My car is an 05 Saab 92x, which is a rebadged Subaru Impreza wagon. I have the NA 2.5L engine. I have been lurking here for a while and the technical expertise here is superb. It's a 5MT if that helps.
During a recent road trip from Seattle to Denver, I noticed that the coolant temperature was about 45 degrees warmer than normal (according to my ScanGauge) after driving for an extended period of time. ~ 225 degrees. The outside temperature was in the low to mid 30's all the way there. Of course, I was driving over mountain passes. I thought nothing of it since I had never driven more than ~30 miles one way in the car before. The car was not overheating at all since the gauge in the car was around 2/3 of the way to the red marks.
For the return trip home, the outside temperatures were in the 70's and 80's. Guess what? The coolant temperature was ~180 degrees the whole time. This is standard temperature that I have seen in moderate to hot weather. It was a slightly different route on the return trip, but still plenty of high elevation driving.
I have noticed when I drive my usual 30 miles commute in cold weather here, the coolant temperate is ~ 190 degrees. That is ~ 10 degrees higher than when the outside temperature is more moderate.
Is this normal behavior? I am going for my 7,500 mile service in a few days and I can have the dealer check it out. Thanks.
