[Big Moe]

Hello:

I have had to run my longest run ever on the gasoline engine.

I noticed the operating temperature varies between 185 degrees fahrenheit and 224 degrees fahrenheit. is this correct?

There is nothing in the manual! I called Onstar and they transferred me to GM Technical support. It took 20 minutes for someone to answer and then another 30 minutes to get the answer, "If it over heats the warning light will come on"

Onstar transfered me to a foreign site. I have nothing against foreigners as they are working hard to support their families but GM needs to train their techs better.

Big Moe

 

[geoffeg]

That's a standard operating temperature range for an internal combustion engine. The Volt's engine uses a electronically controlled thermostat, so it probably varies the coolant temp for best efficiency.

 

[canehdian]

Perfectly normal.

 

[freshcut]

I would agree. Most cars have a thermostat that doesn't even open until 190F. I know an old Fiero I had (yes, I know apples and oranges, but there is a point) didn't even operate the radiator fan until the engine went to 235 and this was be design and printed in the manual. I know newer engines enjoy hotter temps than older engines for efficiency and as such I don't think most cars will trigger a temp warning unless it's 250 or higher. I've always been the type that got nervous when the temp on any vehicle I had approached or exceeded boiling point but keep in mind the pressure cap is vital in that it increases the boiling point by a couple degrees (3 I believe) with each psi. That said with a 15psi cap it can effectively keep the coolant from boiling up to just over 250F.

 

[jcanoe]

If you use the Volt's gas engine you want the engine coolant to reach operating temperature (185F to 224F) as quickly as possible for maximum engine efficiency. This can take 8 to 10 minutes or 8 - 10 miles of driving at highway speeds. Once the engine reaches full operating temperature the coolant temperature will continue to fluctuate +/- 10 degrees or so depending the the engine load and operating conditions.

If cabin heat is desired, when the Volt's gas engine is running, the engine coolant starts to supply noticeable heat to the cabin starting at about 160F. You can test this by driving in winter with just the fan set at medium speed (without the electric heat (Economy or Max) engaged), with Engine Heat Assist set to Yes or when you switch to Hold mode, then wait for the coolant temperature to rise until you can feel warm air start to come from the dashboard vents.

 

[alfon]

Our 2016 Volt seems to run anywhere from 195-208 on the gas engine. Probably more fuel efficient at that range than at 180 degrees or so. My trip today was nearly 68 miles on gas with 52.5 mpg. Seems to be a pretty efficient temp range to me....

 

[timoshev]

The factory answer is right on: drive the car, don't monitor engine temp and worry not. Volt has had a few mechanical/ electrical problems over the years, but overheating is not one of 'em. (Based on 4 years of forum reports)

 

[llninja]

I'm torn between whether it's better to have the gauge and have people worry NGS are too hot or not, or to not have agauge and now know. My other cars have temp gauges, ugh the gen1 does not. I don't think I actually look at the temp gauges at all while driving the other cars. I did service light in my suburban came on and the needle climbed all the way up. A new water pump fixed that issue.

 

[edk-austin]

And related to the gauge or no gauge question, is accuracy. I do always watch the analog temperature gauge in ICE cars, but with a small gauge, one really can't tell what the temperature is, so if it's 190 or 200, it's hard to really notice. And then some analog gauges won't even label the dial with numbers, to intentionally dumb down the data. But you can still notice if the temp is significantly outside it's common range. Now with digital indicators (and tire TPS!), a readout of say "193", may really be no more accurate than 180 to 210 actual temperature. Or, the number may bounce around between 190 and 210, due to other factors, when there is really no significance to actual coolant temp.

 

[freshcut]

I agree with the accuracy point. Most gauges as well as their associated sensor have a fair bit of inaccuracy already built in. Usually 3-5%, so if you're dealing with 200 degrees it can be off by several degrees or more if both sensor and gauge are inaccurate in the same direction where both read hotter or cooler than actual. However, that said, watching for a "typical" reading is nice. I knew with my Olds, 200'ish was average, and the Fiero seemed to enjoy around 200 as well (guestimate due to minimal labeling on both gauges). Therefore I knew if it climbed significantly higher without reason such as climbing a steep grade or unusually warm temps, there was an issue at work.

 

[JFudo]

Your typical ICE car's temp gauge is as described above, not precise and not specific. On top of that normal gauges aren't reality. They have a spot on the gauge where someone decided is where it points under normal operating conditions and is designed not to move unless the engine is still warming up or seriously over heating. For example it will always point straight up while the engine is between 180 and 240 degrees. In reality the temp fluctuates quite a bit, and the gauges on the volt are showing this reality. Other gauges are designed to give a level of comfort or something.