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Problem with engine temp running hot on 2014 C7 Z51 M7
Hello everyone,
Need some input and/or advice...
I have been having some engine temperature problems in "spirited driving" through the local canyons.
I've owned the car for about 1 year now and have taken it up to the local canyons approximately 10 times. I would drive it in a spirited manner (always well below redline) in 2nd or 3rd gear. Every single time I've done this, the engine temperature gauge would climb above 220 (hovers around 220 in normal driving). Recently, the temp gauge climbed to the red and I got a warning signal on the dash.
I took the car to my local dealer and the service adviser said that it is not normal for the temp to climb even during aggressive driving. So he asked me to leave the vehicle there for them to take a look.
Two days later, I got a call from the adviser, now he is telling me that they cannot find what is wrong with it. He suggest that I pull my front license plate the next time I drive in the canyons because the front plate is blocking air flow... I told him that I much rather leave on the front plate as it is required in California. He pretty much said there is nothing else that can be done, other than to pull the front plate.
I really do not want to go thru the trouble of pulling the front plate every single time I take my car to the canyons and risk getting a citation. I also feel that this is something that should be addressed by Chevrolet as the car is deemed to be 50 state legal.
Anyone have any suggestions? Don't know if I have any way to get GM to try and solve this problem.
You have owned the car for 1 year how many miles on the odometer ? You don't have your middle front lower spoiler installed I hope .Base cars have the center but Z51 cars are supposed to not have the center piece because of overheating problems.Good luck Dave
If you are using the "aero plate" for your license plate holder, then it definitely restricts air flow to the radiator. GM says the aero plate should be removed for track. Your spirited canyon driving is creating the same need.
Some members have modified the aero plate so that it blocks less air flow. Search the various License Plate Holder threads and you'll see this.
The VK3 plate holder that mounts partially ABOVE the grill area is another option if you really want to keep your plate on.
Which center piece (thats not suppose to be on the Z51) are you referring to? I am not familiar with this issue...
Thanks,
Ray
Some call it air deflectors which are the 3 separate black spoilers underneath the front nose of the car. On Base C7 cars their are three separate sections right ,center and left and on Z51 cars their should be no center spoiler piece just a left and right piece.Good luck Dave
If you are using the "aero plate" for your license plate holder, then it definitely restricts air flow to the radiator. GM says the aero plate should be removed for track. Your spirited canyon driving is creating the same need.
Some members have modified the aero plate so that it blocks less air flow. Search the various License Plate Holder threads and you'll see this.
The VK3 plate holder that mounts partially ABOVE the grill area is another option if you really want to keep your plate on.
I ran my C7 Z51 M7 with the aero plate installed and have never had an overheating problem. In fact, driving in 100+ degree temps for 3 days (and a good 6 hours in 111 degree temps) and never did the coolant temp ever go over 225. And that included some "spirited" driving....
Use the front license plate bracket, not the aero panel. The aero panel is designed to block airflow for better aerodynamics, at the expense of cooling.
This would be a good test to see if trimming the aero panel makes a difference in cooling...(should open up 50% more airflow around the plate)
Also, installing a Z06 splitter may direct more airflow up and into the radiator...
I think removing the center air dam on the Z51 is mainly to let more air under the car to cool the brakes and to balance the downforce, and not to direct more air flow to the radiator.
NOTE: The aero panel appears to block a smaller part of the grille than it really does since the outside sections of the stock grille are not even open to airflow to the radiator.
An estimated area added would be about 2" x 2" x 2 on each side (16 sq. in.) plus maybe 1/2" x 12" x 2 across for top and bottom (12 sq. in.), for a total of approx. 28 sq. in.. (I think there would also be some extra air flow around the edge of the plate and behind it, but I won't count that)
The open area of the grille with the aero panel in place is about 2" x 7" x 4 = 56 sq. in.
percent increase = approx. 28/56 =50%
For reference, the area of the plate is about 12" x 6-1\4" = 75 sq. in., but the open area of the grille behind the plate is less than that. Best guess is that with the aero panel installed, the open area of the grill is reduced by 50%, and by trimming the panel, it opens approximately 25% more by allowing air flow around the plate. 75% open instead of 50%. Conservatively, it probably opens at least 15%, or 65% total open area.
What is your oil temperature? Is it higher than normal? Suggest another water temperature probe, current probe could be off calibration. Another check; havn't tried this, take a reading on your engine with a remote temperature sensor after a normal drive (base value), now drive the car and get an indicated elevated temperature indication then take a reading with the remote sensor again, compare. Final check; drive the car without the front license plate, see what happens.
Do you have neighbors who use lawn services? What I discovered is that my radiator was picking up a lot of grass clippings that get blown out into the street. I used compressed air to blow the radiator and condenser out from front and back. I was amazed at how much stuff I would get out of it after only a few weeks.
I ran my C7 Z51 M7 with the aero plate installed and have never had an overheating problem. In fact, driving in 100+ degree temps for 3 days (and a good 6 hours in 111 degree temps) and never did the coolant temp ever go over 225. And that included some "spirited" driving....
I used to think I was a spirited driver until I did my first track day and found out what I thought was spirited was a boring ride at a slow speed to my instructor sitting in the passenger seat.
High speeds on a highway really aren't spirited driving unless you are well into triple digits and the engine is working hard at high rpms. If you aren't hitting 130+ for at least a minute at a time you aren't pushing a C7. 97 C5s peak out around 137 in 4th, C5Zs peak out at 146 in 4th, C6s depending on the model do at least the same. C7s should be about the same as the C6s.
Spirited driving is when you have the throttle wide open so the engine is making max power at every point on the rpm range and are doing that for 15 to 20 minutes at a time. You are driving at wide open throttle between turns and approaching them at very high speeds, late braking into the turns and exiting with the throttle depressed as far as it will go without causing the rear to break loose then increasing throttle to wide open as you unwind the steering wheel.
I used to think I was a spirited driver until I did my first track day and found out what I thought was spirited was a boring ride at a slow speed to my instructor sitting in the passenger seat.
High speeds on a highway really aren't spirited driving unless you are well into triple digits and the engine is working hard at high rpms. If you aren't hitting 130+ for at least a minute at a time you aren't pushing a C7. 97 C5s peak out around 137 in 4th, C5Zs peak out at 146 in 4th, C6s depending on the model do at least the same. C7s should be about the same as the C6s.
Spirited driving is when you have the throttle wide open so the engine is making max power at every point on the rpm range and are doing that for 15 to 20 minutes at a time. You are driving at wide open throttle between turns and approaching them at very high speeds, late braking into the turns and exiting with the throttle depressed as far as it will go without causing the rear to break loose then increasing throttle to wide open as you unwind the steering wheel.
Bill
And "spirited driving" is the most over-used term on this forum. "pops" is second.
I have been having some engine temperature problems in "spirited driving" through the local canyons.
I've owned the car for about 1 year now and have taken it up to the local canyons approximately 10 times. I would drive it in a spirited manner (always well below redline) in 2nd or 3rd gear. Every single time I've done this, the engine temperature gauge would climb above 220 (hovers around 220 in normal driving). Recently, the temp gauge climbed to the red and I got a warning signal on the dash.
I took the car to my local dealer and the service adviser said that it is not normal for the temp to climb even during aggressive driving. So he asked me to leave the vehicle there for them to take a look.
Two days later, I got a call from the adviser, now he is telling me that they cannot find what is wrong with it. He suggest that I pull my front license plate the next time I drive in the canyons because the front plate is blocking air flow... I told him that I much rather leave on the front plate as it is required in California. He pretty much said there is nothing else that can be done, other than to pull the front plate.
I really do not want to go thru the trouble of pulling the front plate every single time I take my car to the canyons and risk getting a citation. I also feel that this is something that should be addressed by Chevrolet as the car is deemed to be 50 state legal.
Anyone have any suggestions? Don't know if I have any way to get GM to try and solve this problem.
Thanks,
Ray
I own 4 cars and live in Chino Hills for 23 years and none of my cars have front plates . . Just take it off and see what happens .
01-07-2015, 08:10 PM
Problem with engine temp running hot on 2014 C7 Z51 M7
And "spirited driving" is the most over-used term on this forum. "pops" is second.
