Car is really hot

[Benz]

I drove 45 min into Philly and drove around the city and my water temp reached around 240-250 its 95 degrees here. Is it okay to drive at those temps or should I let it sit for a while?

 

[meanchicken]

NO!
Don't drive it around like that. Let it cool down and figure out whats what. Definitely do not lean on it while hot.

Something in your cooling system is amiss and excessive heat will take the life out of your motor.

Before I knew better, I drove around for a full summer with my temps rising as high as 230....usually around 210-220...and overheated it real good once after my kid left my radiator cap loose while screwing around under my hood when I wasn't paying attention....the combined result was I ended up basically melting a set of very good RJC head gaskets and two of my cylinders lost compression. The gaskets didn't blow...they just deteriorated to the point of not sealing around those two cylinders well enough anymore due to the continuous heat exposure and being leaned on while hot.

I converted to the F-body radiator and Ramcharger fans and temps never exceed 190 in the hottest part of summer....typically stay below 170 in 80-90 degree weather.

 

[Red C5]

Way too hot for comfort.

 

[SIXBANGR]

check your fuse to the fan. Unless you know it is on.

 

[dsapper]

Be careful, at those temps something happened. Make sure the fuses are not blown, the fan is on and your radiator cap is tight with no leaks. If it all checks out its something bigger like a head gasket etc. To get you home drain your antifreeze and put pure distilled water in there with some redline water wetter and limp home with an eye on the temp.

 

[jlat]

hello; All that is said I agree with. But a gage could be misinforming you. Mine did and when I had in on a OTC and Scanmaster my thought of overheating was wrong.
IBBY

 

[turbofrank]

240-250 your rad ,hoses and eng should be super hot to the touch? Single fan, stock rad ? let us know more.

 

[Benz]

240-250 your rad ,hoses and eng should be super hot to the touch? Single fan, stock rad ? let us know more.

Single fan stock rad, 160 t stat and TT chip. It went back down to 220 once I hit the highway. Maybe it's just wrong? The car drove fine

 

[meanchicken]

Single fan stock rad, 160 t stat and TT chip. It went back down to 220 once I hit the highway. Maybe it's just wrong? The car drove fine

Don't assume that the car driving fine means there's not a problem.....assume the worst until you can confirm its just a gage issue.
My car ran fine too....the Kill Section is full of my Kills from back then....

Another thing to check assuming the rest of the system is OK:
Radiator hoses worn out? .....if they are, then can collapse when hot and cut off the flow.
Fan turning on and/or going into high speed when it should? ....if not....then that could be your issue. You can jumper around the balast resister on the fan shroud and it should run in high speed all the time.

 

[Red C5]

Agreed, don't judge it by how it drives. Last yearour truck was in the red and we had to keep going ubtil we were in a safe spot. We were pulling a 40ft 18k trailer and it pulled like normal.

 

[GullsGN]

Single fan stock rad, 160 t stat and TT chip. It went back down to 220 once I hit the highway. Maybe it's just wrong? The car drove fine

Time to replace that tired 26 year old radiator. Get an F-Body radiator for a hundred bucks and be happy. Took the car out for the first time this year in 97 degree temps. Drove aroun for quite awhile and sat for 15 minutes with the car running for an inspection sticker and the temps never went over 173 degrees!