how hot is my engine supposed to be until my fan kicks on because i never hear it running its a 98

 

I believe 180 F but I'm just guessing. That number sounds familiar so that's my best guess. Maybe even 190

 

Okay from what I've found the 3.8l up to 2004 came with 192F one in it and you could change it to a 180F to make it kick in a little sooner

 

ok well when im sitting in traffic on a normal day like around 70ish or even inthe 60's it still gets up to 210

 

I say go ahead and put a different thermostat in

 

Your fan is set to kick on over 200 degrees. 210-220ish. Normal operating temp of your car is over 200. Thermostat will help keep it cooler especially while cruising but in traffic the fan will still wait for the preset temp.

 

^^ This !!!


stock stat is 195* iirc. Don't confuse thermost operation, fan operation, etc. a 195 stat doesn't mean that is the operating temp. just like Al stated normal operating temp is around 200* and fans will kick in around 210 ish. don't jump the gun just yet.