Cooling challenge (6 Viewers)

[86aggie]

I replaced my radiator with a Mishimoto aluminum model. Replaced all hoses, even the small L hoses on the t-stat housing. Replaced housing and t-stat, all seals.

After running on the highway at 70-80 for any period and the temp staying between the 2nd and 3rd lines on the gauge, when I get onto a surface road, or if I hit stop and go traffic on the highway, the gauge will ease up, going as far as just past the top white line, but not into the red. Driving around town, regular traffic on surface roads, if its long enough - 20-30 minutes +, the same thing will happen.

What could the issue be?

Also, when the needle gets above the 3rd line, the AC temp begins to warm up, and by the time the gauge reaches the vertical white line, or close to it, the air is no longer cool, at all. Is there an automatic shut down of the AC at a certain water temp?

 

[CaptHamster]

Sounds like your fan clutch may have died, and it is no longer allowing the cooling fan to engage. You should hear a distinct "roar" fan noise when the fan clutch engages...

When cruising down the highway there's enough air flowing through the radiator and condenser for the engine to stay cool AND the A/C to stay cool. When airflow is reduced (like stop and go traffic or slow speed driving) the radiator and condenser are not able to shed heat effectively; this is where the fan is supposed to do fan things, and pull air through the radiator and condenser. If your fan clutch is just freewheeling and not engaging the fan... the fan will never spin hard or fast enough to pull air.

There are tons of topics about this, and I participated in many of them!! I fought bad cooling on my FJ62 for years and I've now got it to a place where I trust it wholeheartedly even in the summer heat. See this thread as an example, specifically where I talk about my experience with different fan clutches and the route I took.

 

[duncanrm]

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