High coolant temp when it 8 Degrees out !!

Rpdboss

Registered User
After finally sealing the oil cooler hose leak the SC wasn't using anymore coolant but would occasionally have a semi hard radiator hose. Well today I stupidly let out some of that pressure.Then drove back home with out a problem over snow covered road. (big suv studded snow tires help). At home we got stuck in our driveway. After several tries to get unstuck (8 min tops with no more than 2K rpm) we noticed the temp guage was almost to the hot and the check gauges light was on for it. We turned it off and I did the trick for constant low speed fan. So when we got it out and into the garage, it cooled down it had sucked the radiator hose so hard it collapsed tight and you could even see each spriral on the lower hose!!:eek:. Refilled and purged every bit of air I could. Took it for a test drive, did better. When driveing 35+mph the temp was under norm, but come snowy hills and loss of some traction the temp creeps up to around the middle when less than 15mph.
I verified both fan speeds worked with the self test, I have a full lenght aluminum radiator with no leaks now with a 180 degree thermostat. My thoughts are if the hose that splits off right at the intake with the engine temp sensor is the return line from the heater core (heating 8 degree air)maybe its flooding that sensor with cold coolant preventing the fan from comming on? thats only if thats a return line...Maybe the ac radiator fins are partially frozen from the car wash today? Only time its gotten hot since early fall more than 1,000 + miles ago. Any good guess?
 
The temp seems pretty normal to me. That's about what me car runs at, no matter how cold it is outside. And of course the car is going to get a little bit hotter when you're putting a load in it going up hills. Don't sweat it man, it sounds OK!
 
I would check the lower RAD. hose. Sometimes those metal springs rust up and cause a blockage. I would get one with no spring in it. One more option is to check to see if the thermostat is opening and/or if it is put in backwards. ( I've seen it done )
 
The coolant flows from the intake manifold out the port with the ECT sensor on it, through the hose to the heater core.
 
circulating

Check your waterpump, had the same problem a few years ago that was when I had to replace it the first time. Then I had to replace the rad a few years later when the tanks started leaking. Got the last one of Mike's custom
jobs. It seems to be to big!! If it is cool out as soon as the thermostat opens you can see the temp drop too low. It sends it back to warm up mode and mpg goes down. (It has a 180 thermo, gonna put the 190 back and put a restrictor in front of the rad to keep the temp steady. Will need the extra capacity if I go with an FMIC.
 
Adding to what Kevin Lietem said :
when its cold out go pop the rad cap & you might see a lemon lime slushie inside. thats the problem, start & run 10 minutes then shutdown & wait 10-20 start again you will have heat inside too, now your thawed out & need to drain some & replace with 100% AF.
 
Well when I checked the coolant protection temp it came up with -5 degrees which is a bit higher than i wanted, so i'll drian the resivour an put staight antifreeze in there, should mix a bit with expanding and contracting coolant. I realy dont want to open the system again as these cars are sensative to ANY air in the system. I realy wish I had a Xray diagnostic scanner so I could pull the temps right from the ECT sensor to see if the car is cycling into the cold start temps while driving. I did have a guy in Iowa that had one but i'm in NY now, it even read what ur timing currently was, powerstearing pressure, dwell, speed, rpm, ect and alot more all live or snapshot.

Back to the reason why i did the full lenght radiator was to allow for an air to water intercooler (or a steped up stock IC with a ribbon candy flow patten). Remove the stock a/c heat exchanger in place of a full size junkyard one with a single feed cooling instead of a log design to use as the IC heat exchanger. I try to keep things looking stock but steping up the cars potential- AKA sleeper!! Maybe on my next sc will look better (94 5spd with 56K miles once i get that salvage inspection/ title transfer mess cleaned up)
 
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