Running too cool?

Righto, ever since I got the new radiator (And especially since I got the new O2 plug) I've been running massively cool.

I mean, in town, I'll be about midway up the temp gauge, but when I hit the highway and my radiator gets some airflow, it drops down into the blue below normal operating range.

Is that bad? Am I fussing over nothing?

Might it be a thermostat that's stuck open?

How is your FE? That will tell you if you are running to cold.

I have run a 180 stat for 4 years, but I do not DD mine. I keep one eye on fuel economy, and the other on the boost gauge as it hits 25psi.
I also run a manual fan switch, but our cars wiring are getting pretty old so the factory gauge is not always the best source of info.

Travis

Is your gauge accurate, or the sending unit. I've seen gauges where if they got 1/2 way up the scale, I'd be worried, it was overheating, because it's normal pattern for years was to run below or barely in the normal range area.

I've seen other that normally ran at the top of the range, even in the red, all the time and were not overheated

Are you running a stock rated T-stat - 192*? Some of us run 180* stats but that car I only drive in summer. Do not use a 160*, they don't work right for these cars.

If you are not using a 160* stat, I suspect everything is probably normal. If you want to know for sure, put in an after market gauge - cheap thrills.

The best quickie to see where the gauge is...let it idle until the fan comes on. That's about 210..Note gauge position. Now you have a realative idea as to what is hot.

I'm getting around 30 MPG on the highway, but that's also babying it and driving it solely for MPG. (Up to around 35 MPG highway since I changed my O2 sensor. I have a tripminder so I have an instant MPG display)

As far as I know, I run a stock stat.

The fan kicks in around 1/2 to 3/4 the way up the gauge.

If you get 30 anything....you are doing well.

Travis

Sounds like things are normal to me.

Just FYI (most already know) i just recently put a sport comp temp gauge using a heater hose adapter made by autometer (could easily be homemade also). anyway, it SOOO nice to see the actual temp, the guage is so uninformitive comparing it to the new autometer gauge. the stock gauge was halfway, and the autometer was showing 230*. Now i can truely troubleshoot my overheating issue... i could acutally see when the thermostat opened!

My gauge does that too.In town the temp gauge will read almost overheating.When I hit the hwy the gauge will read almost cold. I think it is normal but I hate the temp gauge reading overheat and the car stumbling and stalling.