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summer cooling

A counterpoint: when I was running my turbo Subaru RX at higher boost I was told to use just water and Red Line Water Wetter during the summer. The RLWW had the inhibitors and anti-corrosion, and the pressure in the system was high enough to prevent boilover - and the pure water cooled a lot better than the AF/W mix. From staying around half-gauge, my car never went over 1/3 - until winter, when I started using anti-freeze again (RLWW has no freeze inhibitors) and even in the cold weather the temp still went half-way. No I don't know at what temps the fans came on; there were two electric and one always was on with the AC or as needed (like the Vette) and the other turned on and off by temp.

The performance shop that did my turbo work recommended the RLWW; they raced boosted Gen 2 turbo RX-7's (400 HP) with it and were working on an LSR Porsche 930 that also used it.

[RICHR]
 
Eagle85C4 said:
By adding antifreeze you actually raise the boiling point for the mixture, which gives you some breathing room on a hot day. People who just use water are asking for trouble.
I have no doubt about that but that is not the issue, you do not want to raise the boiling point, you want to keep the system from getting that hot. Just because it is not boiling over does not mean it has not over heated. 250 degrees is too hot no matter if it has boiled or not.

I am not using just water, I have added the Prestone rust inhebitor. It provides the rust protection and lub properties that you get from anti freeze. Plus it lets me run a system that keeps the temp down.

Check with the companies that make the cooling system parts. For example, Stewart recommends using just water the the Prestone additive in areas where freezing is not an issue. Sure the auto companies recommend anti-freeze but their recommendations are based on a standard that covers all conditions (from the heat of AZ to the cold of AK).

tom...
 
Dex Cool

After reading the various replies I decided to search the internet for Dex Cool problems... WOW! it seems like there are many people out there that are having problems with this stuff! Many complain of a brownish rust color (my vette is starting to turn color now)... I am going to dump the orange stuff, and stick with what I know... GREEN! I will post an engine temperature update when I am finished flushing and replacing the dex cool. Thanks for everyone's help/info!
 
Well, last night I started to dump the orange stuff... The problem was, it looked perfect! It looks like it just left the factory it is so clean.... I decided to dump about 4 quarts of the mix, and add water to the system to see if there was too much coolant in the mix....

Took it to work this morning, and it ran under 180 with the A/C on... a huge difference, it hasn't ever run that cool.... It wasn't blazing hot yet though, so I guess the true test is the ride home, or lunch
 
I'm using 1/2 DexCool, 1/2 Water along with a 160 Thermostat and Red Line Water Wetter. I'm usually running at about 180 degrees when the temp outside is 85. You can check out the RLWW tech info at http://www.racerpartswholesale.com/redtech3.htm When did GM switch to DexCool, 1995?

I had some issues with the cooling system of my car. I've flushed the system twice this year and I'm still getting a rust. I spoke with my mechanic and he said that there is something in antifreeze that will eat away at metal if it sits. So low mileage cars that sit over a period of time with out being started or driven may have this problem. I'm planning on flushing it once more before winter, and again in the spring.

-JimS
 
-Dex Cool was put in to all GM vehicles (except saturn) starting the 1996 model year.

-The latest... I am starting to wonder if the newer style A/C has something to do with the extra heat... I think I remember reading that the newer style A/C systems produce more heat than the old ones... thus, the air temperature entering the radiator is higher, so my car runs a bit hotter... any ideas on this theory?
 
Changed to 160stat and chip that turns on fans at 180. With no AC cruising the highway it's about 175. In town gets to 185. With AC on it will get up to 200 in town and about 185 highway. I'm running the Orange stuff. Just flushed the system a couple of weeks ago when I did the stat/chip install.
Previously with factory stat/chip and original coolant, Green. 193-197 highway, 195-205 in town and then higher in heavy traffic. I'm not seeing any problems with the Orange Dexcool. I made about 40% coolant and 60% distilled water (not tap water). THen threw in a bottle of Water Wetter (not that I can ever prove it does anything).
This is in NC and it's been 90+ for weeks.
Graham
 
I've just replaced the radiator and water pump on my 94 (83K) the green stuff is in and it is running @ 200 in the city, down from the 230 it was running before I spent the big money. Now I don't feel like its running on the edge.
 
Well I guess my car passed the test!
It was about 105 degrees yesterday when I went home from work. I was sitting in freeway traffic during "rush hour" (You know, that's when everyone would like to be "rushing" but they are sitting still on the freeway!) and I had the A/C on max. I watched the temp and it got up to 111 once but it began dropping right away. It averaged around 200 with an occasional dip below that.
I have an '85 with a 190 degree stat and a fan switch that comes on at about 207. I know, I am supposed to also have a lower stat but one of the bolts on the stat housing is frozen. When I get it off I will add a 180 degree stat to the mix. But once the fans come on they usually don't go off in this kind of weather. This is costing me about a mile a gallon but I consider it money well spent.
No more of these excursions into the 230 degree territory! :)
 
The latest...

I took the vette for a trip last weekend... About 700 miles total, all highway... With the A/C off, it runs better than my old vette did... About 175 on the highway, as low as 168 and as high as 182. BUT with the A/C on, the temp goes up to over 190... normal being 192. Is it just the updated A/C on the newer cars? Any ideas? My '93 would run about 185 with the A/C on... rarely ever got over 190.
 
If you want your car to run cooler here is what I did:

Clean radiator, just because you can't see anything in front of it does not mean the fins are not clogged or bent.

Install a 160 degree thermostat.

Reprogram the chip, I have both fans going on at 170 and off at 180.

I use only the green antifreeze.

My car does not have numbers on the gauage (who thought that was a good idea) only a low and high. Before the above, the temp was always near the max, scared the poopie out of me the first time I was stuck in traffic, mine did run a little cooler with the A/C on. Now I have never see the gauage make it to halfway, even stopped in 90 degree outside temps. What temp halfway is anyones guess, but it is a lot cooler, and I feel much better about it.
Good luck.
 
Hey jeepie: does the chip have to be somehow manually prgrammed after installing a 160 thermostat? I recently put in a Jet chip but have not had time to install the 160 yet. I thought it would automatically reprogram like a plug n play computer. No such luck, huh?
 
I don't know what a jet chip is, but you either have to have your chip manually programmed or buy a chip with the programming in it already. The fans should come on and off wheather you put the stat in or not.
 
The Jet chip is another performance chip offered at www.jetchip.com, among other products. I'll have to contact them to see if it has to be manually programmed, but I don't think so. :confused
 
HOT HOT

I recently purchased a 1988 4+3 Bright Red Vette and the only trouble I see is trying to cool it down normally when driving along the highway temps range from 185 to 195 and when sitting at idle it goes as high as 232 before the fan kicks in. The owners manual says that is what is suppose to happen makes me nervous. If anyone finds a cure please let me know. It's getting near time here in Maine to put her away for the winter and will give me time to work out problems. I love my vette so far.:w
 
heat

It sounds like the radiator has a flow restriction or there is debris on the fins. Also feel under the water pump for liquid coming out the weep hole (indicates wear and starts out with a slow leak).
Good luck. I just had the same problem with my 94. Good luck
 
klyons: your temp. sounds very normal... You can upgrade your thermostat to 160 degree unit, available at all the major corvette parts sellers.... this will help your highway driving, should drop it to less than 180 with A/C off, a bit over with it on... for in town, you can get a new chip to turn the fans on earlier, or a manual fan switch... basically a manual fan switch either puts the car in fully autmatic mode (normal, like it is now) or full time fan running mode.
 

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