sportykev

Ok question, if the fd overheats once, the motor is gone right? So how do people drive it in the summer if the motor gets hot so quick? especially with A/C on! How to keep it cool? Or do you guys not drive the RX in the summer at all? Thanks

Crackers

Outside Ambient temp doesn't realy play a role its fine to drive during the summer just make sure all the fluids been changed and everything is working properly and when driving just make sure to watch the temp gauge any signs of it going sligly above normal shut it down let cool and then trouble shoot.

sportykev

I also hear it guzzles oil like mad, is this just one of the maintanence flaws that someone would have to keep up with while owning this car?

mightyslash

Wrong. Overheating it once doesnt mean the motor's gone. It depends on how new the motor is and how serious you overheat it. If you want to keep it cool, just disable the A/C and all you get is fans.

Crackers

it wasn't a design flaw it was implimented. The engine injects a small amount of oil on the main bearing..

Id say mine goes through a quart every 1300miles?? some where along there.

djantlive

NYC is really brutal on the car. 1/2 of the time the car sits idling in traffic. The other 1/2 of the time the car gets the ultra pothole treatment. Both are reason not to drive a RX7 in NYC. It spells trouble and your car won't last long.

Ambient temperature does play a huge role in engine temperature. If the car is moving at 30-40+ mph, it doesn't hurt if you are driving in 90+ weather. If you are sitting in traffic, you're in trouble.

Gas mileage in city traffic like NYC will be around 14 mph. The highest it'll be in freeway steady speed is around 20.

So, keep taking the subway. It's faster. If you need to take your girl out, take the taxi. It's cheaper. Fighting off parking ticket is another story. It's impossible not to get one every month. Any NYC driver will agree.

mightyslash

Keep the fans on all the time with the A/C disabled, you'll be fine.

Lost Time

If you don't mind sweating your ***** off.

martini

Keep the windows down, and the sunroof open, and drive fast..it shouldn't be a problem.

huskerdu

Always drive with your parking lights on

Nathan Kwok

The driving light trick only works on '93s btw. I actually noticed my car runs COOLER with the A/C on because it turns on the fans, so if i'm idling around a lot I just turn on the A/C at 1, keeps me cool and keeps the car right at 180F. I'm sure the Fluidyne helps but no way to really tell since I got the temp gauge at the same time. Even without an upgraded radiator, a properly working FD should never overheat except in extreme conditions. Extreme means running around WOT or up long steep hills in high temps, etc. Worst case scenario in traffic you should see the temps go up to 221F and then the fans come on low speed, this should be enough to cool things back down again to 180, and then they turn off, and that just cycles over and over again.

man_of_steel

I say if you have a gorgeous chick in a swimsuit next to you, slowly drizzling water on herself like in a beer commecial, you'll completely forget how hot you are...


aw, dammit, I don't want a reality check.....

sportykev

What is the driving light trick all about? Also isn't there a low temp thermostat to make the fans kick on earlier?

How hot of engine temp is too hot?

man_of_steel

when your driving lights are on it automatically turns on your radiator fan, I believe. Just always have on your driving lights for this trick.

Crackers

Well, I posted it as a meaning of him actuly moving not stting in downtown Manhattan traffic or like where I am CHicago Traffic. I never put my car through that kindof abuse sitting in 90+ * heat and just sitting and idling.

Toadman

Turning on your parking lights only reduces the temperature at which the ECU kicks the fans on due to current electrical load. Even then it is only lo-speed fans.

Trexthe3rd

The FD fans have three speed settings, in the stock configuration, the fans will only turn on high when the water temp gets to 220-225. Even if you are sitting in traffic with a 105 temp the car should remain at the designed temp. That being said, the designed equalibrium temp is too high by about 30 deg. It is not as much the engine as the peripheral components (electronics, vacuum, seals etc.) that is suffering. Optimum operating temp should be in the range of 190-200, a lot of people like it a little lower at 180-190. Any lower than 180 the turbos will not work correctly.
I did the temp controlled fan mod, I am the only one who did it this way as far as I know. Water temp exceeding 185 will trigger the fan to high speed, and is adjustable from 160-250 deg. The only draw back to this mod is the wiring envolvement. But the advantage is rock solid water temp regardless of ambient conditions (I live in GA, it gets to >100 during summers), and I can crank the AC on as much as I want.
And by the way, the fan will stay on after the car is shut off to continue the cooling and turn off when the temp drops to 180. Without this capability, the FD will sit there and cook at more than 230 for an extended period.

AdamP

Do you have a link to this fan mod that you are talking about? I just put a rebuilt engine in the car and I want to make sure it stays as cool as possible (<200). I don't trust the stock system to cool the car properly.

Jonesboro

I have a Koyo radiator and the fan mod so I can turn on my radiator fans whenever I want to. I closely monitor the engine temperature on the Commander of my PFC. Whenever I see my engine temperature rising, or know that I will be stuck at a long stop light or stopped in a line of cars, I turn on my fans. No high temp problems or concerns!