How hot should it be?

How hot should it be?

Author
Discussion

Yanayaya

Original Poster:

912 posts

184 months

Wednesday 4th March 2015
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I'm sitting in the Monaro idling away just fine when I could smell like burning, it's very faint but it's there. Temp read out is totally normal, fans going on and off etc but when I open the bonnet to check I c ant touch anything not even the wings every is red hot like you could fry and egg. Is that normal?

This is the temp read out whilst sitting still for about 25mins and I can smell light burning or something along those lines:



This is a new development so I'm not sure what's going on.

KMud

2,924 posts

156 months

Wednesday 4th March 2015
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That's the standard position for the idiot gauge - it only moves from that position when it's already way too hot. I don't know if your burning smell was hot coolant smell, but it's quite possible. Monaro engine bays do seem overly hot which is in-part for emissions, I've just fitted a cooler stat.

Wyld Stallyn

2,056 posts

128 months

Wednesday 4th March 2015
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Guage looks spot on for NFM Normal For Monaro

How's your oil pressure and Level?

But from what I read above Don't drive it! yikes

007 VXR

64,187 posts

187 months

Wednesday 4th March 2015
quotequote all
Wings can get hot on the monaro.

Wyld Stallyn

2,056 posts

128 months

Wednesday 4th March 2015
quotequote all
Y, have you topped up the oil?

A few drips on the header can give off a slight burning smell

SturdyHSV

10,094 posts

167 months

Wednesday 4th March 2015
quotequote all
That's where they all sit. That position represents the entire normal operating range from 180 to about 220*F.

A GM feature right there hehe

If you have an LS2, you can use that VZClusterMod program to change the gauge scaling to actually show you something useful thumbup

Speaking of which, you try that again KMud?

KMud

2,924 posts

156 months

Wednesday 4th March 2015
quotequote all
SturdyHSV said:
That's where they all sit. That position represents the entire normal operating range from 180 to about 220*F.

A GM feature right there hehe

If you have an LS2, you can use that VZClusterMod program to change the gauge scaling to actually show you something useful thumbup

Speaking of which, you try that again KMud?
Nope! Will get to it at some point...

Tattooboy

7,946 posts

178 months

Thursday 5th March 2015
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KMud said:
idiot gauge
Every Monaro needs one ! hehe

MyM8V8

9,457 posts

195 months

Thursday 5th March 2015
quotequote all
007 VXR said:
Wings can get hot on the monaro.
^^^ And all VT-VZ and prior Utes, Commodores, etc. etc. Can't you get hold of an infra red gun to check the temps if you're worried?

WS is right. A bit of oil on a manifold can trick you. But best to check?


Edited by MyM8V8 on Thursday 5th March 08:32

snowwolf

11,503 posts

175 months

Thursday 5th March 2015
quotequote all
Do a check on all your coolant hoses, there are a few places they like to rub, worse one is at the back of the left hand head by the bulkhead, leaks always start of very tiny giving a smell in the cab.

007 VXR

64,187 posts

187 months

Thursday 5th March 2015
quotequote all
Have you checked the coolent in the main and reserve ?

Yanayaya

Original Poster:

912 posts

184 months

Thursday 5th March 2015
quotequote all
Thanks for the info guys, I've never checked the temperature before nor would I until i got that whiff of something burning. As the evening went on the smell got less and less and it could be something as simple as something sticking to splashing onto the exhaust whilst driving that caused it.

That said I'm going to be checking everything once I am home from work, I never realised the wings got as hot as that but given where the manifolds are it's to be expected I guess I just didn't think they got THAT hot ha ha.

I'll give all the hoses a check and the radiator area and also check the oil although I topped that up the other week but it hadn't actually lost that much at all. Her service is next month.

blue666uk

690 posts

124 months

Thursday 5th March 2015
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I had something similar last year and it was none of the above and freaked me right out.

Actually turned out my battery had split and was dripping battery acid on the coolant hoses, and headers which when hot, was burning off. Weirdly, the car was still starting fine and all ancillaries still working ok, so it must have been a very small weep from the battery, but was enough to strip all the paint from the battery tray etc. The smell was actually like a burning plasticky smell, but once I'd (the Royal I, more like Holden Racing!) got the battery out and poured a kettle of warm water over the insides to get rid of the residual battery acid, after a couple of journeys, what was left had burnt off the smell never came back.

So worth checking that if not done so already!

throwyourbike

704 posts

151 months

Thursday 5th March 2015
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I've never noticed the wings being hot to the touch but I can sometimes feel the heat radiating out of the arches after I park up.

blue666uk

690 posts

124 months

Thursday 5th March 2015
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throwyourbike said:
I've never noticed the wings being hot to the touch but I can sometimes feel the heat radiating out of the arches after I park up.
This ^^^^^^
Especially in summer, sitting in a traffic jam with a massive heat haze rising up either side out of the front arches and the fan up front going 10 to the dozen thinking 'is this going to be alright'.......

Rich NI

91 posts

135 months

Thursday 5th March 2015
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Is it not bad for any car to sit for that long.Personally I would have ignition turned off after a few minutes if traffic wasn't moving.

SturdyHSV

10,094 posts

167 months

Thursday 5th March 2015
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Rich NI said:
Is it not bad for any car to sit for that long.Personally I would have ignition turned off after a few minutes if traffic wasn't moving.
I'd imagine the coolant system is designed with the capacity to keep things in check in worse conditions than the UK sees.

If you have an OBD2 reader (or bluetooth dongle and app on your phone etc.) you can look at the engine coolant temperature. Generally it gets up to 110*C, then the fans kick in and get it down to ~100 then go off, then once back at 110 they'll come back on again.

They sold these cars in Australia, I'm sure the low 30s we might see here are probably child's play thumbup

Now, snow and ice on the other hand, I always feel like poor Bruce must be very confused by that hehe