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Burnt -
(this is a late post, others have already said as much ...)
That's a good question. The coolant temp is not the temp of the engine block, but it reflects how hot the engine block is.
On my car, and others from what I have read, a coolant temp of 250 degrees F is where the engine damage starts. My coolant normally runs around 190 degrees F. When I am stuck in traffic it can heat up to 220 degrees F. At that temperature, the ECU/PCM turns the electric fan on. It keeps the fan on until the temp falls to 210 degrees F, and the cycle repeats itself as long as I am stuck in traffic.
I am sure your Cobalt does something similar. You can find out by :
1 - Idle your Cobalt in the parking lot
2 - Watch the coolant gauge slowly rise
3 - At some point, you will hear the electric fan come on.
Note where the needle is on the coolant gauge. That *should* be around 220 degrees F. If you had a Scangauge, you would be able to tell the exact temperature when the electric fan turns on. I am guessing you could also find out this temperature on a Cobalt forum.
Don't do this test with the AC on, because that *should* turn on the electric fan by default. Maybe not, but that's what it does on my car.
On my car, as an additional precaution, I have a manual fan radiator switch. I can use this switch to turn on the electric fan when I don't like the coolant temp. I am more conservative than the ECU/PCM. I usually turn the fan on at 210 degrees F and turn it off at 190+ degrees F or when the car is moving again.
CarloSW2
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