normal operating temp for a 98 catera

[cateraboy]

I was wondering where the temperature gauge should be at normal operating temps. Should it also fluctuate frequently at idle moreso when driving?

I have a 98 catera and wondered what everybody else's temp gauge does.

Thanks

[JasonA]

I was wondering where the temperature gauge should be at normal operating temps. Should it also fluctuate frequently at idle moreso when driving?

I have a 98 catera and wondered what everybody else's temp gauge does.

Thanks

I don't know if there are any Catera owners on this site, so I'll give you my input until someone "in the know" comes forward. Normal operating temperatures should be in the 200-230 *F range. The fans are electric, and if you don't have the A/C on, they're probably not turning. They'll turn on when the coolant gets hot enough (probably around 225-230 *F), and turn off when the coolant cools down. This is the fluctuation you see at idle. When you're driving you have a ram-air condition through the radiator and will have very little temperature variation.

[motor_car]

Catera has very active electric fans that frequently stay on for a while after the engine is shut off. The fans seem to run a lot even without the A/C being used. I'm pretty sure that the "normal" operating temperature is just above 200F, probably a tad below 212F during driving and maybe 220-230 in stop-and-go. My wife is at her second Catera (1998) and both acted the same. It came with the orange dex-cool coolant.

mc