hot hot hot

[r3dplanet]

Peeps,

 

Now that it's beginning to warm up outside (read: repeated record hot days nearly every day) my '95 Pathfinder doesn't dig the heat.

 

Specifically, when the outside air temperature is 60F (16C) or below everything looks good. The engine (coolant?) temp gauge always reads at about 1/4 from cold. It warms up nicely within a mile or two starting out and the cabin heater works great. The temps never go beyond that even if climbing over steeps hills on the highway.

 

But on warm Spring and especially hot Summer days the gauge shoots right up. Although it never reaches the little danger line at the top of the gauge, it does hover in the upper third, especially on the highway on steep inclines or when stuck in rush hour traffic. If the A/C is on it really adds heat.

 

When rushing downhill on the highway to cooler temps, the gauge falls to about 1/8 from the bottom.

 

It never used to do this until about a year ago, and then I forgot about it over the Winter.

 

The clutch fan seems to operate correctly: in the morning I can spin the fan by hand, when it's hot it's much harder to spin. There's no lateral play and it makes no unusual noise.

 

I did flush the radiator a couple of years back and added a bypass cooler just for the autotragic transmission.

 

Any guidance?

 

Thanks,

Red

 

 

[USPatriot556]

Is the thermostat stuck open? I had this exact thing happen on a 97 corolla. Swapped the thermostat and its GTG. I think what happens is when the air is cooler, the coolant cools better in the radiator. When the thermostat is stuck open and it is hot outside, it just keeps heating all the coolant instead of cycling cooler coolant into the engine while the warmer coolant cools inside the radiator.

 

It is hard to explain, but makes sense to me, haha.

 

Anyway, it is worth trying!

 

Edit: another thing it did was never drop to a low idle, because it didn't get to operating temperature. Does your pathy do that?

Edited April 19, 2016 by USPatriot556

[Rebelord]

Thermostat are quick and easy. Plus you get a chance to re bleed the system. If you want when you refill add in some Water Wetter. Good stuff.

 

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[adamzan]

Try cleaning out the rad fins. Mine were hard packed with mud and I had to take it out to clean it right.

[r3dplanet]

Hmm. Thermostat and fins, you say. I'll go through all of that and report back.

 

Thanks!

 

-Red

[RIPB.88]

Id say check all the above and rebleed your coolant system. You may have an air bubble.

[byob]

The coolant system is very simple. After 35 mph the fan clucth is not that important because the air moving through the fins is faster than the clutch will pull it. Unless the clutch is locked. As the temps rise the radiator is failing to disapate the heat. I would recommend the radiator and t-stat.

[gunslinger]

I have had the same problem untill i added a electric fan and a new fan clutch . But before summer time I will change out the thermostat and flush the radiator.

 

[RF600]

If you clean the radiator fins, do it from inside out. Or should I say clean the opposite way the air goes through the radiator. If using water and a nozzle, don't use a sharp stream. Keep the stream perpendicular to the radiator. If not you will have to straighten out a lot of fins. Not fun.