During my drive in 95 degree weather and in stop and go traffic my water temp reached the third marker 222 degrees. I've replaced radiator cap, expansion tank and bleed the system. Fans were running from the start of the drive. I piggy backed the wires just to see if any improvements a few days earlier. I have a new temp sensor that I'll replace this weekend but what else could I look for? Thank you
Have you checked that the foam seals on the hood are still in good shape? Replacing mine made a noticeable difference, although mine never got quite as hot as yours.
Is it possible thats ok ? You're in stop/go its 95 deg f and your car is NOT over-heating - according to the owners book start worrying at a consistent 240 deg f
You know that hot water is getting to the radiator because the fans are running. You know that the hot water in the radiator is not cooling off enough because the fans are running continuously and the temperature at the motor is still too high. Either something is blocking the airflow through the radiator, or (more likely) the radiator core is clogged. Either way, the radiator isn't doing what it's supposed to, namely transferring heat from the water to the air. So check for something wrong with the airflow through the radiator, but don't be surprised if there's a new core in your future.
Could be the thermostat not opening all the way as in partial or radiator could be restricted a bit. Try bleeding it a few more times and see if that helps, I had to do mine seven times. Hotter spark plugs and retarded timing usually have something to do with heat but in a 308 I don't think so.
usually the problems are (in order of frequenncy-possibility from the most probable to the last probable), if the fans were running: -water thermostate not opening or not enough (change it) -water pump impeller (change the whole water pump assembly) -water pump drive gear -i do not know how is it exactly in english- (change the whole water pump assembly) -radiator inner small pipes almost closed (take out the radiator and make it open and rebuild by a specialist) Good luck ciao
This is not *that* unusual for your car. The QV's cooling system was under-engineered straight from the factory. Some just seem worse than others. I have had my 84 for 17 years and this has been a constant issue in the summer stop and go traffic. I bet you will find that your car is fine on the highway, or even on the track. I have done EVERYTHING besides changing the fans. Recored the rad (twice), new water pump, new cap, bled, lower temp sending unit, FACTORY thermostat renewal, watter wetter, you name it. Eventually I have just learned to work around it and that has been pretty much how I have delt with it. I did replace the radiator with a big fat aluminum unit that helped but I got caught in Atlanta last April on a hot day on I-85 and watched it want to over heat again. It was getting scary and had I had the old radiator in, it would have been a meltdown for sure. The thing to do is run through it all to start with but unless you find an obvious issue to correct, you are not going to see improvement by simply renewing the hood foam and other little things like that (although you still should fix it all tip-top) keep us posted
You hit the nail on the head. If it runs fine on the highway the only thing left is the fans which is what cools it while standing still or rolling slow in the heat of the deep south. Not sure about the QV but my old carb car has fans courtesy of Lucas, Prince of Darkness .
This would be my guess, your radiator is full of crumbled rubber, from old lines that have not burst but are aging...pull and have cleaned..
I replace mine with units from Grainger....modern 12V DC and the amp draw is about half...a couple of mods and off you go. The shafts are not threaded, so you need a push nut
The good doctor speaks the truth. my Qv was terrible in hot weather - I simply did not drive it much for fear of getting caught in Atlanta traffic. bigger radiator and stronger impeller may help... I think Dr. Tommy has an oil cooler fan as well... but the whole system is just not engineered to deal with todays traffic and high temps. Water wetter is a great idea... I've wondered if Evans waterless coolant would help... but dont know what all the heat would do to the engine.
I've replaced the radiator core, installed much larger fans, replaced the pump impeller with a 328 one, and installed an extra overflow tank. Now, mine runs just slightly over 195F in Texas summers and never overheats in traffic.
Hi Jsa330, I just bought a 308 in Houston and I’m worried about the summer traffic. Where did you did all that...do you have any contacts still? Sent from my iPhone using FerrariChat.com mobile app
I feel like these cars will run warm on 95 degree day. Especially in traffic. As long as car cools down when you start moving, you should be ok.
Hello Nuno Norwood Performance, now Norwood Auto Italia, did all the work on both of my Ferraris. Ask for James Patterson. I sold the 308 in August 2014.
