Temperature raises high during short distance drives WHY???

[SexyFirebirdMama]

Yes, I had a question for anyone out there. My car's temperature gauge usually stays about 170. Always has for about two years, since I've had the car. But lately, when I drive short distances for 20 or 30 minutes only sometimes ( ever 4 days or so) the temperature starts to raise up to 215 or 220, just out of the blue. Also, the car doesn't have a coolent leak or any other leak, because I got it checked out and plus nothing is dripping from underneath. So, does any one know the cause of this problem? Is it even a problem to be concerned about. LEt me know. Thanks
Audrey
sexyfirebirdmama@hotmail.com

[Wicked 3800 V6]

Check your coolant level, and your thermostat, and make sure your fans turn on at 220ish (and make a manual fan switch, while your at it, and swap to a 160* thermo). But there's something wrong here ... unless your gauge has gone bad (factory temp gauge is poor quality).
-Rob

[HAZ-Matt]

It's cause it is so hot outside ;)
EDIT: Just checked, and the high today was only 96* here in Austin. Time to put on the sunglasses :cool:

So I assume you've checked the coolant level? My friends '99 had a problem with temperature one time. The thing got hotter than yours. As it turned out, it had magically lost coolant. he didn't have any leaks... Filled it up with water/coolant and never had the problem again.

Like the previous post said, it could be the fans not functioning properly. Or, you might want to make sure the radiator is clean so that it can transfer the heat effectively.

[ May 01, 2002: Message edited by: HAZ-Matt ]</p>

[SexyFirebirdMama]

Yes, I've checked the coolant and the very first time it happened, it was bone dry. I kid you not. So, i filled it up properly and then it was fine. Then i notice the temperature rise and I let the engine cool and checked it again and there was barely any fluid. So of course I filled it again. I then started to check it before I drove anywhere. The temperature only rises once in a while. And it's not the heat, because I drive it to San Antonio and it's fine. I drive it around San Marcos at night and it gets wacked out. It was like my fluids magically left!! I checked it out today, since it happened again last night and there was a good amount of fluid in there. So, I drove it and nothing so far. Give it a few days before the temp. raises again. That's why I think it might just need a new theramostate!
Who knows.

[jrcamaro96]

You could also check your oil and see if the coolent is leaking into there.

JR

[Dojo2000]

<blockquote>quote:</font><hr>You could also check your oil and see if the coolent is leaking into there. <hr></blockquote>

He's right, try doing a search on coolant loss or something like that. It was discussed a while back (why do I find myself saying that lately?) about how in certain circumstances coolant could exscape from the block and mix with the oil.

here's one recent one: http://www.camarov6.com/ubb/ultimate...c&f=1&t=004508

Go to search and put in "oil in coolant", it will bring up what I'm talking about.

Another thing; where have all the old board members gone??? There's sooo many new members and not enough people to answer their questions correctly!!! :( (Hey, I'm not saying all the new members are stupid [img]tongue.gif[/img] )

[img]graemlins/burnout.gif[/img]

[ May 01, 2002: Message edited by: Dojo2000 ]</p>

[RedbirdV6]

Probably need to flush the radiator, old coolant and crud in the coolant will cause a breakdown in its effectivnes. And a manual fan switch wont hurt, and maybe a 180* thermo, 160's seem to cause our cars problems every onnce in a while. Another ? is does your car run hot while at highway speeds or just sitting in slower traffic? In hot weather it isn't out of the ordinary for your car to run 210-220 with stock settings. Your fans will not kick on till 215, and they don't stay on long enough to keep the car cool :D Hope that helps a little. Do a coolant flush and you will see a big difference in temp [img]smile.gif[/img]

[SexyFirebirdMama]

I'll have to try the coolant flush and it runs fine long distances on the highway

[Jack]

Mine did that just before the waterpump went out. It was leaking out of the weep hole in the waterpump. It wouldn't get as hot on the highway because of the airflow to the radiator cooling the little bit of coolant left. Keep a jug of water with you just in case. Hopefully it isn't the waterpump, but that is a lot cheaper than having coolant in the oil. Mine only cost 15o and that was a new GM pump, a rebuilt one installed should be less. Good Luck.

[knowledgefreak]

sounds as if your thermostat is sticking

[black98V6]

on the short drives are you going steady for any amount of time or is it more stop and go.. if on stop and go quick trips it gets hot but on longer highway trips it stays cool I'd put money that it is your fans. But if you are magically loosing coolant and you can't find a drip and can't find water in your oil. I'd say it's your water pump.. see our pumps are designed to leak water out of a little hole on the front when they go out.. (what happens is the bearing goes out and the seal goes out and water leaks)..
so only hot on short trips that are stop and go = check fans

keeps magically loosing water = proably water pump..

[SexyFirebirdMama]

Yes, it gets hot on stop and go short distances, especially when I gun it and take off and speed and then come to a fast stop. But like I said, it only occurs a few nights when I do it.

I've heard to get a 160 and 180 therostat, which one do i get????

audrey
www.fbody.com/members/blue95bird/

[black98V6]

well the lower thermo may lower your operating temps but if you have a real problem this proably won't fix it.. unless you have a sticking thermostat.. personally I'd stay away from the 160.. but when it comes to what temp thermo to get you are going to get lots of opinions.. some based on what seem to valid assumptions but are assumptions.. none the less our cars were ultimately designed for the stock temp thermo 195 but I don't see how going down to a 180 degree thermo could make that much of a difference.. the safest bet if you want to replace your thermo is to go with stock rating.. beyond that you are making your motor operate at a temp that it wasn't designed to run at..

with the thermo argument aside I think it might be your fans.. crank the car DO NOT turn on the AC and let it warm up... see if the fans come on when the interior guage hits 210 .. or there abouts.. if not you have an electrical problem.. if so (the fans do come on) then perhaps it isn't an electrical problem.. now the really bad news.. if you have a short somewhere that is intermittent your problem will be intermittent and that will make your fans work correctly sometimes and other times not work correctly..

edit to fix incomplete thoughts...

[ May 02, 2002: Message edited by: black98V6 ]</p>

[TurboProject]

My car always gets up in temp quickly when it's hot out and in stop and go traffic...even before the turbo. If it's not getting any warmer than 220 or so I'd say that's normal. But go ahead and do the thing that black98v6 was talking about by letting the car heat up and see if the fan comes on. Also check and see if it comes on when you turn on the A/C. It should come on as soon as you switch to MAX. An easy thing to check for a malfunctioning fan would be the fan relay under the engine compartment fuse box. There is only one devoted to the fan since our 3.4's only have one cooling fan. The relay is labled on the inside of the cover of the fuse box in the engine compartment.

[ May 02, 2002: Message edited by: TurboProject ]</p>

[black98V6]

oah damn.. didn't even notice the year of your bird.. yeah well all of what I said still applies except for the fact that fan shouldn't be plural [img]graemlins/dunce.gif[/img] [img]tongue.gif[/img]