MrLeadFoot

Wifey just called from the car. 106 degrees ambient temp. Stop and go rush hour traffic, for 30 minutes, max 30mph. Coolant hit 247 and Oil hit 257. Once she started moving at freeway speeds, the temps started dropping back down to Coolant 221 and Oil 246 within 5 minutes.

Question 1) Normal for a scorching day in traffic?

Question 2) Is she dangerously close to problems?

Question 3) Is the oil so darned hot, it's exceeded any limits?

TIA

91LSMAN

I'm no expert, but for that temp outside, I think it sounds fine.

But again, I'm no expert.

Bill W

I'll make a leap and assume she had the air conditioning on. With the AC on the second fan kicks in. I've sat in traffic for half an hour or more at 85 ambient temp and the gauge never went over 195. When I've turned the AC off, the temp has gone to 220 or so.

VinnyT

This is too hot:



Your temps are within operating range. However, if you feel that it is too hot, you can always get a 160 T-stat and a tune for fan temps. Funny thing is that I would be surprised if anyone sees this after the pic.

LOL!!

MrLeadFoot

Oh yeah, you better believe she had the AC on. It's so hot out right now that I bet the ground is at least 130 degrees, maybe more!

Thanks for the replies, so far.

Not only am I concerned that the block will melt, I'm also concerned about whether or not the oil can break down to water. I've never, EVER experienced oil getting that hot before. Hopefully, a real gearhead will chime in here. EvilTwin, Bill Curlee and company, any of you got your ears on?

MrLeadFoot

Where'd you get that picture of my wife???!!!!!

FWIW, I already have a 160 stat AND a fan tune on board!

urfubar

olbear1962

Duhhhh did you say something ...........

VinnyT

If you have the 160 stat and a tune, something is wrong. Your radiator may have debris on it. Have you checked to see if there are leaves, bags, grass on the radiator itself? It should NOT run that hot with a 160stat and tune.

dangerz

.. this is from the other day:

vet85

in our machine shop we do a lot of heads weekly. on each head we put 2 heat tabs and have been for years.the heat tab is designed 2 melt out at 255 degrees .so to answer your question u can crack a head at 255 .....hope this info helps.....

apevet

wow that's pretty hot. I know here in TX I have been seeing ambient temps about 107-111 this week. I was hitting the 220's and got scared. I flushed my system and ran new 50/50 dexcool with a 160 tstat. Going in for a tune tomorrow. I hope I can stay about 190.. I will be scared if I am see anything over 220 after tomorrow

MrLeadFoot

So, what would your Oil and Coolant temps look like in traffic on a day like that?

olbear1962

Dallas has been miserably hot this past week. in slow traffic coolant was up to 218 deg. On freeway at 70 to 75 mph 198 to 201 deg, at 60 to 65 deg 194. Not sure on the auto trans. I am having a tune and 160 deg thermostat done next week.

0TheRadioFlyer97

Houston Here, Ambiant temps are 100-110 in the mid-day. Anything above 230 (even in traffic) is suspect to questioning.

STLKillerC5

Hot and humid in ST Louis and on a hot day the car will be around 220 degrees or so. That's a normal temperature for the car on a hot day. 250's sounds like something is wrong!!!

BowTieRocket

I'm gonna go with the debris in the radiator. I'm in Chico, not to far from the OP, and we get the heat, too. I've got the stock t-stat and the Predator tune, and the fans come on low. Car stays 194* to about 205* on the hottest days - even idling through the drive-through at In-n-Out.

My previous car, a 1999 coupe, ran a bit hotter - got to about 237* on a stop and go drive across Los Angeles on a hot day - high 90s in the San Fernando valley. So I pulled the shroud at the top and took the air tunnel out (we were installing a Vararam anyway), and used a foxtail brush on the outside of the A/C condensor. Got lots of grass clippings and assorted crap out of the fins. Then we took a long air nozzle and blew through the condensor from behind (between the condensor and the rad) while holding the condensor apart from the rad. Finally did the same thing from the back side of the rad, blowing the chaff into the space opened up by holding them apart. Probably got a bale of grass hay out of it.

The previous owner had been a rancher, so I'm not kidding. Just lots of pasture grass from along his driveway.

Anyway, the car ran much cooler after that.

I've got a 160* t-stat I bought for the 1999, but never installed in the current 2002 vert. PM me if you're interested - I figure with the Predator tune turning the fans on at about 199 and off about 194, it's working okay. With air moving, the rad is the limiting factor for heat dissipation, and I'm really happy with the current situation.

In fact, last summer we took the car to Fort Bragg, on the California coast. 111* outside, climbing the hill from Ukiah to Willits. Coolant never went over 200*.

Good luck!

MrLeadFoot

Thanks for the replies so far, but you guys are only giving me your coolant temps. Anybody watching their oil temps?

First, more about the configuration:

Stock, aside from Halltech Stinger, Corsas, 160 stat, power tune with fans on at 183 and 188. (See sig.)

Anyway, after my wife got home, the car sat for about an hour outside. We decided to go for an early dinner in it, just so I could see for myself what was going on. First thing I noticed was that my oil pressure guage was pegged. I checked the DIC and it reads 130psi. Pretty sure something's wrong here. Sending unit blown? I dunno, too hot to look at anything, though.

Coolant wasn't so much of a concern as oil, to me. Oil was 236 and Coolant was 243. Off we went. Outside temp at 6:30pm was still a scorching 103. Notice that tire pressure was up from 30 to 36 lbs. with NOS in the tires. That's a 20% increase from the heat alone. That's how hot the roads were. Car was pinging like crazy, had to stay in lower gears longer to stop the pinging, as it seemed like lower rpms was putting a heavier than normal load on the car. Temps fluctuated a degree or two either way, until I reached my destination about 7 miles away up a slight hill on a country road at about 55mph for 5 miles and 35 mph for 2 miles.

Was there an hour and a half. It was dark out and 92 degrees outside. Started the car, oil pressure still pegged. Temps were both down to 224. Kept the AC off to see if I could determine with malfunctioning fans were the culprit, and also to see if the radiator was cooling or not. Took the freeway home, mostly downhill. Coolant dropped down to 178 on the freeway, below fans off so just ambient air cooling. Sounds to me like the radiator is indeed doing it's job because this is right where it normally runs. Oil dropped to 203, also within normal range. Pulled up to a stop and tried to listen for fans as the coolant temp started to climb to 183, but the light turned green. Kept watching the temps. Coolant climbed to 188 before I could pull into a parking lot to check the fans. Oil was at 207.

Stopped in a parking lot, and saw coolant at 189 before I popped the hood. Noticed both fans running so I assume all is well in that department. Got back in the car, waited a couple of minutes, coolant stayed at 189. So far so good. Back onto city streets again, rest of the 5 miles home, coolant stayed right where it normally runs on a hot day at between 185 and 199 depending on traffic lights, etc. Oil never exceeded 205.

I'm ready to chock it up as sitting too long in bumper to bumper cause I can't figure it. However, I WILL get under it tomorrow to see it the alligator, er, I mean, radiator mouth picked up a bag or newspaper, but I doubt it, because I don't see how it could've magically cooled that quickly one the ambient temps dropped to 92, if a blackage was there.

Something that DOES puzzle me is that the oil pressure analog gauge being pegged and the DIC readout showing 130 psi. Hottie, I mean, Wifey says it's "always been like that". (Told you she was a hottie.) Because, No, it should not have always been like that. I asked her how long she noticed it that high. She said it's been like that for at least a week. I guess that's hottie-talk for "always". Anybody got any ideas on that?

paullywalnuts

Try adding a bottle of "Water Wetter"...should keep those coolant temps in check...it did for me..(I'm in central Fl)

sneakelman

Your oil sending unit is shot. A very common occurance. Lots of times it pegs the needle on the high side instead of going to zero. Do the unit re-location while you're fixing it. And make sure you get the BRASS not the aluminum replacement unit.
As for your temps, they are way too high. Especially since you have a 160 T-stat, and fans tuned to some on earlier. There is either radiator blockage, or an air bubble in the system. I would do a flush and radiator cleaning if I were you.
The temps that high on your oil won't kill it. It can withstand temps of 300 or more for short periods of time, with no damage. But, if you are that concerned, I would change it out for piece of mind.

Oh and pics of hottie..errr, uh, I mean wife.