temp was 185-187. Last few miles were off the interstate, a few redlights and back at the house. Temps were 187-189.
Let's face the fact that some of these cars just run a little hotter than others. Anywhere from about 180ish to around 210 seems to be the range that is acceptable.
As far as outside temperature being a factor. I don't know. Mine stays pretty much the same at 30 or 95 degrees. Go figure.

 

I'll just add.....

I've been told that the HHR were tested and built to a "acceptable" use range of 25 to 98 F.

"Any use under (Canada(?)) or over (Arizona, Texas, Calif. (?)) that was "slightly" outside the parameters of the design. Length of use (and type of) within those outside parameters is a factor in recognition of readings outside the projected design, but not critical, unless experienced to extremes."....quoted exactly (to the best of my recollection).

My personal experience is much like fireman's, EXCEPT when Arizona summers yield 110+ days. Then I might see 210-220 coolant temps (city driving )with the A/C running. About 205 on the Interstate (note: I have also noticed, if I reduce my speed from 75 to 65 it will reduce coolant temps to 195-198.).

 

Hello, this is my first post. I purchased a 2008 SS from mountainman. It always ran hot, even when new. Mountainman said the temp got up to 226 driving in the mountains not even driving hard. He even had the thermostat changed when almost new with no difference in temps.

Normal driving at sea level I see temps from 199 to 212. At Idle it will creep up to 210 in a few minutes. Driving with air temperature of 30 degrees all the way to 85 degrees makes no difference in coolant temps. So I had the radiator flushed because coolant almost 5 years old, even though it only has 22,000 miles.

After flush I could see alot of debris in disposal tank. Pieces of black stuff 1/8 to 1/2 inch in diameter. It was black carbon type stuff. The pieces of stuff were dull in color on one side and shiny on the other. Also they were brittle and would crumble easily. Except for the debris, the coolant did not look bad.

After the flush the car runs alot cooler. It idles from 195 to 200 and driving 189 to 195, thats with air temp at 80 degrees. I think maybe the black stuff that was in the radiator was making it run hot. And since it has always run hot maybe that black junk was in the radiator when new.

 

Your engine will also run hotter with the heater on.

 

Thanks birdyman, that's some excellent information.


And to the forum, sounds like you made an excellent find.