My 89 305 TPI formula is bone stock and has the factory dual fan radiator set up. The fans kick on as they should at the specified temps. I've checked with my temp gun.

My question is, if I leave my car idling, it always heats up to 235 and my fan kicks on and keeps it there. If my fans were to fail though the car would overheat. Is that how GM designed these cars and does that happen to other people's birds?

 

I think that theory pretty much goes with any car, the fans keep the engine cool when its not moving but when it is moving it relies on the flow of air to cool the engine. How often do you leave your car just idling?

 

I guess that's true. I think on modern cars the fan is always running so u don't see the temp fluctuate as much. Would u agree? I only let it idle in the winter when I start it every week.

 

I was going to ask the same question, runs fine and stays at like 180 with regular driving but if you let it sit the temp climbs till the fans cut on which it will hold there till you start moving again. I honestly don't like it. What makes me scratch my head I ran into a guy over the weekend with a stock iroc he said his always stays at about 180 no matter what. He said his got hot in traffic before he swapped out the radiator. So as of yesterday I bought a new radiator.

 

When you leave a cold engine idle, it has to run rich. This can wash the lubrication off your rings because all the fuel is not burnt. It also is hard on the cats (if you have them). I know it is cold inside, but it is much better for your car to start it, let it warm a minute or two and then drive away. This will bring it to temperature quickly. A cold engine is about as bad as it get on a car. Fuel injection does not cure this because a cold engine has to run rich and the computer knows this. It substitutes extra pulses of the injectors for a choke.

 

Please don't post stupid stuff you read in a Facebook article as fact here. The author of that article is a college intern with absolutely no real life experiences to back up her ridiculous claims.

 

Haha, in fairness my bird always smells like it's running rich when i let it idle for a bit

 

Let see, 55 years on cars starting with a 1931 Model A back in 1961. Owning and servicing over 20 vehicles from VW, Jaguar V12's, Rovers, Fords, Pontiac's, Mercedes gas and diesels and 3 million driven miles. Masters in Mechanical Engineering, Designed fans for Ford, Cadillac and Chrysler, along with missile nosecone ultrasonic testing equipment, multiple patents in semiconductor equipment and don't even look at Facebook. I would never post "stupid stuff". You have the right to ignore anything that is posted on this or any BB.
What is a college intern?

 

lol BURN

 

fokeyman - I didn't see this as a "burn." He was stating his experiences, and background for why he said what he said. Over 55 years he's owned 20 vehicles. Unless he's got a huge garage, he's, on average, replacing those vehicles every 2-3/4 years. With 3M miles, he's driven each vehicle an average of only 54,500 miles, at an average of 19,800 miles per year. Hardly a burn.
I drive 40,000 miles a year, and have done so for the last 16 years, owning only 4 used, high-mileage vehicles in that period of time. Each idling for 10-20 minutes to warm up on the cold days and only changing the oil when the oil life monitor said it was time, which was usually between 6,000 to 6,700 miles. Do you know how many engines I had to put new rings in? Zero.

bop11 - I apologize if you were not referring to that article; but the article I mention sounds nearly identical to your post and that article isn't correct. Whether you read the article or not isn't as important as what you are saying isn't completely true. I would agree that if your engine was malfunctioning and running so pig rich that it had poor drivability, then your scenario would be more plausible, but in a properly running engine, letting it idle to warm up will not cause enough wear to ever experience engine failure for that reason. Something else will break in that engine, or it will just wear out from normal use LONG before ring failure for letting it idle cold will ever be the root cause failure mode. How many engines out of those 20 vehicles ever failed because of worn rings, that were worn prematurely by reason of cold idling? I'll guess zero.


To the OP, I apologize for taking your thread off topic.

 

yes, it's normal for the fans to kick on at what seems like a high temp and keep it there... they did it that way for emissions. yes, electrical fans can go bad and cause overheating, but so can a clutch on a mechanical fan.

also, it's better to start an engine, let it warm up for maybe 30 seconds tops, and then drive it... not only does it warm it up faster when it's loaded but you aren't burning up gas just sitting there..

 

Case closed, haha, thank all

 

The 2nd fan kicks on at 239* or when the AC is switched on. Yes as said above, its for emssions reasons.