shadowdaze

In stop and go traffic my engine temp reaches almost the redline. I have coolant new 180degree thermostat but it still over running that hot.. is the 90+ degree weather thats causing it or what anyone got any ideas

2001NBMZ28

Not the hot weather, something else is going on. Was it overheating before you changed the thermostat? If it was OK before probably have air in the system. Several things can make you overheat - blocked radiator air flow, fans not coming on, radiator cap not holding pressure.........I wouldn't drive it until you get it figured out.

killagt

iTrader: (3)

or buy my HP tech program and tune the fan to turn on at 180 degree hehe, , make sure the air is out off the system, turn the bleed screw and let it sit for few min.

86zcamaro

iTrader: (8)

You probably have some air in the system still, these cars take a ton of coolant and it takes a while to get the air out if done wrong.

I would know, a shop tried to blow my engine recently..

If its not the coolant it might be possible you got a bad thermostat? Unlikely but possible I guess.

LS6427

iTrader: (2)

All you have to do, to get all the air out the first time, every time...is: Top it off, leave the radiator cap off. Start the engine. Squeeze the upper radiator hose rapidly and fully about 30 times. Then do it to the lower hose. That will move the air bubble on the "engine side" of the t-stat by the t-stat so coolant is touching the t-stat. Then it will open as the coolant heats up.

It works every single time for me.

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Zlow28

iTrader: (11)

Ive had the same problem for a while. Last week i replaced the thermostat and bled the coolant to remove bubbles. It turned out i was a little low on coolant so i refilled it with mostly water cus i ran out of coolant. It worked well for a while but know im getting the same problem. Im guessing ive got a coolant leak or something.
Check to see if youre car has a coolant leak.

bjamick

iTrader: (31)

usually a hot condition in stop and go is usually the fans not coming on, or just one fan working. I would pull over once it gets passed the middle of the gauge and make sure the fans are on. (Check this first)

If the fans are good then we need to move onto replacing some things, like the rad cap and thermostat. I know you replaced the therm already, I just hope you didn't buy a ****, I mean Stant .

Try the fans first and report back and let us know.

shadowdaze

okay so this morning I was on my way home from work. And my car does not over heat in the morning with stop and go traffic but only in the afternoon its wierd to me. im gonna go drive around and check to see if the fans are working right now.

shadowdaze

alright i just got done driving around and it stayed around 210degrees so it could be a good thing but ill have to wait till it gets hotter to try it again

Zlow28

iTrader: (11)

Just remember that the fans dont kick in till very very late. I have the manual fan switch on mine, so i usually turn them on earlier, but my temp still rises with them off in a hot day or night.

shadowdaze

where can i get a manual fan switch and is it easy to hook up?

Zlow28

iTrader: (11)

Heres a link to the write up. Its real simple and you get full control of your fans. It should really help you out.

LS6427

iTrader: (2)

If you're installintg a fan switch to try to stay cool.....it means you have a problem with your cooling system. My 427ci stays way cool in 100* south Florida weather driving around all day with my A/C on.

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Zlow28

iTrader: (11)

Yeah, thats why im also trynna figure out what could be causing my problem. Ive already filled and bled my coolant, replaced my t-stat, and made sure my fans are working. Im not sure exactly what to do next. Maybe replace radiator cap

But youre right, the fan switch wont exactly fix your problem, it only helps in case of emergency.

LS6427

iTrader: (2)

Here's what I would do. Take the t-stat out, put the housing back on, start the engine with the radiator cap off and top off the coolant. The coolant should be flowing immediately when you start the engine and after you top it off there's no way any air is in the system. If its not flowing, you have a 1 in a million sheared water pump shaft. Rule that out.
Put the cap back on.
Then stand there while it heats up. When you hear the fans come on, put your hand in front of each fan and make sure BOTH are running together. Then go turn on the A/C and/or stay there while it gets hotter and wait for BOTH fans to go into HIGH setting. Rule out a fan issue.

If both of those things check out.....good coolant flow and good fans, you either have
-a bad t-stat (even if its new)
-a very dirty condensor and air is not getting through
-slightly blown head gasket
-a bad temp sensor and you aren't really getting hot. Just need a new sensor. if you can keep your hand on your intake when it gets hot according to the guage, you're not really getting hot. When it gets to about 230* on the guage, you can't keep your hand on the intake without burning it for more than a few seconds.

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Zlow28

iTrader: (11)

I had already done that when i replaced the t-stat. Except the only difference is that i left the new thermostat on while i added coolant/water. Im not sure if that makes a difference.
Also, the temp needle drops from around 240* back to around 190-200* whenever the car is accelerating. So, i guess this rules out a bad sensor or needle. (could be wrong though)
I should probably check to see if the condenser is clogged. Since im no good when it comes to ac components, the guy who checked my system told me it was ok, but i cant really trust him.
Since i have a small oil leak, my best bet would be a blown head gasket. I just didnt know this would cause a cars temp to rise.
Thanks for the help though.

LS6427

iTrader: (2)

If the temp jumps around....its probably bad.

And when I say clogged a/c condensor.....I mean the outside of the condensor.

This is the cause of so many peoples overheating in the summer...a/c on or off....in city driving.
https://ls1tech.com/forums/general-m...irty+condensor

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Zlow28

iTrader: (11)

ls6427, hey thanks for the link. Ill definately do that by the weekend. Im guessing this should also help my ac blow a little stronger right? Right now if its set on high, you can barely feel it. Hopefully i can kill 2 birds with one stone

LS6427

iTrader: (2)

I know I said I banged it against a piece of wood to get all the crap out. Do yourself a favor and have the 134 in the system taken out by an a/c shop. Then go home and disconnect the condensor and take it out of the car to clean it.....or take it to a shop to have it cleaned. Then put it all back and go to the shop and have them put your 134 back in. The banging worked, but its risky. Its sooo easy to break a metal a/c line. If you break the lower line...you're in deep ****, big expensive job to replace that one. I think it cost like $185 and shops will charge you upwards of $300 labor to put it on. Top line is like $25 used and takes 10 minutes to change out.

Yes, as soon as I cleaned mine the a/c blew WAY colder, like ice cold. Your engine will run ALOT cooler in the summer with the a/c on too.

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MY99TAWS6

iTrader: (3)

My 99 pre turbo and pre 408 swap overheated all of sudden on me. It turned out to be a plastic bag that was sucked up and between rad and condenser. Took out the bag and all was well again.