1985-1998 [Subscribe to Daily Digest] |
I agree with Stephen Goldberger, that you should use the stock 89° 'stat on your '98. By messing with the opening temp you risk freaking the computer in some way that might affect driveability or economy. As Stephen pointed out, the car will run the temp it wants anyway, dictated by the driving and ambient conditions, so lowering the 'stat rating does little more than widening the operating temps the car experiences.
I also agree that you should not try to equate the behavior of the '92 vis-a-vis the '98. I have a '95 with the same or similar stock gauge setup as your '98, and the info given is nearly useless. I also have a VDO gauge mounted in the car with the sender downstream of the thermostat, and I'm able to watch the behavior of the stock gauge as the VDO rises and falls.
The stock gauge attains a normal position (a tad below 9 o'clock) long before the thermostat is even open, and I'd guess this to be around 120°F.
Since the VDO indicates the coolant is unheated before the 'stat is opened, it is hard to gauge the exact temp when the stock gauge shows normal, but it takes 2-3 miles after the stock gauge shows normal before the thermostat opens.
My stock gauge remains in the normal position at any time after initial warmup, even when the coolant temp is around 230° and the fans are activated. Basically, this gauge is worthless, which is why I supplemented it with the VDO gauge so I can determine what my coolant temp really is. I suppose it would rise above the normal level if the coolant became really hot, but I haven't experienced that.
As for coolant, use any of the extended-life (orange) coolants. Prestone has worked very well for me for years, and other than one thermostat failure (recent) I have had no cooling system problems with the five Saabs I've owned. I also use Bar's Leaks religiously as a maintenance measure for reasons outlined in numerous past threads. Despite unfounded rumors, it will not clog a well-maintained cooling system.
posted by 68.11.251...
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