CoolingDiscuss all of the aspects of cooling that you can think of! Radiators, transmissions, electric fans, etc.
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After my car 'warms up', the gauge usually stays around 160 when I am driving on the interstate and stuff. It is higher around town, about 180-220. Sometimes when I am in traffic and stuff it will get to like 230-235 then the other fan will kick on and bring it back down to below 220. It has a stock 195 thermostat. Now, here's the problem... Today the fan went to like 250 (right where the RED starts) and kept rising. So I shut it off... I little later, I started it back up... it had dropped to 240. However, it started rising again. So I took it for a drive and the wind cooled it back to like 220. Then when idling, it went to like 245+ again... I looked at my fans... the left one was on, I turned on the A/C and the right one kicked on, but still the temperature gauge was rising. What do you think it could be? I think I read that there were 4 different sensor?! One for ECM, one for gauge, one for fans, and one to measure the air?!?! I am confused
Any help would be appreciated.
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__________________ 1990 IROC-Z
(350/700R4)
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1.Check the a/c condesor if there is anything blocking air flow to the radiator.
2.Pressure chaeck the radiator cap.
3.triple check the hosses have someone be in the car so if it get to hot they can turn it off and you can be looking under the car for leaks.Let it get past 220.
4.replace the thermostat
5.make sure nothing is leaking like on the side of the radiator on the plastic part thats where all the cracks happen most of the time and they only start to leak most of the time till the system is under prseeure.
I have a new one, was driving from Seattle to Vancouver....
oops there went the thermostat... 2.5 hour drive, I got home in about 5.5... that included stopping a few times to figure stuff out... driving and then coasting in nuetral with the car off. eventually making it to a shop with the coolant reservoir boiling... (rad was fine)
and the culprit, fan motor.... replaced,.. $135 USD later... it was fine... ($85 for the fan, $40 for 30 mins of labour, I had no tools, won't make that mistake again.)
Ok, I have checked the plastic sides of the radiator and all of my hoses. The car was past 220 degrees and I had someone working the throttle. No leaks. I bought a new thermostat (I will put it on tomorrow, as well as flush the system). I replaced the Coolant Temperature Sensor. How do I pressure check the radiator cap? And exactly what did you mean by, "Check the a/c condesor if there is anything blocking air flow to the radiator"?
BTW, when I installed the new CTS it got tight and still had like 4 threads showing (I ran the car for a long time and it never leaked). I looked at the old CTS and it had about 2 threads that stuck out... is this normal? I thought maybe the sensor has to be back to an exact location to get an accurate reading?
check the a/c condenso basicly the thing in front of the radiator check if there anyhting blocking it like leaf's or if the thin fins are bent or anything that dosent let the air flow though the a/c condensor or radiator.
And to pressure check the cooling system go to autozone or pepboys or any other auto place and they should have something there to do that you should be able to rent it.Its basicly a pump that has a gauge and you put it to the cap and pump till it gets to 16lbs and then stop and see if it hold's pressure.Then do the same with the radiator,put the pressure checker on the radiator and start pumping till 16lbs and see if it holds pressure.
I checked the condensor and there was nothing restricting flow. It just overheated again today, so I know the new CTS that I put on yesterday didn't help it out What else controls when the fans kick on and off besides the CTS? The thermostat?
do what i did..... replace the thermostat, rad cap, hoses, radiator, and water pump. that solved my cooling problems. not too expensive if you do all the work and is a good piece of mind.
if you're on a really tight budget, replace the waterpump, cap, and get the radiator cleaned/flushed. the pump + cap are cheap and easy to replace. having the radiator flushed will cost more. best of luck.
OK, I was just playing around with a few things under the hood today and I noticed... The car was at 225 degress, the passenger's side fan was on, but the driver's side was NOT?! I turned the A/C on and the driver's side came on, then when I turned the A/C off, the fan stayed on?! Is this supposed to happen? What controls when my fans come on and off besides the CTS? Does anyone know when they are supposed to kick on and off and what affect the A/C has on the fans?
What else controls when the fans kick on and off besides the CTS? The thermostat? 
