Scangauge temp question

I saw 202 yesterday on our way home from Memphis. Outside temp was 60. Normal on my gauge is 184-196, without blocking. I am not concerned. It almost immediatly dropped back to 194.
Dan

 

The thermostat is 195F so between 190 and 200 is normal.

 

Watch the temp when going up long hills. I saw temps as high as 202F and it stayed between that and 198F until I got over the hill. I had my lower grille fully blocked and temps were 66F outside. I promptly removed some of the grille block. Over 200F is too high for my liking. Neither was the smell of hot plastic.

 

I believe my radiator fan turns on at 202-204F. As long as it hits those temperatures only on brief hills and immediately cycles down, I haven't yet worried about removing the grill block. But when it runs above 195F in steady conditions, then more of the block gets removed. I usually remove just one or two strips at a time.

If it ever hits 206, the whole block would come out immediately.

Last year, my block was fully removed for only two weeks in September, when traveling away from cool Puget Sound to an area with 90F+ temperatures. But most readers here live in warmer climates, so shouldn't leave any grill block in place as long as I have. Especially if they lack a ScanGauge or other engine monitor.

 

For what it's worth, down here with no blocking and outside temperatures mostly 18-28°C (64-82°F), I mostly see my coolant temperature at 85 or 90°C (185 or 194°F).

 

This is what I have been going off of from ken1784

Coolant Temp: 200 to 195 quick... | PriusChat

The thermostat starts to open at 82C(180F) and fully opens at 95C(203F). Therefore, the ICE coolant temperature is ...
below 180F:blue zone: cold
180-203F:green zone: good and acceptable
203-208F:yellow zone: semi-overheat
above 208F:red zone: overheat