Wife's '97 Camry with 220,000 miles on the 2.2L 4-banger blows a lot less heat than it did previous years. I put in new Coolant this Spring & it came out clean.
Went to NAPA to get a Thermostat yesterday and they say there's no 195 Degree Thermostat, just 180's... I bought their NAPA Premium.
Is that right? No 195 Thermostat??
Thank you!
'97 Camry. Only has a 180 Thermostat? No 195??
- Thread starter Turk
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Many imports do use a cooler stat.some Hondas are 170
180 is the recommended oem temperature, but you can buy a 192 thermostat off Rockauto since you live in the cold climate.
Here is the part number.
BECK/ARNLEY Part # 1430697
Originally Posted By: 901Memphis
180 is the recommended oem temperature, but you can buy a 192 thermostat off Rockauto since you live in the cold climate.
Here is the part number.
BECK/ARNLEY Part # 1430697
Dont buy a hotter thermo - unless you like crusty valve stems - block off 1/2 of your radiator instead 
180 is plenty hot.
180 is plenty hot.Check the blend door actuator by changing the temp from hot to cold. Should hear some noise from that area if its working right.
The engineers who designed that engine have no clue what thermostat works best - that's why they picked 180F - they just threw a dart and it landed on that number. Now, with all this internet knowledge, you can actually make a much more informed decision.
I would use oem thermo and call it a day
Originally Posted By: larry007
Check the blend door actuator by changing the temp from hot to cold. Should hear some noise from that area if its working right.
It's odd because the temp needle goes to the exact same position it has for years, but it's not as hot. Could be that...
I don't think the Thermostat has ever been changed though...Heater core gunked up?
OEM is the only way to go for handling cooling system problems. With aluminum engines, it only takes one over heated occurrence to damage an engine.Regards
from the factory, I believe all 80's and 90's Camry 4 cyls came with 180 degree stats. I'm pretty sure.
Yeah, I rather like the dart method myself. Sometimes automotive engineers use the dart method for completely unimportant things like coolant type, engine displacement, redline RPM and firing order.
Originally Posted By: bigt61
The engineers who designed that engine have no clue what thermostat works best - that's why they picked 180F - they just threw a dart and it landed on that number. Now, with all this internet knowledge, you can actually make a much more informed decision.
Sometimes automotive engineers use the dart method for completely unimportant things like coolant type, engine displacement, redline RPM and firing order.Originally Posted By: Turk
Originally Posted By: larry007
Check the blend door actuator by changing the temp from hot to cold. Should hear some noise from that area if its working right.
It's odd because the temp needle goes to the exact same position it has for years, but it's not as hot. Could be that...
I don't think the Thermostat has ever been changed though...
Last edited:
Originally Posted By: tinmanSC
Originally Posted By: bigt61
The engineers who designed that engine have no clue what thermostat works best - that's why they picked 180F - they just threw a dart and it landed on that number. Now, with all this internet knowledge, you can actually make a much more informed decision.
Sometimes automotive engineers use the dart method for completely unimportant things like coolant type, engine displacement, redline RPM and firing order.
Originally Posted By: NateDN10
Originally Posted By: tinmanSC
Originally Posted By: bigt61
The engineers who designed that engine have no clue what thermostat works best - that's why they picked 180F - they just threw a dart and it landed on that number. Now, with all this internet knowledge, you can actually make a much more informed decision.
Sometimes automotive engineers use the dart method for completely unimportant things like coolant type, engine displacement, redline RPM and firing order. 
I would not look for a hotter thermostat for the reasons described above.
How hot is the hose going into the heater core? What about the return hose? One should feel warmer than the other, but there should not be a drastic difference between the two.
You didn’t mention coolant level, is it near the full mark?
And lastly, a thermostat that is partly stuck open may also cause the symptoms you are describing.
A new part that does not function correctly. Imagine that.
Do the HVAC controls operate via cables? If so, they get loose over time. I had to take the dash apart on my Corolla and tighten them up which helped heat output because the cable was so loose. Also check the temp of the heater hoses going through the firewall. You can also look at the heater control valve while someone cycles the heat; when they select full heat, move the valve under the hood with your hand to see if it can open any further, which indicates slack in the cables.
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