hi folks, last night i was sitting in traffic, trying to get home. when i noticed that the temp. gauge, which usually sits at 210 deg. started going up. it stopped around 222 deg, i turned on the heat and it went back to 210 deg. but after awhile it went back up to 222deg.traffic was crawling at about 10mph for around an hour when i first notice it. is this the norm. for my truck-09 silverardo, reg cab, 2wd, 4.3, v-6. thanks ed

 

the first thing i would do is talk to the dealership, u may need a new thermostat, if they try to brush u off, ask them what they will do when the engine blows from being too hot

 

Hi birdie,

Welcome to the Chevy Forums.

Bumper-to-bumper traffic and gridlocked traffic conditions hold your car still where it can't get the benefit of flowing air cooling your radiator or engine. Needless to say, it's the severest test of your car's cooling system.

A couple of things you can do to combat this problem at no cost to you,is to hose down your radiator fins.(garden hose only, don't go nutz). When you remove layers of dirt and grime, bugs,cobwebs,etc, it helps restore cooling airflow, while eliminating all the crud which acts as a super-insulator to hold in heat.

You can also gradually increase your water/ antifreeze ratio to @ 60 or 65% water. Water transfers heat much more efficiently than antifreeze.

In very frigid winter climates,( Chicago, Buffalo, Canada,etc,) you will want to keep your coolant closer to 50/50, but likely in those climates you won't experience overheating problems as much.

 

yes that is normal, a 12 degree tempature change is not abnormal, dont worry about it