Now I'm confused.

 

Yeah slight contradiction in that set lol I think they were wondering if the xj tends to favor a certain tstat rating over others thus creating said temperature issues previously described in the original post.

 

Normal operating temp "range" is 160-218, according to the book (OBD-II anyhow). A normal warm-up cycle is counted when coolant temp reaches 160 and on the opposite end, the efan is turned on at 218. I've never seen a reference to 210 as being "normal operating temp" anywhere in the FSM.

FWIW, 241.25 mathematically is overheating. LOL

 

There are only 3 references to coolant temps in the FSM........160, 218 and 195. A 160 or 180 or 195 t-stat would fall in the 160-218 "range". The FSM says "on all engines, the t-stat is closed below 195 degrees".....so one would presume the factory installed t-stat was a 195. A 180 stat is/was sold at the dealerships. My experience with a 160 stat (in any vehicle) is the heater will suck when u need it most.

 

Lol got ya.

 

This is great information. Thanks for this! I was recently wondering if I was running "too cold" since after my coolant system fixes I am consistently running under 210.

 

I'm confused as well. What's the bottom line? At what temp should my 01 xj be running at?

 

bottom line is this and it goes for 99.99% of the motors on this planet.
what ever the thermostat is it should have a a swing of 5-7 deg.

 

Somewhere between 160-218 most of the time. If u have a factory gauge, the needle pointing +/- the middle of the gauge is normal. After all, most factory temp gauges don't have numbers, just a "C" and "H".

If u run a digital ScanGauge (displays in 1 degree increments) like Bbasso and I, u will see how the temp fluctuates up/down depending on ambient temp and driving conditions but the dash gauge never (or only slightly) moves.

 

Well I am at a loss. I replaced my fan clutch, I moved the aux trans cooler to about where the factory would have mounted it, I put in a 180 t-stat (they didn't have any 195's in stock). I don't understand. When in stop and go/ city driving the temp slowly creeps up unless I do something about it, like switch on the aux fan and turn the heat on full blast. On the highway. It stays a hair below the "210" mark and with the heat on, on the highway, goes down to between the quarter mark and "210". I am at a total loss and truly can't comprehend why in 2012 with all new parts it can't keep cool and in 96 straight out of the factory it had no problem. Obviously I am doing something wrong but what that is I have no idea. Again the only things I have not replaced to this point are all but one piece of hose and the heater core. Every other piece if the cooling system is brand new.

 

Have u verified the dash gauge with a temp gun? Not sure u have a problem as the highest temp u've stated in this post is "a hair below the 210 mark".

 

Ok so I fixed it..... Please feel free to call me an idiot, fool, what have you. But I put a parts store universal cooling fan in because I was having trouble finding an or style at the stores, and the dealer wanted $560 for a fan and I actually laughed at the guy at the dealer parts counter. So I got one online and surprise. It works 10 times better than the universal pos the parts store had. Now why does it not kick on on its own at 218? I have to use the switch I installed to bring it on.

 

Is it still running "a hair below 210"? Did the efan come on automatically before the switch install?

 

sounds like you don't have an actual temp guage... GET ONE!

 

Only for 2 weeks after I first got it. Then I replaced the damaged factory e-fan and after that it never went on on its own. When city driving once it starts to go up I kick on the fan and it fits down to just below 210 and I shut it off and it hangs there for a good amount of time and it will slowly creep back up and I kick the fan on when it does.