Engine running too cool?

I have a '96 auto 4.0 Cherokee with a new modine radiator, water pump, thermostat housing, and dealer thermostat.

I drove the Jeep for a good four hours yesterday. The engine never seemed to fully warm up. The temp needle would only rise to the mark inbetween 100* and 210*. I would say approx 160 degrees? Occasionally it would creep a little bit above, but never where it should have been.

Does it sound like my 5 month old thermostat is bad?

Maybe it was just me, but I did notice the heater worked unsually well.

Your t'stat could be stuck open because the engine should reach 195*F. That said, if it really was running at only 160 the heater wouldn't blow much warm air. Check the coolant temp. with an infrared digital gauge. The gauge in the dash could be inaccurate due to a faulty sending unit.

Don't suppose you know where the coolant temp sensor is located, do ya?


Thanks


Edit: never mind, stupid question. It's on the thermostat housing

What degree thermo. did you put in?

factory 195 thermostat.

I think the 96 has the temp sensor on the tstat housing. If you have any air in the system it will also register cool as the air tends to collect behind the tstat and the sensor is not touching the coolant. Thats the reason they have the small bleed hole on the factory tstats in the 12 O'Clock position, to help bleed out the air that gets stuck back there. If you Tstat does not have that hole you need to make your own.