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Is this normal?

jt29

NAXJA Forum User
Location
So. Cal.
My XJ has been getting up to about 220-225 on the temp. It only happens on little grades, sometimes around town, and sitting in the drive through. The temp normally comes back down but somtimes it doesent. But normally it sits at 210. I know the 4.0 runs hot but I just want to make sure it is normal.
 
what year is your rig? are you running the A/C when this happens?
 
XJ&TJ4ME said:
what year is your rig? are you running the A/C when this happens?

It is a 94 and yes it does not matter if the A/C is on or off. It stays cooler if the A/C is on. Here are the only things that I have not replaced on the cooling system, everything else is new. Water pump, and upper and lower hose.
 
my normally runs at 240-250 :explosion
 
I'd check some low cost things first. like a new thermostat. Make sure your coolant is at proper level and mixed with water. Check for leaks also this would be around the left side of your radiator. Running the engine in overheating range will eventually warp the head.

I just saw you replaced your cooling system except the water pump and hoses. Do the hoses look okay after you shut her off?
 
I had a marginal problem a few years ago. What I found was that if I ran straight water, it ran cooler than with the 50/50 mix. This makes sense because the thermal transfer coeficient is lower with anti freeze.
Being in SO CAL you can try this out!
I chased this for years. After doing a head job, it was solved.
 
H8PVMT said:
my normally runs at 240-250 :explosion

wow, i hope not...

Sounds like your water pump isnt circulating enough coolant. Hoses wont have anything to do with cooling problems, but it never hurts to replace them!
 
sjx40250 said:
I had a marginal problem a few years ago. What I found was that if I ran straight water, it ran cooler than with the 50/50 mix. This makes sense because the thermal transfer coeficient is lower with anti freeze.
Being in SO CAL you can try this out!
I chased this for years. After doing a head job, it was solved.

You also have a boiling point that is 212*F. A/F raises the boiling point of your coolant. A/F also helps condition your whole cooling system. It also acts as an anti-corrosive. That "straight water" is eating your cooling system alive.
 
JNickel101 said:
wow, i hope not...

Sounds like your water pump isnt circulating enough coolant. Hoses wont have anything to do with cooling problems, but it never hurts to replace them!
The lower hoses collapse if the spring is missing or has disintegrated. Check that before saying the hoses don't have anything to do with cooling problems, my friend.
 
You mentioned it actually runs cooler with the a/c on. This could be because when you turn on the a/c your electric fan turns on. My Cherokee will run hotter in the same conditions as yours, especially around town and the drive thru, but the electric fan will kick on and bring it down to its normal 210 degrees. Perhaps your electric fan isn't coming on automatically when the temps increase.
 
desertrandy said:
You mentioned it actually runs cooler with the a/c on. This could be because when you turn on the a/c your electric fan turns on. My Cherokee will run hotter in the same conditions as yours, especially around town and the drive thru, but the electric fan will kick on and bring it down to its normal 210 degrees. Perhaps your electric fan isn't coming on automatically when the temps increase.
I missed that part of OP statements. Yes either the fan switch or the temp switch are probably faulty. Just bypass them and put a switch on the dash. When you are contemplating fast food drive thrus flip the switch on and you will be good to go.
 
Both hoses are good and the bottom one does have a spring in it. I have replaced the coolant temp switch on the t-stat house and the temperature switch on the back of the block near the fire wall. Also the elec. fan does work.
 
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