Almost melted my motor today! Help needed
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From: Dallas/CS/Nacogdoches
Almost melted my motor today! Help needed Cool, I almost turned my LS1 motor into a fused aluminum heap!
I was making my 3 hour trip on the highway back to school and the temp outside is hot! (As it always is in Texas this time of year) and the temp gauge is doing fine cruising at 75mph. It was reading like 180. But construction comes up and shuts the highway down to 1 lane and a complete standstill!
Well after sitting and going nowhere for like 5 minutes the temperature skyrockets to almost redline!
So I'm like screw this and turn on the heater and proceed to the emergency lane to get the car moving and prevent it from melting inot oblivion! Finally got out of the construction and the temp gauge goes back down to like 190
I will note that I do have the SLP 160 thermostat and it was tuned for. So whats going on with my car? Why does the temperature climb so high while in traffic? Is a fan not working?
IF YOU' KNOW ABOUT THE COOLING SYSTEM ON LS1'S PLEASE POST UP AND HELP ME OUT!!!
I was making my 3 hour trip on the highway back to school and the temp outside is hot! (As it always is in Texas this time of year) and the temp gauge is doing fine cruising at 75mph. It was reading like 180. But construction comes up and shuts the highway down to 1 lane and a complete standstill!
Well after sitting and going nowhere for like 5 minutes the temperature skyrockets to almost redline!
So I'm like screw this and turn on the heater and proceed to the emergency lane to get the car moving and prevent it from melting inot oblivion! Finally got out of the construction and the temp gauge goes back down to like 190
I will note that I do have the SLP 160 thermostat and it was tuned for. So whats going on with my car? Why does the temperature climb so high while in traffic? Is a fan not working?
IF YOU' KNOW ABOUT THE COOLING SYSTEM ON LS1'S PLEASE POST UP AND HELP ME OUT!!!
may be a bad fan motor. easiest way to test is lift hood . turn car on and wait for them to come on. cutting the A/C on MAX should cause the PCM to command both fans on. also, if you have a multimeter, you can check for opens in the fan circuits and check votages in the relay center under the hood. also, in bumper to bumper traffic, try to leave space between you and the car in front of you.
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From: Dallas/CS/Nacogdoches
Originally Posted by slowpoke96z28
may be a bad fan motor. easiest way to test is lift hood . turn car on and wait for them to come on. cutting the A/C on MAX should cause the PCM to command both fans on. also, if you have a multimeter, you can check for opens in the fan circuits and check votages in the relay center under the hood. also, in bumper to bumper traffic, try to leave space between you and the car in front of you.
thanks for the advice man
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Staging Lane
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From: Minneapolis
t-stat or fans Well, it's probably either your t-stat or your fans. Given that the temperature climbed as dramatically as it did, I would say that it was the fault of your t-stat not opening when it should (or just flat out sticking). T-stats are cheap, so i'd just throw another 160 t-stat in there for good measure.
If the problem persists after that, fans and water pump is the only other thing I can think of looking at.
If the problem persists after that, fans and water pump is the only other thing I can think of looking at.
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From: Dallas/CS/Nacogdoches
Hey guys does anyone know what relay/fuse it is for the low speed fans?
I think that may be my problem since my car is running fine when its moving?
Which fuse/relay do I check?
Also I'm gonna check under the car to make sure all the fan and radiator connections are ok, how many are there? and what do I need to look for?
I think that may be my problem since my car is running fine when its moving?
Which fuse/relay do I check?
Also I'm gonna check under the car to make sure all the fan and radiator connections are ok, how many are there? and what do I need to look for?
Last edited by H/C LS6Z; Jul 4, 2005 at 04:07 AM.
Staging Lane
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Well if your fans work, you'll hear them and feel the air flowing from them. It they dont, you'll hear/feel nothing. If the fans arnt working, I would think you should have an SES light... It sounds like you have a T-stat problem though, sounds like it's sticking. Buy a new T-stat and see if that solves the problem as T-stats go out quite often.
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From: Dallas/CS/Nacogdoches
Originally Posted by Marksman
Well if your fans work, you'll hear them and feel the air flowing from them. It they dont, you'll hear/feel nothing. If the fans arnt working, I would think you should have an SES light... It sounds like you have a T-stat problem though, sounds like it's sticking. Buy a new T-stat and see if that solves the problem as T-stats go out quite often.
the fans only come on when I turn the A/C on. So what does that mean? Whats the fuse for the low speed fans?
Staging Lane
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From: Grand Forks, ND
Well, if the fans are coming on with the A/C that means that your fuse is not blown. I still think you have a thermostat problem. Barring some odd electrical nightmare, and the fact that you dont have an SES light, I think your fans are running normally. You wont hear them when you drive, I dont even hear the high speed fans at a full stop in a quiet town unless I have the radio off.
If you really want, take your car to autozone or checker and have the codes scanned to see if there is anything in the computer. Maybe your SES light is burnt out...
If you really want, take your car to autozone or checker and have the codes scanned to see if there is anything in the computer. Maybe your SES light is burnt out...
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From: Dallas/CS/Nacogdoches
Ok thanks for the help man, I'll defintiely check that out, but if my thermostat is bad why wen my car got extremely hot, almost to red, why when I started driving it again did the temp go back down?
If I had a bad thermostat then wouldn't the temp stay hot no matter what the car was doing?
If I had a bad thermostat then wouldn't the temp stay hot no matter what the car was doing?
get you computer programed to turn the fans on earlier. Thats what I did and I have the stock t-stat. My temp stays at 175-180 all the time, even in heavy traffic.
Allen at Futral Motorsports did my tune and he set the fans. Before the tune sometimes would see around 210. I am not sure what temp the fans would turn on at now may be at 120 or something.
Allen at Futral Motorsports did my tune and he set the fans. Before the tune sometimes would see around 210. I am not sure what temp the fans would turn on at now may be at 120 or something.
If you havent tried it yet, one other way to know when the fans are on is when the car is hot and you get out wearing shorts while the motor is running and time you step out you feel the heat fry your leg.
LS1's have 3 cooling fan relays. relay one runs both fans on low, relay 2 runs the LH on high and relay 3 runs the RH fan on high. the PCM commands either relay 1 for BOTH fans on low, or relays 1 AND 2 for BOth fans on high. check to see if relays 2 and 3 2 work. relay 2 and 3 share a control side fuse (10 amps, i think)that if it blows, the PCM wont be able to energize those two relays, but relay 1 will still work to provide low fan speed.
Given that it cooled off when the car started moving, the thermostat isn't likely the cause.
Slowpoke has pointed the right path, low speed fan service isn't enough to cool the engine under stress so it's likely that the high speed circuit is having issues.
Just idle the car up to temp w/ the hood open, A/C off, and watch the fans and temp gauge. If temp gets above ~230degF and no fan action, you'll know for sure.
Slowpoke has pointed the right path, low speed fan service isn't enough to cool the engine under stress so it's likely that the high speed circuit is having issues.
Just idle the car up to temp w/ the hood open, A/C off, and watch the fans and temp gauge. If temp gets above ~230degF and no fan action, you'll know for sure.
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From: Dallas/CS/Nacogdoches
Originally Posted by crainholio
Given that it cooled off when the car started moving, the thermostat isn't likely the cause.
Slowpoke has pointed the right path, low speed fan service isn't enough to cool the engine under stress so it's likely that the high speed circuit is having issues.
Just idle the car up to temp w/ the hood open, A/C off, and watch the fans and temp gauge. If temp gets above ~230degF and no fan action, you'll know for sure.
Slowpoke has pointed the right path, low speed fan service isn't enough to cool the engine under stress so it's likely that the high speed circuit is having issues.
Just idle the car up to temp w/ the hood open, A/C off, and watch the fans and temp gauge. If temp gets above ~230degF and no fan action, you'll know for sure.
thanks to everyone for all the help. At least now I've got a plan to follow!
Ok so if it idles with the a/c off and the fans don't come on and it gets above 230 does that mean there's a problem with relays 2 and 3? Should I check those fuses/relays first and change em?