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Hi guys... I have a 1995 cavalier 1.7 td. i have noticed that in traffic the temeprature is getting right up to just over the 100 mark, though it has never yet got actually into the red. is this normal? my mate used to have one, and he reckons that his very rarely ever got over about 95. on a run it sits at around 93ish. the cooling fan kicks in at about 100, and then it goes down to about 98. I have checked the oil and water, and both are spotless, there is nothing blocking out air from getting in either. I know my car is nothing special, but it has still got me worried, as i need it for work every day, and inevitably get stuck in traffic. has anyone got any ideas? perhaps i can adjust the fan to kick in at a lower temperature?
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I'd be tempted to flush the cooling system with a proprietary cleaner, replace the thermostat and refill with new coolant and deionised water. Check for any leaks or blockages whilst you're at it. Also check the condition of the front of the rad. You won't be able to adjust the fan cut in temp.
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Probably a radiator with only partial flow through it, can you get to it to feel it all over, often just the top gets hot, and the bottom 2/3-3/4 is blocked up. Once blocked, no amount of flushing will unblock, as the cleaner will just take the easiest route (ie not the 2 foot thib pipe that's blocked.
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In some cases where the rad is partially blocked, back flushing with the garden hose can be effective, similarly try it on the block. Flushing is worth trying first unless you can definately condemn the rad since flushing with a hose costs nothing and RadFlush costs £4 compared to around £100 for a new rad.
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I have just taken it out for a run.... on normal running, regardless of the speed (up to 60 anyway) it is sitting at around 92-93, in traffic it rose to about 95, and when i thacked it a little, hitting 5000 revs in each gear it quickly rose to 100. then i stopped it, and felt right down the rad (ouch) but equally ouch all the way down it. front and rear fans are both kicking in at 101ish, but only cool to about 99-100 then cut out again. no matter how much i tried, i couldnt get it to go any hotter. so it looks to me as though it isnt going to go to the red, am i safe? or does the rad still need sorting?
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Perhaps i should just have the lead weights removed from my right foot?
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Given the new info, i'd say it sounds like your cooling system is working okay, but may be running just a tad hot (else the guage is over reading slightly - they're not especially accurate).
If it was me, I'd flush and refresh especially if the coolant hasn't been replaced in the last 2 years (you should replace it every 2 years).
Sooty is quite right that the more AF you put in the mix the less effective the coolant is at removing heat from the engine (50/50 has half the heat transfer capacity of water alone) - for this reason I would suggest you restrict your mix to 40% AF. If you do all your motoring in the UK you could go down to 30%.
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It may be the temp guage is not spot on. They can vary a little. If the fan kicks in that is good news. It doesn't sound that bad. The system is probably old and has been exposed in the warm summer weather. The £20 solution is radflush cleaner, big flush out. Disconnect as many pipes as you can and back flush with the thermostat out. New thermostat (get the correct temp one)and gasket, plus fresh anti-freeze. If the temp drops a few degrees great. If not, it probably needs a new radiator. But is all is well, tolerate it. Winter is coming.
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Also test that you don't have too much antifreeze in the water, over 50% antifreeze and the thermal capacity of the coolant goes down and it can't carry the heat away efficiently.
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I have only had the car for a couple of months, so i dont know when the coolant was last changed, it is clean, so i was never really fussed. never knew that too much AF could cause probs, and it does look like there is quite a bit in there. thanks for your help guys, have set my mind at ease... if i still have a prob after a flush out, i'll let ya know:-) thanks again. much appreciated.
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