GenVibe - Community for Pontiac Vibe Enthusiasts

just installed a digital gauge & red hoses , cruising temps were around 180-190f

got the 170 trd thermostat now criusing temps are 160-175f

fan went bad so now i ordered dual 10'' fans , 2 row aluminum racing rad , and a catch tank
hoping for even cooler temps

right now im cruising around with no fan and a pepsi bottle with a 1/4 hole in the cap jamed behind the head light for an overflow lol
i couldnt bring myself to put the broken fan/resivoir back in.......

pics & temps to come

saved for future edits/pics

Not sure what you are saying.

You should NOT put a lower temperature stat in the car. The engine in general, together with the oil, and all emissions controls are intended to operate at a specific temperature. Do NOT lower that temperature.

Overheating is bad but 180-190 is not overheating, it is probably exactly correct.

A 170 trd thermostat is fine. Its the 160 thermostat that will cause problems
a. Because the coolant needs more rime to stay in the rad to cool
b. Because of temp vs fuel mix

Says in desription of the 160 not to use without a way to tune fuel maps

Yeah, I guess all those Toyota engineers don't have any idea what they are doing. Everything is a system, if you are going to change one part you affect everything. Racing parts (TRD) are not intended for street vehicles that must pass emissions and have good driveability.

My motor is soon to be turbo , with a custom tune
HP = Heat
im adding about 70 hp so i want to keep the temps where they use to be
TRD is Toyotays Racing division therefore it is a genuine toyota part and i went with the milder of the two thermostats and will have a custom tune i see zero negative side effects to my personal application

most mods are not legal for on road use
Most of the modified cars on here would prolly fail if they were given any more than a lick and stick inspection/emissions (depending on local laws)
if i wanted it just the way toyota designed i wouldnt be on a forum full of modified car owners talking to other enthusiest about modifying pontiac vibe's

the only difference is now when i punch it my temps only rise roughly to what used to be my idle temps
so when i add more pwer, ie heat it will all be nice and cool

i also added an oil temp gauge so i will be making notes of how much oil temps rise after the turbo install and may possibly add a cooler and take before and after recordings
if i can keep it under 200f ish under high load i may not need a turbo timer

You seem to have the mistaken idea that a lower temperature thermostat provides for better cooling, it does not. The lower opening temperature only means that it opens earlier. Due to opening earlier it may never reach the optimum operating temperature determined by the designing engineers. An under heated engine can result in excess emissions and driveability issues. Do what you want, but if you have issues in the future keep in mind that it may be too cool.

Your other mods may be necessary for better cooling with a turbo. But again, a lower temperature thermostat does not provide better cooling, it only lowers the normal operating temperature. If the other cooling components are inadequate the engine will still overheat even if you have no thermostat.

BTW, I would wager that the majority of the members of this forum have zero engine mods.

The 170 is required per Toyota for FI applications, including the TRD Supercharger. N/A applications still require the 180.

Yeah, I know it's been a while, but how did your build go?

Do you remember how much the 160° cost? Do you know of any alternatives?

By the way, this is what the trd supercharger instructions say:

" Coolant Thermostat When the supercharger kit was installed, it utilized a 160°F (71°C) thermostat that replaced the factory 180°F (82°C) thermostat. The TRD ECU’s calibration is based on the addition of the supercharger and the installation of this 160°F (71°C) thermostat. These thermostats are specifically made for TRD, and at the current time, are only available through your local Toyota dealer. The use of a factory 180°F (82°C) thermostat on a vehicle equipped with a TRD ECU and supercharger will result in poor performance"

So I concur, I agree! In certain applications, a cooler thermostat is NECESSARY!

I was going to post a picture of the stickers that tell you that the 160° is necessary, but couldn't get it to work.

i cant remember how much it was but i got it at monkey wrench racing . has been running nice and cool never gets above 180 even with spirited driving on a hot day . on a cold day if i have the fans on the whole time it runs at 160f

ps dont use the silicone hoses made for 2zz on ebay they wolnt even last a month before they completely burst and leave you stranded

beemerphile1 wrote:You seem to have the mistaken idea that a lower temperature thermostat provides for better cooling, it does not. The lower opening temperature only means that it opens earlier. Due to opening earlier it may never reach the optimum operating temperature determined by the designing engineers. An under heated engine can result in excess emissions and driveability issues. Do what you want, but if you have issues in the future keep in mind that it may be too cool.

Your other mods may be necessary for better cooling with a turbo. But again, a lower temperature thermostat does not provide better cooling, it only lowers the normal operating temperature. If the other cooling components are inadequate the engine will still overheat even if you have no thermostat.

A lower temperature thermostat in this case would provide better cooling in a way. With added modification's such as Turbos and Heat pump superchargers like the one Hotbug1776 has on his car makes the over all operating temp higher. By allowing the thermostat to open sooner the cars cooling system does not have to work as hard to keep it manageable. Your right as to the fact that the thermostat does not cool the car that's what a radiator is for.

beemerphile1 wrote:BTW, I would wager that the majority of the members of this forum have zero engine mods.

Possibly but what does that have to do with anything.

I use the 170 thermostat only because of the milder climate I'm in. I also use meth injection to help keep things nice and cool.