For a year and a half my I6 has been running hot. I've gone through 3 radiators from O' Reilly's in the last 2 months and a new thermostat housing. It was running at 215-230 degrees.....now it is at 178-185 degrees.

Is this normal?


What does yours run at?

 

I believe the temp on the I6 should be 180-190, so it sounds like you fixed the issue!

 

That's on the cold side. 205-215F is pretty normal. 220+ and you can worry.

 

Is it bad to be on the cold side?


I almost always check my thermostats before I put them in. This one I didn't. It's a 180 degree Murray "fail-safe." Is it possible this one is stuck open?

 

Kind of. Running cold can prevent contaminants from burning out of the oil, and can cause excessive carbon buildup in the combustion chambers.

The engine is designed to run with a 195F thermostat. That's what I'd recommend using.

 

Mine will run 185 all day long. Good temp in California.