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Diagnosis...Thermostat?


rc_cola_j
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Hey all,

 

Pulling a utility trailer or long uphill drives are causing my temperature gauge to creep up pretty high.

 

I drove around with a scan tool hooked up and for the most part I hover between 80°C and 95°C (176°F to 194°F), but whenever I am driving up long hills without my trailer or tow my utility trailer on moderate hills I am regularly spiking at 107° to 110°C (225°F-230°F)

 

It never goes beyond that....usually comes back down slowly, but surely

 

I’m thinking I have either a stuck or sluggish thermostat. Would you agree?

 

 

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Are you still running a clutch fan? Could also be

A bad fan clutch, so the fan isn't coming up to speed. Or just a bunch of crud in rad fins.

Replaced the fan clutch in July, cleaned the fins at the same time. Clutch seems to be working just fine.

 

 

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A bad thermostat would likely stick open or shut completely. But they are cheap to replace so it couldnt hurt. How old is the radiator? Ive seen on r50s several times where the radiatior has become internally plugged/scaled and cant cool properly. Replacement has solved it.

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A bad thermostat would likely stick open or shut completely. But they are cheap to replace so it couldnt hurt. How old is the radiator? Ive seen on r50s several times where the radiatior has become internally plugged/scaled and cant cool properly. Replacement has solved it.

No idea, never thought about the radiator being plugged up. Should I try some of that radiator flush stuff?

 

 

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I wouldn't. I am not sure the particulars on that stuff, but I would be concerned with flushing scale loose and have it plugged something else.

What to do? Summer is approaching.

 

 

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  • 2 weeks later...

you could try disconnecting the upper and lower hoses and see what kind of flow you get thru the rad with a water hose. or pull the rad and take it to a radiator shop and have them check it

Edited by vagabond
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  • 2 weeks later...

I would go the route of having the radiator cleaned and inspected at a qualified radiator shop( we have one across the street from our shop and they charge about 40 bucks to hot tank and pressure check and paint) while the rad is at the shop replace the thermostat, and get a new radiator cap. If the coolant is crummy looking when you drain it I would flush it with a chemical flushing agent a few times then distilled water until it is crystal clear then add the appropriate amount of coolant to get proper freeze protection.

 

On a poor mans budget start with the radiator cap, I would go OEM I have had brand new radiator caps from the big parts stores leave me on the side of the road.

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+1 for thermostat but I’d definitely check that flow out like others have said.

 

My frontier did this but I never found out what the culprit was before I crashed it to oblivion.

 

 

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Edited by onespiritbrain
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Thanks. I live on a small island. Radiator shops are hard to come by.

 

I have developed an oil leak elsewhere, so this issue is on the back burner for the moment. But, agreed, I think checking flow or just flushing really well is the next thing to do.

 

 

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