Need help here, a/c works, now I'm overheating... ?
08-27-2008, 11:51 AM
#16
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I was quoted ~$410 for the radiator and 5 hours labor. They have charged me $600 in parts / labor to this point not including the a/c repair and I had assumed I would be getting some of that back, but I'm fighting over that with them now. Not a happy patron to say the least. They said they would discount $100 the cost of the radiator replacement. Whoopie.....
Also, to add to the possible culprit, he mentioned that another thing that is going to come up soon is my alternator. He is only seeing around 13.2V on the system with the a/c off, lights off, stereo off, etc.. and when he starts turning on lights and a/c and stereo it drops to around 12.3. He says there is no drain anywhere and my Optima battery has not failed to start strong even after letting the car sit for over a week or two. Now my limited electronics knowledge tells me that voltage is indirectly proportional to current.. so lower the voltage and increase the current. All this was running through my head this morning so I had the stereo off and the lights off and just the a/c on and it stayed at the first hash line and even under it for part of the drive and even when stopped at a few lights... never got to the 9 o'clock position. But with the additional voltage draw of my stereo (with amplifier) and headlights, the temps start to creep up... This was a very short (15 minute) testing period so I want to put more time in to this theory, but I wondered if you guys think there is anything to it.
This makes me wonder too since every time the shop called me to say "the car is ready" and that they test drove it, it wasn't over heating, but when I would drive it home, sure enough it would, so I took it back again. I always had the faceplate to my stereo out when they had the car so they would never have had the stereo on. So, is there anything to this? Is my alternator not putting out enough voltage? and if not, could that be causing extra heat buildup with my a/c and other systems due to low voltage / high current?
Also, to add to the possible culprit, he mentioned that another thing that is going to come up soon is my alternator. He is only seeing around 13.2V on the system with the a/c off, lights off, stereo off, etc.. and when he starts turning on lights and a/c and stereo it drops to around 12.3. He says there is no drain anywhere and my Optima battery has not failed to start strong even after letting the car sit for over a week or two. Now my limited electronics knowledge tells me that voltage is indirectly proportional to current.. so lower the voltage and increase the current. All this was running through my head this morning so I had the stereo off and the lights off and just the a/c on and it stayed at the first hash line and even under it for part of the drive and even when stopped at a few lights... never got to the 9 o'clock position. But with the additional voltage draw of my stereo (with amplifier) and headlights, the temps start to creep up... This was a very short (15 minute) testing period so I want to put more time in to this theory, but I wondered if you guys think there is anything to it.
This makes me wonder too since every time the shop called me to say "the car is ready" and that they test drove it, it wasn't over heating, but when I would drive it home, sure enough it would, so I took it back again. I always had the faceplate to my stereo out when they had the car so they would never have had the stereo on. So, is there anything to this? Is my alternator not putting out enough voltage? and if not, could that be causing extra heat buildup with my a/c and other systems due to low voltage / high current?
08-27-2008, 02:44 PM
#17
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I was quoted ~$410 for the radiator and 5 hours labor. They have charged me $600 in parts / labor to this point not including the a/c repair and I had assumed I would be getting some of that back, but I'm fighting over that with them now. Not a happy patron to say the least. They said they would discount $100 the cost of the radiator replacement. Whoopie.....
Also, to add to the possible culprit, he mentioned that another thing that is going to come up soon is my alternator. He is only seeing around 13.2V on the system with the a/c off, lights off, stereo off, etc.. and when he starts turning on lights and a/c and stereo it drops to around 12.3. He says there is no drain anywhere and my Optima battery has not failed to start strong even after letting the car sit for over a week or two. Now my limited electronics knowledge tells me that voltage is indirectly proportional to current.. so lower the voltage and increase the current. All this was running through my head this morning so I had the stereo off and the lights off and just the a/c on and it stayed at the first hash line and even under it for part of the drive and even when stopped at a few lights... never got to the 9 o'clock position. But with the additional voltage draw of my stereo (with amplifier) and headlights, the temps start to creep up... This was a very short (15 minute) testing period so I want to put more time in to this theory, but I wondered if you guys think there is anything to it.
This makes me wonder too since every time the shop called me to say "the car is ready" and that they test drove it, it wasn't over heating, but when I would drive it home, sure enough it would, so I took it back again. I always had the faceplate to my stereo out when they had the car so they would never have had the stereo on. So, is there anything to this? Is my alternator not putting out enough voltage? and if not, could that be causing extra heat buildup with my a/c and other systems due to low voltage / high current?
Also, to add to the possible culprit, he mentioned that another thing that is going to come up soon is my alternator. He is only seeing around 13.2V on the system with the a/c off, lights off, stereo off, etc.. and when he starts turning on lights and a/c and stereo it drops to around 12.3. He says there is no drain anywhere and my Optima battery has not failed to start strong even after letting the car sit for over a week or two. Now my limited electronics knowledge tells me that voltage is indirectly proportional to current.. so lower the voltage and increase the current. All this was running through my head this morning so I had the stereo off and the lights off and just the a/c on and it stayed at the first hash line and even under it for part of the drive and even when stopped at a few lights... never got to the 9 o'clock position. But with the additional voltage draw of my stereo (with amplifier) and headlights, the temps start to creep up... This was a very short (15 minute) testing period so I want to put more time in to this theory, but I wondered if you guys think there is anything to it.
This makes me wonder too since every time the shop called me to say "the car is ready" and that they test drove it, it wasn't over heating, but when I would drive it home, sure enough it would, so I took it back again. I always had the faceplate to my stereo out when they had the car so they would never have had the stereo on. So, is there anything to this? Is my alternator not putting out enough voltage? and if not, could that be causing extra heat buildup with my a/c and other systems due to low voltage / high current?
08-27-2008, 05:15 PM
#18
Race Director
Danny,
I had a problem very, very similiar to this. It stayed cool (near lower white line) until you turned on the A/c...right? Replaced a s@#tload of parts...right?? Still gets hot...right??? Mine turned out to be the cooiling fan relay #G-10 (on an '86 at least). Don't know if yours is the same...but it sure sounds like it.
I had a problem very, very similiar to this. It stayed cool (near lower white line) until you turned on the A/c...right? Replaced a s@#tload of parts...right?? Still gets hot...right??? Mine turned out to be the cooiling fan relay #G-10 (on an '86 at least). Don't know if yours is the same...but it sure sounds like it.
08-29-2008, 12:54 AM
#20
Race Director
They were to a certain degree. Whilst idling in park (A/C running) you could pop the bonnet and they would be active. However under driving conditions the heating up would happen...especially in stop and go, and behind vehicles on the I-state. In hind sight they Never stayed on after shutting the auto off, as they do now, on occasion. Maybe the relay wasgoing bad (?), or perhaps deficient to the point of not 100% operable? Either way I switched in a new one and no problems....whatsoever.
08-26-2019, 04:42 AM
#21
Rennlist Member
I just wanted to revive this thread, as I have experienced similar symptoms.
After the Winter storage of my '90 S2, I found my A/C gas had leaked out, so had the system recharged and tested for leaks.
The leaks are another story, however when running the car with the A/C on, sometimes it heats up and runs hot... not into the red, but at most hangs around just under 10-o'clock white mark in city driving
When I drive with the A/C off, as I do mostly due to cooler climate, the engine temp warms up to sit right on the lower 8-o'clock and remains there either at idle, city driving, and hwy, and only climbs up to higher mark if I am back and forth 1st to 2nd or driving in 1st up to 3000rpm, of which once the needle gets close to 10-o'clock, the fan kicks in and rapidly cools the car back down to the lower mark... even after I have switched off the engine. So I am quite happy with that temp operation.
However driving around yesterday in 28degC ambient, lights on (due to Swedish law), A/C on, on the fans switch on very fast, almost instantly once the A/C switch is activated and dial on 18degC. The engine temp though sits just above the 8-o'clock mark on at hwy speeds, and once in the city driving it slowly climbs up towards higher mark... and stays there, just low enough not to engage the faster cooling fan. As a byproduct of the excessive heat, I think it is affecting the DME, making the car jump and bunny hop around at low rpm and low throttle input when the A/C kicks on and off - very annoying.
Since the car cools ok at higher speeds and also no issues with A/C off, I don't think it is a thermostat sensor issue... any other ideas?
After the Winter storage of my '90 S2, I found my A/C gas had leaked out, so had the system recharged and tested for leaks.
The leaks are another story, however when running the car with the A/C on, sometimes it heats up and runs hot... not into the red, but at most hangs around just under 10-o'clock white mark in city driving
When I drive with the A/C off, as I do mostly due to cooler climate, the engine temp warms up to sit right on the lower 8-o'clock and remains there either at idle, city driving, and hwy, and only climbs up to higher mark if I am back and forth 1st to 2nd or driving in 1st up to 3000rpm, of which once the needle gets close to 10-o'clock, the fan kicks in and rapidly cools the car back down to the lower mark... even after I have switched off the engine. So I am quite happy with that temp operation.
However driving around yesterday in 28degC ambient, lights on (due to Swedish law), A/C on, on the fans switch on very fast, almost instantly once the A/C switch is activated and dial on 18degC. The engine temp though sits just above the 8-o'clock mark on at hwy speeds, and once in the city driving it slowly climbs up towards higher mark... and stays there, just low enough not to engage the faster cooling fan. As a byproduct of the excessive heat, I think it is affecting the DME, making the car jump and bunny hop around at low rpm and low throttle input when the A/C kicks on and off - very annoying.
Since the car cools ok at higher speeds and also no issues with A/C off, I don't think it is a thermostat sensor issue... any other ideas?
