elevated temperature

mstar218 · 06-14-2008, 10:25 PM

Hi Ya'll,
another issue in my ongoing Alero (2001, 2.4l) drama started yesterday and continued today.
The temp gauge needle has been sitting on or slightly above the center line for most of the time while I was driving - usually it is underneath and not touching the center line.
Only after driving on the highway for a while it came down a little, but not as much as usual and as soon as I got back in city traffic it went right back up to the center line.
The outside temperature during the day was around 80F, so that shouldn't be too bad, should it?
After I got home I checked the anti freeze and nothing seems to be missing.

Do other 2.4l's do the same thing?

I know the Alero temp gauges are not accurate, so I'm wondering if there is a way to hook something up that tells me exactly what's going on with the temperature while I'm driving around.

Any thoughts why mine seems to run a little fever?

Thanks

01silveralero · 06-14-2008, 10:41 PM

the middle line is 220F thats perfectly fine......they all run right below or at the line even with a lower thermostat. the lowest my silver alero used to run was the 1/4 line which is about 160F and that was warmed up im still puzzled to this day how that happened though.

mstar218 · 06-15-2008, 12:57 AM

do you think it's worth to replace the temp sensor to see if that will improve things?

another question I have is, how would I go about hooking another temp gauge up? do I just add the wires to the ones that come from the temp sensor and bring them in that way and have two gauges running at the same time or is there more involved?

Vinalero · 06-15-2008, 12:26 PM

My 2.4 runs just a tiny bit under middle lane on highway, and it runs sometimes middle way btw the middle and 3/4 lane in city traffic before the fan kicks. I've red on here that its normal for a 2.4.

I even have a 180 degree T-stat. However, I'd like the fans to kick before it reach that high (over center line).

cliffordwoeller · 06-15-2008, 12:49 PM

yea mine will run center line most times accasionally it will rise above that and in some extreme driving it will be half way between the half and the 3/4 mark

mstar218 · 06-15-2008, 12:56 PM

Here is my battle plan that I came up with so far:

I think what i'm going to do is disconnect the A/C for a while, so the fans will run without the actual A/C when turned on.

The second step will be installing a second temp gauge, so I know what's going on in there while I'm driving. This issue is scaring the you know what out of me

The third step will be replacing the temp sensor. I want to make sure the temp sensor doesn't have the same issue as the turn signal switch which goes out the door because of temperature issues.

I hope that'll do the trick

Valley olds · 06-15-2008, 02:33 PM

Hey everyone, I saw this cooling problem thing and was wondering if any of you have tried those coolant additives (royal purple Purple Ice, Redline water wetter, etc...). Supposedly they will lower you water temperature by like up to 30 degrees. Do they make any difference at all?

[ion] C2 · 06-15-2008, 02:37 PM

mine is usually around the 1/2

mstar218 · 06-15-2008, 03:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Valley olds

Hey everyone, I saw this cooling problem thing and was wondering if any of you have tried those coolant additives (royal purple Purple Ice, Redline water wetter, etc...). Supposedly they will lower you water temperature by like up to 30 degrees. Do they make any difference at all?

haven't heard of it, I'd be worried how this would get along with Dexcool though, since the orange stuff is pretty sensitive

misslindseysue · 06-15-2008, 03:58 PM

When's the last time ya'll changed your coolant? Have you checked to make sure you don't have a leaky gasket anywhere? Maybe your radiator is all crapped up which is why you aren't getting good cooling. Or low voltage or a fan - or a fan isn't plugged in or isn't working quite right.

alerojack · 06-15-2008, 04:59 PM

sounds like alot of work over nothing really. its not over heating or sound like its even coming close. no need to go out and start buying gauges and additives for a SLIGHT increase in temp. during the SUMMER heat. just my opinion though. lol

mstar218 · 06-15-2008, 05:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by misslindseysue

When's the last time ya'll changed your coolant? Have you checked to make sure you don't have a leaky gasket anywhere? Maybe your radiator is all crapped up which is why you aren't getting good cooling. Or low voltage or a fan - or a fan isn't plugged in or isn't working quite right.

last coolant change was a little more than a year ago.
I'm not losing any coolant (from what I can see) so I think the gaskets are ok.

I still don't understand why Aleros - compared to most other cars - have radiator access for air only on the bottom

Valley olds · 06-15-2008, 05:21 PM

mstar218: I dont know if this applies to aleros, but my friend has a trans am, and told me the black plastic spoiler under the car in front gets more air to the radiator while you are running. So really the Alero doesnt just get air to the radiator through the holes in the bumper. It gets air to the radiator with the spoiler as well.

mstar218 · 06-15-2008, 07:57 PM

ValleyOlds, thanks for the reply. Are you sure about the black spoilers? I can see the purpose of the white one underneath the radiator, because it directs the air up, but the black ones are almost behind it.

I was sitting in a restaurant earlier and could see the front of a lot of different cars. Some of them had a grill pretty much the size of their entire radiator; others had two air access points (one like the Alero on the bottom and another one between the headlights, which makes sense since the hottest point should be the top of the radiator); but none had the radiator as hidden as our Aleros.

Valley olds · 06-15-2008, 09:51 PM

Well, I dont know if you have seen any trans ams, but those have very little grills. Really where it gets most of its air is through that spoiler. I belive that that's the purpose of the Aleros spoiler as well. Also, I just checked my spoiler and it is right underneath the radiator at the front of it. This should get the air that comes underneath the car and take it torwards the radiator.

01silveralero · 06-16-2008, 12:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Valley olds

Hey everyone, I saw this cooling problem thing and was wondering if any of you have tried those coolant additives (royal purple Purple Ice, Redline water wetter, etc...). Supposedly they will lower you water temperature by like up to 30 degrees. Do they make any difference at all?

i tried it didnt really lower it that much........

Alerosaint · 06-16-2008, 07:32 AM

My temp normally sits above the center line...pretty much stays unless im on the highway..i think thats high, but i have had no prob...*knocks on wood*

cliffordwoeller · 06-16-2008, 10:45 AM

i am gonna try to change my thermastat today .... where is it on the 1999 2.4's anyone know ?

mstar218 · 06-16-2008, 12:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cliffordwoeller

i am gonna try to change my thermastat today .... where is it on the 1999 2.4's anyone know ?

it's hidden underneath the exhaust manifold shield

mstar218 · 06-16-2008, 12:39 PM

update:

last night I added a bottle of Chevron Fuel Injection cleaner. In the morning when I headed out the house the temp needle did it's new thing and went straight to the center line.
After around 20 miles (sitting on the center line the whole time) it all the sudden came down to normal and is behaving again ever since.

So ... could it be that my fuel injectors have to be replaced? Can plugged fuel injectors cause the car to run a little fever? I have a little over 100,000 miles now and live in a desert area.