overheating problem.

[tkoforpresident]

My 93 3.4 is generally fine when it comes to temperatures when cruising on the highway or as long as i'm moving, however, stop at mcdonalds at the drive thru for 5 or 6 minutes and my temp gauge starts to steadily climb close to overheating. I keep waiting to hear my fans come on but i'm pretty sure they never do, or of course i wouldn't be having this problem. So whats the deal here? my fans not working? or do the fans only come on when your driving?

if i ever get stuck in trafic for a while i will be in trouble. Should i invest in a manual turn on switch for my car?

btw, coolant is all new, thermostat is new, etc etc blah blah blah.


let me know what u think.

max

[mrhobbz]

Re: overheating problem.

My 93 3.4 is generally fine when it comes to temperatures when cruising on the highway or as long as i'm moving, however, stop at mcdonalds at the drive thru for 5 or 6 minutes and my temp gauge starts to steadily climb close to overheating. I keep waiting to hear my fans come on but i'm pretty sure they never do, or of course i wouldn't be having this problem. So whats the deal here? my fans not working? or do the fans only come on when your driving?

if i ever get stuck in trafic for a while i will be in trouble. Should i invest in a manual turn on switch for my car?

btw, coolant is all new, thermostat is new, etc etc blah blah blah.


let me know what u think.

max

Check the fan relay?

[Firebirdkid96]

Re: overheating problem.

Have you ever noticed that firebird don't have grilles or anything like that? You sit for a bit and you're temp gauge is going to go up...until 210 at least, thats when you first fan should kick on and it'll hold it at 210...no air moves through the radiator when you're sitting still, that's what really start to cool the car...50 mph of wind through the radiator will do alot more that a 5mph breeze from a fan...

I sat in traffic once for a half hour, I had to turn the car off twice just so it could cool down, that's when I decided to put in a manual fan switch, if I stop moving for longer than a light, I'll turn 'em both on.

[motoservdog]

Re: overheating problem.

just had this happen to my 95 3.4L. i checked the fan, the relay, the fan fuse, engine coolant temp (ECT) sensor. turned out to be the ECT. do the easy ones first. the ECT was a b@#ch to get to. you might luck out and find that it's just a blown fan fuse or busted fan relay. a quick check, when the car reaches the temperature that the fan is supposed to turn on, turn the engine off for 5-10 seconds, then start the car, see if the fan is running. if it's not, check the fan relay, fan fuse and the fan itself. if the fan worked right after starting, check the ECT, might not be reporting the correct temperature to the PCM. hth.

[tkoforpresident]

Re: overheating problem.

just had this happen to my 95 3.4L. i checked the fan, the relay, the fan fuse, engine coolant temp (ECT) sensor. turned out to be the ECT. do the easy ones first. the ECT was a b@#ch to get to. you might luck out and find that it's just a blown fan fuse or busted fan relay. a quick check, when the car reaches the temperature that the fan is supposed to turn on, turn the engine off for 5-10 seconds, then start the car, see if the fan is running. if it's not, check the fan relay, fan fuse and the fan itself. if the fan worked right after starting, check the ECT, might not be reporting the correct temperature to the PCM. hth.

thanks man, both Coolant temp sensors have been replaced within the last few months. I wouldn't suggest doing the hard one unless you have the UIM out like i did.

i will check the fuses and such, where are they all located?

btw, can i let my car sit and idle til it gets to about 220 and then just pop the hood and see if they are on?

if this all fails to work, i would like to do the manual fan switch, can someone give me a how to on a 93 3.4? i know there are other write ups floating about for the other years and such but the wiring is different i believe and i just need to be sure.

thanks

max

[motoservdog]

Re: overheating problem.

the fuses and relays are located in the engine bay, drivers side, you'll see a rectangular box beside the air filter housing. take the cover off and look underneath the cover, it'll tell you which relays and fuses are for the fan, abs etc.. it'll also say which fuse goes to what equipment. pop the fan fuse out and see if it's bad. here's a pic of where mine is:


Goodluck and keep us updated.

[landj]

Re: overheating problem.

I'll flip the ac on for a bit and usually the temp starts dropping. Turning the AC on will signal the PCM to kick the fan on, dropping the temperature when it's idling. Here's the kicker: The condenser is in front of the radiator and heats up, thus the incoming air will be warmer. Because the incoming air is hotter, if it is really hot out, this trick will only make things worse. Keep an eye on the temp gage and see if it works for you. There are also some aftermarket fan thermostats for about $35 (Imperial, or Hayden), but I've yet to try them out.

If it's really hot out, overheating and your sure your cooling system is otherwise working, then the AC should be off and the heater to high heat with the interior fan on high. Not a comfortable situation to be in.

Shutting down the engine is always the safest thing to do.

I'll let you know when I get around to trying an aftermarket temperature controller.

[tkoforpresident]

Re: overheating problem.

I'll flip the ac on for a bit and usually the temp starts dropping. Turning the AC on will signal the PCM to kick the fan on, dropping the temperature when it's idling. Here's the kicker: The condenser is in front of the radiator and heats up, thus the incoming air will be warmer. Because the incoming air is hotter, if it is really hot out, this trick will only make things worse. Keep an eye on the temp gage and see if it works for you. There are also some aftermarket fan thermostats for about $35 (Imperial, or Hayden), but I've yet to try them out.

If it's really hot out, overheating and your sure your cooling system is otherwise working, then the AC should be off and the heater to high heat with the interior fan on high. Not a comfortable situation to be in.

Shutting down the engine is always the safest thing to do.

I'll let you know when I get around to trying an aftermarket temperature controller.

thanks, i'll check the fuses first and foremost. The prob with my a.c. is that well, it doesn't work. It never really worked and it just blew semi warm air, however will that still help by turning on the fans? and btw usually i cruise with my heater on full blast even when it's hot outside, i just make sure to put the windows down. i'll check the fuse and the wiring and make sure the coolant is up to snuff.

still lookin for that write up for a 93 manual fan switch.

thanks

max

[zpwn06]

Re: overheating problem.

If it's really hot out, overheating and your sure your cooling system is otherwise working, then the AC should be off and the heater to high heat with the interior fan on high. Not a comfortable situation to be in.

I do that all the time!not really because its overheating or anything, I just like to make the temp gauge move. My friends think I'm weird.

[Firebirdkid96]

Re: overheating problem.

I do that all the time!not really because its overheating or anything, I just like to make the temp gauge move. My friends think I'm weird.

You ever heard that term "it's better to let others think you're weird than to remove all doubt".....................

Lol j/k you're cool....but why on earth do you want your temp gauge to move

[tkoforpresident]

Re: overheating problem.

You ever heard that term "it's better to let others think you're weird than to remove all doubt".....................

Lol j/k you're cool....but why on earth do you want your temp gauge to move

he wants to make sure it's still working hahhaha

[Firebirdkid96]

Re: overheating problem.

he wants to make sure it's still working hahhaha

[tkoforpresident]

Re: overheating problem.

anyhow, i tried turning my a/c on while idling in the car and that didn't do jack, so i'm wondering if my fans just never come on at all? if i am correct they should come on when the a/c is on right?

[HeadyFirebird'00]

Re: overheating problem.

anyhow, i tried turning my a/c on while idling in the car and that didn't do jack, so i'm wondering if my fans just never come on at all? if i am correct they should come on when the a/c is on right?

not everytime right away

[nascar24jd]

Re: overheating problem.

My 3.4L only has 1 fan. I believe that yours is the same.

The moment I turn on my A/C the fan turns on. However, if your a/c is not working properly maybe that is why it is not kicking the fan on.

If I let my car idle and get hot, the fan automatically kicks on when the temp reaches 220 degrees.

Will your car pass 220 degrees without the fan turning on?

This is why I installed the SLP fan switch. Pull into a drive through or stuck in traffic, flip the switch. My temp rarely rises above 180 degrees, even in the hot Miami sun. I highly recommend the fan switch.

I would check the fuses, fan relay, wiring, etc. Might be a bad temp sensor for the fan circuit.

Why do you cruise with the heat on when it is hot outside?