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engine running cool, from hoodspacers?

Ramsey

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Shreveport, LA
well about 15 minutes of highway driving i looked down and noticed the temp was only just a little over a 1/4. i have the hood raised a bit in the back and the inside lip bent down. with the cool weather could this be the culprit, or is it just a faulty gauge?
 
yeah might be. of course my oil pressure wasnt reading for a while yesterday either. i did swap out 01 gauges into my 99. if it keeps it up i will replace the thermostat though
 
Yucca-Man said:
Prepare for the flame-fest. Might I recommend a good Nomex firesuit for you?

Nothing to flame about, if he wants bad gas mileage and increased engine wear, have at it. :D
 
I'm not flaming anyone here. but 160 is too cold for an XJ engine. It will never get out of "warm-up" mode. there is a reason that they have a 195 thermostat in there. Many Jeep engineers with more knowledge than I have decided that 195 was what was needed for a reason. I'm not saying all Jeep engineers are smarter than I, for instance the one that decided that the oil filter needs to unscrew with the opening facing gravity. I have him beat.

For the original question, check your thermostat, if it's okay than check the gage and sending unit.

Daryl

Everything I say is fully substantiated by my own opinion.
 
Ramsey said:
well about 15 minutes of highway driving i looked down and noticed the temp was only just a little over a 1/4. i have the hood raised a bit in the back and the inside lip bent down. with the cool weather could this be the culprit, or is it just a faulty gauge?

That temp. reading is fine. I wouldn't fret about it.
If it does bother you there could be two reasons; faulty gauge or faulty sending unit. If your t'stat was stuck open, the gauge wouldn't even reach the 1/4 mark in cold weather so I doubt that's the cause.
 
resonant_evil said:
Didn't say it ran at 160! During the summer it still ran 200 - 220. The reason it is out now (winter). I had system troubles and it was a quick stopgap.

flamers!!!!!!!!!!
Everyone that replied to that statement said that they weren't flaming you, just that 160 was too low of a t-stat temp. You didn't say that it ran hotter than that. I didn't question that it did or didn't. What I wanted to say was what I've said twice now(going on three times). That 160 is too low. That way if some one searching for an answer to their cooling problem was looking at this thread, then they'd know to think about it before they put in a 160 t-stat.

But glad to know that you know a 160 t-stat isn't a "fix".

Damn, I almost got on a soapbox about watching what you say here, cause some people take what they read here as 100% truth.

Anyway have a great day, and remember to :D (it makes "them" nervous (whomever "they" are)).

Daryl
 
Dr. Dyno said:
That temp. reading is fine. I wouldn't fret about it.
If it does bother you there could be two reasons; faulty gauge or faulty sending unit. If your t'stat was stuck open, the gauge wouldn't even reach the 1/4 mark in cold weather so I doubt that's the cause.
its ok? i thought the 4.0 were suppose to run around 200. even after a good bit of driving it does not reach the top where it usually stays. i'll probably change the t-stat this weekend. any problems waiting until saturday or sunday to do it?
 
i am all smiles, seriously suprised everyone was curteous.

but subject at hand, if your gauge is not stuck a stuck open thermostat is the probable cause (87.3%). i think hood spacers would cause an induction affect at highway speeds. any luck?
 
My gauge never goes above the middle point. I have shims in my hood too. If I'm on the interstate and the rpms are low enough my temp drops to right above the 1/4 mark. I wouldn't worry about it. That point where the hood is gapped is a high pressure area and lots of air is going in there on the interstate. (contrary to popular belief)
 
did a good bit of driving to day on the new 33's and it stayed between 2 and 3/8, which i guess is ok. i will probably change the stat anyways just for good measure
 
Before you rush to change your t'stat, here's a little test that you can do to see if the existing t'stat is working properly.
Start the engine from cold and let it idle. Keep your hand on the upper radiator hose and gently squeeze it intermittently. While the t'stat is closed, the hose will feel cool and soft. When it opens, the hose will suddenly become harder and very hot. At that point, check the reading on your gauge and tell us what it is. The t'stat should open at 195*F which is 3/8 on the gauge.
 
i'll do that, any idea how long it should take to get to 195
 
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