overheating is back

[Triathlete]

Sue...your vx is just too clean. The dirt keeps the sun from heating things up...see, there is a method to my madness!

[Zu4two]

Sue, I looked at my fan last night and it's relation to the shroud. Mine protrudes about 3/4" at the top. I don't know how you would modify that clearance, maybe someone put washers in-between the fan and the clutch. You mention that the fan moves easier with your hand when warm? When it gets Hot it should actually be harder to move since the thermostatic clutch should be engaging. Of course this is when measuring resistance with the engine off. It is not recommended to check this with your hand while the engine is running

Have you checked to make sure you don't have wax residue clogging the radiator fins from your incessant detailing? All kidding aside, a good power washing of the radiator might rid it of excess dust and grime that builds up after time.

[Y33TREKker]

...All kidding aside, a good power washing of the radiator might rid it of excess dust and grime that builds up after time.

I saw the same thing discussed recently on one of those half-hour automobile repair television shows.

They suggested holding a flashlight or worklight behind the radiator and looking to see how much light shined through to the front, because over time, road debris can accumulate between the radiator fins (and any other fluid cooling coils/fins in that area - like trans cooling coils, a/c condensor coils, etc) which can restrict air flow and significantly reduce cooling capacities.

And seeing as how the VX front end is just a straight shot right into the grill, it's not hard to imagine how a lot of road debris could find it's way into our radiators. Sometimes if we're lucky, it's checking the simple stuff that pays off.

[VX KAT]

Sue, I looked at my fan last night and it's relation to the shroud. Mine protrudes about 3/4" at the top. I don't know how you would modify that clearance, maybe someone put washers in-between the fan and the clutch. You mention that the fan moves easier with your hand when warm? When it gets Hot it should actually be harder to move since the thermostatic clutch should be engaging. Of course this is when measuring resistance with the engine off. It is not recommended to check this with your hand while the engine is running

Have you checked to make sure you don't have wax residue clogging the radiator fins from your incessant detailing? All kidding aside, a good power washing of the radiator might rid it of excess dust and grime that builds up after time.

I'm going snap some pics tomorrow of the fan blades. I'll post them for comparison.

"Bill" also described how the "oil" in there should actually get thicker when hot, so it should be harder to spin the blade by hand after it's been warmed up. It was kind of a subjective assessment by Dave and I but it appeared to spin a little easier after engine was up to temp.....AND ENGINE WAS OFF .

I got in touch with the VX owner on ebay that had purchased the FFD twin fan set-up and was so pleased with it. He's somewhere in TX and has had overheating for a while, with A/C on, in stop/go traffic, on high air temp days. He installed the twin fan set-up but it didn't help problem. When he contacted the company, they realized he should have been sent the "extreme" package, which is a SINGLE 17" FAN, and that solved his problem. This is consistent with what "Bill" told me.....a single larger fan can move more air than the smaller electronic fans.

Here's pics of the guys install: I thought the FFD set-up was in addition to the factory fan, and would be mounted in front of the radiator, but these pics appear it replaced the OEM.

[eternal21]

I got in touch with the VX owner on ebay that had purchased the FFD twin fan set-up and was so pleased with it. He's somewhere in TX and has had overheating for a while, with A/C on, in stop/go traffic, on high air temp days. He installed the twin fan set-up but it didn't help problem. When he contacted the company, they realized he should have been sent the "extreme" package, which is a SINGLE 17" FAN, and that solved his problem. This is consistent with what "Bill" told me.....a single larger fan can move more air than the smaller electronic fans.

So everyone has a little history

http://vehicross.info/forums/showthread.php?t=20464