About Engine coolant temperature

Hi TW.

I recently wrote to ScanGuage to ask how to find my motor's engine temperature, and they told me which guage to look for (°fWT). They said the engine coolant temperature is a pretty accurate reading for the engine's temperature. I noticed that for a normal operation of 40minutes of my truck, my Engine coolant temperature reads 209°F. Temperature at which water boils is at 212°F. Or 373Kelvins.

Mean Temperature here in So Cal are about 79°F these days, which is a typical hot day (was 89°F last Saturday). When the truck is moving, I summarize that the radiator is cooled from the flowing air movement.

I haven't been driving very aggressive, but I do have my ECT on, and I occasionally shift to Sport mode and D on a typical drive. My Transmission showed around 195°F. ( I should also add, my truck was idling for about 20 minutes. Drove another 15 minutes before my read outs.)

My question is,... is this nominal temperature? Close to boiling point of water? Mine's a v6.

 

Your Truck use coolant which has a higher boiling point then water. I wouldn't worry about getting close to 212.

 

You do not have straight water in your cooling system. It will not boil at 212.

Edit: quick google search shows 50/50 coolant boiling point at 223.

 

... and vehicle coolant systems are pressurized thereby increasing the boiling point temperature.

"Factory radiator caps typically increase the cooling-system pressure by 14 or 15 psi and raise the boiling point about 43 degrees F." Article

 

Most modern systems are designed to operate with water temperatures around 200-210F. That's where the clearances and flow rates all line up. They're pressurized systems so everything's fine.

 

As previously stated:

1. The coolant is not pure water, therefore raising the boiling point.
2. The cooling system is pressurized, therefore raising the boiling point.
3. Modern vehicles are designed to run around 215F as it promotes complete combustion, increasing efficiency, and reducing emissions.

 

One last thing to add here:
These trucks were tested in some extreme applications like towing max load across Death Valley in the summer time. Idling for extended periods in over 100 degree heat. The same for cold weather testing. As an engineer I worry about a lot of things... that bridge I'm crossing that some dumbass civil eng designed while he was hungover, the braking system of that guy pulling a 30 ft Airstream that is on my rear bumper, old people (older than me anyway) driving that are on oxygen and a walker that measure reaction times in minutes, not milliseconds and many other things. But the coolant system of my truck never crosses my mind. Have faith in Thermodynamics. It has laws that cannot be broken.

 

Just had to call me out like that...

OA

 

Didn't know you were using a walker... my bad.