Topic: Engine Heat
in Forum: C4 Cooling and Heating Systems
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I seem to be getting excessive engine heat buildup up in stop and go traffic. Is this normal in 70'ish degree weather?
The coolant if fresh and is up to where it should be and I replaced the thermostat with a fresh 180, while the condenser and radiator are clear of debris.
I see that airflow at the front end is not the C4's strong suit......Is there something I can do to improve this and alleviate some of the heat buildup?
Thanks,
Colin.
'94 LT1, Automatic -- with 24k miles.....well maintained.
The coolant if fresh and is up to where it should be and I replaced the thermostat with a fresh 180, while the condenser and radiator are clear of debris.
I see that airflow at the front end is not the C4's strong suit......Is there something I can do to improve this and alleviate some of the heat buildup?
Thanks,
Colin.
'94 LT1, Automatic -- with 24k miles.....well maintained.
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1974 Coupe-L48/4speed, Medium Red Metallic/Black Deluxe.
What temps are you running?
Joel Adams 
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"Money can't buy happiness -- but somehow it's more comforting to cry in a CORVETTE than in a Kia"
That's the real question; what temp is it running at.????
From the sounds of it, your car is preforming as it was designed. C4's do run on the hot side. Almost all new c4 owners experience this. When you see the temp gauge rising it is always a concern. You may have a problem, but you may not. Hence the question, how hot is hot??
There is a ton of information about the C4 running hot on the interweb. Do a bit of research, and you will see what I mean. In my car, and hot weather, stop and go traffic as you describe, My temp gauge will climb to 105 Celsius 220 Fahrenheit (we are both Canadians) then the fans will kick in and temp will go down. Out on the open road I run around 85 C in the hot weather. This is quite normal for these cars.
Adams' Apple said: What temps are you running?
The engine is running just above 200F level until idling and in traffic at which time it'll shoot up to about 240 or a little above which got my attention. I'd guestimate about 250F until cooldown.
What I'm not sure of yet is if both fans are kicking in when they should, and if the temp gauge is accurate.
It's reassuring (somewhat) to have read that many C4 owners have similar experiences and these high temps seem to be the nature of the beast.
I'm going to continue to monitor the situation as well as determine the actual temps involved.
A thorough radiator and condensor cleanout would surely help too.
Thanks
Colin.
CaledoniaBrian said:
That's the real question; what temp is it running at.????
From the sounds of it, your car is preforming as it was designed. C4's do run on the hot side. Almost all new c4 owners experience this. When you see the temp gauge rising it is always a concern. You may have a problem, but you may not. Hence the question, how hot is hot??
There is a ton of information about the C4 running hot on the interweb. Do a bit of research, and you will see what I mean. In my car, and hot weather, stop and go traffic as you describe, My temp gauge will climb to 105 Celsius 220 Fahrenheit (we are both Canadians) then the fans will kick in and temp will go down. Out on the open road I run around 85 C in the hot weather. This is quite normal for these cars.
Thanks Brian -- After posting why querry, I did some reading on the subject and found many answers to my questions
My car's engine temp seems to be similar to yours tho mine creeps to about 240F in extended idling and stop and go traffic.
What I need to determine is if both fans have kicked in or not and go from there.
I would like to get is a hand held heat sensor if I can find one that's not expensive to see just what temps are and the corresponding gauge readings.
One thing is for sure that debris buildup at the condensor and radiator is a problem and should be tended to.
Thanks guys -- There is much reading available on the subject.
Colin.
When I first brought my C4 home a couple years ago my gearhead neighbor stopped by and got all crazy worried that the dash gage indicated 230. Being he's a car guy he got me all worked up too since he said that over 200 things are cooked. Thank God for the internet since I was able to find out in minutes that all was OK. I think my old ticker skipped a couple beats. Even though it's pretty normal to see 200+ in traffic I do keep a close eye on the gage anyhow. I have thought of removing the factory booster fan and replacing it with a dual aftermarket unit. Wire one to the original relay and the other to an independent control. It would be a little overkill but I'm an engineer and like to cover all the bases and then some.
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240 IS too hot. If it cools back down once you get moving again, you definitely need to make sure there is no trash in the A/C condenser or radiator. Also need to make sure the fans are coming on when they are supposed to.
Need to first determine if the gauge is correct....at 240, it should be puking coolant into the reservoir...or at least gurgling a little. At 250, it would definitely be puking. Try to borrow, or purchase an infrared(non-contact) temp sensor/gauge, and check the actual coolant temp, and compare that to the gauge reading. You might just have a funky temp sending unit that is sending bad info to the gauge....
Need to first determine if the gauge is correct....at 240, it should be puking coolant into the reservoir...or at least gurgling a little. At 250, it would definitely be puking. Try to borrow, or purchase an infrared(non-contact) temp sensor/gauge, and check the actual coolant temp, and compare that to the gauge reading. You might just have a funky temp sending unit that is sending bad info to the gauge....
Joel Adams
My Link
(click for Texas-sized view!) NCRS
"Money can't buy happiness -- but somehow it's more comforting to cry in a CORVETTE than in a Kia"
in Forum: C4 Cooling and Heating Systems
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