I have an 04 with a six speed. I have been doing mods to help the cooling system as last year my car got hot pretty often. I got a Moshimoto radiator and fans and low temp thermostat. I even got the AEM CAI. I replaced all my hoses with silicone hoses. I got the Fan control kit as well from RX8 performance. and it seems to do the job and handle well. Until the ambient temperature here in SW FL gets high.Then I still see those high temps. When I installed the CAI I left the old airbox liner on. Im thinking about taking this off but then I think it will make my intake temp go up unless I thermal wrap it. So I'm waiting to see what the best thing to absorb the heat and have that in my possession before I do that. I see that rotary performance also has an oil cooler low temp thermostat. So if anyone has any input about that I'd appreciate it.
Anyhow when its hot and I got stuck at a light or even not sometimes just stopping here and there will make my coolant temp go up. it even gets to 220F with the fan controllers when the heat is up in FL. I need any help to cooling mods that will help me. I wanna be able to drive my 8 during the day in the summer. because at night or in the morning when the temps aren't so HIGH I wont go over 190-195 with the fan controller. ONLY when the temp outside is HIGH. I have noticed this is the only time it happens. so some cooling help would be great. Any little mod that will help. links to other forums I can read. any help would be great. Thank you guys so much for taking the time to help me out

 

Don't worry about your intake temperature, it's not a major factor. Silly question but are the fans blowing in the correct direction?

It sounds like the temperature only climbs when standing still, not at speed, right? If it was overheating at speed, I would make sure the plastic undertray is fully attached and the rad has foam blocking air from getting around it on 3 sides. Good to check those things anyway, but if it only overheats while stationary, I would blame the rad or fans. The mishimoto stuff isn't fantastic, but it should do the job. Can you confirm both fans turn and turn on high speed together as the temp climbs? If they don't turn on high speed after 212 or so, that might be your root cause

 

Vincenzo, Learn to use the SEARCH. You can find answers to just about all your questions on the forum..., and will learn lots along the way.

You've done some good things..., but I would encourage you to pursue understanding of the cooling system. Your car's coolant system health is determined by its specific components, ducting, sealing, etc. Hot ambient temps place a heavier load and test your system.

- Install quality components
- make sure your under-tray is installed and in good shape
- you want to funnel air into and thru the radiator. So seal up EVERY crease and crevice to funnel as much air thru the rad as possible.
- the air going thru the rad has to have somewhere to go. So vacate as much space behind the rad as possible ,e.g. consider reloc'ing battery to trunk, etc.

All the best.

 

I want to thank both of you for your responses. Both of my fans are working and going the right direction. Maybe I should replace the under tray. I seen some on rotary specialist with some fan(s) setup a few different ways. This may be a problem with my car as every time I have to take it off I have to really struggle to get it back together properly. The person who had the car before me might have messed that up doing something as I have a hard time re attaching the center under tray to the side uprights and the side under tray. Originally there was separation between the center and one side.
to answer your question it does happen more when I’m slowed down. Unless the weather is cool then sometimes I can watch my temp drop as I’m driving. But they are going the proper direction. But when it’s running and the fans are on I can only feel air to the engine in a few spots. I know the fans are for the radiator though I thought this would help cooling if the fan breeze could reach the engine more.
As for using the website and searching I always do before I make a post. But sometimes I’ll go looking through a post and see someone reference a thread and link it to the posted thread but I never found the thread that was linked to the posted thread when I searched. So sometimes you guys know the best route to get to a thread I might have not found on my own. That’s why I ask with very specific details. Because someone might know exactly how to get to the thread that I need and I may not have found that specific thread with a search. Believe me I spend many hours on here sometimes trying to learn about my car. And I do wanna know even more. Just thought someone could possibly steer me to something I maybe haven’t seen yet.

 

The fans should be blowing toward the engine, sucking through the radiator. If you don't feel anything at the engine, there is your problem. Reverse the wiring for the fans.

The undertray only really matters at speed.

 

^^^I concur w/ Loki. IF your temps are rising only when stopped...that points to the rad and fans, i.e. their quality or an installation issue.

Again, consider the system:
- Coolant circulates thru the engine and rad...gated by the t-stat.
- heat is exchanged at the rad w/ impinging air (the more air ...the more exchange).
Questions:
1. ***Loki has asked... are the fans blowing front to back...toward the engine? The "right direction" is a bit unclear.
2. Did you flush the system when installing the new rad & t-stat?
3. ***Is your fan sealed tight to the back of the rad... w/ rubber molding, foam, Gorilla tape, etc....?
4. ***Is your radiator sealed...airtight all around, i.e. to the under-tray, and side-verticals, and at the top brace ?
.

• You are literally trying to force every molecule of air coming thru the bumper thru the rad. This will improve your system's cooling performance overall, i.e. when the car is moving, AND when you are stopped and the fans kick on.

5. Also you want to create a air high pressure on the front of the rad (thus the sealing, etc.) AND you need to create as low a pressure zone behind the rad/ fans as possible.
.

• Ideally, you'd like to vacate as much obstruction from behind the rad/ fans as possible... as shown in the pic below.

6. Do you still have the OEM airbox under-guard installed? Consider removing it.
7. Is the battery in its OEM loc? Consider reloc'ing it to the trunk.

Btw...more detailed responses, e.g. when temps reach 90*F instead of "high", w/b helpful. And pics w/b helpful so we can "see" what's going on...in the engine bay, ...front, and rear of the rad / fans... instead of trying to interpret an explanation.

It sounds like your "system's" overall cooling capacity is down / low..., which is simply most evident when you're stopped. 190-195*F ECTs in the cool of the evening c/b better. I run a turbo car and my ECTs stay at or below 180*F w/ spirited driving unless ambient temps day or night exceed mid 80s*F . So, the good news is there's room for improvement, and each of the above...will help.

All the best.
.

.

 

i can feel it just not many places the fasn are blowing the right direction I have checked this many times. I have thought of that before. you can feel it some between the coolant reservoir and the intake undertray. I just feel like I should feel it more. that's why I once posed the question of removing the undertray to the old airbox but I found that would make my intake air more hot. I know the fans are blowing the right direction though

 

I have checked many of these things however when you said what you said about the undertray being tight around the radiator and stuff the answer is no I do not think it is..i think there is space between the bottom of the radiator and the udertray. also maybe by the uprights I will have to look more carefully tomorrow when I get aa chance again.... I have my kids tonight. but yeah I understand about trying tog et all the air through the rad and this makes sense of coarse. however I do think I have some clearance there and of coarse that could be an issue. the fan does use a foam tape around the rad that I had put on myself. so yes to that..
ok so I mentioned earlier about removing the airbox undertray. I see this photo does not have that piece. but I was under the impression that if I did that I would have to heat wrap my CAI.so is that what I must do or can I leave the tube bare as it is in this photo? also seeing this photo has made me really wanna relocate the batt.
but I will look into all these issues and get back with you tomoorow if you are still interested by then. that engine bay looks amazing BTW. thanks for all the help though this was very informative

 

Spending time w/ your kids ....

As Loki said earlier..."Don't worry about your intake temperature, it's not a major factor." Wrap it if you like, but not a big deal.

Thanks, ...and my pleasure to help... as other did for me here.

 

If you're sure they're blowing the right way, but not blowing enough, the I'd check if they're using both low and high speeds. The fans are supposed to turn on low speed around 200F and to high speed at 215 or something like that.
High speed is damn high, you can't really miss it.

Also, while I have no personal experience, it has been said that Mishimoto fans flow less air than the stock ones (when new.. maybe not after 15 years). So there's that.

The intake undertray doesn't really matter. It's part of the original design so while not having it might help, everything should still work with it in place. And also removing it probably won't help