finally got some hot days and it's been 85 degrees and it finally started to overheat again and make some interesting noises so I'm not sure what's going on but I'm gonna try that better fan mod and the low temp fan switch to try and remedy this again. also getting a bumperpad air dam to graft to the aero style front end
Fan switches haven't been reliable for me. If your car is AC equipped then you can force the fan on by turning on the AC, even if the AC doesn't actually work (mine doesn't). If it can't easily stay cool with the fan on, then you have a mechanical problem with the cooling system.
It should easily stay cool without the fan, the fan should only turn on when stopped, idling in traffic for 5+ minutes, and it should turn on for about 30 seconds-1 minute, turn off again, and be good for another few minutes. Those under car coolant tubes and having the radiator separated from the engine compartment (2 seperate spaces to draw heat from the engine, and the air across the coolant pipes), asking with the higher fluid volume of the Fieros system, make for a fairly efficient system when everything is operating properly. Have you replaced the water pump ever? If it was replaced with one with a plastic impeller, that could slip and give you basically no fluid flow. Also the front air dam from an Aero nose is a necessity for the Aero nose, as that is where the air comes from to go through the radiator. Lower temp fan switches and what not are not your issue, if you are moving, you should not "overheat" (Fiero gauges are also notoriously wrong, if the gauge reads in the red, that is literally meaningless, get a scan tool to get the ECM temp reading, or use a physical thermometer) actual overheating is to the point where it is puking coolant out of the overflow reservoir, in liquid and steam form.
[This message has been edited by 1985 Fiero GT (edited 06-07-2024).]
It should easily stay cool without the fan, the fan should only turn on when stopped, idling in traffic for 5+ minutes, and it should turn on for about 30 seconds-1 minute, turn off again, and be good for another few minutes. Those under car coolant tubes and having the radiator separated from the engine compartment (2 seperate spaces to draw heat from the engine, and the air across the coolant pipes), asking with the higher fluid volume of the Fieros system, make for a fairly efficient system when everything is operating properly. Have you replaced the water pump ever? If it was replaced with one with a plastic impeller, that could slip and give you basically no fluid flow. Also the front air dam from an Aero nose is a necessity for the Aero nose, as that is where the air comes from to go through the radiator. Lower temp fan switches and what not are not your issue, if you are moving, you should not "overheat" (Fiero gauges are also notoriously wrong, if the gauge reads in the red, that is literally meaningless, get a scan tool to get the ECM temp reading, or use a physical thermometer) actual overheating is to the point where it is puking coolant out of the overflow reservoir, in liquid and steam form.
if you've followed along my journey of this car you would know that it's boiled over a few times and I've done headgaskets and a new metal impeller water pump. I cannot find an aero nose air dam so I was going to modify the bumperpad kind to try and help force air into the rad a little more and this fan litterally doesn't pull air through the rad at random and the fan won't run on its own at all. so the fan switch is not working correctly since if I ground the wires it works just fine anyways I was going to do the much larger fan mod and some other things to help alleviate the overheating since I haven't added the extra load of it's ac compressor and its already overheating within minutes of its fan being off in traffic so clearly it needs the extra help before I go adding more thermal stress to it
Fan switches haven't been reliable for me. If your car is AC equipped then you can force the fan on by turning on the AC, even if the AC doesn't actually work (mine doesn't). If it can't easily stay cool with the fan on, then you have a mechanical problem with the cooling system.
that's what had been working but the system is having an issue that is related to the radiator fan
if you've followed along my journey of this car you would know that it's boiled over a few times and I've done headgaskets and a new metal impeller water pump. I cannot find an aero nose air dam
Ok, yeah I've read quite a bit of this "Tangerine of a Fiero", but I don't remember exactly what's been done to it. Really is a troubleshooting nightmare haha.
Ok, yeah I've read quite a bit of this "Tangerine of a Fiero", but I don't remember exactly what's been done to it. Really is a troubleshooting nightmare haha.
oh then I'll have to purchase that and every single thing to go along with it then so I'll add that to the budget and it's alright, this car is legit a nightmare but it's so fun to throw into a corner and nail the throttle and just let it sing
finally got some hot days and it's been 85 degrees and it finally started to overheat again and make some interesting noises so I'm not sure what's going on but I'm gonna try that better fan mod and the low temp fan switch to try and remedy this again. also getting a bumperpad air dam to graft to the aero style front end
What "interesting" noises? What symptom details are you calling "over heating"?
if you've followed along my journey of this car you would know that it's boiled over a few times and I've done headgaskets and a new metal impeller water pump. I cannot find an aero nose air dam so I was going to modify the bumperpad kind to try and help force air into the rad a little more and this fan litterally doesn't pull air through the rad at random and the fan won't run on its own at all. so the fan switch is not working correctly since if I ground the wires it works just fine anyways I was going to do the much larger fan mod and some other things to help alleviate the overheating since I haven't added the extra load of it's ac compressor and its already overheating within minutes of its fan being off in traffic so clearly it needs the extra help before I go adding more thermal stress to it
It's strange to me that it's running as hot as it does... and you're having so many issues with cooling.
If your car is running optimally... as in, totally perfect / new... the radiator fan should essentially never come on. I'll compare it to my 1987 Fiero SE / V6 as it ran back in ~1999. It had maybe 75k miles on it, totally stock except for hogged out manifolds, but all fluids having been changed, etc.
In ~70 degree South Florida spring weather, the car would sit in the parking spot (in the shade), running... fully warmed up, and the radiator fan would NOT come on. It would sit perfectly at about the 2/5ths mark. Only other thing I'd done is put Redline WaterWetter in there. But this is more or less what you can expect for a car that's running *perfect* ... fan should really never need to come on, even at idle if everything is good.
With the miles you have, the first thing I tend to consider / look at are (in this order):
- Bent cooling tubes (can't remember if you said you looked at this) - Stuck thermostat (which I know you've already fixed) - Correct thermostat caps (which I know you've already looked at)
At this point, if I don't notice anything wrong. I'll literally flush the entire cooling system... not just drain everything out, but completely flush it all out. As a poor kid, I probably didn't replace the hoses unless I needed to, but I would even take out the radiator, cap off the bottom, and fill the radiator with solvents (something like MotorMedic's Radiator Flush). I'd shake it all around and let it sit, and then shake it even more... and then flush it with a garden hose (all while, the radiator is out of the car). I'd usually see all kinds of sediment and rust come out.
... I'd use that to make sure all the fins on the radiator were totally straight and clean. If you have air conditioning, you'll want to do it on the condenser as well.
Now, important... the outside of the radiator gets as nasty as the inside does. With the radiator still out... you can use some HVAC condenser spray to clean the outside. Something like this (I can't remember the specific brand I used): https://www.zoro.com/nu-cal...r-4290-75/i/G1188056
I'd use it on both the condenser as well as the radiator.
I'd then get a high-pressure garden hose (not a pressure washer) and spray the radiator from the opposite end (from the back to the front). Basically... the radiator spends its entire life getting air going in one direction, so it builds up dirt, grime, etc... in one direction. Easiest way to blow it out is to spray water from the other side... and you'll be amazed what shoots out of there (both the condenser and the radiator).
I'd then put it all back together, and if you've checked everything here... and you KNOW you have a good head gasket... then it's absolutely got to be something like timing.
Chances are, you either have a kinked cooling tube, or your radiator is more or less clogged.
You say "over heating" but what are the symptoms? is it really over heating? The fan turning on or a temp gage reading is not necessarily a symptom of "over heating". Again, what are the "symptoms"?
Originally posted by cartercarbaficionado: also getting a bumperpad air dam to graft to the aero style front end
. Thats what i did, never had a problem.
------------------ Astronomy says we will find a coded signal from outer space. Then we'll KNOW that life exists there, for coded signals aren't by chance.
Biology says there are coded genetic signals in every cell, but we KNOW that no intelligence created life.
I'm the original owner of a white ' 84 2M4 purchased Dec 10, 1983 from Pontiac. Always garaged, no rust, 3800SC, 4-wheel drifts are fun!
I'm trying to understand what does and doesn't work. When you use the AC switch, does the fan always come on?
When the fan is on, does it keep the car cool?
I understand that the automatic fan switch (based on coolant temperature) doesn't work. But I'm unclear whether anything else is wrong.
the fan may or may not keep the car cool. it only turns on at half speed with the ac switch which will pull air through the rad sometimes but for whatever reason stops pulling through at random and moves 0 air at all. still moving the same way and isn't slipping it just stops moving air. I'm probably going to add hood vents and the larger fan mod to try to alleviate the issue as well as making the stupid fan switch on the engine work again
What "interesting" noises? What symptom details are you calling "over heating"?
I think it's transmission? just grinding noises at speed and my engine kind of surges when held at one speed (below 1/4 throttle) but the tps and fuel pressure are fine so I can only assume my manifold litterally cracking in half that morning is to blame for the weird running. the gauge going all the way to red or when sitting still the coolant temp skyrocketing and being able to smell the coolant, as soon as I'm moving above 25 and keeping my rpm low in traffic it's fine but I've checked before when it does this and my fan manages to stop flowing air. rad cap may also be contributing since it's a lever type (only one I could get at the time since the stock one snapped it's spring)
Originally posted by 82-T/A [At Work]: It's strange to me that it's running as hot as it does... and you're having so many issues with cooling.
If your car is running optimally... as in, totally perfect / new... the radiator fan should essentially never come on. I'll compare it to my 1987 Fiero SE / V6 as it ran back in ~1999. It had maybe 75k miles on it, totally stock except for hogged out manifolds, but all fluids having been changed, etc. ... then it's absolutely got to be something like timing.
Chances are, you either have a kinked cooling tube, or your radiator is more or less clogged.
rad flows perfect and I've flushed the system. my cooling tubes are the correct shape and I've ran a 1 inch snake through them to descale and check the diameter all the way through and they aren't crushed or even partially dented minus a few small ones from rocks and I've done timing and headgaskets and a metal impeller water pump and those all check out, though I'm pretty sure my rad and condenser need to be cleaned since the condenser has an amusing amount of overspray and I'm fairly sure isn't supposed to be painted black it does usually sit at around the 2/5ths mark with the fan on half speed but it does really need an air dam and a better way for air to escape since it traps quite a bit and makes a huge dead zone at speed (left a thermal probe behind the rad and it stays at 20 degrees above ambient until I stop and then it usually drops like a rock, so maybe I just need to get the better fan and some other stuff as well as cleaning the crap out of all the overspray. I mean even the suspension is red and orange somehow
You say "over heating" but what are the symptoms? is it really over heating? The fan turning on or a temp gage reading is not necessarily a symptom of "over heating". Again, what are the "symptoms"?
the temp gauge is the only gauge I trust other than the battery gauge. at a full gauge sweep the hoses litterslly blow off the engine right after it boils over. so when it's at 3/4s of my gauge I'm pulling over and shutting it off and opening the hood and decklid to let it flow enough air to not take 4 hours to cool off. also as originally stated the fan does not turn on on its own since my fan switch on the engine isn't working properly and never closes its circuit to ground like its supposed to I've verified the gauge and it reads low but that really means that if it's ever getting close to full them I'm absolutely overheating and about to have a bad day.
rad flows perfect and I've flushed the system. my cooling tubes are the correct shape and I've ran a 1 inch snake through them to descale and check the diameter all the way through and they aren't crushed or even partially dented minus a few small ones from rocks and I've done timing and headgaskets and a metal impeller water pump and those all check out, though I'm pretty sure my rad and condenser need to be cleaned since the condenser has an amusing amount of overspray and I'm fairly sure isn't supposed to be painted black it does usually sit at around the 2/5ths mark with the fan on half speed but it does really need an air dam and a better way for air to escape since it traps quite a bit and makes a huge dead zone at speed (left a thermal probe behind the rad and it stays at 20 degrees above ambient until I stop and then it usually drops like a rock, so maybe I just need to get the better fan and some other stuff as well as cleaning the crap out of all the overspray. I mean even the suspension is red and orange somehow
Oh yeah... I would definitely think that's it. I took a radiator that had JUST been replaced, basically brand new (from the junkyard) for another car. And when I cleaned it the way I said (spraying it from backwards out to the front), there was so much dirt that came out. I tried it first from front to back for like a minute... nothing... and then I was like, what am I doing... and that's when I started cleaning them from back to front, and it was just like brown water coming through the fins.
Originally posted by 82-T/A [At Work]: Oh yeah... I would definitely think that's it. I took a radiator that had JUST been replaced, basically brand new (from the junkyard) for another car. And when I cleaned it the way I said (spraying it from backwards out to the front), there was so much dirt that came out. I tried it first from front to back for like a minute... nothing... and then I was like, what am I doing... and that's when I started cleaning them from back to front, and it was just like brown water coming through the fins.
alright finally back from tearing down my buddies 4.3l v6. I've cleaned it out before and I can see through it just fine since that was the first thing I thought of months ago. only remembered this when I was looking through the parts bin to find a tool for the 4.3l and found a new radiator drain valve and a note that we washed the rad and that we needed to keep this part on hand incase the new incorrect one failed. apparently past me cared about future me and my mental health lol. so I guess I'll flow test the rad and see if maybe there's something weird going on elsewhere but I'm pretty sure my engine just runs extremely hot for some weird reason. maybe it's got i4 cooling tubes or something idk
the fan may or may not keep the car cool. it only turns on at half speed with the ac switch which will pull air through the rad sometimes but for whatever reason stops pulling through at random and moves 0 air at all. still moving the same way and isn't slipping it just stops moving air. I'm probably going to add hood vents and the larger fan mod to try to alleviate the issue as well as making the stupid fan switch on the engine work again
V6 Fieros don't have dual-speed fans, so if it's running slow, something is wrong. Maybe somebody installed the wrong fan? I don't know how easily someone could have done that, I've never looked into it. I don't know offhand how to tell the fans apart visually, but I'd look into the differences and try to confirm if you have the right one. I think only 84 Fieros have dual-speed fans.
Assuming you have the right fan: Check the voltage at the fan, if it's ~12V but fan is slow or stopped, replace the fan. If voltage is low, measure again with the fan disconnected. If voltage comes back to 12V or more without the fan connected, then it could be a bad fan or it could be the car. If voltage is still low without the fan connected, then the fan isn't the problem. In that case trace back the electrical problem. I haven't checked schematics but there's probably a relay involved somewhere. Also check for loose/frayed wiring.
If the car intermittently stops powering the fan, then momentum could make it still look like it's running but it's not pushing much air anymore until it powers up again. With AC switched on, the car should supply a constant 12V to the fan causing it to run at full speed continuously. Since it doesn't do that, either the car is not supplying the constant 12V or the fan is failing.
A more powerful fan isn't needed for a stock engine, and could just aggravate the electrical issue that may be present. My air dam is mostly missing and the stock fan has no problem keeping the car cool, the condition of the air dam only means I have to turn it on more often. Cleaning the radiator is fine, but doesn't explain why your fan is running slow. That's a malfunction that should be pinned down.
[This message has been edited by armos (edited 06-10-2024).]
This is a fascinating thread. Hoses blowing of the engine! Boiling over! Your thinking it's the fam?
Problem solving is a process. I'd probably start here. Is coolant circulating? Is the radiator getting hot? If so is it hotter going in then coming out?
V6 Fieros don't have dual-speed fans, so if it's running slow, something is wrong. Maybe somebody installed the wrong fan? I don't know how easily someone could have done that, I've never looked into it. I don't know offhand how to tell the fans apart visually, but I'd look into the differences and try to confirm if you have the right one. I think only 84 Fieros have dual-speed fans.
Assuming you have the right fan: Check the voltage at the fan, if it's ~12V but fan is slow or stopped, replace the fan. If voltage is low, measure again with the fan disconnected. If voltage comes back to 12V or more without the fan connected, then it could be a bad fan or it could be the car. If voltage is still low without the fan connected, then the fan isn't the problem. In that case trace back the electrical problem. I haven't checked schematics but there's probably a relay involved somewhere. Also check for loose/frayed wiring.
If the car intermittently stops powering the fan, then momentum could make it still look like it's running but it's not pushing much air anymore until it powers up again. With AC switched on, the car should supply a constant 12V to the fan causing it to run at full speed continuously. Since it doesn't do that, either the car is not supplying the constant 12V or the fan is failing.
A more powerful fan isn't needed for a stock engine, and could just aggravate the electrical issue that may be present. My air dam is mostly missing and the stock fan has no problem keeping the car cool, the condition of the air dam only means I have to turn it on more often. Cleaning the radiator is fine, but doesn't explain why your fan is running slow. That's a malfunction that should be pinned down.
this car is called the Tangerine nightmare for a reason. also the fan mod is litterally just a better fan blade that's 2 inches larger. as for why it runs at 2 different speeds its ti do with my grounding I'm fairly sure. ac runs at power speeds but if I ground the wires directly for the fan switch on the motor it spins faster....sometimes it's not a dual speed fan since I have a dual speed fan on my 84 car and the dual speed also has a much larger fan hub and a giant ballast resister on it
This is a fascinating thread. Hoses blowing of the engine! Boiling over! Your thinking it's the fam?
Problem solving is a process. I'd probably start here. Is coolant circulating? Is the radiator getting hot? If so is it hotter going in then coming out?
Chasing one's tail just makes one dizzy.
I wonder sometimes if you can read. my gauge pegs at that point and this is the Celsius gauge I've Said verified low. when it pegs the engine is over 285 Fahrenheit which is more than most radiator hoses can handle they will either decide to explode or the clamps blow off since one of my cooling pipes doesn't have the biggest barb in the world for the hose size. I have coolant flow and WHEN THE FAN MOVES AIR PROPERLY IT STAYS COOL. but it has to be on constantly or moving signifying that maybe my engine just runs a little warm for some reason or that my coolant is flowing too fast to have enough time to cool off normally needing tge extra help. I know how a cooling system works and started with the basic checks before ever touching this site since clearly I had a weird issue where my system worked correct but didn't cool still. that ended up with me replacing a water pump,headgaskets and every hose on advice several months ago. clearly that didn't work either and intact didn't even change the issue at all
Yes Carter, I can read. I read the entire thread, a few times. I'm actually beginning to think you post this stuff as "entertainment". It actually is pretty entertaining if one doesn't take it seriously. Having said that, thank you. Send me more.
as per usual with the Tangerine it fixed itself at random and will likely have this issue come back in force soon. I'm gonna try to gather a bunch of parts to see if maybe there's just some combination of stuff going on. I'm definitely going to be making that air dam since I was told in the last thread about overheating I made that it was imperative to have no matter what and now I'm being told different. regardless that is being made and I'm gonna try to seal the fan to the radiator a bit better and replace the fan and it's spliced wires to hopefully drop the resistance a bit to let it spin up better but I'm not holding my breath. the big item is going to be replacing the fan switch with a low temp one and seeing if I can get the fan to actually function on its own to them do a chemical flush of the system to really try and descale everything since it likes having water more than real coolant
Originally posted by cartercarbaficionado: it's not a dual speed fan since I have a dual speed fan on my 84 car and the dual speed also has a much larger fan hub and a giant ballast resister on it
quote
as for why it runs at 2 different speeds its ti do with my grounding I'm fairly sure. ac runs at power speeds but if I ground the wires directly for the fan switch on the motor it spins faster....sometimes
You'll get closer to knowing if you check the voltage potential across the +12V and Ground wires at the fan. If the voltage is low, you'll know there's a power problem. Then you can dig deeper into the cause of the voltage issue. Compare voltage somewhere upstream in that circuit, etc. I'd look at schematics and find what about the +12V and Ground sources are different when using the AC switch versus using the fan switch.
Don't trust Haynes/Chilton schematics, use the ones from the factory service manual. If you don't already have that, I think somebody has posted a link to it recently.
quote
this car is called the Tangerine nightmare for a reason. also the fan mod is litterally just a better fan blade that's 2 inches larger.
A more powerful fan that will draw more current from a fan circuit that already appears to be malfunctioning. It will still run slow if you don't resolve why that's happening.
If you're feeling overwhelmed by all the problems with the car, then I suggest picking a specific problem that you can measure and troubleshoot down to a cause. Then on to the next one. You need to unravel the decades of non-fixes and workarounds that have probably put the car into this condition. It happens all the time with used cars, until somebody takes it seriously enough to restore it (mechanically/electrically, I don't mean making it a show car). Personally I wouldn't drive it until it can reliably keep itself cool at all times.
A more powerful fan that will draw more current from a fan circuit that already appears to be malfunctioning. It will still run slow if you don't resolve why that's happening.
If you're feeling overwhelmed by all the problems with the car, then I suggest picking a specific problem that you can measure and troubleshoot down to a cause. Then on to the next one. You need to unravel the decades of non-fixes and workarounds that have probably put the car into this condition. It happens all the time with used cars, until somebody takes it seriously enough to restore it (mechanically/electrically, I don't mean making it a show car). Personally I wouldn't drive it until it can reliably keep itself cool at all times.
it can keep itself cool as long as it's moving. as for the fan mod it's litterally just a bigger fan blade in the stock shroud and motor to try to make more static pressure to draw through the rad easier. yeah that's been a real issue is honestly lack of time since this is my buddies only car atm (I drive it more than he does hence why I'm fixing it since I bought the darn thing) it can't be ripped apart for a month to really start finding issues and resolving them like I did to my blazer and 93 accord the cooling system is a very large improvement from what it used to be before I got a week to just spend cleaning and checking things. it used to be so bad that it would overheat all the time constantly and blow hoses left and right before it finally decided to just have a complete melt down and stopped being able to start for months and months which was annoying and we never did quite figure out why other than a new distributor solved it somehow
as per usual with the Tangerine it fixed itself at random and will likely have this issue come back in force soon.
That's what I mean about entertainment. More fun than actual problem solving.
ok you go get a vehicle from a Californian desert that was put together 15 years ago by someone who didn't know what they were doing and try fixing any issues and let me know how it goes. sometimes stuff works and then it doesn't which makes it all the more irrating to actually fix. especially when half the time I'm told to just replace this or that or "it's not overheating unless it Boils over" which is extremely unhelpful. intermittent issues are just the best
ok you go get a vehicle from a Californian desert that was put together 15 years ago by someone who didn't know what they were doing and try fixing any issues and let me know how it goes. sometimes stuff works and then it doesn't which makes it all the more irrating to actually fix. especially when half the time I'm told to just replace this or that or "it's not overheating unless it Boils over" which is extremely unhelpful. intermittent issues are just the best
Yes. I understand and easily relate to that. I started my car life in the early seventies. British sports cars were rather simple but they can get pretty screwed up by people who "don't know what they are doing". Foreign mechanics where rare and expensive so screwed up cars often got abandoned and could be had wicked cheep. I learned early that problem solving is a precise process. Intermediates are no different, just a bit more frustrating. I moved on to affordable mid engines in the nineties. Let's see .... Maserati, Ferrari, Lamborghini, Toyota ...... Pontiac. Hmmm....
Let's use your heating problem as an example. Does it over heat? yes. Does the coolant start circulating at operating temp? We don't know. If it does, does the radiator get hot? We don't know. if so is the coolant hotter at the inlet than the outlet? We don't know. A accurate thermometer is essential. Do you see where I'm going with this.
With any "no" answers we look at the components that make up the system. But don't just start changing stuff especially if it's intermittent.
With a verified "yes" to all those questions and the temp is still to high, we start a knew diagnostic. Why is it running hot? And that's not back to the beginning.
Detroit must design cooling systems to work in the most extreme conditions. Your cooling problem is not the auxiliary fan.
Yes. I understand and easily relate to that. I started my car life in the early seventies. British sports cars were rather simple but they can get pretty screwed up by people who "don't know what they are doing". Foreign mechanics where rare and expensive so screwed up cars often got abandoned and could be had wicked cheep. I learned early that problem solving is a precise process. Intermediates are no different, just a bit more frustrating. I moved on to affordable mid engines in the nineties. Let's see .... Maserati, Ferrari, Lamborghini, Toyota ...... Pontiac. Hmmm....
Let's use your heating problem as an example. Does it over heat? yes. Does the coolant start circulating at operating temp? We don't know. If it does, does the radiator get hot? We don't know. if so is the coolant hotter at the inlet than the outlet? We don't know. A accurate thermometer is essential. Do you see where I'm going with this.
With any "no" answers we look at the components that make up the system. But don't just start changing stuff especially if it's intermittent.
With a verified "yes" to all those questions and the temp is still to high, we start a knew diagnostic. Why is it running hot? And that's not back to the beginning.
Detroit must design cooling systems to work in the most extreme conditions. Your cooling problem is not the auxiliary fan.
litterally the system is functioning as intended 90% of the time. coolant is circulating at full flow at 205.7 degrees on the thermostat housing. the radiator gets plenty hot since the fan being forced on usually keeps it from overheating besides when it feels like it I guess. water enters at 205 and exits at ~170 but that might be because the lower hose is wrapped in anti chafe and heat wrap stuff if it's an intermittent issue I'm fairly sure its much more likely knowing this car that it's wiring decides to just ne weird. or the fan relay sucks despite trying litterally 7 of them and getting different fan speeds and temp activation from every single one somehow. I dunno about designing them to work in the most extreme. maybe most extreme for California
litterally the system is functioning as intended 90% of the time. coolant is circulating at full flow at 205.7 degrees on the thermostat housing. the radiator gets plenty hot since the fan being forced on usually keeps it from overheating besides when it feels like it I guess. water enters at 205 and exits at ~170 but that might be because the lower hose is wrapped in anti chafe and heat wrap stuff if it's an intermittent issue I'm fairly sure its much more likely knowing this car that it's wiring decides to just ne weird. or the fan relay sucks despite trying litterally 7 of them and getting different fan speeds and temp activation from every single one somehow. I dunno about designing them to work in the most extreme. maybe most extreme for California
This is real progress. The T-stat opens at 195 degrees so 206 doesn't seem to far off. My thermometer decided to become invisible so I can't check mine. I'm sure it will reappear the next time I'm looking for something else. Anybody who want's to check T-stat housing exit against what Carter sees, please jump in.
You can't measure temp through insulation so that 170 number shouldn't be trusted. The bare coolant tubes seem like a good point to measure. The radiator inlet outlet Delta T will vary depending on the air temp but there must be some data published some ware. But if it's it's very close, the radiator is suspect, unless it's wicked hot outside. Testing with the fan running and not running would be an interesting test. The fan is there to simulate the car moving when stopped in heavy traffic. Your fan issue is separate from your cooling issue. Obviously, 7 new relays are not enough. Chasing your tail again? Both my wife's 87 and my 88 have the low temp fan switch. I think the set point is 200 F. ( ?? ) The fan almost never turns on.
You may actually be running hotter than normal so your cooling system can't quite keep up. 90% is pretty close to right on. You know there are a few things that will make an engine run hot. One little mentioned one is the EGR system. It's there to cool the fire so you don't oxidize nitrogen. How is your EGR?
Of course with climate change kicking in, I think high capacity radiators will soon be flying off the shelves.
This is real progress. The T-stat opens at 195 degrees so 206 doesn't seem to far off. My thermometer decided to become invisible so I can't check mine. I'm sure it will reappear the next time I'm looking for something else. Anybody who want's to check T-stat housing exit against what Carter sees, please jump in.
You can't measure temp through insulation so that 170 number shouldn't be trusted. The bare coolant tubes seem like a good point to measure. The radiator inlet outlet Delta T will vary depending on the air temp but there must be some data published some ware. But if it's it's very close, the radiator is suspect, unless it's wicked hot outside. Testing with the fan running and not running would be an interesting test. The fan is there to simulate the car moving when stopped in heavy traffic. Your fan issue is separate from your cooling issue. Obviously, 7 new relays are not enough. Chasing your tail again? Both my wife's 87 and my 88 have the low temp fan switch. I think the set point is 200 F. ( ?? ) The fan almost never turns on.
You may actually be running hotter than normal so your cooling system can't quite keep up. 90% is pretty close to right on. You know there are a few things that will make an engine run hot. One little mentioned one is the EGR system. It's there to cool the fire so you don't oxidize nitrogen. How is your EGR?
Of course with climate change kicking in, I think high capacity radiators will soon be flying off the shelves.
my egr is functional but possibly stuck open. haven't bothered to care about it since it really enjoys needing to be smacked to let the vehicle even be able to start. might be running extremely lean since it takes ~30 seconds of cranking for it to sputter to life and I'm not too sure why. only did it with the new distributor and also stopped overheating as bad around the same time. other than that I've replaced every sensor and verified timing since I made a post about the engine running like garbage also no actual progress just litterally took the temp gun and checked stuff I already had before since I try to fix it before I even touch the forum
Your EGR is NOT functioning if it's stuck open. So is engine still running poorly? "Lean" sets a diagnostic code. What codes have been set?
Before you go to the forum, gather your data and present it in a way that sounds like you "know what your doing". " We" had no idea that you had actual data available. "Weirdness" is not data. Think of this as meeting with a consulting firm.
What you just said is that your engine still has some pretty "basic" issues. Should you start a separate thread?
Your EGR is NOT functioning if it's stuck open. So is engine still running poorly? "Lean" sets a diagnostic code. What codes have been set?
Before you go to the forum, gather your data and present it in a way that sounds like you "know what your doing". " We" had no idea that you had actual data available. "Weirdness" is not data. Think of this as meeting with a consulting firm.
What you just said is that your engine still has some pretty "basic" issues. Should you start a separate thread?
already have a second thread. I have like 4 for the different random issues my engine has and so far haven't gotten much on it
hasn't hit half on the gauge in months. it's been going to 3/4s and tried spewing coolant(water at this point but it gets a flush solution through it occasionally) I mean it is 95 degrees outside but I don't get it. how is it fine and then all the sudden not? the only reason I'm even worried is because it's the only running car out of 5 and it was going go get its ac repaired soon but that's extra heat don't mind the brake light it's on because the ebrake is set and the cables are disconnected from the caliper arms but still ran under the car so if its set they don't drag
hasn't hit half on the gauge in months. it's been going to 3/4s and tried spewing coolant(water at this point but it gets a flush solution through it occasionally) I mean it is 95 degrees outside but I don't get it. how is it fine and then all the sudden not? the only reason I'm even worried is because it's the only running car out of 5 and it was going go get its ac repaired soon but that's extra heat don't mind the brake light it's on because the ebrake is set and the cables are disconnected from the caliper arms but still ran under the car so if its set they don't drag
I think I see a pattern here. 5 cars and only one runs. You're overwhelming yourself. You said earlier that you don't have a "nice" Fiero because you buy the "cheep" ones. I my opinion you should pick one or two, (Go with an 88) and make it "nice". Than pick another one. One at a time. That way you'll end up with a stable instead of a junkyard.
I think I see a pattern here. 5 cars and only one runs. You're overwhelming yourself. You said earlier that you don't have a "nice" Fiero because you buy the "cheep" ones. I my opinion you should pick one or two, (Go with an 88) and make it "nice". Than pick another one. One at a time. That way you'll end up with a stable instead of a junkyard.
I only have 2 fieros. those were and are still the projects. the others are 2 93 s10 blazers, a 2007 ford focus and a 99 f250 I forgot I had because it's been sitting in the woods waiting for a mechanic who never showed up. anyways the rest were daily drivers until about a month or 2 ago when both s10s had brake, transmission and engine issues so they are parked until I can get those repaired, focus wore through a brand new tire in 5 miles of normal driving somehow and decided to break every lug stud for 2 weeks straight and I just gave up and drove the 88
