Issues up the yinyang

SikBro631 · Jan 8, 2011

OK so to start it off, I have an 88 xj pioneer with renix engine. If I drive on the street normal my temp stays fine until I go off roading or up a hill and basicly put strain on the engine then it overheats. I have a 160 thermostat in and I never have good heat but as soon as it starts overheating and gets to 210 I have greaaaaat heat for a little while until it gets before the red and then no heat at all. I was told to run the electric fan constantly and still overheats. BHG? It has a new water pump as well and a new radiator. Next problem, sometimes on startup it cranks for 2 seconds then chokes then keeps cranking and starts, beats me. Next, what the hell can I do to make my windows roll up at a normal speed? my rear windows go up an inch every 5 seconds, and fronts are about a second faster lol. My buddys 90 xj goes up like everyone elses 96 & up xj's so I know this isnt normal. Next, power door lock unit only works the front pass door. The rest are stiff and need to be locked/unlocked by hand, actuator? grease it up? Any input before I drive this thing to the scrap yard would be appreciated, thanks.

joe_peters · Jan 9, 2011

1. Running a exceptionally cold thermostat does NOTHING good for your XJ. First, it extends the warm up period wasting fuel and building up carbon. Second, all the excess fuel that is washed down into the crankcase contaminates the oil and reduces its effectiveness. All you are accomplishing by running a super-cold thermostat is DELAYING the inevitable. Eventually the system will heat up to whatever temperature your cooling system components will allow. Are you still running the closed system? Couple of common causes for overheating are lack of pressure--the pressure bottle and cap are problematic on the closed system. Try using a Stant 10244 cap on the pressure bottle, it will seal, has a lower profile so the hood doesn't impact it, and has a higher pressure rating so the boiling point of your coolant gets raised. The fan clutch is another big issue, when they start to fail they can exhibit a spectrum of symptoms from freezing up to hardly turning when hot or cold. The lower radiator hoses OEM had springs in them to prevent collapsing--most aftermarket hoses don't have this. I recommend using the "ribbed" universal hose for the lower hose position--those WON"T collapse even if a building falls on them. A leaking head gasket and loose timing chain can also contribute to engine overheating. Back to the pressure bottle--all of those little hoses--one is a bypass return for when the coolant control valve is closed--if that clogs, and it will, it will cause an overheat.

2. The issue with starting is likely the battery, cables, or starter-solenoid. Fully charge the battery and have it load tested--preferably when it is cold. Clean the main cables, both ends of each of them. Do a voltage drop test on the cables. If all that checks out then have the starter-solenoid tested.

3. Clean and lubricate all of the door lock mechanisms. Clean and use some dielectric grease on all of the electrical contacts.

4. Shoot a little silicone spray in the window channels.

yossarian19 · Jan 9, 2011

joe_peters said:
1. Running a exceptionally cold thermostat does NOTHING good for your XJ. First, it extends the warm up period wasting fuel and building up carbon. Second, all the excess fuel that is washed down into the crankcase contaminates the oil and reduces its effectiveness. All you are accomplishing by running a super-cold thermostat is DELAYING the inevitable. Eventually the system will heat up to whatever temperature your cooling system components will allow. Are you still running the closed system? Couple of common causes for overheating are lack of pressure--the pressure bottle and cap are problematic on the closed system. Try using a Stant 10244 cap on the pressure bottle, it will seal, has a lower profile so the hood doesn't impact it, and has a higher pressure rating so the boiling point of your coolant gets raised. The fan clutch is another big issue, when they start to fail they can exhibit a spectrum of symptoms from freezing up to hardly turning when hot or cold. The lower radiator hoses OEM had springs in them to prevent collapsing--most aftermarket hoses don't have this. I recommend using the "ribbed" universal hose for the lower hose position--those WON"T collapse even if a building falls on them. A leaking head gasket and loose timing chain can also contribute to engine overheating. Back to the pressure bottle--all of those little hoses--one is a bypass return for when the coolant control valve is closed--if that clogs, and it will, it will cause an overheat.

2. The issue with starting is likely the battery, cables, or starter-solenoid. Fully charge the battery and have it load tested--preferably when it is cold. Clean the main cables, both ends of each of them. Do a voltage drop test on the cables. If all that checks out then have the starter-solenoid tested.

3. Clean and lubricate all of the door lock mechanisms. Clean and use some dielectric grease on all of the electrical contacts.

4. Shoot a little silicone spray in the window channels.

What he said.

SikBro631 · Jan 10, 2011

well today I've installed a 195 thermo and that bottle cap and I had heat and everything was fine...untill I went in the woods again and going up hill, overheat...and the dumbest thing I can do, I did...went alone and being I lost all antifreeze I still drove it home (8 blocks away) on the way it gradually started ticking and some knocking and running on 5 cyl then clearing up...I'm convinced, BHG. Im going to start it up again in the am and see if it still knocks and ticks, if not then i'll go ahead and replace my head gasket..im sure the head is warped as well...should I use a regular $30 felpro HG or a Victor Reinz MLS HG? along with arp head bolts?

joe_peters · Jan 10, 2011

www.headbolts.com

Fel-Pro or VR are both good.

Issues up the yinyang

SikBro631

NAXJA Forum User

joe_peters

NAXJA Forum User

yossarian19

NAXJA Forum User

SikBro631

NAXJA Forum User

joe_peters

NAXJA Forum User

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