Strange overheating and fix for it
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 1,089
Likes: 82
From: Kauhava, Finland
Strange overheating and fix for it
Now, customer brought his car to our facility for an A&A supercharger kit installation, but just days prior that he installed a splitter into his C5.
Now, as soon as he got on highway, engine temp was up to 235 f and interestingly enough, indicated outside temp was over 100 f, which practically never happens here in Finland. In fact, outside temp was something like 71 f. Please note that the outside temp sensor is located near radiator.
I told the customer that it's the splitter - as well as slightly shortened air dam - which is causing problems.
We just removed the splitter, installed A&A kit, tuned it, gained almost 200 hp and while testing at the street, no more overheating. Engine temp was back to 185 f, right where it was before that bloody splitter. :-)
Now, as soon as he got on highway, engine temp was up to 235 f and interestingly enough, indicated outside temp was over 100 f, which practically never happens here in Finland. In fact, outside temp was something like 71 f. Please note that the outside temp sensor is located near radiator.
I told the customer that it's the splitter - as well as slightly shortened air dam - which is causing problems.
We just removed the splitter, installed A&A kit, tuned it, gained almost 200 hp and while testing at the street, no more overheating. Engine temp was back to 185 f, right where it was before that bloody splitter. :-)
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 1,089
Likes: 82
From: Kauhava, Finland
The air dam is there to create vacuum behind it and thus helping the air to flow through radiator.
The splitter as well as smaller air dam did just the opposite in this case.
I've seen this in another C5 as well. That one was without any air dam and had overheating issues. Adding the dam fixed that.
So no need for larger radiator. But of course "your mileage may vary", so it's always case by case.
Drifting
Joined: Nov 2014
Posts: 1,978
Likes: 110
From: Switzerland
the air dam is important. the lower it is and the more it scrapes the better the cooling. and i agree on the radiator. mine is 18 years old and nothing overheats on a 33°c day in town, inspite of intercooler and airfilter in front of it.
Last edited by romandian; Aug 31, 2017 at 11:59 AM.
Tech Contributor
Joined: Apr 2007
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From: Forney Texas
