Fumanchu

This has come up in the past week or so. On the freeway at normal speeds, my car likes to heat up. I am talking all the way up to 230 or so until the fans kick on or I turn on the heater. I checked the coolant level and it is fine, therefor I have no leaks anywhere I imagine. This is happening on 80-90 degree days.


The wierd part is, this only really happens when traveling at freeway speeds. In town or in traffic, I can easily keep them down to 190-200 with turning on the lights or a/c.


Does anybody have any ideas?? I am going to replace the coolant and change the ratio to more water. It's at 60 water/40 coolant right now. I will also mess around to a different oil grade.

spurvo

Sounds like an airflow problem to me. With the A/C, you are turning on the fans to operate when the A/C system is cycling cool (At least MINE turns off the fans when the pressure switch shuts the A/C cooling off briefly). So it would seem the radiator is working as it should, and your coolant mixture is just fine (I run 75/25, but really, how much difference would 5% make?). So: are you running with the belly pan? I would guess so, given what I've read from you in the past. Is the bottom of the radiator WELL sealed to the belly pan? The stock radiator had foam to seal this, I believe. I know I needed to place some foam along the bottom of the rad to seal that area off after I put the fluidyne in. How about the sides of the radiator? Properly sealed off, say with racing tape or aluminum shield a la Damien or adamc? Running those pesky fog lights (I am as well, and my temps run 180F on the freeway if I'm anything over 40 mph...)?

Anyway, I'd look into airflow. I do recall that O-ring problems might lead to this behavior as well, but you aren't losing coolant, so that ain't it. T-stat starting to fail, not allowing good flow at elevated rpms? But your cooling fine at lower speeds, so not likely the T-stat. Water pump failure? But again, you cool fine at lower speeds. Last thing would be the serpentine belt not spinning the water pump at elevated rpms (too loose or worn)? But...

Sorry I couldn't help more! That's all I could think of...

Fumanchu

Thats some good ideas, thanks. I will look into the airflow stuff. It's just wierd that it started happening all of a sudden.


It does go up to the same temp while in traffic or in town, but it's easy to maintain a lower temp with the a/c or lights on. On the freeway, I have to use the heater to bring it down. Thats not too fun in So Cal in the summer

artowar

iTrader: (1)

I've had newspapers & assorted debris blow into the face of the radiator with similar results...

mad_7tist

man has noone driven another car? 221f is when the fans turn on. low. if you are not getting low and only getting high speed it may be a relay issue. high speed is above 226f. 220ish isnt that bad

Fumanchu

I am getting high speed, I can hear it speed up when I put the a/c on full blast. Im sorry but 220+ is bad. That is a ridicules temp to be running when at freeway speeds. It was always at 190-200 before.

pomanferrari

iTrader: (1)

Check your rear seal on the interface b/w the firewall and the hood rear trailing edge. If this seal is broken or missing, your coolant temp will climb.

Another thing to check is the lower radiator hose, at above 2000-3000 rpm, if it's weak, it will collapse, thereby restricting cooled coolant back into the engine. You will get this if you're running an AST w/o a restriction orifice in the AST bottom hose.

Fumanchu

Well, I am the biggest idiot of all time. I guess over time by owning a FD, I always think it has to be some kind of complicated problem. I proved myself wrong today.


Thanks to Spurvo, I went outside and checked for debris. Low and behold, there was a black trash bag in front of half my radiator. The weird thing is, I look at the front of my car all of the time and never saw it due to it being the same color . The worst thing about this whole ordeal, I drove home 100 miles in 90+ degree heat one day with the heater on full blast listening to my girlfriend bitch at me because we were dripping sweat.


I will gladly accept the idiot of the year award for the 3rd Gen Section.

spurvo

I tend to agree with Fu here (as if anyone cared who I agree with!! ). While 220F isn't detrimental to the engine, we are pretty sure 240's and above is. Running 220-230F gives precious little headroom temp wise, unless you're running Evans (which isn't the case here), and even then the jury is still out from what I've read (no failures, but not that many data points yet). The guys who track their cars think we're nuts to be concerned at 220F, but it occurs to me they're seeing large velocity fluctuations and near constant turbo usage, not something one sees on regular freeway cruising. Couple this with somewhat anecdotal evidence for optimal operating temp at 190F (dyno tests by Rob Golden at Pineapple racing, but I've NOT seen the sheets) and I would think that seeing 220F at freeway cruise is cause for concern, especially if on top of all of it there has been a marked change in cooling system behavior (something I HATE to see in my car!!!) as there has been in this case.

so again, I would look for obstructions to airflow, or loss of seal around the radiator. In a stock car, 220F is too high for freeway cruise.. IMHO

spurvo

YAY!! Good all OVER ya!

Would driving off with my wheel lock key still on the last torqued lock-nut, subsequently requiring me to buy another key count?

How 'bout if I did it twice? (running all stock wheel nuts now...)

Or maybe the time I rolled the car backwards in the garage. With the door open to steer easier. Right into the shelves that were RIGHT BEHIND ME (I even PUT them there, for the love of un-holiness...), chipping the paint on the door?

I do not deserve this car....

pomanferrari

iTrader: (1)

Steady highway 80 klick?? per hour at 90F, Evans NPG+ 200F,

Boosting to 12-13psi on 1/2 mile uphill in 3rd maybe 3% grade?, redline in third then shifting to fourth, I see 220F w/o vented hood.