Cooling the 308 GT4 | FerrariChat

Cooling the 308 GT4

Discussion in '308/328' started by stillsman, Aug 9, 2010.

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  1. stillsman

    stillsman Rookie

    May 3, 2010
    11
    Hi guys, On a hot day or warm night, in stop and go traffic, my 1979 308 GT4 will start to overheat. I am not hearing fans kick in. The system has not been serviced in over 25 years.:) Can someone help me with directions to service my cooling system, and check my fans?
    Thanks
    Stillsman
     
  2. BigTex

    BigTex Seven Time F1 World Champ
    Owner Rossa Subscribed

    Dec 6, 2002
    79,406
    Houston, Texas
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    Bubba
    Check your PM I gave you some things to check........brb, lunchtime!
     
  3. 208 GT4

    208 GT4 Formula 3

    Dec 27, 2003
    1,769
    Brighton (UK)
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    Dan
    Things to check:

    1. Has it got enough water?
    2. Has it got a thermostat in it? (not having a thermostat will actually cause it to run hot!)
    3. Do the fans work?
    4. Does the thermostat that switches the fans work?
    5. Is there some other electrical problem relating to the fans - wiring, fuseboard etc.
     
  4. Paul_308

    Paul_308 Formula 3

    Mar 12, 2004
    2,345
    #4 Paul_308, Aug 9, 2010
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
    Locate the thermostatic switch on the radiator and short the two wires together and turn the ignition key to 'Run' without starting the engine. This should give voltage to the relays which should provide high current voltage to the fans.

    In order of importance, things to do to get those fans one, start by replacing the fuses, then replace the relays then use test light to check for voltage at the fans.

    Note: Relays H, windows, and I, horn, are the same type and can be used to swap out the fan relays temporarily.

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  5. BigTex

    BigTex Seven Time F1 World Champ
    Owner Rossa Subscribed

    Dec 6, 2002
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    #5 BigTex, Aug 9, 2010
    Last edited: Aug 9, 2010
    Thanks for the diagraam Paul, most helpful!

    I sent him the same directive in a PM.....the thermoswitch is indeed to place to start, the topping off the coolant is also a good idea!!! LOL!

    I gave him the info on the Lucas fans too, they could both well be shot, at this age....or frozen from disuse.
     
  6. Grahame

    Grahame Formula Junior

    Nov 9, 2005
    520
    Sydney
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    Grahame
    Just curious, but I think I heard that some people actually carry around a bit of wire in case the circuit to the fans dies somewhere (at fuse, relay, whatever) so that they can temporarily directly wire the fans to the battery to get home. Has anyone else heard this? Anyone done this?
     
  7. Brian Harper

    Brian Harper F1 Rookie
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    Feb 17, 2006
    4,078
    San Jose area
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    Brian Harper
    Yup, I used to. Water cooled VWs used that exact same fan sensor and when I had my Sciroccos I had a jumper wire that I carried in the glovebox. I'm sure I carried it because I needed it once, but I'll bet once I started carrying it I never needed it again. In reality you could jam the two female spades together and make the connection if you really had to, but you'd want a bit of tape so they wouldn't short to anything.
     
  8. Grahame

    Grahame Formula Junior

    Nov 9, 2005
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    Sydney
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    Grahame
    Not the same, really, but reminds me of an MGB I had that had a dodgy fuel pump till I fixed it. Every now and again it would just stop ticking. The trick was to bash the floor just above the pump with the knock-off hammer, and then it would start ticking away again for a while - a "get you home if you are lucky" trick!
     
  9. sammyb

    sammyb Formula 3

    Jun 23, 2006
    1,861
    Where wife tells me
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    Sam
    The "turn around and whack the rear floor" (or whack the battery sitting directly above it) trick. I'm familiar! ;)
     
  10. Grahame

    Grahame Formula Junior

    Nov 9, 2005
    520
    Sydney
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    Grahame
    Yep, that's it! :D
     
  11. Steve Magnusson

    Steve Magnusson Two Time F1 World Champ
    Lifetime Rossa

    Jan 11, 2001
    26,932
    30°30'40" N 97°35'41" W (Texas)
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    #11 Steve Magnusson, Aug 10, 2010
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
    Sure -- an easy (and lightweight ;)) approach is to carry some short male-to-male spade jumpers. For example, if you remove the ...113 water fan relays on a 308, and use the jumper to connect the 30 terminal slot in the female relay socket to the 87 terminal slot in the relay socket (simulating a "closed" ...113 relay), the corresponding water fan will run (if the wiring and connections are OK). Since the current to run the fuel pumps (on the CIS models) and water fans is so bloody high, I carry a couple of such male-to-male jumpers in my TR glovebox in case a fuel pump or water fan relay gets toasted, or if the sensor(s) running those relays fail (of course, this only makes sense on a TR AFTER you've fixed the crappy connections at the white connectors of the fuse-relay panel ;)).
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  12. Grahame

    Grahame Formula Junior

    Nov 9, 2005
    520
    Sydney
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    Grahame
    Thanks Steve, I'll definitely make up a couple of these and have them in the glovebox. :)
     

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