Close to overheating problem!

[vbgambini]

This is for my 1998 240sx 1JZGTE (Chaser). My car starts to get close to the H on the thermostat when im on the highway. When im city driving it seems to be fine but still running a little hot. I have a FM and also a condenser for my AC so im guessing my Mishimoto radiator is not getting enough air. I also have two fans pulling on the radiator. Any ideas for better flow? Or get my car to run cooler?? Any help would be appreciated. Thanks guys!

[s13silvia123]

oil cooler.......bleed your radiator system....

[driftnuts]

im no pro at this but i run water wetter in my coolant and i seem to be fine. I have a ka24de though.

[vbgambini]

oil cooler

Would that really work that much?

Also I was thinking about a side mount intercooler maybe on both sides of the condenser/radiator to give direct flow to the center rather than the IC. Or somehow make air ducts somehow, but would that help that much? Colder thermostat?

[dr.klawn]

living down south & driving small blocks growing-up, i used an old trick on those that i ended up having to use on my sr.... drilling 1 or 2 small (3/32 or smaller) holes on the tstat plate allowing water to seep thru prior to it opening. however, overheating on the interstate usually means that the tstat isn't closing to allow water to cool in the rad. i have a fmic, condenser, koyo with dual fans & all i do is interstate driving & cooling is fine. but i also cut vents in my front bumper to allow for better airflow.
http://i967.photobucket.com/albums/ae160/DRKLAHN/Intercoolerinstall052.jpg

[vbgambini]

So your saying I need a new thermostat possibly? So what does it mean when city driving its get pretty hot as well? Air ducting??

[dr.klawn]

So your saying I need a new thermostat possibly?
well it's never a bad idea 2 physically check ur thermostat in a pot of boiling water with a meat thermometer. that will tell u right away if it opens or sticks or whatever. but with the cost of those things being so cheap, u might want to think about replacing it. $7 & possibly drilling a couple holes is much cheaper than machine work & a rebuild

[vbgambini]

Cool. I dont remember the last time the thermostat was changed anyways. Might be that time. I just want some more info on what else would it be. So the increase of air flow isnt the problem? Ive been getting different advice. A few told me about possibly the h-gasket, water pump and thermo. Some say another fan. Air ducting. Mostly about the thermo. Just like to see maybe ppl set up or if they were running into the sanme problem as me.

[dr.klawn]

if ur losing water & can't locate where from, then maybe start worring about hg.( i kno that's not the only sign of a bad hg) u being in the same heat as me, it's most likely water pump/tstat.. u can check to see if it's airflow by removing the hood & driving around to see if the radiant heat not escaping the engine well was the culprit.

[driftnuts]

i just looked over the work i did on a buddies car with the same issue. we did the thermostat, radiator, hoses, coolant and water pump. Make sure your water pump is working well and that your fans are cooling properly. That could also be an issue

[Bigsyke]

I cant believe this shit, Getting to H means nothing, because the Cluster is a 3 pole switch. There is something else going on. All the suggestions are just band aids. Its either going to be his water pump or belt slipping on the highway. It is always those 2 with these symtoms. The belt doesnt have to squeal to mean its slipping.

Heck I ran my pathfinder with out a fan for a year, My S14 only has the OE condenser fan toggled on cooling fan relay 1&2.

[NiSilS14]

Assuming the system is bled and everything is in working order. It sounds like to me you have a airflow problem. At highway speeds the air is simply not going through the radiator, it's just going around it. Create some ducting so that air will be forced to go through the radiator. Same thing was happening with my friend's S2000, made some ducting from the intercooler to the radiator, problem went away.

[dr.klawn]

Assuming the system is bled and everything is in working order. It sounds like to me you have a airflow problem. At highway speeds the air is simply not going through the radiator, it's just going around it. Create some ducting so that air will be forced to go through the radiator. Same thing was happening with my friend's S2000, made some ducting from the intercooler to the radiator, problem went away.
so u put a shroud around the i/c going to the rad... i'm close 2 puting a small puller fan on the back of my i/c so it blows air right @ mine but the shroud/ducting sounds better

[Bigsyke]

Assuming the system is bled and everything is in working order. It sounds like to me you have a airflow problem. At highway speeds the air is simply not going through the radiator, it's just going around it. Create some ducting so that air will be forced to go through the radiator. Same thing was happening with my friend's S2000, made some ducting from the intercooler to the radiator, problem went away.


But at slow speeds air flow suddenly increases?

[wedscvr]

I have a s14 sr driven almost a hundred miles each day is the arizona heat running AC. During the summer the car does just fine. I'm running a CX rad, clutch fan w/stock puller and nismo t-stat.

During winter time in AZ, my setup has a hard time warming up. Cruising on the street only registers between cold and normal. Once i get on the highway it reads normal but as soon as the get off it goes right back to cold.

Now i know this is because of my Nismo t-stat, maybe you should check/change yours.

[vbgambini]

What it came down to is that when the AC was on it would start to heat up. When the AC was off it would be fine. Took thermostat out and it was fine. So what we are thinking of doing is putting 2 more fans in-front of the condenser pushing through it to see if that will help. Plus ill try and fabricate something for better flow. Venting the hood is another idea probably. Any more advice???

[vbgambini]

Now my car is overheating city driving as well as the highway when the Ac is on. What now?

[dr.klawn]

are u using a stock temp gauge??

[driftnuts]

slow radiator leak maybe or just maybe old oil can do that. I replaced my hoses, fan clutch and thermostat and housing, and the radiator and poof gone!

[vbgambini]

stock temp gauge

[vbgambini]

ok. so we moved the condenser as much as maybe an inch forward. now the car runs better. still starts to creep up (city and highway), but i can drive longer distances with the AC now. So im guessing just air flow is the issue. Thinking of putting a couple vents in the hood. Any ideas?

[dr.klawn]

i like 2 just start whackin my hood with a hatchet until i get some sort of a design....
=]
4real.. congrats on making progress!! i'm still working on lowering my underhood temps

[vbgambini]

ok. been so busy with work and such and finally got to be back on here. Just thought that last resort i would add vents to my oem hood. I like the hood and would do anything first before i chop it up (last resort). Any advice on adding a fan, fan to the condenser, since I moved it a little from the radiator? Change the fans i have there now? Is there a really big difference in fan brands?

[dr.klawn]

how big is ur i/c core?? is there room in between the i/c & the condenser to add an 8" fan as a pusher on the front side??

[vbgambini]

BMPC intercooler. I believe there is some room.

[dr.klawn]

so it's a big core?? prob the same prob as what i have, it's blocking the flow of air into the front of the car.... even with the vents cut in the bumper, i still need a smaller i/c so it's not blocking as much

[slidewaysS15R]

i dont know why anybody hasnt suggested it run a v type i/c

(dont know how to quote but to the guy that said run a vented hood that can be very very good but if you have any decent speed 120mph and over it will create a reverse flow the air will be flowing through the rad and through the scoop or vent causing the heat to say inside the engine bay causing even more problems but also if done correctly it can be beneficial )

-food for thought

[dr.klawn]

i dont know why anybody hasnt suggested it run a v type i/c

(dont know how to quote but to the guy that said run a vented hood that can be very very good but if you have any decent speed 120mph and over it will create a reverse flow the air will be flowing through the rad and through the scoop or vent causing the heat to say inside the engine bay causing even more problems but also if done correctly it can be beneficial )

-food for thought
or spend a whole lot less $$$ and buy a small i/c & retain ur piping & increase the flow thru the front end....

[vbgambini]

last resort is venting the hood. but I like my OEM hood haha. Just trying to see what else can be done. Didn't think of a smaller I/C. Any ideas which one? Will that really help? Its still the fact of overheating even city driving. theres gotta be a solution.

[vbgambini]

you think getting the jdm front bumper will help in anyway?

[twentyfour]

I have the same problem too... but than my twentyfour is still running the stock KA. what I found out was it wasn't getting enough air flow threw the condenser. so I pulled out the radiator and spray down my condenser from the back side to wash all the bugs and whatever crap that was on the front of the condenser, from the many years it been driven. it semed to help me with the problem.