Where to get those vinyl radiator blockers?

Do they make those vinyl radiator covers you see semi trucks running in the winter for the XJ?

If not, what are some suggestions for ways to block the wind from the radiator. My heater core 'works' but my cabin doesn't get very warm at all on days like today where it's -9F. And my defrosters aren't working at all to remove the frost from the inside of my window.

I need something to get the temperature up in the cabin.

The engine temp is fine. I put a 180F thermostat in there in October and it warms up and operates in a reasonable timeframe. I'd just like it to get even warmer quicker.

I noticed there aren't vents on the passenger side for defrosting either. Any tips for getting the passenger side to not fog over?

The wind into your radiator will have nothing to do with your cabin temperature. The thermostat regulates your engine's temperature and should only allow antifreeze into the radiator when you reach it's trigger temperature. I'm not sure why you are running a 180 degree thermostat, but I'd suggest your run a Mopar thermostat which will run closer to 195. Also, it's possible that your heater core is partially blocked up and could use a good flush or your heater control valve (I don't know what year your XJ is since you don't mention it) is malfunctioning and needs to be replaced.

I run a Mopar thermostat and my temperature quickly runs right to just below 210 the heat on my XJ could run you out of there. It was 15 degrees this morning.

Watch the t-stat temp. Vehicles with cat. converters need the higher temps to keep the cat hot. Seriously, put in the proper Mopar part. 15 degrees doesn't sound like much, but you can feel it. And, being held to only 180 degrees or less, the engine may not get out of cold start mode, meaning that you're not running on the O2 sensor, and you're just wasting gas by running rich, and you'll end up clogging the too-cool cat with a too-rich mixture.

I replaced the thermostat this fall because the old one was hanging up and occasionally sticking open. I just got what was on hand at the auto parts store which was 180. I will try to get the 195F one and put it in when it warms up again. My jeep is a 1999, and I haven't looked into servicing the heater core yet. It does eventually get hot in the cabin IF you're out on the highway driving at higher RPM. But in town creeping along behind all the slow people, it stays cold.

Are jeeps known for being bad about fogging (frosting) over the windshield? My friend's 99 does the same thing.

If you get the proper T-stat and put it in now, you won't have to wait till it gets warm. you'll have more warm NOW! Seriously, one thing a Cherokee has no trouble making is heat. We have four, and none of them could ever be accused of being cold-blooded. Possibly you are not getting proper flow to the core. Feel the hoses. Do they seem warm enough? I used to run a 180 T-stat, but, right here on this forum, I was told it was wrong, and, more importantly, why. It made sense, and damn if it didn't work. A proper Mopar T-stat, the one with the bleeder hole with the check-ball in it, and a new O2 sensor, and went from 15-16 MPG up to 20-23 MPG. Good trade-off, I thought.

As far as the grille covers. I drove diesel vehicles for a long time, and the operation of a diesel as far as making heat is a lot different from a gas engine. A diesel will lose heat sitting at a red light. A properly maintained cooling system on a gas engine will not allow this to happen. With a diesel, the combustion heat is used to make power, and with gas, most heat produced is a by-product, needing to be expelled. The balancing act is keeping more of it when you need it.

Get the new, proper T-stat, and then re-think your idea of covering up the airflow. A gas engine may just end up overheating.

This is a photo of my gauge (not that it means anything.)

It's 8F now and I didn't have any trouble with heat. However, I'm sure there is something to be said for a hotter thermostat. Honestly, every other vehicle I own runs a 165-180 degree thermostat, so I assumed it was par for the course.

Another thing I noticed last night was that my voltage was low, like 11 volts at idle until my jeep warmed up and then back up over 14, so I was thinking of keeping the whole engine bay warmer in order to possibly get the alternator some help.

I won't be changing the thermostat until it gets above freezing outside though. I value my fingers too much

Thanks for clarifying though. In the summer time I'd get up over 210F indicated with what was in there before. It never boiled over though, so I'll just hunt down a 195F one. Both the Chrysler dealers in town went belly up this fall, so I'll probably end up with a craptastic Stant from Napa.

My '96 had a new Stant that I installed when I first got the car in Jan '07. 195*, but while warming up, at about two miles from home, it would spike well past the 210* on the gauge, sit there about 30 seconds, and drop down, all the while making mediocre heat. This past summer I got the proper stat, and it ran cooler through the summer construction zone traffic jam I encountered every day on I-81. Now that it's cold, it actually feels warmer in the car, and the temp never goes up to the 210* mark. The factory stat has the little check ball, which keeps the system bled properly, as the whole system is designed a little wrong, mostly because they stuffed this rather tall engine into a car designed for a squat little V6. The highest point in the system is the T-stat housing, not the radiator cap, which should be the highest. This means the cooling system needs constant purging of the air that magically appears, whether or not you 'burp' it properly when you service it. If and when you get the stat, the check ball is installs at 12 o'clock, making it the highest point in the system, ensuring proper operation.

Ahh, that makes sense. I'll hunt down an OEM one then. My Isuzu I replaced with this Jeep was the same way. The OEM thermostat worked and the Stant ones had problems.

Due to the fact the housing is high, you don't loose too much coolant changing them, so it's not a huge task. Thanks for the heads up on fuel economy. I do indeed get about 15-16mpg right now. I don't have any codes thrown for the o2 sensor at the moment. Is there a way to tell if they've gone bad? I've got 153k miles on the rig. I just bought it last summer though, so I have no idea if they'd been changed in the past.

A softly failing O2 (or any other) sensor typically won't throw a code, because behavior is 'learned' by the Engine Control Unit-ECU, the 'engine computer'. If it fully worked yesterday, and failed today, you'd see a code, but since they slowly 'die', there's no big difference for the ECU to see. And, most O2 sensors have a life span of between 60-100k miles, so yeah, you're due! Do the stat and the O2 sensor (there's a nice thread currently on here) and a good tune-up, and I think you'll be pleasantly surprised by the results. The older XJs had a Maint. Reqd. light that would come on somewhere around 85k, to have the O2 sensor looked at, but I was told by the dealer to ignore it (?). Yeah, they did me a real favor.

I would put my money on the Stant SuperStat Premium 195 thermostat: http://www.stant.com/brochure.cfm?brochure=205&location_id=168

Covers: http://www.alaskatent.com/products/covers/winter_fronts.htm
(Wouldn't you know it, the Alaskans have it figured out!)

Today I figured I was at that now or never point since I'll be using my Jeep to do the annual Tour Iowa Family Christmas driving. It was 25 out so I figured it was warm enough to do this.. I went to Napa and picked up the SuperStat in 195F variety.

The superstat doesn't have any sort of air bleed mechanism on it though, but it shouldnt' be a big problem. I didn't have trouble with the old thermostat in that regard.

Indeed the superstat is a thicker wax capsule than the junky 180F Oreilly Auto one I pulled out. I lucked out that my gasket came off the block nicely and I could just quickly swap in the new t-stat without having to use another gasket and RTV.

Results: Hot air is blowing on me now. I have to dial back on the heat knob because it gets too hot in the cabin now. The Jeep gives my old Volvo a run for the money on cabin heat now. If any of you are reading this and wondering if the 15 degrees is really that much of a difference, it is.

And gas mileage can't really get any worse. I was getting about 17mpg in the summer and am down to 12mpg driving only in the city to and from work and to the stores.

luketrash said:

I went to Napa and picked up the SuperStat in 195F variety. The superstat doesn't have any sort of air bleed mechanism on it though, but it shouldnt' be a big problem. I didn't have trouble with the old thermostat in that regard.

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You can drill a small bleed hole in the top of the thermostat (1/8 I believe) if you are seeing any fluctuation issues with your new stat.

195 degree temp stat is the way to go. Hard to argue with the design engineers here.

The Stant superstat is a good stat. As well is the OEM purchased from Jeep. Stay away from "el-cheapo" stats. You do get what you pay for!

luketrash said:

Do they make those vinyl radiator covers you see semi trucks running in the winter for the XJ?

If not, what are some suggestions for ways to block the wind from the radiator. My heater core 'works' but my cabin doesn't get very warm at all on days like today where it's -9F. And my defrosters aren't working at all to remove the frost from the inside of my window.

I need something to get the temperature up in the cabin.

The engine temp is fine. I put a 180F thermostat in there in October and it warms up and operates in a reasonable timeframe. I'd just like it to get even warmer quicker.

I noticed there aren't vents on the passenger side for defrosting either. Any tips for getting the passenger side to not fog over?

Click to expand...

Up in Canada (my girlfriend grew up there) they put tin Foil on the Radiator during winter.

collkid said:

Up in Canada (my girlfriend grew up there) they put tin Foil on the Radiator during winter.

Click to expand...

It's useful when you come down to the US. You can use it for a hat....