What is a WOT pull?

Wide Open Throttle

Wide Open Throttle Take-Offs... You know, hot-rodding like the good ole days. Mash the accelerator and GO! Kinda fun, in the right vehicle.

[QUOTE=Brian Carlton]This task is not the most simple of tasks.

The solution is the use of a commercially available condenser cleaner in conjunction with compressed air. Careful use of a pressure washer will also assist in the task, but, extreme care must be used to prevent bending any fins.

You can buy this solution at most plumbing supply shops..... this is what the home repair guys put on your a/c condensors and then charge you 189 dollars for..... it now comes in a non-acid formula...very safe....

costs about 15 dollars a gallon... then you can do your home unit once a year....

Thanks Lee:

Do I still have to pull the rad? I'm tentative to tackle pulling it out...

Brad.

WOT = Wide Open Throttle or Italian Tune-Up.

Burns carbon deposits.

Dr. Brad:

Have been reading this thread today, and thought I might add to the 'diagnostic algorithm'...

Don't think enough attention has been paid to the possibility of a dying water pump. Had a situation very similar to yours a few years back (no, no mountains in New York City, but a few very hot days with nasty stop-and-go traffic). Symptoms: water pump was gradually weakening, with the gradual loss of coolant at the pump's 'weep hole' as others have noted here. But it still worked for a heck of a long time - (months!), with the car driven virtually every day. Assumption?: water flow was at least adequate for most situations. It boiled over once when pressed, fully loaded, on a very hot day. Clearly, your mountain climb is this stressor.

By the way, when healthy, this car never gets to 90 degrees under any driving conditions. Radiator was replaced about ten years ago, but because of a leak, not for overheating. Also, though apocryphal: I think the car runs cooler since I started using full-synthetic oil (many years ago).

On the coolant: Ethylene Glycol is Ethylene Glycol, whether expensive or cheap, and whether USA or German-manufatured... Yes, chemically, there is a coolant-water ratio which is the optimal one for cooling, but this optimization is marginal - it wouldn't account for 20 degree difference in running temp.

Auxiliary Pump: Very important, but mostly to handle the augmented thermal load - which is huge! - produced by the A/C condenser. Its primary purpose is to make this recondensation of the A/C coolant more efficient, thereby lowering the strain on - and increasing lifespan of - the entire A/C system. I am in the process of rebuilding mine myself, saving a several hundred dollar replacement with about $10 in parts. Point is, with the A/C off, the aux fan should not even enter the calculus re engine cooling.

In fact, even with our 100-degree weather these days, with the A/C running, and with the aux fan out of the car while I fix it, the car is still running cool.

Granted, my beast is a diesel, so runs cooler anyway, but still...

Differential Diagnosis: R/O impending H20 pump failure.
The Patient's Care Plan: Normal activity, including daily stress test. Monitor fluid output carefully!

Lou

PS - Have given up my practice so I'll have more time to work on my car!

I just got back home from an errand. It is 97°f outside now and my temperature gauge was on about 115°c in town. It wenr back down to 100°c back on the highway and even a little lower.

I cant' make the call on pulling it out..... it is a leisurely Saturday job...but if you try to do it after working a full day...you may be tired and make a mistake...

drain it, clean it....run it with water around town..... see what happens.

i do discount the clogged exterior fin thing a bit.... but with a 20 year old car
you never know..... the fins on my home condenser get pretty darn dirty in a couple of years... that's why i clean them once a year....

Agreed--- auxiliary fan is critical.... however it doesn't go on until the temp goes over 100 or so.... most likely in an extended in town idle..

zerex and mb coolant are better aluminum protectorants. the best combination is probably water and water wetter... but then you wouldn't have any anti corrosion protection

100-103 degrees today, AC blasting about as high as it will go. Driving in stop and go traffic, and it was up to 90C.

These cars should never run over 100C if the cooling system is in shape.

Heavens. Then I suppose that mine is not in proper working order. It was 97° here today, one of the hottest days we have had this year, so I was interested to see how high the gauge would go today. I did not even have my A/C on and it went to 3/4 way up on the scale. :uhoh: I do not even care anymore... what, with the stalling when the engine heats up and the not knowing when the timing chains were replaced and the worn camshaft, I will just drive it as long as it will go. I have already got my $1000.°° worth out of it. :thinking:

I am guessing that my radiator may be clogged, since someone has been using "GREEN" coolant in the cooling system. :sick:

Don't worry the chains will snap before it overheats!:D

I was on the freeway today and did two WOT for about 3 or 4 seconds each. Ambient temperature was 21 degrees celcius, the temperature guage was at about 90 degrees. The only needle that moved when I did the WOT was the one on the fuel guage.......

I also drove up the hill to pick up my son, then went down the hill and came back up, all within about 15 minutes, and the temperature guage rose to 100 degrees...mind you the aux. fan had kicked in....

So, she's still running hot, but not boiling over yet...we're suppose to hit the high 30s this weekend so we'll see how she hold out. I may pull the rad out this weekend and try to clean it. I'll post a picture and let me know if you think its dirty....

Brad.

Thanks Doc:

I considered the water pump in the differentials, but concluded that since the cooling system appeared to be well hydrated and not losing any fluids, I ruled it out.

However, I will continue to monitor her fluids and report back to you after 48 hours.

Cheers,

Brad.