2nd Generation Specific (1986-1992) 1986-1992 Discussion including performance modifications and technical support sections.

Temp Gauge - how high is too high?

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old Sep 25, 2004 | 04:59 PM
  #1  
7th Heaven's Avatar
Thread Starter
Senior Member
Tenured Member 15 Years
 
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 626
Likes: 1
From: .
Temp Gauge - how high is too high?

Just curious, how high has your temp gauge gotten for your FC? I was driving to work the other day and got stuck in a school zone just idling/driving under 10mph for a while - my temp gauge crept to around 60-65%.... i was dying to get back on the open road and let the cool air get to the engine. once the traffic let up it went back down to 1/4 like it normally does. is there a certain spot on the gauge where the engine just calls it quits and overheats?
Reply
Old Sep 25, 2004 | 05:02 PM
  #2  
The Spyder's Avatar
Never give up!
iTrader: (8)
 
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 3,727
Likes: 72
From: Oregon
I NEVER let mine go above 1/2 in my TII. It got just a little under one time, coolant was comming out the overflow .
Reply
Old Sep 25, 2004 | 05:04 PM
  #3  
Andrew.'s Avatar
The end of an era
Tenured Member: 20 Years
Liked
iTrader: (4)
 
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 4,717
Likes: 6
From: Riverside, CA
I hit about 75% luckily didn'tmess up my seals, ignorant kid at a track day, Now if it gets to 1/3rd i'm concerned and blast the heater, even though its normal
Reply
Old Sep 25, 2004 | 06:40 PM
  #4  
Cybaster's Avatar
I think I'm addicted
 
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 749
Likes: 2
From: Castro Valley
mine always stay around 1/2
Reply
Old Sep 25, 2004 | 06:42 PM
  #5  
1RevvinFC3S's Avatar
DOWNSTAIRS MIXUP
Tenured Member 05 Years
 
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 2,723
Likes: 0
From: Lampasas, TX
Mine's at about 1/2 unless I have the heater on. It should stay cooler though.
Reply
Old Sep 25, 2004 | 06:43 PM
  #6  
13b_drifter's Avatar
Tarmac Surfer
Tenured Member 05 Years
 
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 425
Likes: 0
From: Toronto
Im around half too. Is that bad?
Reply
Old Sep 25, 2004 | 08:10 PM
  #7  
7th Heaven's Avatar
Thread Starter
Senior Member
Tenured Member 15 Years
 
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 626
Likes: 1
From: .
Wow didnt know so many stayed at 1/2, i thought it was too high/bad. i'm gonna get flamed for this but i dont have a fan shroud on mine, but it stays at 1/4 99% of the time. but, if im sitting in traffic for a good 10 minutes on a hot florida afternoon, well it goes to around 50-70%, then i start getting scared. and turning on the A/C's heater will actually make the car run cooler?? thats boggles my mind right there, can someone explain? and running the A/C will make it run hotter, right? seems like the very few times i use my A/C, the temp gauge rises a tad and stays there.
Reply
Old Sep 25, 2004 | 08:32 PM
  #8  
EJayCe996's Avatar
There were no survivors
Tenured Member 15 Years
 
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 2,475
Likes: 1
From: Grand Prairie, Texas
If i read this right, your heater uses the heat that your engine creates and blows it into the cockpit... so your pretty much drawing the heat off of your engine, thus keeping it cooler
Reply
Old Sep 25, 2004 | 08:42 PM
  #9  
7th Heaven's Avatar
Thread Starter
Senior Member
Tenured Member 15 Years
 
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 626
Likes: 1
From: .
Well, that makes sense... thanks =)

i cant imagine running the heater in florida weather though. :O
Reply
Old Sep 25, 2004 | 08:47 PM
  #10  
WAYNE88N/A's Avatar
Lives on the Forum
Tenured Member 05 Years
 
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 5,721
Likes: 3
From: Coldspring TX
Heck, I pegged mine in my '84, and pegged it in my '88, both times due to the heater hose blowing. No engine damage in both cases. The trick is to shut her down ASAP.

1/2 scale is nothing...
Reply
Old Sep 25, 2004 | 10:23 PM
  #11  
igottafc's Avatar
RX7less **(
iTrader: (6)
 
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 6,916
Likes: 0
From: Novi Michigan
i blast me heat in my t2 where ever igo it never over heats when its hot though i guess its just become a habit
Reply
Old Sep 25, 2004 | 10:25 PM
  #12  
poor_red_neck's Avatar
Wait................What?
Tenured Member 10 Years
 
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 521
Likes: 0
From: Raleigh/Cary, NC - USA
If you're S4... then you have an accurate gauge... no more than half way.

S5s on the other hand.... well.. .oh boy.

You have only 3 ranges. Cold engine, Normal temp, blown motor.

There is no real gradient between normal and hot.... it just goes hot pretty damn fast. Literally NO warning.
Reply
Old Sep 25, 2004 | 11:08 PM
  #13  
Amur_'s Avatar
Refined Valley Dude
Tenured Member 05 Years
 
Joined: Oct 2001
Posts: 2,283
Likes: 2
From: Kitchener, Ontario (Hamilton's armpit)
I've also topped out the meter on my s4. 4 times. Twice on purpose. And the motor still runs like a champ.

Stock FC temp gauges are garbage. I put an aftermarket analog gauge in (about to put in a spiffy new digital one to replace it) and noticed that there can be a temp change of up to ~20F before the stock gauge will start to move. How useless is that?

I think of the stock gauge as a sampler...
Reply
Old Sep 25, 2004 | 11:26 PM
  #14  
WonkoTheSane's Avatar
Green Flameless
Tenured Member 15 Years
iTrader: (2)
 
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 2,242
Likes: 0
From: North Central PA
Mine gets up to 99% of the way up every time I drive it more than 10 minutes.. I don't know why. I can't figure it out for the life of me... coolant dumping out of the overflow, system over pressureized.. I don't know whats' wrong. stupid car.
Reply
Old Sep 25, 2004 | 11:30 PM
  #15  
deltr0n`'s Avatar
Track Junkie
Tenured Member 10 Years
 
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 1,277
Likes: 0
From: Los Angeles
S4's = 1/4th of the way for normal operating temps

S5's = tiny bit less than 1/2 for normal operating temps
Reply
Old Sep 26, 2004 | 12:38 AM
  #16  
locketine's Avatar
Road Rotary Aviator
Tenured Member 05 Years
 
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 499
Likes: 0
From: Oregon
my s4 right after a coolant flush runs 1/4, but then eventually rests at 1/2. I thought overheating meant the overheating light comes on..... which has happened to me once, during a coolant cleaning session. oh yeah, I pulled my radiator today and found that the temp gauge wire was pos and holding on by only one strand so maybe that's why my car ran hot before? oh yeah, the temp gauge was at like 95% when my exhaust system temp light came on.
Reply
Old Sep 26, 2004 | 12:43 AM
  #17  
eyeoutthere's Avatar
Senior Member
Tenured Member: 20 Years
 
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 380
Likes: 1
From: Owego NY
Mine warms up to 1/2 and stays there all the time (even when it is overheating).
Reply
Old Sep 26, 2004 | 12:56 AM
  #18  
jacobcartmill's Avatar
just dont care.
Tenured Member 20 Years
iTrader: (6)
 
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 9,387
Likes: 4
From: Nashville, TN
Originally Posted by EJayCe996
If i read this right, your heater uses the heat that your engine creates and blows it into the cockpit... so your pretty much drawing the heat off of your engine, thus keeping it cooler

the heater actually lets the engine coolant flow through the heater core. then the air blows through the heater core and the air heats up as is passes over the hot heater core lines that are filled with your hot engine coolant.

if the heater was just air blowing inside the cabin from the engine bay half of us would be dead right now
Reply
Old Sep 26, 2004 | 01:01 AM
  #19  
EJayCe996's Avatar
There were no survivors
Tenured Member 15 Years
 
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 2,475
Likes: 1
From: Grand Prairie, Texas
Well i didnt mean it straight off of the engine, i didnt know specifics so i left it general...
Reply
Old Sep 26, 2004 | 01:17 AM
  #20  
koukifc3s's Avatar
Clogged cat
Tenured Member 10 Years
iTrader: (3)
 
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 2,000
Likes: 0
From: Orange County, CA
Originally Posted by jacobcartmill
the heater actually lets the engine coolant flow through the heater core. then the air blows through the heater core and the air heats up as is passes over the hot heater core lines that are filled with your hot engine coolant.

if the heater was just air blowing inside the cabin from the engine bay half of us would be dead right now
that stuff smells good!

oh and I dont trust the stock gauge
Reply
Old Sep 26, 2004 | 02:41 AM
  #21  
scheistermeister's Avatar
Throbbing Member
Tenured Member 05 Years
 
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 853
Likes: 0
From: Cincinnati, OH
Originally Posted by koukifc3s
that stuff smells good!
i agree, i like the smell too!
Reply
Old Sep 26, 2004 | 09:45 AM
  #22  
RotaryBuddha's Avatar
CURVE OF CONSTANT WIDTH
Tenured Member 20 Years
iTrader: (4)
 
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 2,314
Likes: 1
From: Wesley Chapel, FL
i dont trust the stock gauge at all. my efan is set to go off at 180 F. which sometimes will be half the gauge or even sometimes 3/4 of the gauge. the 3/4 scares me the F*** out of me everytime it gets up their. that only happens when sitting in rush hour traffic. never while driven. usually stays at 1/4 of the gauge during normal or hard driving.
Reply
Old Sep 26, 2004 | 02:30 PM
  #23  
1RevvinFC3S's Avatar
DOWNSTAIRS MIXUP
Tenured Member 05 Years
 
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 2,723
Likes: 0
From: Lampasas, TX
My E-Fan is manual so I turn it on at about 1/4 of the way up. I'm considering checking my thermostat and flushing my coolant and oil system to get rid of any little overheating demons. My brother blew his heater hose on his S4 (which is a SUMMAMABITCH to get to, by the way) and it got about 90% up before he shut it off. It runs fine though, with the exception of the cracked intake piping from a nitrous explosion.
Reply
Old Sep 27, 2004 | 07:49 PM
  #24  
RotaryBuddha's Avatar
CURVE OF CONSTANT WIDTH
Tenured Member 20 Years
iTrader: (4)
 
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 2,314
Likes: 1
From: Wesley Chapel, FL
Originally Posted by 1RevvinFC3S
My E-Fan is manual so I turn it on at about 1/4 of the way up. I'm considering checking my thermostat and flushing my coolant and oil system to get rid of any little overheating demons. My brother blew his heater hose on his S4 (which is a SUMMAMABITCH to get to, by the way) and it got about 90% up before he shut it off. It runs fine though, with the exception of the cracked intake piping from a nitrous explosion.
did the nitrous exploxde cause of the overheating
Reply
Old Sep 27, 2004 | 07:58 PM
  #25  
amishboy's Avatar
90 Turbo
Tenured Member 05 Years
 
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 272
Likes: 0
From: Cookeville TN
ya but you probably have a belt slipping or a bad clutch fan you need to get fixed
Reply



All times are GMT -5. The time now is 12:04 AM.