The purpose of this tech guide is to show you how you can fully control your engine temperature range. Not only will you be able to define your operating range at will, but the system dynamically adjusts to the ambient weather temperature to keep you within the temperature range you specify. For example, I live in Florida and I can run between 150F to 210F engine temps and 70F to 100F intake temps whenever I choose. This is compared to 225F+ engine temps and 140F+ intake temps before this mod when left to stock ecu control.
NOTE: This is a "system" solution and all the mods I recommend have a complementary effect with each other on the effectiveness of the whole system -- that is, you can choose which mods you want to perform, but to duplicate MY results you must perform all of the mods. Otherwise your results may vary.
The direct benefits of this mod are:
* Better performance (lower temps means timing is not pulled due to hot engine/intake temps)
* Lower intake temps
* Solve overheating issues; run cool in hot weather
* Less wear on engine bay components from extreme heat
* Faster cool downs
Possible downsides:
* Run cooler than 180F engine temps and you will experience worse gas mileage
* WOT and a cold engine can lead to more engine wear -- so let the car warm up first
* To perform all the mods, be prepared to spend between $700 to $800.
* You will need to hack your bumper for optimum performance
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Itemized list of cooling system mods:
Hood vents [$15]
1650 cfm SPAL main fan PULL [$140]
810 cfm SPAL a/c slimline fan PULL [$60]
Koyo radiator [$310]
Thermostat eliminated [FREE]
1.1 bar radiator cap [FREE from friend; $15 autozone]
Bumper radiator vents [FREE]
Bumper opened for full fmic exposure [FREE]
Cold air box w/ sheetmetal cut under filter [$10]
70% water 30% coolant, 2 bottles water wetter
DEI heat wrap: 2g exhaust manifold, 02 housing, dp [$50; 50 ft roll and steel zip ties]
Dakota Digital Dual Fan Controller [$100]
Dakota Digital water temp gauge [$90]
Dakota Digital 0-300F sender [$10]
Total: $800
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
STAGE ONE: MAXIMIZE YOUR COOLING SYSTEM EFFICIENCY; LOWER TEMPS AS FAR AS POSSIBLE!
This system's central feature is a Dakota Digital Dual Fan Controller. It is the brain that will regulate your temperature range by powering your fans as needed. However, it can only do this if it has a wide operating range of temperature to work in. So if you have overheating problems or always run, say, over 200F engine temps, then the controller will not be able to keep you under 200F. So, what you need to do is lower your normal operating temperature threshhold to as low as you can possibly get it. You want your enture cooling system to be as efficient as possible -- so efficient, that if you choose to you can run in the 160s to 170s or lower even in a hot summer day when it is over 95F outside. Let's look at your cooling system and everything that contributes to engine temps...
1. Radiator
2. Thermostat
3. Radiator cap
4. Fans
5. AIRFLOW
6. Water pump
7. Coolant mixture ratio
8. Heat generation
I'm going to assume your water pump works. Everything else can be modified to improve your cooling efficiency. Airflow is perhaps THE #1 thing that will help you run lower temps. That's what helps your radiator be efficient for exchanging engine heat to the air, as well as reducing radiant/trapped heat in the engine bay. #2 is heat generation by engine/exhaust/turbo components that reduces radiator efficiency through heatsoak.
#1 Heat wrap
Get a 50 ft roll of DEI heat wrap, DEI silicone spray coating, and DEI steel zip ties at Summit or local auto parts store. Wrap your exhaust manifold, downpipe (all the way to flex section), and O2 housing. If you have an external dump pipe, wrap that too. If you have a stock 2G manifold, yes you can still wrap it. You want to keep as much heat inside the exhaust components so that the heat can exit the car and not radiate inside the engine bay. After you wrap them, you should be able to touch them after a long drive.
#2 Radiator cap
The stock cap is 0.9 bar. Get a 1.1 bar radiator cap from Autozone. This will maintain higher pressure in your cooling system which raises your boiling point.
#3 Thermostat elimination or 170F replacement*
If you live in a subtropical climate like Florida or desert area like Arizona, you can eliminate your thermostat. All the device basically serves as is a means for allowing your car to warm up to operating temperature faster. This is critical in a cold environment. In a warm climate you dont really need it just be easy on the throttle until your car warms up over 160F. Thermostats open up progressively, allowing coolant to pass, so even if your t-stat is rated at 180F, it wont fully open until higher than that. 180F is only when the wax pellet melts. We want full coolant flow, so eliminate it or get a t-stat rated as cold as you can find.
* Be aware that it is theoretically possible that unrestricted coolant flow may contribute to faster water pump wear. This is not proven however.
#4 Coolant mixture
Run as high a water to antifreeze mix that you can get away with in your climate. I run 70% water 30% antifreeze. The water is the primary heat exchanger. The antifreeze both lowers freezing point and raises boiling point, so dont totally eliminate it. Add a couple bottles of water wetter as well this is a surfactant that allows water to still contact internal engine surfaces despite any boiling bubbles that prevent heat exchange.
#5 Aluminum radiator
Get a Fluidyne or Koyo aluminum radiator. I prefer the Koyo because it is 2 thick and holds about twice the coolant of a stock radiator. Aluminum radiators are more efficient heat exchangers than the stock plastic radiators they have thicker cores, more capacity, and better flow. However, one downside is the added thickness brings them closer to your exhaust components so make sure you heat wrap them and have good fans.
#6 Fans
If you upgrade your radiator, have an o2 mounted external wastegate, or a turbo setup larger than a 16G/T28, you will need to upgrade your fans for fitment issues and more flow. I recommend a SPAL 1650 cfm 12 PULL for the main fan and SPAL 810 cfm 11 PULL for the a/c fan. You can get these at Road Race Engineering. Mount them flush against the radiator and make brackets from sheetmetal.
#7 Cold air intake box
Build a cold air intake box around your air filter so your turbo draws ambient air, not hot engine bay air. A lower intake air temp means the turbo heats up the air less before your intercooler cools it, increasing its efficiency and reducing heatsoak. Result is lower intake temps. If you have a fmic with short route piping, the filter will draw ambient air from the passenger wheelwell area. If you have a stock smic or fmic with long route piping, cut out a larger hole in the sheetmetal beneath the air filter so the turbo can draw air from the outside. This is just as effective as an external cold air intake mod because the turbo draws air in ramming air towards the filter doesnt improve flow on a turbo car.
#8 Hood vents
Either make your own hood vents (i.e. Greyforest mod) or buy a vented aftermarket hood. You want to help as much trapped heat escape as possible and hood vents are a cheap and easy way to do this. They are most functional when the car is at low speed or idle, but become more functional when paired with
#9 Radiator vents
These are extremely effective if you have a fmic that is blocking all your air flow to the radiator. Remember, the radiator is the core component of your cooling system and you need it to exchange heat from coolant fluid to the atmosphere as efficiently as possible. This requires maximum airflow. Look at any late model sports car and notice that engineers are always including very pronounced radiator vents over the front bumper opening. This is because it allows direct unobstructed flow to the radiator. For DSMs with a fmic, you can bypass the fmic by opening up the bumper with radiator vents. When combined with hood vents, you have a clear line of flow for air to exit through the radiator and up through the hood as well as under the vehicle.
#10 Open the bumper to full fmic exposure
2Ga your bumper opening is wide but short. Open up the top part of the smilie so all of the intercooler fins are exposed to direct air flow.
2Gb your bumper opening is tall but narrow. Remove the top 2 obstruction in the bumper opening. Unless you have a very long fmic, this should be good enough
1G I have no idea sorry guys!
STAGE TWO: MAKE YOUR CLIMATE CONTROL SYSTEM
At this point your cooling system should be very efficient. If your dont have a thermostat and have your fans set to run all the time (fan mod or dsmlink), you may be running as cold as 150s in Florida and 80F intake temps! However, if you are able to run 170s to 180s fully warmed up, thats a good sign and exactly what we are looking to do. Thats because this is as cold as your fan controller will be able to regulate. If you dont have dsmlink or a fan mod to keep your fans always on, then when left to ecu you may still be seeing hot temps of 200F+. Thats ok though. This is because the stock ecu settings are extremely conservative with fan operation to cool your engine. Left to the ecu on a 2G, your car will usually always run over 200F without taking over fan control.
Heres some facts courtesy of dsmlink, from the factory ecu code:
Normal factory operating temps are 200~206F. However, when the ecu is so conservative with fan operation, waiting until 210 to even turn on your main fan, you can see why this means you are likely to always run hot on a hot day. At 206 you already will have 1 degree of timing pulled! And hot engine bay temps mean hot intake temps, which means more pulled timing! However, your ecu does not enter fuel trim adjustment mode on a 2G until 180F and 190F on a 1G. That tells us the following:
Optimum performance and fuel economy is between 180F to 206 engine temps for a 2G and 190F to 206F for a 1G. This is our target range for the controller to keep us within.
Let's get started:
#1 Fan controller, water temp gauge, water temp sender
This is the core of the system that will let you control your cooling system and take away control from the ecu. I recommend the following:
Dakota Digital Programmable Dual Fan Controller
http://www.dakotadigital.com/index....ategory_id=109/home_id=59/mode=prod/prd43.htm
Dakota Digital Odyssey II water temp gauge
http://www.dakotadigital.com/index....tegory_id=245/home_id=59/mode=prod/prd363.htm
Dakota Digital 0-300F sender (size: 1/8 NPT)
http://www.dakotadigital.com/index....tegory_id=245/home_id=59/mode=prod/prd111.htm
Tap the 0-300F sender as close to the stock temp sender as possible. I tapped it right above the thermostat housing. By the way, I highly recommend only using these components from the same company because they are made to work together and don't require calibration. Your system will be much more accurate that way.
Install your water temp gauge according to its instructions
Mount your fan controller in the cockpit somewhere. I mounted mine underneath the steering wheel column on the plastic paneling. That way the many wires go up where the ignition wiring is and are routed towards the firewall where you can route all the wires.
Wire the controller according to the instructions. You will be using the wiring diagram for "Two Separate Fans". I ignored the a/c clutch control option for now. You will need one extra 30A relay for the second fan. You will be disconnecting (cutting) the stock fan wiring as the ecu will no longer control your fans in any way. The fan controller operates by opening a ground to the fans that closes the circuit, NOT by sending power -- so follow the instructions and don't make the mistake I did.
This doesn't wire up like your typical fan relay setup.
#2 After you have wired everything up, go through your initial setup for the fan controller.
EXAMPLE SETTINGS for 2G: Set the LO fan (your a/c fan) ON temp to 185F and OFF temp to 180. Then set your HIGH fan (your main fan) ON temp to 189 and OFF temp to 179F.
What this does is allow your car to warm up to 185F before the a/c fan is activated. The a/c fan alone is not strong enough to cool your engine down in hot weather, but will slow the rise in temps until the main fan is activated. That's what will drop your temps back down to 179F before it shuts off. Then your engine will heat back up and continue the cycle. Result? Constant temperature range between 180 - 190.
No matter what the temperature outside, the fan controller will always monitor the engine temps and activate the fans as needed -- that's what I mean by dynamic engine climate control. This is superior to ecu control and superior to dsmlink or "always on" fan mods. Now you can always run a temperature range for the best performance and fuel economy in any weather!
Here's the system in action for one cycle:
Any additional questions, check the parent thread here or PM me:
http://www.dsmtuners.com/forums/showthread.php?t=260472
NOTE: This is a "system" solution and all the mods I recommend have a complementary effect with each other on the effectiveness of the whole system -- that is, you can choose which mods you want to perform, but to duplicate MY results you must perform all of the mods. Otherwise your results may vary.
The direct benefits of this mod are:
* Better performance (lower temps means timing is not pulled due to hot engine/intake temps)
* Lower intake temps
* Solve overheating issues; run cool in hot weather
* Less wear on engine bay components from extreme heat
* Faster cool downs
Possible downsides:
* Run cooler than 180F engine temps and you will experience worse gas mileage
* WOT and a cold engine can lead to more engine wear -- so let the car warm up first
* To perform all the mods, be prepared to spend between $700 to $800.
* You will need to hack your bumper for optimum performance
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Itemized list of cooling system mods:
Hood vents [$15]
1650 cfm SPAL main fan PULL [$140]
810 cfm SPAL a/c slimline fan PULL [$60]
Koyo radiator [$310]
Thermostat eliminated [FREE]
1.1 bar radiator cap [FREE from friend; $15 autozone]
Bumper radiator vents [FREE]
Bumper opened for full fmic exposure [FREE]
Cold air box w/ sheetmetal cut under filter [$10]
70% water 30% coolant, 2 bottles water wetter
DEI heat wrap: 2g exhaust manifold, 02 housing, dp [$50; 50 ft roll and steel zip ties]
Dakota Digital Dual Fan Controller [$100]
Dakota Digital water temp gauge [$90]
Dakota Digital 0-300F sender [$10]
Total: $800
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
STAGE ONE: MAXIMIZE YOUR COOLING SYSTEM EFFICIENCY; LOWER TEMPS AS FAR AS POSSIBLE!
This system's central feature is a Dakota Digital Dual Fan Controller. It is the brain that will regulate your temperature range by powering your fans as needed. However, it can only do this if it has a wide operating range of temperature to work in. So if you have overheating problems or always run, say, over 200F engine temps, then the controller will not be able to keep you under 200F. So, what you need to do is lower your normal operating temperature threshhold to as low as you can possibly get it. You want your enture cooling system to be as efficient as possible -- so efficient, that if you choose to you can run in the 160s to 170s or lower even in a hot summer day when it is over 95F outside. Let's look at your cooling system and everything that contributes to engine temps...
1. Radiator
2. Thermostat
3. Radiator cap
4. Fans
5. AIRFLOW
6. Water pump
7. Coolant mixture ratio
8. Heat generation
I'm going to assume your water pump works. Everything else can be modified to improve your cooling efficiency. Airflow is perhaps THE #1 thing that will help you run lower temps. That's what helps your radiator be efficient for exchanging engine heat to the air, as well as reducing radiant/trapped heat in the engine bay. #2 is heat generation by engine/exhaust/turbo components that reduces radiator efficiency through heatsoak.
#1 Heat wrap
Get a 50 ft roll of DEI heat wrap, DEI silicone spray coating, and DEI steel zip ties at Summit or local auto parts store. Wrap your exhaust manifold, downpipe (all the way to flex section), and O2 housing. If you have an external dump pipe, wrap that too. If you have a stock 2G manifold, yes you can still wrap it. You want to keep as much heat inside the exhaust components so that the heat can exit the car and not radiate inside the engine bay. After you wrap them, you should be able to touch them after a long drive.
#2 Radiator cap
The stock cap is 0.9 bar. Get a 1.1 bar radiator cap from Autozone. This will maintain higher pressure in your cooling system which raises your boiling point.
#3 Thermostat elimination or 170F replacement*
If you live in a subtropical climate like Florida or desert area like Arizona, you can eliminate your thermostat. All the device basically serves as is a means for allowing your car to warm up to operating temperature faster. This is critical in a cold environment. In a warm climate you dont really need it just be easy on the throttle until your car warms up over 160F. Thermostats open up progressively, allowing coolant to pass, so even if your t-stat is rated at 180F, it wont fully open until higher than that. 180F is only when the wax pellet melts. We want full coolant flow, so eliminate it or get a t-stat rated as cold as you can find.
* Be aware that it is theoretically possible that unrestricted coolant flow may contribute to faster water pump wear. This is not proven however.
#4 Coolant mixture
Run as high a water to antifreeze mix that you can get away with in your climate. I run 70% water 30% antifreeze. The water is the primary heat exchanger. The antifreeze both lowers freezing point and raises boiling point, so dont totally eliminate it. Add a couple bottles of water wetter as well this is a surfactant that allows water to still contact internal engine surfaces despite any boiling bubbles that prevent heat exchange.
#5 Aluminum radiator
Get a Fluidyne or Koyo aluminum radiator. I prefer the Koyo because it is 2 thick and holds about twice the coolant of a stock radiator. Aluminum radiators are more efficient heat exchangers than the stock plastic radiators they have thicker cores, more capacity, and better flow. However, one downside is the added thickness brings them closer to your exhaust components so make sure you heat wrap them and have good fans.
You must be logged in to view this image or video.
#6 Fans
If you upgrade your radiator, have an o2 mounted external wastegate, or a turbo setup larger than a 16G/T28, you will need to upgrade your fans for fitment issues and more flow. I recommend a SPAL 1650 cfm 12 PULL for the main fan and SPAL 810 cfm 11 PULL for the a/c fan. You can get these at Road Race Engineering. Mount them flush against the radiator and make brackets from sheetmetal.
You must be logged in to view this image or video.
You must be logged in to view this image or video.
#7 Cold air intake box
Build a cold air intake box around your air filter so your turbo draws ambient air, not hot engine bay air. A lower intake air temp means the turbo heats up the air less before your intercooler cools it, increasing its efficiency and reducing heatsoak. Result is lower intake temps. If you have a fmic with short route piping, the filter will draw ambient air from the passenger wheelwell area. If you have a stock smic or fmic with long route piping, cut out a larger hole in the sheetmetal beneath the air filter so the turbo can draw air from the outside. This is just as effective as an external cold air intake mod because the turbo draws air in ramming air towards the filter doesnt improve flow on a turbo car.
You must be logged in to view this image or video.
#8 Hood vents
Either make your own hood vents (i.e. Greyforest mod) or buy a vented aftermarket hood. You want to help as much trapped heat escape as possible and hood vents are a cheap and easy way to do this. They are most functional when the car is at low speed or idle, but become more functional when paired with
#9 Radiator vents
These are extremely effective if you have a fmic that is blocking all your air flow to the radiator. Remember, the radiator is the core component of your cooling system and you need it to exchange heat from coolant fluid to the atmosphere as efficiently as possible. This requires maximum airflow. Look at any late model sports car and notice that engineers are always including very pronounced radiator vents over the front bumper opening. This is because it allows direct unobstructed flow to the radiator. For DSMs with a fmic, you can bypass the fmic by opening up the bumper with radiator vents. When combined with hood vents, you have a clear line of flow for air to exit through the radiator and up through the hood as well as under the vehicle.
#10 Open the bumper to full fmic exposure
2Ga your bumper opening is wide but short. Open up the top part of the smilie so all of the intercooler fins are exposed to direct air flow.
You must be logged in to view this image or video.
2Gb your bumper opening is tall but narrow. Remove the top 2 obstruction in the bumper opening. Unless you have a very long fmic, this should be good enough
1G I have no idea sorry guys!
STAGE TWO: MAKE YOUR CLIMATE CONTROL SYSTEM
At this point your cooling system should be very efficient. If your dont have a thermostat and have your fans set to run all the time (fan mod or dsmlink), you may be running as cold as 150s in Florida and 80F intake temps! However, if you are able to run 170s to 180s fully warmed up, thats a good sign and exactly what we are looking to do. Thats because this is as cold as your fan controller will be able to regulate. If you dont have dsmlink or a fan mod to keep your fans always on, then when left to ecu you may still be seeing hot temps of 200F+. Thats ok though. This is because the stock ecu settings are extremely conservative with fan operation to cool your engine. Left to the ecu on a 2G, your car will usually always run over 200F without taking over fan control.
Heres some facts courtesy of dsmlink, from the factory ecu code:
Normal factory operating temps are 200~206F. However, when the ecu is so conservative with fan operation, waiting until 210 to even turn on your main fan, you can see why this means you are likely to always run hot on a hot day. At 206 you already will have 1 degree of timing pulled! And hot engine bay temps mean hot intake temps, which means more pulled timing! However, your ecu does not enter fuel trim adjustment mode on a 2G until 180F and 190F on a 1G. That tells us the following:
Optimum performance and fuel economy is between 180F to 206 engine temps for a 2G and 190F to 206F for a 1G. This is our target range for the controller to keep us within.
Let's get started:
#1 Fan controller, water temp gauge, water temp sender
This is the core of the system that will let you control your cooling system and take away control from the ecu. I recommend the following:
Dakota Digital Programmable Dual Fan Controller
http://www.dakotadigital.com/index....ategory_id=109/home_id=59/mode=prod/prd43.htm
Dakota Digital Odyssey II water temp gauge
http://www.dakotadigital.com/index....tegory_id=245/home_id=59/mode=prod/prd363.htm
Dakota Digital 0-300F sender (size: 1/8 NPT)
http://www.dakotadigital.com/index....tegory_id=245/home_id=59/mode=prod/prd111.htm
Tap the 0-300F sender as close to the stock temp sender as possible. I tapped it right above the thermostat housing. By the way, I highly recommend only using these components from the same company because they are made to work together and don't require calibration. Your system will be much more accurate that way.
You must be logged in to view this image or video.
Install your water temp gauge according to its instructions
You must be logged in to view this image or video.
Mount your fan controller in the cockpit somewhere. I mounted mine underneath the steering wheel column on the plastic paneling. That way the many wires go up where the ignition wiring is and are routed towards the firewall where you can route all the wires.
You must be logged in to view this image or video.
Wire the controller according to the instructions. You will be using the wiring diagram for "Two Separate Fans". I ignored the a/c clutch control option for now. You will need one extra 30A relay for the second fan. You will be disconnecting (cutting) the stock fan wiring as the ecu will no longer control your fans in any way. The fan controller operates by opening a ground to the fans that closes the circuit, NOT by sending power -- so follow the instructions and don't make the mistake I did.
This doesn't wire up like your typical fan relay setup.#2 After you have wired everything up, go through your initial setup for the fan controller.
EXAMPLE SETTINGS for 2G: Set the LO fan (your a/c fan) ON temp to 185F and OFF temp to 180. Then set your HIGH fan (your main fan) ON temp to 189 and OFF temp to 179F.
What this does is allow your car to warm up to 185F before the a/c fan is activated. The a/c fan alone is not strong enough to cool your engine down in hot weather, but will slow the rise in temps until the main fan is activated. That's what will drop your temps back down to 179F before it shuts off. Then your engine will heat back up and continue the cycle. Result? Constant temperature range between 180 - 190.
No matter what the temperature outside, the fan controller will always monitor the engine temps and activate the fans as needed -- that's what I mean by dynamic engine climate control. This is superior to ecu control and superior to dsmlink or "always on" fan mods. Now you can always run a temperature range for the best performance and fuel economy in any weather!
Here's the system in action for one cycle:
You must be logged in to view this image or video.
Any additional questions, check the parent thread here or PM me:
http://www.dsmtuners.com/forums/showthread.php?t=260472
