kenamond
DSM Wiseman
- 3,225
- 67
- Feb 15, 2006
-
Los Alamos,
New Mexico
First off, I can't find my Haynes manual, and the answer is probably in there if I could find it. Garage is a mess right now, and it's buried somewhere.
Second off, if you know of a thread which covers this, just point me there; I checked vfaq and searched here with no luck, and I hate asking questions that can be answered in a stupid manual.
Finally, the problem: My motor isn't staying warm like I think it should. I don't know much about the details of the thermostat, but I was under the impression that it wouldn't pump coolant through the radiator when it was cold; it should only cool the coolant when it gets hot. But maybe I'm full of it.
It's frikkin cold around here lately (teens at night), and I have a 3/4 mile downhill section from work toward home. I get my car up to maybe 180*F (guessing - temp needle halfway between cold mark and normal operating temp) and start driving home. While I coast down hill, the temp drops down near the cold mark. If I go down a long hill, the needle can dip all the way to the cold mark (it did this coming down from the local ski hill where you either motor the engine in 2nd gear for 20 minutes or fry your brakes).
The rad fan kicks on like normal, so it doesn't overheat (holds at halfway which is usually around 200*F on the logger), but it seems that coolant is flowing through the radiator even when the car is below operating temperature, so the cold air overcools the motor.
So...help?
Thanks!
Second off, if you know of a thread which covers this, just point me there; I checked vfaq and searched here with no luck, and I hate asking questions that can be answered in a stupid manual.
Finally, the problem: My motor isn't staying warm like I think it should. I don't know much about the details of the thermostat, but I was under the impression that it wouldn't pump coolant through the radiator when it was cold; it should only cool the coolant when it gets hot. But maybe I'm full of it.
It's frikkin cold around here lately (teens at night), and I have a 3/4 mile downhill section from work toward home. I get my car up to maybe 180*F (guessing - temp needle halfway between cold mark and normal operating temp) and start driving home. While I coast down hill, the temp drops down near the cold mark. If I go down a long hill, the needle can dip all the way to the cold mark (it did this coming down from the local ski hill where you either motor the engine in 2nd gear for 20 minutes or fry your brakes).
The rad fan kicks on like normal, so it doesn't overheat (holds at halfway which is usually around 200*F on the logger), but it seems that coolant is flowing through the radiator even when the car is below operating temperature, so the cold air overcools the motor.
So...help?
Thanks!
