Installed a new thermostat
 

Well, I finally gave in and installed a new thermostat. I should of done this months ago, but the sudden cold weather and my last tank (26mpg, my lowest ever) really gave me a push to do something. Its is a 195f t-stat, but my car still isn't heating up to the 1/2 mark. That seems odd to me because I am riding with a good portion of my gill blocked in stop and go traffic.

With the old t-stat I almost never made it over the 1/4 mark so there was an improvement.

Have you considered getting a block heater?

That's a pretty big jump on the gauge from 1/4 to 1/2 . Do you use a SG. The cars that I've had the gauge doesn't change from about 170-216 degrees. My fan comes on at 211 degree I know it's winter but if the fans coming on all the time probable not to good for the FE. Is your commute so short the car doesn't warm up?

I agree. If you have the cash for a EBH it will help a whole lot especially if your commute is a short one. I have a long commute and I was seeing about 10% increase.

The only way I would consider a block heater is if I parked in a garage.

Edit: Yeah, my old t-stat was stuck open I think. I have a 20 mile commute most is much stop and go so there is plenty of time to get hot.

Build a garage!

Well, that is one way to solve that problem :)

My most current information is from my 89 Honda, although it's true of my wife's 98 Chrysler Town & Country.

I'm in Ca, so I don't typically see as cold a temperatures as most of you. However, on both vehicles I've run them with as complete a grill block as I could manage. In both cases, I had to add a opening about 2" by 4", only after monitoring the temperature going up a fairly lengthy uphill run, on the freeway. In both cases, it still took a couple of miles before the temperature started going up and it started at about 1/4 to 1/3, in regular driving.

On both cars, the radiator fan comes on at 1/3+, so that is a factor, as well. Based on this, I wouldn't be surprised by what your seeing. I was surprised that it stayed as low as it did and I was surprised that I could run with as little an opening as I did. I still am on my Honda, but I took it off of my wife's car.

Block Heater
 

The EBH can be a great alternate to a heated garage...

If you have a 110V plug and extension cord, I would say that it's worth it to get the vehicle to up to temp sooner.

Compared with a dead-soak, cold start vs. an indoor or outdoor EBH startup, the block heater gets the system up to efficient operating temp much sooner than otherwise -- including the time to automatic transmission torque converter lockup. That translates to fuel savings...

-RH77

Edit: depending on the climate and outdoor temp, a timer may be appropriate to time the EBH heat-up duration...

can you see if it closes all the way. if it new it sure should. i think the working water temp. is about 170. can you warm it up and use a thermometer on the water. even a new one can be bad. if nothing ealse works can you pull it and heat water in a can and check thep. and see if its working. i can't see the gar maker blow it that bad.