At what point on the temperature gauge is it worth starting to worry about overheating?



Mine runs about 1/3 up during city driving, and light highway driving, but as it's getting warmer out (today is close to 90) it spends it's time about halfway up on the highway. As I understand it, this is getting uncomfortably close to meltdown, so I've been opening the heater up a bit to drop the temperatures (I run with the windows & sunroof open, so I don't even notice).



Am I justified in worrying about it being halfway up, or should I look at replacing the thermostat/radiator at some point in the near future?



Also, I removed my (seized) air pump. I blocked off the hole on the air filter. Do I need to worry about the opening on the ACV? Right now it's open.



-=Russ=-

Mine has always been halfway up. Is that bad? I thought it was normal.

I wouldn't worry about 1/2 way up... mine for whatever reason never gets beyond 1/3 no matter how hard I drive it. I take pretty good care of the cooling system, flush once a year and run 80% water, 20% coolant... I have the 1.3 bar Greddy rad cap which I think helps too.

Half way is fine, but I'd start worrying at near 2/3s...Mine runs 1/2 in 95 degree weather...

Half way is normal for an S5 (one that hasn't had the linear temp gauge mod), and one third is normal for an S4. Many S4's run at half way when it gets real hot. By real hot I mean 105+ in Southern California or 110+ in Phoenix and the AC on. S5's usually don't go above half way until imminent danger is upon them.

mine runs barley over cold with the koyo and a mazdaspeed rad. cap

h=235f on an s4 guage, they are accurate.

Wow. Would a Koyo radiator really do that much? My shortblock's S5 and everything else S4, and it runs at 1/3 consistently unless I'm cruisin' on the highway @ like 4,000+ since I have no 5th. At which point, it sometimes gets to half, and if I punch it, it will go a hair above half. If it does that, I glide in neutral, and it goes back down. If I were to just pull off the highway it would cool down immediately too.



I use like 80% coolant 20% water.

you should try to run 80% water 20% coolant it might help you out a little

remember though, if you aren't running your engine cooler than it should it won't run at it's potential. meaning efficentcy as well as power will be slightly compromised

You guys should put in some Water Wetter too. I have been told it will drop your temps by 10 degrees.

Damn so is it not normal for my car to usually go above 2/3 and some times a hair higher. Hmm but it is az.

Nope. At 110+ in Phoenix, with my AC on MAX, and in bumper to bumper, my temperature gauge reads normal.

If your car is consistantly running at 2/3 up even in Phoenix summers or Texas Summers be very careful or you will be tearing your engine down soon.



Happened to me just once. I did not realize I was having a radiator problem, everything was fine. I was in some really hot weather stuck in traffic. Stock gauge reading 2/3 up. I thought I was okay. 2 days later, car in the shop getting oil seals replaced. Apparently it got so hot, never enough to steam or anything like you see when a car is broken down and not even enough to raise the gauge past 2/3, but hot enough to blow the oil seals in the engine. The heat rose throught the block and ruined the EGR valve and some vacuum hoses under the intake manifold. The guys that fixed it said that oil was coming out from between the engine plates. I saw the bad seal and it looked terrible. This did not take more than a day for this to ruin the engine. The engine was very strong before that because it was only 2 months after the original re-build.



Another rebuild and One new radiator later and everything is fine. Reads normal all the time now. The lesson is....you don't have to wait for the gauge to peak at the top for anything to be wrong. It can happen much sooner than that so have your **** checked out and get it in working order. At 2/3 up I thought all was well especially since it was summer time in Texas. Boy was I wrong.

Wow good news, Not. Man that sux just more **** I have to look foward to, and im completely broke. I have no money whats so ever. I really beginning to think how much longer can i afford to have this car before I sell it. I cant fix anything with no money. https://www.nopistons.com/forums/pub..._DIR#>/sad.png https://www.nopistons.com/forums/pub...O_DIR#>/11.gif

I just put in a k2rd radiator and an efan and im still running hot....must be my waterpump?

What are some ways I can cool it down besides The fact I know I need a new radiator.

thermostat!

Cheap fix and easy to do also. Took all of ten minutes to do. https://www.nopistons.com/forums/pub...IR#>/smile.png And put some water wetter in there. It works.

You do have the belly pan, right? And all the plastic work around the overflow bottle?