What a Relief
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 403
Likes: 0
From: Huntsville Alabama
What a Relief
My '96 has a tendency to run hot while idling or sitting in traffic. I have read the treads on this forum countless times about the analog approaching the 260 mark, turning on the AC to cool her back, sensors, etc etc. Well I finally had to get ballsy and see if the primary fan would ever come on. I left the car idle in the driveway and watched the analog and idgital gauges. Finally the analog gauge was approaching 260 and I began to get nervous actually real nervous. STill no primary fan. The digital hit around 230 while the analog was at 260. Then it happened! The primary fan kicked on. Whoopeee (balloons and such). The temperature began falling off. What a relief! Now al I need to do is take the lady into the shop to get the sensor replaced for the analog gauge to improve it's accuracy.
Thanks to all that contribute to this forum. Earlier this year I inquied about other sites. No more will I ask. This is where the information and good times are to be found.
Thanks to all that contribute to this forum. Earlier this year I inquied about other sites. No more will I ask. This is where the information and good times are to be found.
Elite Torch Red Member
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Are you saying the needle was pegged all the way to the right?
Melting Slicks
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 2,137
Likes: 5
From: Howard PA
The analog gauge is reading accurate, it reads head water temp while the digital gauge reads the temperature at the water pump. This is why I cringe when I see all this advice about 230 being OK, IMO it is not because when the the digital gauge reads that temp the analog gauge which reads actual head temp will more than likely be around 260.
A new sensor will do nothing for you, you will still read 260 on the analog and 230 on the digital.
IMO opinion again, the engineers should have controlled fan turn on by the head sensor and not the WP sensor.
FWIW, my 96 acted the same way, the analog would peg and then the fan would kick on, right when the digital read 230. Switching to a 160 thermostat and having the fans reprogramed I've never seen anything over 190 degrees on the digital gauge. Driving around now the analog reads right at 185 and where I feel more comfortable with temperatures.
A new sensor will do nothing for you, you will still read 260 on the analog and 230 on the digital.
IMO opinion again, the engineers should have controlled fan turn on by the head sensor and not the WP sensor.
FWIW, my 96 acted the same way, the analog would peg and then the fan would kick on, right when the digital read 230. Switching to a 160 thermostat and having the fans reprogramed I've never seen anything over 190 degrees on the digital gauge. Driving around now the analog reads right at 185 and where I feel more comfortable with temperatures.
Last edited by ALLT4; Nov 18, 2006 at 11:33 AM.
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 403
Likes: 0
From: Huntsville Alabama
Thank you for an excellent response. You're dead on the money about the head temperature. While driving the analog gauge dances around in the middle. Where did you pick up a 160 tstat and who re-programmed the fan temperature?
Melting Slicks
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 2,137
Likes: 5
From: Howard PA
The t-stat is Hyper Tech, actually though it's just a Motorad in a Hypercrap box. The fan turn on and off temps were programed by PCMforless while I was getting a dyno tune.
That is one of the single best mods I've done to my car for piece of mind. I can sit at an idle now in traffic and when that fan kicks on at 187 (digital readout) I say to myself "thank you PCMforless"
That particular t-stat also had an air bleed valve so purging the air out of the system is a non issue. Fill and go.
Be warned though, if plan on driving in really cold weather (I don't know how cold it gets in Alabama) but here in PA it can dip really low. You'll find your heater never gets hot air going out, just sort of between hot and luke warm.
That's also a non issue for me, I don't drive the car between October and when it gets warm in the spring.
That is one of the single best mods I've done to my car for piece of mind. I can sit at an idle now in traffic and when that fan kicks on at 187 (digital readout) I say to myself "thank you PCMforless"
That particular t-stat also had an air bleed valve so purging the air out of the system is a non issue. Fill and go.
Be warned though, if plan on driving in really cold weather (I don't know how cold it gets in Alabama) but here in PA it can dip really low. You'll find your heater never gets hot air going out, just sort of between hot and luke warm.
That's also a non issue for me, I don't drive the car between October and when it gets warm in the spring.
