How hot does your c4 run?

[65itsnotmyage]

Water Temp

My 84 has been having water temp problems lately. Probably due to lack of maintenance because I don't drive it that much.

Anyway it's time. So I keep hearing about this chip (or PCM). My cooling fan is stuck on so I am looking at the sending unit and this PCM if I can find it.

Any help is appreciated.;worship

 

[vigman]

65

Your FAN relay is probably bad....

Are you good with a test light, or DVM?


Vig!

 

[Geof180]

in the mountains today

it is weird.... up here at altitude, my car hits 230 in traffic - like today for example....

my friend and i went up to estes park, colorado for a day's drive, and while sitting at a stop light for like 3 minutes, the coolant temp shot up to 230... once we began driving again, the temp fell......

but down in texas, i never see that kinda heat from the engine.....:crazy

 

[Gixster]

Wow, what a difference !! Thanks for all the input gang !

I replaced the thermostat with a 180, flushed the radiator and installed a proper mix of antifreeze/water, and took the radiator out and cleaned out the garbage between it and the condenser.

As was mentioned earlier, I found just about everything but Jimmy Hoffa in there.

As for my aux fan relay issue, I replaced the relay that is mounted on the fan shroud, but the fan still doesn't kick on when I turn on the AC. The fan behind the radiator works fine, but the one in front of the condenser does not. I guess I need to check into the fan motor now.

Anyway, on to the results. Oil and water temps previously were in the 240-250 range even at speed on the highway. Now, the oil temp is in the 210 range at MOST, and the water temp floats between 180-205. The 205 was seen only while sitting at a light for a few minutes.

I am extremely pleased with the results.

Thanks
Tracy

 

[Edmond]

Now, the oil temp is in the 210 range at MOST, and the water temp floats between 180-205. The 205 was seen only while sitting at a light for a few minutes.

That's more like it!

 

[rrubel]

Ran up to Carlisle this weekend and on Friday (95 ambient) saw 180 water and ~198 oil for most of the trip (180 t-stat). ON the way home (75 ambient) saw about the same. In traffic, still seeing 230 water 225 oil - even with pusher fan on manually.
[RICHR]

 

[jeepie]

Great, nice to see people getting the temp down.
Feels better driving around now, I'll bet.

 

[Vrotate]

New Stat

Put the 160 degree stat and the hypertech chip in, you'll be glad you did!

Just make sure you don't break of the thermastat cover bolt off in the manifold like me!!!

Vrotate

 

[tompaine]

How hot does it run?

I have an '88 Z51 4+3 manual with the heavy duty radiator. It runs at 193 degrees cruising on the expressway at about 75. In city stop and go driving it runs in the 210 range. At a dead stop in Chicago traffic in the summer it can go to 225. I recently had to replace my cat converter on an 11-hour road trip in Michigan when the engine started choking down at high rpm and the temp went to 246 before I shut 'er down. New cat converter and it runs like a charm again.

By the way, my cat converter came from Walker in Michigan and cost just $155. The Chevy dealer in Cheboygan, Michigan quoted me $900 for a GM cat converter, $500 for whatever the dealers aftermarket version was. I just called a parts dealer on the SAME STREET as the dealer in Cheboygan and the direct-fit cat converter was there the next morning for a fraction of the cost!

 

[shakey]

I also have an 88 with the Heavy Duty radiator. Limited drive
time on it so far but I have been keeping a close eye on all gauges.Oil temp has been around 200-210. Coolant temp was between 180 and 205. Have not tested in any hot 90 days yet though.

 

[Codeglia]

Re: How hot does your C4 run?

My 1986 Coupe was running at about 205 cruising down the freeway, and up to 230 stopped in traffic in summer weather. I made an amazing improvement by adding Water Wetter when I flushed and refilled the cooling system. It now cruises at about 195 on the freeway, and stays around 215 while stuck in hot summer traffic.

I highly recommend adding Water Wetter, after your bi-annual cooling system service!

 

[poorboys831]

hi guys/girls-Ikeep seeing "water-wetter" on these posts but when i ask them at the parts store they look at me like YEAH WATER IS WET!and? is there another name for this stuff?thanks Dennis

 

[rrubel]

No, it's just called "Water Wetter.". Made by Red Line, the same company that markets a synthetic oil and transmission fluid (and some other stuff). They were at Carlisle hawking their wares.

Stuff I used to use was a red granulated powder; now it looks like a translucent red liquid.
[RICHR]

 

[poorboys831]

hi rrubel-thanks just found it and ordered some on the net-dennis

 

[geekinavette]

Re: Water Temp

My 84 has been having water temp problems lately. Probably due to lack of maintenance because I don't drive it that much.

Anyway it's time. So I keep hearing about this chip (or PCM). My cooling fan is stuck on so I am looking at the sending unit and this PCM if I can find it.

Any help is appreciated.;worship

The 84's cooling fan is not controlled by the ECM, the relay is controlled by a temperature switch in the passenger's side cylinder head (or a switch on the AC compressor will turn it on too). There are some aftermarket switches that will turn the fan on at a lower temp, check Ecklers, Mid America...and so on, I think you can get one through one of those places. Don't forget a lower temp stat if you do.

When I bought my car the fan was wired directly to the ignition (oh joy!). Where the fan switch should be is a plug that is stripped so that I can't get it out. I wound up making my own adjustable fan controller, on about 180 off about 175 w/ a 160 stat. I run 160 highway on a cool day, 180 highway on a hot day (90F or above) and up to 195 on occasion sitting in Denver traffic on a hot day. This is with no AC (condensor is not installed). I put in a new radiator (stock HD) and water pump a few months ago. When I go to fix the AC I'm probably going to install a pusher fan to help out. I'm convinced that this thing just doesn't get enough air flow with just the one fan. I think they did a pretty lousy job of shrouding the fan as well (or maybe something's just missing on mine).

Geof180: I've been wondering if the thinner air up here is enough to have an effect on cooling system efficiency...seems like you're experiences would indicate so!

Bill

 

[Vettelt193]

Has anyone seen this on ebay: http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1854534735

It doesn't sound like it comes with anything except instructions(since it doesn't come with the switch or the wire)... anyone know how to do it?

 

[poorboys831]

hi Vettelt193-looks to me like he's selling the instruction sheet for amanual fan switch-it sells for $12.99-complete from Mid-Am dennis

 

[Geof180]

bill (geekinavette)...

yeah - i am thinking you are right...

my fam is here this weekend visiting me at school.. my brother has a cavalier that never sees above 195 on the temp gauge back home in texas - however, this evening on our way back to camp usafa, his temp was creeping up well above 210...

i have often wondered if the altitude affects cooling performance - methinks it might be true now........

thanks man..

Geof

 

[geekinavette]

Well then...

there you have it!

I am able to keep mine under 200, but that's with no AC (and as Geof will confirm, even though it's Colorado, it gets HOT here!). I want to be able to keep it right at 200 WITH AC, which I don't think it would be able to do right now, regardless of thermostat or when the fan turns on. I don't think a larger radiator is the solution either, seems to me there is just simply not enough air flow (in my '84 anyway). I think I'll stick with adding a pusher fan and improving the shrouding to better direct air flow through the radiator.

Thanx for the feedback Geof! Hey, do you ever go over to the Saturday car show at Powers and Constitution? I live just down the street from there...pretty darn neat.

 

[FX3FX3]

192,000 miles

great