Engine Cooling Issue...

[aaronsbiza]

95ATX 92K... My car has been getting very hot lately, not overheating, but about a 1/4" from the top line of the Temp gauge. The temperature remains stable until the car is in motion; about 45-50 MPH, at which point the temperature rises substantially, then when Idling the temperature will fall to just above Midway. I believe the car has the original radiator and thermostat, no leaks and a new water pump. My question is... Do I need to replace the radiator or the thermostat? I have a brand new 180 degree thermostat waiting to go in but have not found a local parts store that stocks the housing gasket.

 

[Jrodm12]

Yea I would change the T-stat. Make sure you have the right one and it has a jiggle valve in it. Check at www.shotimes.com to see what t-stats work well. As for the housing gasket when I did mine i got my gasket at Napa so i would try there.

 

[aaronsbiza]

It states on the shotimes site "Signs of a bad thermostat include bad gas mileage and if it takes forever for the car to get to normal operating temperature (if it ever does get to operating temperature). " My car has no problem getting to operating temperature, and beyond. Should I look into a new radiator and if so what brand or type should I get?

 

[sdpatt]

The thermostats normally fail by sticking open. Yours may be stuck nearly closed. Much easier and cheaper to replace than a radiator. You should try it first.

 

[AutoSHO]

I have had thermostats fail both closed and open - I recommend replacing that first. Be careful not to overtorque the nuts on the thermostat housing. Also, the motorcraft thermostat is the best one for the job, but if you cannot wait for it, one from a local parts store will work at least temporarily.

 

[aaronsbiza]

Thank you for your responses. I found a thermostat housing gasket at a local Carquest. I will try replacing the thermostat tonight and see if my temperature problem is resolved.

Thanks Again,
Aaron

 

[HopefulSHO]

There is a black plastic "baffle" if you will, that screws onto a support right under the radiator. It's there to 'push' air up and through the radiator to aid in cooling while you're driving. The PCM is programmed to cut the fans after a certain speed (around 45mph), and if this piece is missing it could be part of the reason you get hot at speed.

Make sure there's no obstructions (lots of rocks, bugs, bent fins, ect) hindering the airflow through the condenser and radiator.

Hope it helps.

 

[AutoSHO]

The PCM programming turns the fan on and off regardless of speed when the engine gets to a certain temperature.

However, if you are running the A/C, it will not run the Fan with the A/C compressor above 45 mph. Below 45 mph it runs the fans whenever the A/C compressor is engaged. Above 45 mph it only runs the fan when the Engine Coolant Temperature exceeds 216 degrees.

 

[n8rsk8r]

yeah

it is an easy lil piece of insurance, and great piece of mind, also, search around for some Redline Water Wetter, that stuff is awesome, it actually made my temp correct on my guage, forever my temp gauge was always registering a lil low on temp, put that in and it corrected it and now in normal operation zone, it is in the middle of the guage, also the stuff is designed to make your car run cooler, and also helps on the corrosion factor


n8rsk8r