hi guys. i kind of have a problem, when i let my car sit and idle it really heats up to about 220, i know this is hard on the engine so i am wondering what i should do. my fan is hardwired to be on when u turn it to start so i know it's running, is there a better fan i can buy or what do i need to do. thanks

 

help.....

 

well it looks like me and you are in the same boat, my car idles at 220 exactly and it has since the day i got it, i was told getting a cooler thermostat like a 160 degree might help the situation, but im not sure either. My fan kicks on and takes it down a few degrees but still i dont know if this is normal or not. Let me know if you find a solution

 

yeah i see what u mean. i thought about getting a flex-a-lite fan or a dual fan to put in and hoped somebody on here would recommend one of those but nobody has recommended anything so...

 

I run 220 on my all stock 350 tpi dual fan. u need a 170 to 180 stat, and a lower temperature fan switch.

 

The problem is two fold. 1) You need a cooler t-stat AND 2) you have to make the fans engage sooner.

Stock, the fans don't come on until somewhere 220-230*F and then turns off once the temp drops to around 215*. If you put in a cooler t-stat, it will run cooler on the open highway but once you are in stop & go traffic, there is not enough air flow over the rad to cool it down. Thus you rely on your fans.

To engage the fans sooner, you can do one of 3 things:
1) Install a manual fan switch and turn it on when you feel the engine is getting too hot.
2) Install a cooler "fan switch" in the passenger head so it turns on FAN#2 (if you have a two fan system) at a cooler temp.
3) Learn how to burn eproms and you can set the temp Fan1 comes on to what ever you want automatically.

I prefer method #3, and I am looking at re-wiring my ECM so I can turn on Fan#2 instead of the silly "Fan Switch" in the passenger side head.

PS: If you have A/C and turn it on, the fan will come on if your speed < 35 mph.

 

my problem isn't my fan coming on soon enough i know that. it comes on right when i turn the key to on. i dont even have to start the car. i know that for a fact. so the cooler t-stat should theoretically fix the problem somewhat. it doesnt run hot unless it's sitting still, like idleing in my garage or in my driveway or if i would go cruisin and somebody wanted to hear it(dont ask why) then it runs hot if i leave it on for more than about 5 mins, most of the time not even that long.

 

i recommend getting a 160 degree thermostat. that should help considerably. what is your antifreeze to water ratio? has the system been flushed? is there a bunch of dirt and grass and sh*t between the condenser and radiator? check that and report back.

 

you know all i did was take an air gun and shot air right between my condenser and let me tell you, i had dust flying all over the place, cigarette butts, and leaves *** only knows how that stuff got there, it cooled me down a little but not much. I know there is some stuff you can buy (pink liquid) that is supposed to cool your engine down 10 degrees, im going to try that tomorrow and if it works ill let you guys know.

 

You really don't have a problem. Regardless of what stat you run when you are at idle it will go to about 220 before the cooling fan comes on. Yes, you can put a lower fan switch in but all you do is cycle the fans more often reducing thier life and placing undue stress on the charging system. 220 is not a problem with a pressurized cooling system and is about the average temp any modern car runs at. If you are concerned then maybe you should look at running synthetic oil. It has much better thermal stability and provides that cushion at high operating temps.

 

if this is trying to help me personally u need to read. my fan doesn't come on at 220 it comes on when i turn the key to on. it runs 24/7 when the car is on. but if it's to chik then i imagine she's thankful. anyway i am gonna flush my radiator this weekend and hope that helps.

 

I think what he is trying to say is it is normal to run that hot. Mine has run like that for 152,000 miles and still going strong. IMO you don't have a problem.

 

you dont have a problem at all, anything much above 220 is a problem...., since the best running temp. for them(a 305 atleast i dunno if its dif for others) is ~195.., so 220 isnt a biggie at all, no need to worry