Running too cold!!
Discussion
Even in the height of summer, our Griff is running cold. (It doesn't use oil or water though - which is a bonus after the way it was...)
On the way to the Growl we were seeing temperatures of 75C on the gauge. (I presume this is really 78C, as IIRC this is what the stat is...)
On the way home, the same story. We were stood/crawling in heavy traffic a couple of times, about half an hour each, and the gauge struggled its way up to 100C while we stewed in the sun.
The fans cut in at about 85C on the gauge (I thought this should be 90C, but if the gauge is 3C or so wrong, then I'm OK with this)
Steve Heath suggested blocking off part of the rad in the winter to prevent overheating, but I'm not keen to do this long term, as it was overcooling on a steady run on a hot day - I'd be worried about it overheating in traffic if I did this.
It's not exactly a common Griff problem, so are there any solutions please?
My current thoughts are that I should insulate the manifolds with exhaust wrap to stop them making everything under the bonnet really hot, and fit an 88C stat. Has anyone "suffered" from these problems before.
On the way to the Growl we were seeing temperatures of 75C on the gauge. (I presume this is really 78C, as IIRC this is what the stat is...)
On the way home, the same story. We were stood/crawling in heavy traffic a couple of times, about half an hour each, and the gauge struggled its way up to 100C while we stewed in the sun.
The fans cut in at about 85C on the gauge (I thought this should be 90C, but if the gauge is 3C or so wrong, then I'm OK with this)
Steve Heath suggested blocking off part of the rad in the winter to prevent overheating, but I'm not keen to do this long term, as it was overcooling on a steady run on a hot day - I'd be worried about it overheating in traffic if I did this.
It's not exactly a common Griff problem, so are there any solutions please?
My current thoughts are that I should insulate the manifolds with exhaust wrap to stop them making everything under the bonnet really hot, and fit an 88C stat. Has anyone "suffered" from these problems before.
All sounds fine to me, 75 degrees on the move is what it should be (most Griffs run way too warm). I would check the temp on the ECU though just to make sure because these gauges ...
V8Dev fitted me with a 75 degrees stat, which results in 75 degrees on the move and 90 degrees max. They also told me that 90 degrees is the absolute maximum, even on track days! (above that level, back off the throttle and let it cool down or stop)
V8Dev fitted me with a 75 degrees stat, which results in 75 degrees on the move and 90 degrees max. They also told me that 90 degrees is the absolute maximum, even on track days! (above that level, back off the throttle and let it cool down or stop)
Coooo! not a usual griff problem!
90 is optimum engine temp (see any normal car BMW/FORD/VW etc) but the borderline qualities of the Grif cooling system mean that to protect from over temp (100+) many put in cooler thermostats etc to keep the car at a lower 80 degrees. causes no probs to the engine and gives a badly needed 10 degree buffer for the cooling system prior to the uncontrollable 100+
I did this for 3yrs, in my 500 ran at 80.
Gauge readouts vary wildly but your seems fairly steady and normal, it may just be that the previous owner did some work like this to keep it sensible.
It may also be that the thermostat has stuck open, so the engine cools from the off, keeping temp low.
easy to check. from cold, start the car. from the front the RH swan neck should stay cold untill engine reaches 85 (or 75) degrees, it will then get F'in' 'ot all at once as the stat opens.
ofcourse if your car has a supadupa ally rad, the cooling capacity has been massively increased, so you can run you narmal 85 degree stat in perfect safety, have a supa hot heater and a supa temp engine.
90 is optimum engine temp (see any normal car BMW/FORD/VW etc) but the borderline qualities of the Grif cooling system mean that to protect from over temp (100+) many put in cooler thermostats etc to keep the car at a lower 80 degrees. causes no probs to the engine and gives a badly needed 10 degree buffer for the cooling system prior to the uncontrollable 100+
I did this for 3yrs, in my 500 ran at 80.
Gauge readouts vary wildly but your seems fairly steady and normal, it may just be that the previous owner did some work like this to keep it sensible.
It may also be that the thermostat has stuck open, so the engine cools from the off, keeping temp low.
easy to check. from cold, start the car. from the front the RH swan neck should stay cold untill engine reaches 85 (or 75) degrees, it will then get F'in' 'ot all at once as the stat opens.
ofcourse if your car has a supadupa ally rad, the cooling capacity has been massively increased, so you can run you narmal 85 degree stat in perfect safety, have a supa hot heater and a supa temp engine.
Lots of problems can lead to overheating, but there are very few that will cause overcooling. Basically, if the gauge is accurate then running cold indicates that the stat isn't closing properly. This is a common failure mode of wax stats. They often fail partly open so you get too much cooling in cold weather or cruising at light load, and not enough when the engine is working hard. Stats are cheap and easy to replace so well worth replacing if you are in any doubt.
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