Coolant Temp Question

[Turbo Keith]

I just got a new ac installed on the car and today on the way home with ac on the scanmaster was reading bout 192 * going down the highway at bout 70 mph and getting home and slowing down in town it reached 202 * and its only 75 * outside . I know the fan works but when I got home a turned the car off I turned the key back on with the engine off and I thought the fan is supposed to come on but it did not . Rad has been cleaned not to long ago and run 50\50 water and anti freeze with a bottle of the RMI in it . Any thoughts you guys ? Also I do have a front Mount IC , Thanks in advance Keith

 

[Nick Micale]

First thing is flush the radiator as antifreeze will not tranfer heat as well as plain water. Make sure you add RMI with the water.

Also check to see if the fan runs a high speed with the AC turned on.

Cleaning an old radiator is usually not very successful?

 

[Turbo Keith]

First thing is flush the radiator as antifreeze will not tranfer heat as well as plain water. Make sure you add RMI with the water.

Also check to see if the fan runs a high speed with the AC turned on.

Cleaning an old radiator is usually not very successful?

Thanks Nick , I will check those things out .

 

[Turbo Keith]

Hey Nick , If the fan does not change speeds with AC on , what does that mean ?

 

[~JM~]

What temperature thermostat are you running?

Have you installed a 160 degree T'stat yet?

 

[Turbo Keith]

Sorry I forgot that , I am running a 160 * T

 

[NY Twin Turbo]

Keith, First make sure all your relays are in good working order, and everything checks out electrically.

Then, if you don't already have it, you may want to install a high speed manual override switch. This way when you notice temps getting higher than you feel comfortable with, you can turn the fan on to help things along a little.

Casper's make the kit and just about every Buick vendor sells it. You could jack out the circuit yourself, but Casper's kits are always nice and easy and a purchase helps supports an important vendor.

Still, it doesn't fix an old coolant system in need of some TLC. But the switch is almost a "need to have" item anyway.

 

[Turbo Keith]

Keith, First make sure all your relays are in good working order, and everything checks out electrically.

Then, if you don't already have it, you may want to install a high speed manual override switch. This way when you notice temps getting higher than you feel comfortable with, you can turn the fan on to help things along a little.

Casper's make the kit and just about every Buick vendor sells it. You could jack out the circuit yourself, but Casper's kits are always nice and easy and a purchase helps supports an important vendor.

Still, it doesn't fix an old coolant system in need of some TLC. But the switch is almost a "need to have" item anyway.

I will check things out , thanks for the reply NY Twin Turbo

 

[TurboTGuy]

Sounds like the high speed fan relay has gone south.

It's a relatively cheap fix.

Well, that and getting a big assed aluminum radiator to sit behind your front mount........ not so cheap........

 

[NY Twin Turbo]

Hey Nick , If the fan does not change speeds with AC on , what does that mean ?

It probably means the high speed relay took a dump, Or the AC high pressure switch is bad, Or the compressor doesn't compress (does the AC work?), Or a loose/broken wire connection, Or a loose dirty or broken ground.......you know the rest. The standard stuff that makes you crazy.

But to keep it simple and cheap, start with checking the wiring and then move to the stuff you may need to buy later. You can jump out relays with a little jumper wire at the plug connections to find out if they are junk. I like using insulated solid core copper wire with the exposed stripped tips tapped flat a little with a hammer so they slide into the harness plugs.

 

[NY Twin Turbo]

It probably means the high speed relay took a dump, Or the AC high pressure switch is bad, Or the compressor doesn't compress (does the AC work?), Or a loose/broken wire connection, Or a loose dirty or broken ground.......you know the rest. The standard stuff that makes you crazy.

But to keep it simple and cheap, start with checking the wiring and then move to the stuff you may need to buy later. You can jump out relays with a little jumper wire at the plug connections to find out if they are junk. I like using insulated solid core copper wire with the exposed stripped tips tapped flat a little with a hammer so they slide into the harness plugs.

Oh, and about jumping relays and stuff..........................................Be careful!

 

[Turbo Keith]

I will see tomorrow when the fan kicks on the I will turn on the AC and see if it speeds up , I dont think it does tho and yea the new AC blows very very cold but its not got 100 plus here in north Ms yet

 

[TurboTGuy]

I will see tomorrow when the fan kicks on the I will turn on the AC and see if it speeds up , I dont think it does tho and yea the new AC blows very very cold but its not got 100 plus here in north Ms yet

It did here in Phoenix today......... 100 degrees on the high today......First time this year and a couple of weeks early....... Crap...... Looks like we're in for a long, miserably hot summer......

Then again, what's new about that?

 

[GNRick]

My car runs hotter with the ac on than when it's off. I have a 185 thermostat and your car sounds like mine. Last year when it was 90 outside my coolant temp on the hwy with ac on at 70 mph was 210. With ac off it dropped to 195- 200. I also have a front mount and dual Spal fans. Oh, I drove out to Kirban's open house 1600 miles r/t with no issues.

 

[NY Twin Turbo]

Keith, there have been many posts about the baffles under and around the inside grill area helping as well. Of course, not much help at idle or in traffic. For this you need the fan/fans to do all the work. But at cruise they help to not let air escape from it's path through the radiator. You have a front-mount, so I'm assuming you may have removed them.

I personally don't like the factory style heavy rubber baffles and couldn't use them anyway, not even modified. But very thin aluminum sheet metal from Home Cheapo worked for me. Some vendors sell them as well. Do a search, you may find some of my long boring drawn out posts on how I made mine.

 

[Chuck Leeper]

Just my $.02.....Stock fan and a ft mount is likely to add considerable op temp. Especially, w/ a 30 y/o rad, and a stock fan.
As Nick said: Cleaning 1 is a crapshoot.
As the rad is heat cycled, the integrity of the fin/tube solder joints deteriorate, resulting in a loss of efficiency.
Operating at 190 = NP.

Now, back under my rock....

 

[NY Twin Turbo]

Just my $.02.....Stock fan and a ft mount is likely to add considerable op temp. Especially, w/ a 30 y/o rad, and a stock fan.
As Nick said: Cleaning 1 is a crapshoot.
As the rad is heat cycled, the integrity of the fin/tube solder joints deteriorate, resulting in a loss of efficiency.
Operating at 190 = NP.

Now, back under my rock....

That's worth at least a dollar.

 

[turbo nasty]

Drain radiator (cold of course) down a 1/4 or so down leave cap off and start car and let get to temp with tstat fully opened. Now rev car a little and see if your getting good flow through the core...aka it should be blasting through each flu in the core with good flow...if not replace radiator and or water pump.

 

[Turbo Keith]

Drain radiator (cold of course) down a 1/4 or so down leave cap off and start car and let get to temp with tstat fully opened. Now rev car a little and see if your getting good flow through the core...aka it should be blasting through each flu in the core with good flow...if not replace radiator and or water pump.

Thank You Turbo Nasty , I will try that soon

 

[Turbo Keith]

Ok so today I started the car , temp outside is 50ish so its cool , Took the rad cap off before I started it so I could see the flow of the rad , As soon as I started the car it immediately started flowing . So does that mean the T stat is open all the time ? As the car warmed up to 160ish the fan would kick on and off . But when the fan was on and I turned the AC on I cant tell if the fan changed speeds , like Nick M said . It is supposed to be warm this weekend so I'm gonna try again but this time I will drain the rad down a bit so I can see the flow better , Thanks Keith