IS IT TOO HOT TO DRIVE MY 308??

I LIVE IN THE HADES KNOWN AS HOUSTON, TX. DROVE MY EURO '76 GTB, WHICH I GOT LAST SEPTEMBER (PROBABLY NOT AS HOT?). DROVE ABOUT 10 MILES, THE FIRST 3, REALLY EASY. CAR RAN ABOUT 70° WHICH IS ITS USUAL OPERATING TEMP. A/C COLD AND RUNNING. AT ABOUT 7 MILES, AND WORKING HER PRETTY HARD, THE TEMP ROSE TO 105°. SHUT DOWN THE AC AND REIGNED IN MY ENTHUSIASM. TOOK IT EASY GOIN' HOME AND THE TEMP DECREASED SOME TO 100°. AT HOME I TURNED THE AC ON MOMENTARILY TO VERIFY THAT THE FANS WERE WORKING, AND BOTH WERE.

THE FANS WERE RECENTLY WORKED ON TO CORRECT A SHORT, BUT, AS NOTED, THEY WORK FINE. I HAD THIS PROBLEM ABOUT 1 WEEK AGO AND ADDED COOLANT TO WHERE IT WAS ABOUT 1-2" BELOW THE NECK OF THE OVERFLOW TANK. TODAY, AS I PULLED INTO THE GARAGE, I SAW THAT IT WAS SPEWING COOLANT OUT OF THE OVERFLOW HOSE.

TOO HOT TO DRIVE THIS CAR RIGHT NOW? OR, DO I HAVE A COOLING PROBLEM THAT NEEDS A DX?

THANX STEVE

 

I live in Scottsdale. I park mine from late May to September. It's too hot to run without the AC and be comfortable, and with the AC on, the car tends to run hot.

 

If your cooling system is functioning properly it’s not too hot to drive with or without the AC.
I live in Texas as well.

 

After adding an aluminum radiator, auxiliary fans, and a 328 water pump impeller, my '83 308QV never ran hotter than 180 F in 105 F Dallas summers.

 

Does your cooling system need a bleed?

 

I need to check mine, but I believe filling it to 1 inch below the neck on the overflow tank is too high, and you will naturally get blow off out the vent tube.

 

Look at your owners manual and it will give you the proper coolant level for your expansion tank. About half full is correct from what I remember. If you over fill the tank, it will overflow when hot. I also have a Euro 76 308 and never have an overheating problem. Mine runs 85, 185F, all day long, 105, 221F is a little high. Your fans should be kicking on at 90C, 194F. have you verified that this is happening? If not, your fan switch could be to blame.

 

How do you know that? If you’re going by the gauge, then I have no confidence in the temp. I use the EFI to get temps.
I have an aluminum radiator and Spal fans. I never see temps over 85c with AC on. The factory gauge may indicate otherwise.

 

Btw- I didn’t see high temps with the stock radiator and fans either.

 

WOW! thanx everyone. Here are a few things that will move the conversation along. I mentioned the refill and expected puking of XS coolant, as a matter of completeness. Water cooled combustion engines will seek their own correct coolant levels...as long as there's an XS to waste. (I suspected that the amount of coolant I added was in XS) The car had a coolant flush done by a well respected shop, about 18 months ago, and driven often by me w/o concerns, since my purchase, about one year ago. So, I don't think there's an air pocket in need of bleeding off.

I am chagrined that I'd report my problem w/o the IR temp verification. #@$^&^&$#$ I know better, and have checked temps on other cars hundreds of times....not sure what I was thinking (or not thinking)!

@ferrariowner can you post, or send a PM with the Spal Fan model and vendor, or even just the model number? Can they be changed w/o removing the radiator? thanx again everyone
steve

 

OH YEAH! WHERE DO YOU TAKE THE IR TEMP READINGS FROM? thanx again, s

 

30100320 Spal 10" fans. 12" will fit but seem unnecessary.
Make sure an use the correct water/antifreeze mixture and not straight antifreeze.

BTW-I use the spare light on the euro gauge cluster to alert me as to when the fans turn on due to hi temp. My fans turn on at 85c. I have found the aluminum radiator is very good at dissipating heat quickly. Last summer in Dallas, the 2nd fan (hi temp fan) never came on as long as the AC was running one fan.
Good luck.

 

After the mods were done, Norwood Performance compared the gauge reading to the actual coolant temperature. The gauge was off no more than 5F either way.

 

Turn on your headlights and see if the gauge moves.
I have found the gauge moves a lot with little temp change. Its non-linear. The factory gauge does not use a regulated reference voltage, so the accuracy varies.
I have seen my gauge read 115 and the EFI reads 82c. I have seen the gauge read 90 and the EFI read 82c.

 

I did. 220F + in 100F + weather before the mods were done.

My 308 was sold 9 years ago.

 

The first thing I need to do is to shoot some IR temps, that's for certain. If the gauge is non linear, how are you supposed to interpret the hash marks between the numerals?? Best place to take temps? upper rad hose? upper portion of the rad? thanx again. s

 

Best place to get the IR readings is under the air box at the cross over pipe. That's where water temp sensor is located.

 

@Modenalmv thanx. steve

 

Please check the thermal digital temperature of the carburettors.
There is the very important black insulate block at base that must be good or carb gets too hot

 

those are the phenol blocks. yes? thanx s

 

Steve,

As you found, puking coolant is not a problem if the reservoir had been filled to within 1-2 inches. In my case with my '77 GTB, I can't run coolant any higher than 4 Inches below the neck.

It appears you have proven the fans work when the A/C is turned on but that doesn't confirm they come on when the engine reaches excess temp. Check for proper operation of the coolant temp control for the fans. If you only drive with the A/C on (Houston - I get it) then this is of less relevance to your situation.

Andy

 

Thanx Andy, is there some way to check this parameter?

 

Do a quick air bleed of the system, from the bleeder on the t-stat housing and on the upper corner of the rad.

Next just for fun..replace the expansion tank cap. These can fail and not hold enough pressure. I think 16lbs is the cap pressure of I remember right..

 

thanx. do you bleed it with the system warmed up? running, I assume.
I can swap caps, too I had AR 2000 GTV that had a bad cap. thanx again. steve

 

Have you verified that the fans are turning on once it reaches 85-90C?

with the AC turned off.