runs really, really hot

[sid_fin]

so i know that dsm's run fairly hot, but my question is do 2.3L strokers run hotter then a 2.0L. i'm asking because my engine temp gauge is all the way over to the right, but all the hoses and stuff still seem pretty cool. any info would be nice before i go and pick up a new rad and fans.

thanks for the space

 

[boostedinaz]

The engien displacement shouldnt have an effect on temp like you are saying, there is definatly something wrong. Make sure that you first log your car to get an actual temperature reading not just from an innacurate gauge. If you find that it is still running hot then there are a few things you can check.

Make sure that both fans turn on and cycle. The easiest is to trun on the car and turn the AC on full blast. That should turn both fans on. If they dont turn on find out why.

Make sure there are no leaks and that you have a good radiator cap thats holds at least 13-15 lbs of pressure.

The thermostat should also be checked. Boil some water and toss it in it should pop open just fine if it works. I persoanlly would just buy a new one that opened at 180*.

The last thing that people think about is the sensor that tells the car the temp of the water. You dont have the year of you car in your profile so it will depend on what Gen your car is. 1G's have two sensors, 1 for the fans to cycle and the other for the ECU. Replace both if you have tried everything and it still does it. The 2G's just have one.

Hope that helps.

 

[sid_fin]

thanks for the reply boostedinaz. here is some more info. the thermostat is brand new from the factory, there is only one fan and that is on the passengers side of the car (no a/c), which is a 1g to note.

so as things stand right now i have nothing to log the car with so the gauge reading is all i have to go with. i checked the rad cap and it keeps a good seal, zero leaks, and the coolant feed line has lots of pressure (i know this cause it sprayed all over the place when i opened it). umm... there is an electrical problem that causes the ecu not to see the fan and therefore not turn on (so i have a jumper wire replacing the relay so the fan is always on), could this be a bad sensor. i'm also throwing a cel, maybe from a bad sensor? but is the sensor is not working right would that give a false reading.

thanks for the help

 

[boostedinaz]

You should be ok with one fan as long as it works fine.

From what you have said I will say it sounds like those sensors I was talking about. There are two and they are about 11 bucks a piece. The first on is at the bottom of the radiator on the passanger side. The other is on the thermostat housing itself. If they are bad it could throw a CEL, but I am not sure if the OBD1 is that sensitive, although I would imagine it would be for the exact reason you posted, overheating. Borrow a logger, you should actualy buy one since you are no longer stock, and see what the code is and go from there. You will also want to hook the fan back up the proper way. Fans draw alot of current and they should be on a relay of at least 30 amps. I bet its not working becasue of the broken sensor.

 

[sid_fin]

thanks alot for the help i'll try and keep this updated as for now i'm gonna go buy some sensors

 

[SpoolnTsi]

so i know that dsm's run fairly hot, but my question is do 2.3L strokers run hotter then a 2.0L. i'm asking because my engine temp gauge is all the way over to the right, but all the hoses and stuff still seem pretty cool

Your hoses are cool because there is either no coolant in the system or, the waterpump is failing to circulate the coolant. Those hoses shouldnt be cool. They should be very warm almost to the point of hot

 

[sweet97]

Sounds like a bad thermostst to me. If you got the problem after replacing the 'stat it could be faulty or prhaps installed backwards. I would just replace it also. Another cause of a hot running engine is having the timing retarded. Double check the timing.Mark

 

[loreak]

My car runs perfectly fine without the fan coming on at all so it should be ok without a fan, i ran without a fan for months. Open your radiator cap and turn the engine on and wait and see if it starts circulating when it gets hot. If you were really pegged that hot the engine would be making alot of bubbling and gergling noises from the water getting so hot and it would probably start coming out the overflow.

 

[SpoolnTsi]

My car runs perfectly fine without the fan coming on at all so it should be ok without a fan, i ran without a fan for months

Betcha it overheated at idle too. The fans are there for a reason