cooling issues

[SouthwestSpider]

Howdy from the desert. Since our temps get to over 100 my little Italian girlfriend gets finicky. I've burped her, but every time she gets to 190+ she starts to stall out and she will not allow me to accelerate. Any attempt at throttle and she stalls or jerks.
I'm not certain what the problem is - the fan is running, but she isn't cooling very rapidly. I let her coast down a hill when she was running so roughly and that didn't even cool her quickly (and the fan was running).
Could a radiator flush be needed? A bigger more efficient fan? Or a better thermostat? or the sensor?

Your ideas and suggestions have been invaluable in the past - so please enlighten me!

[So Cal Mark]

if it doesn't cool when coasting downhill, you probably have a restricted radiator or some other problem causing a lack of circulation

[vandor]

Running rough has nothing to do with cooling - sounds like you have two separate issues?

[SouthwestSpider]

What would be the best method of flushing the rad?

[4uall]

this may help

make sure you open up the heater valve and drain from the rad as well as from the bottom of the block on the passenger side. Flush the system for a good amount of time with a garden hose stuck in top of rad. Let it sit and drain for a little and then flush the system again. Then fill her up with the premixed 50/50 slowly. she is going to take more than you think. You may need to burp her a few times. give some consideration to the T-Stat mod metioned on other posts to eliminate the air bubble that forms under the thermostat. There are a ton of posts on this. Seriously, some folks blow through this easy. I've seen other times when it takes a lot of effort to clean the system and get all the air out. I was helping a friend burp his 79 and it took all day to burp the system with the car parked on a steap hill front side up and with the T fill installed and thermostat hole drilled. On my car it has always been a pretty simple process. Good luck.

http://wwwe.fiatspider.com/f08/viewtopi ... sh#p146887

[TX82FIAT]

You mentioned the car stalls around 190. How high does the temp gauge get on the car. Does it get close to the orange or up to 210? How long does it take to reach operating temp? Based on the info so far, I'm not sure you are describing a cooling issue as much as an engine issue when the car reaches operating temperature. I'm not saying you don't have a cooling issue just that there may be more to the car stalling around 190.

[majicwrench]

I'm with the above. Nothing wrong with engine getting above 190+ on a 100deg day. The rough/stalling issue needs to be addressed first.
And yes, how hot does it get??
Keith

[azruss]

Not sure where you are located. If you are in the greater phoenix area, I would do my final flush with DI water as tap water is so heavily laden with minerals. When you mix your coolant, do not use tap water unless it is well filtered. would recommend DI or distilled.

[SouthwestSpider]

It will get just past the zero on the 190, then start running rough and act almost as if it's choking out. It will run at idle and smoothly, but only if I don't touch the accelerator. The temperature doesn't rise quickly, in the garage it takes 10 or 15 minutes before I hit the 190 plus mark. After I did a air bleed of the cooling system and took it for a spin, when the temp climbed over the 0 at 190 - it started the stalling. Unless I gave it a few minutes to cool - the second I apply throttle it dies or struggles to run. Could it be a sensor? When I changed the head (Finished in first part of this year) I installed new sensors on the head. I can't remember if I put a new one in under the FI intake. It has a new water pump. I've noticed that the transmission hump and under the console is very hot. Perhaps this is a symptom of the issue. It's a manual transmission.

[SunnySideUp]

Does it only stall out when it is over 190 - OR - does it only stall out when it is over 190 AND the fan is running? Have you done a test where you disconnected the fan and ran it just above 190, giving it some throttle, to see if might be an issue (bad ground???) with the fan? If it doesn't choke out above 190 with the fan disconnected you probably need to sort out the wiring to the fan and/or might need a new fan.

Just a thought... trying to help narrow down the possibilities.

[SouthwestSpider]

Good idea. I'll disconnect the fan and see if it has the same problem. I can't recall if it did the stalling when the fan was not running, since once it gets above 190 (about 194) the fan turns on and of course since it misbehaves at 190 plus - the fan will be running.
Thanks. Each thing we eliminate narrows down the possible causes.

[So Cal Mark]

I would test the coolant temp sensor when it's hot. There are specs for resistance throughout the temp range. It sounds like that sensor has a glitch in it on the top end

[SouthwestSpider]

Thanks Mark. That's the sensor on the head that is located just behind the gooseneck right?

[So Cal Mark]

no, the sensor is in the front of the tee, pointing towards the radiator

[SouthwestSpider]

Thanks Mark. Will do.