5VZFE Engine Temp ~100C (OBD). Too hot?

[nobb]

Now that it's gotten warmer, I noticed that my engine temperature is around 95 to 100C (203 F to 212 F) on my V6 5VZFE.

Ambient temperature is <20 C and I am monitoring my temperatures via Ultragauge connected to OBD II. My needle hovers at exactly midway and does not indicate any sort of overheating.

Does that seem a bit high to you guys? What should I check? My coolant is Toyota red and everything looks fine. No leaks, radiator has been cleaned, and my fan appears to be working properly. Im kind of stumped. Ideally I wouldve thought the engine should operate closer to the 85C range.

Thoughts would be great.

 

[nissanh]

Use an IR thermometer to check the temperature. I checked the temperature on top hose at the metal housing (that sticks out from the timing belt cover) with an IR thermometer on both my car and truck and they both register 85 Celsius or so.

IS your fan clutch works fine?

 

[jgue467]

Well it does seem a bit high, are we talking stop/go traffic or med to highway speeds? Mine runs 195 in town or highway.

Make sure your fan clutch is good, there's a thread on here about how to test. Usually you have a good idea if you hear that roar for about 30 secs when starting up, if so its good, if not or weak sounding it may be the cause of the extra heat buildup.

Also of course clean your fins out well. Luck! :banana:

 

[nobb]

Thanks! Ill try that and report back.

These temps are in stop go and highway. Highway might drop 3-5C, but not much.

 

[zgensler31]

That does seem a bit high, how old is the coolant? The radiator?

 

[nobb]

Alright, just checked with IR gauge. Temperature does seem to line up with what OBD is reporting.

Tested my fan clutch too. Cold, there is some resistance. Hot, there appears to be less resistance. That doesn't seem normal, I would have thought that there should be more resistance when hot so that the fan spins faster?

Coolant is clean, maybe 2-3 years old. Radiator looks OEM. Does not appear to be dirty with deposits.

 

[nobb]

Update: Have my fan clutch apart, draining. Waiting for the hobby shop to open this morning then I am going to try 5000cst silicone oil.

The oil did indeed seem to be low, so hopefully topping it up with a slightly higher viscosity fluid will improve my cooling.

In addition to replacing the fluid, I also lubricated the bi-metal strip/valve. I did some testing with my heatgun + IR thermometer to see what the temperature setpoint for the valve is, and here are my findings for future reference:

~50 C: Valve is 50% open
~75-85 C: Valve is 100% open

Would be curious to compare these setpoints with anyone else who has tested their clutch fan.

 

[nobb]

So I put in the 5000 cst oil and also maxed out the temperature setpoint such that the valve engages at a lower temperature. The truck is *maybe* 3-4C cooler, but still the operating temperature seems to hover at 95C which still seems too high.

Thoughts? Should I go straight for a 10,000 cst oil, or do you guys think perhaps the thermostat should be changed? Im concerned with using a high viscosity oil if this might cause an issue in the winter, since it does get down to -40C here.

 

[jgue467]

You sure your radiator cap is holding 16psi? Just a thought, that has caused many a slight to severe overheating on here. For the $8-10 bucks, I'd replace it. Luck!

 

[thor999]

With engine operating and thermo open, squeeze the rad outlet hose, it should be very difficult to actually squeeze... I wonder if you have a blockage in the rad? Also, have you recently replaced the thermo? You may have installed it backwards?

 

[nobb]

FIXED IT! Turns out it was the thermostat installed incorrectly (jiggle valve at 12 oclock). Reinstalled the thermostat with jiggle valve @ 6 o clock and instant 10C drop in operating temperature, back down to 85C.

Thanks for the tips.

 

[hour]

Nice to hear... mine maxes out at 204*F in stop and go, and 213*F romping on the interstate. Highest it ever hit was 217*F after getting off interstate just the other day now that it's warming up outside.

Doing coolant flush and new OEM thermostat & gasket tomorrow, will be sure to do the 6 o clock bit.