excessive heat, but not overheating

PlanZero · Jul 5, 2014

Ever since I got this car I've noticed an excessive amount of heat from the engine bay. I can feel it through the door defrost vents, and I'm pretty sure it's seeping through the firewall. When I pop the hood after even a short ride, the bay is extremely hot, more so than any of my previous DSMs. I replaced most of the cooling system last summer, and I have no overheating or loss of coolant. As the summer heats up, its becoming extremely uncomfortable. Feels like the heats on. Of course the ac compressor's shot and its not getting replaced any time soon. Any ideas?

1990dsmkid · Jul 5, 2014

Are the heat sheilds installed?

PlanZero · Jul 5, 2014

If you're referring to the exhaust manifold, then yes. Is it normal for engine bay heat to be working it's way into the heating/ defrost system even though it's off?

thirsty · Jul 5, 2014

G'day.
IMHO. Two things to check and do.
1. Check the control valve that supplies the heater in the car, it may be stuck open.
2. Get your exhaust manifold/dump/ and down to the turn at the front of the motor ceramic coated. It works a treat keeping heat in the exhaust.
http://www.jet-hot.com/
I had mine done on my rally VR4 here in Australia. Happy with it.
Cheers
Ross

miliman13 · Jul 5, 2014

I eliminated to coolant lines/heater hoses that cycle inside the car. This way there's never heat traveling in side the car. Cant use heater, but then again who the hell needs that.

shakeandbake · Jul 5, 2014

well youll have no heater for your defrosters. I dont know if that safety feature means anything to you. that switch in the middle of your hvac that goes left to right controls outside air coming into the cabin. one side will allow heat from the core through the vents and the other will block it out. Thats why your feeling engine heat from your door vents. connect a scanner to your vehicle and check your sensors for over heating but i guarantee thats it.

PlanZero · Jul 5, 2014

I thought that may be the culprit, but I still feel heat no matter which position the lever's at. Is it possible the vent that the lever controls somehow came loose and isn't shutting properly? (As I believe our friend from down under suggested) Where the hell is it? I can't find it in the Haynes manual. When I flip the lever, I can hear a clunk from behind the glove box if that means anything, but I'm not going to start pulling apart the blower if I don't have to.

miliman13 · Jul 5, 2014

If you drop you glove box and stick your head back there, you can see the lever and wire that controls the heat/A/C temp setting. Mines always blew hot, turned out the wire had came lose so it was stuck on hot even when i tried to adjust, i reconnected the wire to the the lever and WALA it solved that issue.

PlanZero · Jul 30, 2014

OK so I seafoamed through the vacuum line the other day and a shitload of smoke came bellowing from beneath the heat shield. I've been planning to replace the manifold, and I assume its either leaking from the gasket or its cracked. I assume this is causing the excessive heat. Also, I've been experiencing low, semi sputtering idle ( hence the reason for seafoam) since I tried recharging the ac. Is this being caused by the header leak? My tps and IAC are good.

DSM1G90 · Jul 30, 2014

Did you take out the evap coil from the heater assembly?

If so, you need to cover up the hole the coolant lines came in through the firewall since that heat under the hood is coming through that hole.

PlanZero · Jul 31, 2014

no i did not remove the coil, HOWEVER i do have a cel code for small evap leak detected. Could this be related, and if so, how do i check?

TrevoREX · Sep 7, 2014

clean the radiator inside and out. straighten any bent fins. replace the thermostat and fluid. make sure fans are working at all temp ranges. dsms run a little warm under the hood anyway. you could also do a coolant system cleanout. there could be a bunch of gunk and scale inside impeding flow.

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