ECT high coolant temps
 

Hey guys, ive been battling a cooling issue lately. Here's a parts list of what i have related to the coolant system.

turbo -front mount
koyo hyper v rad
.9bar rad cap (switching this to 1.3bar very soon)
stock thermostat
stock water pump
stock hood
oem type 2 honda coolant
blox 12" fan and stock fan
fmic blocking most of the air
fan set to turn on at 170
hondata flashpro to monitor temps live

i usually see temps in the 205-221 range. Yesterday for the first time it went up to 235! in traffic with the ac on. I immediately turned the ac off, got off the freeway then coasted at low rpm and it eventually went back down to 218 and mostly stayed there until i got home.

from what ive read it seems most of you guys target 205 or less. Mine is always beyond that once warmed up and hovers around 218-221.

what are some obvious next steps you guys would take to lower my ect? Did anything i describe sound like a water pump going out or failing tstat? Will a mugen tstat help?

You need to get more airlfow into and out of the radiator. Cut some more openings in the front bumper above the main opening and a vented hood.

I am having EXACTLY he same issues here to the point where my car shuts itself off whilst driving.

I will vent my hood, put some type of inserts into the front bar which will allow air to bypass the front mount. The openings/ducts will be mounted above the number plate on an angle where the H badge lives.
I really don't want to molest my front bar or hood but an engine is very expensive to replace.

Post pictures

I had the same issues. Two things need to be done.

First, you need to make sure all the factory panels are in place to direct and keep the airflow through the front.

Second, remove the plastic undertray that extends from the bumper to the front of the radiator. Build an air scoop of sorts that extends down to force the air up and into the front of the radiator. DO NOT just leave the panel off. if you do, air will come over the intercooler and escape out from under the car where the panel used to be. I built my own air dam from an older trunk tray and it fixed my cooling issues. Especially with the a/c on. I went from temps rising to over 215 to holding steady at 180 while on the highway.

The issue is the intercooler. It is blocking the air flow to the condenser and radiatior. It is acting as an insulator sandwiching the condensor between it and the radiator creating a heat trap. By building the dam, you are collecting air for the radiator that has not been preheated by the intercooler and condenser.


Attachment 152748

Of what???

Update, I just ordered a Spal extreme 12" fan with relay/harness. F***ing $400 for one fan -__- I read a previous thread that riceball made and it seems he had similar issues and that this was the only fan that fixed his cooling issues. I'll have to mount this fan lower on the radiator due to clearance issues with my front mounted turbo but it should be fine since the extreme series spal fans blow an insane amount of cfm. Sigghhhh more money more problems. Anyway, I can't have my car overheating on a regular commute from LA to OC so i need this.

I need a vented hood, looking for an aftermarket hood so I dont cut into my matching vin oem hood.

I thought about this too but i think the fan is the primary issue. My blox slim fan blows weak. I can't imagine a spal slim fan blowing much stronger even with a larger motor since the fan size and design is relatively the same. If the new spal extreme fan doesn't solve the issue I will try directing airflow from the front. However the condenser sits directly in front of the radiator so any airflow directed at the radiator from the front has to go through the condenser first then the radiator. I'll keep you guys posted but I have a good feeling about this.

Rmerchant3, that modification to the underpanel is clever in directing the airflow up but I think i'd bottom out and tear my underpanel off driving like that lol.

Here's also a picture showing my intercooler mounted as low as possible to allow some air through the top of the intercooler but its clearly not enough. Plus it doesn't do much when I'm stuck in dreaded stop and go socal traffic for up to 2hrs. My temps rose to 235+ from 218ish when i turned the ac on in a blink of an eye. Scared the crap out of me when I looked down and saw my oem temp gauge 3/4 of the way up!
https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.s2k...3a584fe7e4.jpg

Fans won't help the issue of it overheating with speeds above 40mph. Stronger fans will definitely help at idle though. If you are using a stand alone, make sure to program the fans to cut off above 40mph, or else they will impede air flow.

If you are lowered that is a valid concern no doubt. This was my first version and it has rubbed a few times. I plan to redo it out of aluminum over the winter and do more of a ramp that doesn't sit so low. In any case, you need to direct air directly to the radiator that hasn't already been heated. The beauty of it is that it helps when idle and when moving.