New sending unit and car still gets hot at idle.

thrown_hammer · 06-02-2003, 03:40 AM

Well the sending unit I got from Pelican has the same part# as the one in the car. I replaced it anyway. Seems to take longer but at idle sitting in the garage the car still got up to about 230deg. before I shut it off. Thats with all the fans running. So Sunday I went for a two hour drive at 80-85MPH. With some city driving around 35-45MPH. In town I had the fans on and on the freeway I shut them off. In town I NEVER saw above 210 and on the freeway it sat at 200.

So do I even have a problem or am I just paranoid? If the car is moving it seems okay. It only gets hot when it sits for a long period of time idling. It is a radiator style cooler that would depend on airflow...

IROC · IROC's Garage

I'm in a similar (but different boat) situation with the 3.2 I just installed in my car. My gauge won't hardly move up at all! My car is a Euro car, so the gauge is marked in degrees C, but during a 20 or 30 minute test drive yesterday, the needle barely crept above 50C (in 80-something degree Alabama weather). The engine certainly seems to be warming up, the gauge just doesn't cooperate. My oil pressure seems to be wacky too. I think it's a gauge/sender problem.

In your case, what you're seeing is what I would expect to see for the type of cooler you have. I think you're in good shape.

Mike

masraum · 06-02-2003, 05:07 AM

Shawn, sounds about right to me. Idling my 3.2 will get hot, but as soon as I start to move the temp comes down.

Mike, sounds like you have a sending unit/gauge mismatch. If you have the stock 3.2 sending unit and a gauge with numbers then you will never get a reading. You need to get the sending unit that goes with your gauge.

Rick Lee · Rick Lee's Garage

Shawn, I think you're fine now. 200 is not outrageously hot in warm weather on the hwy. The only time my external fan has EVER come on in my Carrera was while sitting at idle for 30 min., while waiting in line for an emissions inspection - in which case I was happy to have the car that hot

. It's June 2nd and we still haven't had a day of hot weather here. So my Carrera gets between 180-190 on the highway when fully warm.

IROC · IROC's Garage

Quote:

Originally posted by masraum

Mike, sounds like you have a sending unit/gauge mismatch. If you have the stock 3.2 sending unit and a gauge with numbers then you will never get a reading. You need to get the sending unit that goes with your gauge.

Yeah, I already plan to order one. Since the gauge was at least registering *some* movement, I thought it might be OK, but no. I'm going to replace the sender. Thanks.

Mike

thrown_hammer · 06-02-2003, 06:11 AM

It has to sit for a long time to get above 210. And if I am moving it seems fine. I think I am just paranoid. I may in the distant future go for elephant lines.