Hey what's up good people!!

Fellow members, I need some help diagnosing an issue that is REALLY bugging me and hurting the value of my car that I hold internally. So, my A/C blows cold and hard out of all vents, during all times of the day. The issue that I am having is when I'm cruising in 6th gear say 60+ MPH, during the day, my car starts to run hot, based on the temp gauge C/T the gauge cluster. Now, when I turn the A/C off (Not wanting to ruin my engine and components of course) , the car gradually cools down to mid-temp on the gauge. I've been trying to solve this riddle for a while now, as I've just had a Magnum-F installed and am trying to get her broke in by daily driving, and during my 15 minute, 18 mile, highway blast at 80 MPH, I cannot remain hydrated do to all of the perspiration. I live at the SC/ GA state line, and here, hot is the unit of measure that typically describes the spring, or fall seasons. Summer is just stupid, that's how hot it gets.

Things to note. I have a BTR Stage 4 installed with an aggressive lobe. When the air conditioning kicks on, my voltage drops below the mid-range. The longer the run time, the lower it gets, even at highway speeds. However, If I flick my lights on, the voltage rises and goes to the mid-range and sits there, but won't keep the car from running hot.

Looking the car over, the previous owner installed a volant CAI and lost a bracket I suppose, as the condenser and the radiator are separated by at least 1.5 inches. Also, my air dam is no longer with us at the moment. The fans kick on at idle so they are working. I don't see any persistent leaks around the water pump, and I've just topped the radiator off again. I'm stumped honestly, but before I just go ahead and replace the water pump, thermostat, and radiator hoses, do you all have any suggestions?

 

Assuming fans work, coolant is flowing and you have no temperature issues without the AC on, could the compressor be dragging?

 

If your radiator and condenser aren't assembled correctly together and positioned in the fan shroud/radiator support its not going to be effective at cooling. Also you'd be amazed at how much dust/dirt and debris you'll remove from the radiator and condenser with the aid of compressed air.. You mentioned topping off the coolant again. If your not leaking coolant are you using coolant?

 

Your air dam NOT being there is 100% your highway overheating problem. Its a required part. After a certain speed (I think 35mph) your electric fans shut off and ALL radiator/condenser cooling comes from the air dam while moving.

When idling or city stop and go your electric fans are keeping the engine coolant cool......air dam doesn't do a whole lot.

Put the air dam back on and your overheating issue will be gone.

Also, just to check the fans out........check to see if your fans (both at the same time) work on low and high settings........and check to see that the fans come on when you turn the A/C to MAX after you are at full operating temp.

 

Soooo much all of this. The air dam is crucial to staying cool on the highway. As much as 25 degrees.

 

I was wondering the same. Just thinking of the belt operation, the compressor could be slowing down or dragging enough to lower the output of my alternator.

 

I wasn't sure how much of a difference having the dam on would make, but logically speaking, it could make all the difference in the world. While at low speeds, the fans should be enough to suck air through the radiator and condenser, but at highway speeds, not having the dam will render the fans usless, if they even kick on.

I'm not sure when my dam went missing, but I'm gonna see if I can find one locally, install, and find out if that remedy's my cooling issue. I also need to close the gap between my radiator, condenser and front support.

 

Just get the air dam back on.....forget about the gap.

There should be some at junk yards.

 

Could be....but it’s more likely the voltage regulator in the alternator. Go have it checked fir free at an auto parts store.

 

So I checked that over the weekend but I didn't examine close enough to see BOTH fans kick on at idle at op. temp. I really only listened for them to kick on while I was bleeding the system again. Makes perfect since though. I'm gonna test it out as soon as I can get my hands on one. Think my broken formula might still have one installed. I'll just mark it as one of the many parts I've procured from it for use on the functional T/A

 

What type of hardware is used to install them? Push pins/ clips?

 

Get this.....clean it, spray paint it black if you want to. Install it.

I believe they are all push pins.......the dealer will have that. Or any auto parts store.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/93-02-FIREB...4AAOSwSDtenwlY

 

I was just saying to check the fans as a maintenance check we should all do every now and then. The fans have ZERO to do with overheating while on the highway because fans do not run while at highway speeds. You can remove both fans and you will run cool on the highway.....as long as the air dam is there.

 

This is another part that really needs to be there too, make sure its there.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/93-02-CAMAR....c100005.m1851

It goes in front of the condenser and helps direct the ram air from the air dam backwards and through the condenser/radiator. When my new engine was installed the shop did not put that in and it was a leftover part. I figured out what it was along with running a little hot....... As soon as out it back in the engine ran normal temps.

 

That's interesting. I took that piece out to run an SSRA and my temps are perfectly fine using pcm data. Perhaps if you had absolutely nothing in there, there would be zero deflection.

 

Yea, my new engine that was installed ran hotter than normal with that piece missing.....it didn't overheat. So all set ups will be slightly different I guess.....but that part serves a purpose to deflect the air rearward instead of straight up into the air lid assembly.

 

Yeah I knew the function of the shroud. The SSRA would still deflect air movement though. My theory is, is that it deflects enough air to where I cant see a difference.

 

I'm an iron block too....so that'll run a little hotter if something is not right with the cooling system set up. When all is set up right and operating correctly, my iron block temps are identical to when I had the aluminum block.

 

Parts Layout Catalog shows # 11504037 as the air dam screws, 12 required.
11504037 is M6.3 x 1.8 x20.
M6.3 equates to 1/4".

 

Ah ha....so they are screws.....found them on ebay.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/GM-Hex-Head...AAAOSwi~Fbmteq