Jim Calandrella

I'm seeing my water temps go up to 210 degrees(at which time my fans go on) on 70 degree days. When I make the fans go on early by turning on the AC, the temps go down to 180 degrees. When I turn off the AC, the temps shoot right back up again, accompanied sometimes by liitle backfires,or misses for lack of a better word. The wierd thing is that my water temp gauge jumps and goes up a few degrees with evry little miss.
Is this normal?

blackscorpio

those backfires may just be water pump. Stock Fans are set to go on at about 220.
What kind of conditions do you see 210? If its with the car just sitting still 210 is not abnormal. For spirited round town driving 210 would not be abnormal. For non spirited hiway drivind 210 is on the high side.

Jim Calandrella

It climbs up to 210 at idle and when driving around town(just as you said). At that point, the fans come on and bring it to about 200 degrees. These are normal temps on a cool day?
I do believe that I see 200 even on the highway though. I'll have to look more carefully at that.

Tom93R1

iTrader: (2)

As was previously stated, the fans don't even come on until the temps are pretty warm. They will come on sooner if there is an electrical load or the A/C is on. If you turn parking lights on the fans will come on a couple degrees sooner and the A/C turns them on even sooner. Slow driving and idling doesn't flow enough air through the radiator to cool the engine, even on a cool day and that is why your temps are so fan dependent. Personally I wouldn't worry about seeing 200 on the highway just yet. The Mazda specifyed thermostat isn't fully open until 203, starts opening at 180. I just went through alot of learning about water temps and fan turn-on points, having just moved to AZ I really pay close attention now. Keep an eye on things and you will be ok.

blackscorpio

I get about 180-200 on the highway as well (Only time I actually saw 180 was on the higway normal driving on a 60 degree night). The high temps are courtesy of the undersized stock radiator, but not abnormal. I wouldnt worry unless the temps go over 220 (stock setting for fans to kick in).
I would recomend getting a aftermarket radiator thats what im planning to do eventually. Or if you get a Power FC aftermarket ECU you can set the temps for the fan to come on(what im gonna do for now).

Jim Calandrella

Thanks for your help. Sorry if i'm a little paranoid, but i've been through 2 motors in 3 years.
Jim

blackscorpio

The hight temps are a major contributor to the FD unreliabitity. You have good reason to be paronoid those hight temps are not a good thing but there is not much you can do outside of getting a aftermarket radiator for about 400 which i think is a good investment.

Tom93R1

iTrader: (2)

For you guys that live in cooler climates than me I don't think you will see much of a difference in water temps with upgraded radiators. I have the Koyo and in cooler temps (60 to 70) I still cruise down the highway at 185 degrees. The reasons to upgrade the radiator is to eliminate plastic end tanks and it helps on those 110 degree days. 200 to 210 is perfectly normal for the rotary engine, you will net see shortened engine life because of those temps. Even 220 is not that bad, just don't let it get much over that. Honestly you don't have anything to worry about.

whitekingsnake

At what degress is the coolant when the stock temp gauge sits at half way.

Thanks...scott

rynberg

umm...roughly 180-230 degrees

blackscorpio

Tom93R1

When I said high temps contibute to Engine unreliability. I didnt mean that it shortened engine life itself but for every rubber, silicone and plastic peice under the hood, the hight temps are not good.

JONSKI

What's the optimum operating temperature?

Jammer5703

I'm in MD and I would have to say the last few nights have been pretty cold around 55-60 and the water temp got all the way down to being even with the 170 mark. Damn these cars roll out when it gets cold. As for the normal temps, yeah my FD hits 200-210 if just sitting or driving in heavy traffic, but as some said just turn your parking lights on and the temp drops to 190 within a minute. At night you will probably run closer to 175-180.

ZeroBanger

I agree. I live in bay area, nice and cool here. even on a cool day it its 95 C in traffic, 86 C on highway. On a hot day it Hits 110 C. I have a Koyo and my fans come on at 93 C. I think the most damage occurs when you turn your car off. If you turn your car and watch the temps, they rise like crazy. When I am at 95 and stop my car, the temps rise to about 118 (on a cool day). I ALWAYS open my hood when I get home to cool car down faster. I may be a bit crazy, but I also have a HUGE 20"" electric fan that I place over my car, it cools it down in just a few minutes.

the_saint

In my car half way between C and H is equal to 100-220 degrees Farenheit. (I haven't seen higher on my aftermarket water temp gauge)

The stock gauge is useless.

thesaint

1FooknTiteFD

While daily driving, I see about 81-82 celcius on the highway. During stop and go traffic I see temps go about 90-95. This is with my single turbo setup. With twins stop and go was around 100-110. anything over 110 is overheating, the fans usually come on during 109 and cools the car down a couple degrees.

Kahren

iTrader: (13)

i have always turned on my ac when the temps got to the 210 point, to kick in the fans. i finally did a test where i had my car sit untill the fans kicked in to see what the temp was. that temp was about 240 on my gauge i decide now that my stock water temp sensor does not work properly and will have to get a new one.

FD4S

I had a similar problem and had since fixed it. The symptoms were:

The car would NEVER overheat while on the move. During a dyno run (and another time while rev-ing the engine on stand-still), I noticed the stink of Redline water wetter, and after which, steam started farting out of my coolant overflow tank.

I managed to trace the problem to a faulty coolant thermostat. I removed the thermostat (don't need one as I live in 33deg Celsius weather and winter doesn't exist over here) and the car ran fine. I'm currently running with no thermostat and it 'seems' (possibly placebo) that the car has more ponies now.

Check your coolant thermostat and replace it if it's faulty. Highly likely that it's not opening totally.

ZeroBanger