Viper Runs Hot - Any Ideas?

[jgrakla]

Hi all:

I have a 94 RT/10. The temperatures runs a nice, steady 190 degrees going down the road. When idling or in stop and go traffic the temperature shoots up quick. It hits 225, and then the fan kick on and brings it back down to 190. Then the cycle repeats. It sits and heat cycles itself between 190 and 225. This is not something new on my car. It's been a couple of years since I first started noticing it. Doesn't seem quite right though, does it? Does anyone else's Viper do this?

Is the fan adjustable? Is there a way to adjust it to kick on earlier?

Thanks in advance,

Jason

 

[Tom F&L GoR]

That's pretty much what it's supposed to do. The electric fan is off-low-high speed, unlike the old clutch fans that sort of ran proportional to engine speed and temperature. But since they rotated all the time, they had a fuel economy penalty and electric fans became common.

You could go to the newer Gen 2 electric fan, which has a more efficient, central location, but while it will cool it off faster, it won't change the on-off temperatures. Be prepared for a little extra work, since the new fan shroud mounting holes don't line up with the old style radiator and it's fan shroud studs.

There are aftermarket systems (re-program ECU) that will turn them on sooner, but you're actually doing well if the temp runs down to 190. And 225 is a good temperature - run cooler than that continuously and the oil will have trouble getting hot enough to drive off the moisture that accumulates.

 

[FrankBarba]

Why not put a manual switch on the fan? Its got to be pretty straight forward.