Overheating - Help
Discussion
Ive been driving my SE with no problems but recently the temp gauge has been going high into the red and setting off the dash warning light.Pulling the car over there are no coolant leaks,so sighn of steam,fans are working,and the coolant is at its normal level.When I drive away again after a mile or so the temp gauge goes back to normal or even slightly cooler its now happened a few times and its worrying. A suggestion was that I might have a air lock in the system but the coolant system has not been touched for months. Could it be a faulty themostat or temp sender unit. Anyone out there had a similar problem or can point me in the right direction.
Colin
Colin
Hi,
Be certain that you do not have a bunch of leaves or other debris blocking airflow to the radiator.
These cars are extremely sensitive to even the slightest blockage. My Esprit was running noticeably warmer on the gauge last week, I found that just two small leaves had worked their way around the mesh guard and lodged flat against the radiator. I managed to skewer them onto the end of a bit of coat hanger wire and extract them and the temp gauge instantly returned to normal.
Another problem can be that debris, sand, mud etc. can work it's way between the cooling vanes over time. When this happens, you need to backflush them through the radiator vanes from the rear using higher pressure water (a garden hose with high pressure setting on the nozzle will usually work just fine).
If you have never done this, or not done it for some time, I suspect this is your problem Happy Motoring! ...Jim'85TE
Be certain that you do not have a bunch of leaves or other debris blocking airflow to the radiator.
These cars are extremely sensitive to even the slightest blockage. My Esprit was running noticeably warmer on the gauge last week, I found that just two small leaves had worked their way around the mesh guard and lodged flat against the radiator. I managed to skewer them onto the end of a bit of coat hanger wire and extract them and the temp gauge instantly returned to normal.
Another problem can be that debris, sand, mud etc. can work it's way between the cooling vanes over time. When this happens, you need to backflush them through the radiator vanes from the rear using higher pressure water (a garden hose with high pressure setting on the nozzle will usually work just fine).
If you have never done this, or not done it for some time, I suspect this is your problem Happy Motoring! ...Jim'85TE
Describe how it goes hot on you. Does it slowly creep up after you idle or go slow a while, or does it just jump up quickly while driving along? It sort of sounds like a thermostat issue, and I have heard to only use Genuine Lotus thermostats because of the location of the bypass hole. I think Jim knows of another suitable substitute, and I believe the gasket is the same as a SB Chevy.
I highly recommend flushing out the radiator fins. I got under mine with a garden nozzle and a air compressor sprayer attachment and blasted out a lot of dirt. Completely cured my overheating issue, and I was ready to pull the radiator and get it recored and upgrade to Spal's. Before, it would overheat in hot weather with the AC on at speeds below about 40-50MPH. at 70, no problem. Idleing with the AC off, fans on it would still hit 100C. Now I can idle with the AC on and it doesn't get over 90C. Don't get much cold AC, but "they all do that."
I think that if I put a small pusher fan in front of the AC condensor, it would help the in-traffic AC greatly.
Dr.Hess
I highly recommend flushing out the radiator fins. I got under mine with a garden nozzle and a air compressor sprayer attachment and blasted out a lot of dirt. Completely cured my overheating issue, and I was ready to pull the radiator and get it recored and upgrade to Spal's. Before, it would overheat in hot weather with the AC on at speeds below about 40-50MPH. at 70, no problem. Idleing with the AC off, fans on it would still hit 100C. Now I can idle with the AC on and it doesn't get over 90C. Don't get much cold AC, but "they all do that."
I think that if I put a small pusher fan in front of the AC condensor, it would help the in-traffic AC greatly.
Dr.Hess
Gassing Station | Esprit | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff