Hey guys just wondering about how long does it take your temperature needle in the dash to get to the center and around wat temps outside? I think my temp gauge takes forever to get to the center. Any ideas?

 

That all depends. In my car when it's about 30 outside it takes me about five to ten minutes, but this is going 60 down a highway. When it just sits there it takes about ten minutes or so to fully warm-up.

Your car will heat up faster if, like me, you're driving down a highway or something compared to just sitting and warming up.

If it's taking you thirty minutes or something like that I'd say something is up.

 

Mine never gets to towards the center anymore with the new aluminum radiator. It takes at least 5-10 minutes for it to even start to move. The only time it will get close to the center is at the autocross when there is not a lot of air going across the front, a lot RPMs for about a minute, and then it will sit and heat soak until the next run, then it gets a little hot. And I've got an air dam in the front that is 2.75 inches from the ground that pushes air up into the radiator. So for yours to take longer than that, would be abnormal I think.

 

It does it takes real long and radiator and that sort of things is stock. Sometimes i drive down the highway for 5 10 min and its still not at the center what could be going on?

 

Mine takes forever and a day to get up to normal. Unlike other brands of vehicles Ford did a fairly good job of getting a good cooling system in the vehicles. I don't think you have a problem. My car right now has just a new exhaust system, a CAI and a slight tune. I went out this past week to start my car before my friend come over to put on the new parts (just to make sure that the battery is ok), I messed up my arm pretty bad and I can't drive my car because its a 5 spd. So needless to say the car is setting alot. So anyway it was like 20 degrees outside and since I can't drive it I just had to let it set and even with the car just setting not moving - no air hitting the radiator it was a good 10 min before the temp gauge noticably made a moved. After it set like 15-20 min it went up to normal. After about 20 min the fan kicked on.

Like I said and others have said I don't think it is a problem. Even when it is a warm 80 degrees unless it is just setting it is not going to rocket up to normal.

 

The only reason why I thought it seemed abnormal was because in my 07 yukon 5.3 the needle gets to the center pretty quick whether its sitting or moving. I mean not excessively quick but it seems normal.

 

It's normal, since new my car has always taken like 15min to open up the thermostat.

 

Yep it takes a bit for it to warm up. Also in case you do not know. You should never beat on any car hard till the motor has gotten up to or very close to temp.

 

Yup yup I do know that and good thing I do I might add. Thxs for lookin out for me though so about 30 min to get into the mid zone sounds about right?

 

Roughly. It is also all in what the temp is out side, now if you drive for awhile (and I mean drive - lets say 15-20 mi) and the temp isn't coming up then you most likely have a problem. I also had a GM, Blazer to be exact and it would come up in no time flat. GM is notorious for that. In fact on a hot day with the A/C on it to me would over heat. It would run almost at red (Hot) it was still under warranty and the GM dealship said it is perfectly normal. He said it was why when they get older GMs have such a hard time passing emissions.

 

I guess only way to truly test this is to buy a mechanical gauge like me thats really a thermometer,, BUT i havent got mine hooked up.. dont know where to stick the thing!

 

Let me know when you hook it up I might look into doing that.