Quick question re my new 2003 130

[djambalawa]

Loving the 130... drove it from Newcastle to Adelaide and now going up the centre in horrible conditions.

I'm currently in Coober Pedy and had a horrible day driving into a gale force furnace like headwind (got a light camper trailer on too).

The vehicle has an aftermarket engine temp management thing installed which is great. However today it alarmed when it got to 90deg... I think it's set to cut off at 95. So instead of sitting on 100kmh I sat on 80kmh and this kept it around 85-88deg.

The car is chipped, larger intercooler, egr removed and has a 3" free flow exhaust and seems to be able to do 100kmh effortlessly in these conditions..

Just wondering what advice folks can give me regarding the temperature? Is the 95deg setting just a very safe setting and would it be ok to get hotter than this or do I just have to sit on 80kmh to keep it below 90deg do you reckon?

Also the handbrake would burn my leg if I left it against it for more than a few seconds... as the heat from the transmission was pretty hot! Is this fairly normal? It was working pretty hard and a long day...

[nedflanders]

Those temperatures seem pretty normal, I'm not sure what sort of sensor it is as it may be sensing block temperature rather than actual coolant temp, if its the same as mine you could add another 5degs ish for coolant temp. I hit temps very similiar when towing our camper trailer and like you reduce speed to lower temp slightly.
My main concern when towing is transmission temperature. My car came from the UK so doesn't have the gearbox oil cooler but I'm in the process of fitting one. Its a thermostatic block on the side of the gearbox that opens at 74degs. On the defenders its a simply loop of pipe which IMO isn't good enough so I'm fitting one of these
Transmission OIL Coolers Round Dual Pass Tube AND FIN Aluminium 12 Inch | eBay (http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/TRANSMISSION-OIL-COOLERS-ROUND-DUAL-PASS-TUBE-AND-FIN-ALUMINIUM-12-INCH-/251365517788?pt=AU_Car_Parts_Accessories&hash=item3a868d69dc)

I also fitted one of these
www.discovery2.co.uk - Transfer box Sump (http://www.discovery2.co.uk/tbox_cooler.html)

to see if that helps.

[djambalawa]

Thanks Ned.. the previous owner thinks it's the direct engine temp it's reporting... not the coolant... but he's not 100% sure... I guess the engine would get hotter than the coolant?

[nedflanders]

It's a good idea to know block temperature tbh, the standard coolant gauge is slow to react and if you loose your coolant may not react at all. I drive by my engine guardian and pay little attention to the actual gauge.

[Grappler]

The vehicle has an aftermarket engine temp management thing installed which is great. However today it alarmed when it got to 90deg... I think it's set to cut off at 95. So instead of sitting on 100kmh I sat on 80kmh and this kept it around 85-88deg....

Are you using an Ultra Gauge or similar hooked to OBD2 socket?

If so it will be reporting the cylinder head temp.
My 2.2 130 usually runs in the low 90s

[djambalawa]

I don't know what it is sorry.. just bought it with it installed... I'll try and find out

[Sitec]

The way I look at this is that you are doing exactly right. The Td5 is a small engine in a big vehicle which is also pulling a trailer in some fairly extreme conditions. Add to this the larger exhaust, intercooler and chip and what seems an effortless 100kph would have been hard work before all the 'additions'.. My old 99 Td5 130 was working its nuts off at 110 without a trailer and I was always mindful of this. I'd continue as you are, enjoying the power when empty and in cooler conditions, but take it steady and keep your temp watchdog set at 95deg when out bush in the heat, thus giving the engine an easier time. As for the handbrake, yup that's normal... The passenger will be burning their leg on the small bit of seat base that's visible under their right leg too! :D

[djambalawa]

Thanks all... we'll we had a nice tail wind all morning and she just purred along at 100kmh with temp in the low 80s... :)

Those transmission cooler adding look good will look into them :)

[slug_burner]

Thanks all... we'll we had a nice tail wind all morning and she just purred along at 100kmh with temp in the low 80s... :)

Those transmission cooler adding look good will look into them :)

Your temp setting on the alarm is conservative. Does the gauge look like either of these? If so then likely to be a temp sensor under a bolt on the head.

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2014/01/1518.jpg

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2014/01/1519.jpg

Look at the temp gauge on the instrument cluster, if it is sitting in the middle of the range the temp is still ok.


The exhaust heating up the floor or park brake can be reduced by wrapping exhaust wrap around the pipe.

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2014/01/1520.jpg

All images are linked to publicly available ebay adds.

[nedflanders]

Wrapping mine today, if I can get clips long enough:)

[djambalawa]

Thanks Slug - mine looks similar to the 2nd unit... same shape but a bit different read outs... maybe mine is an older model of the same...

Will look up that bandage thanks

[slug_burner]

Wrapping mine today, if I can get clips long enough:)

Join two clips to make one longer one.

[slug_burner]

Thanks Slug - mine looks similar to the 2nd unit... same shape but a bit different read outs... maybe mine is an older model of the same...

Will look up that bandage thanks

It might be this one then
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2014/01/1451.jpg

works the same just a later or earlier development.

There is a couple of videos on this link on how it works/

Engine Guardian Coolant Gauge Monitoring Alarm Watchdog | eBay (http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/ENGINE-GUARDIAN-COOLANT-GAUGE-MONITORING-ALARM-WATCHDOG-/181072029228?pt=AU_Car_Parts_Accessories&hash=item2a28bbe62c)

[djambalawa]

That's the one thanks heaps! I notice it says "cooling fan control" or similar on it ... There is an electric fan on the front of the radiator that I have never seen spinning... Even when motor is hot and idling...

[nedflanders]

That'll be your A/C condenser fan, nothing really to do with engine cooling although the ECU can operate it if it thinks the coolant is hot enough.
Mine is the same engine guardian and I've got it wired into the vehicle horn if it gets dangerously hot, so if I'm out of the vehicle and something goes wrong I know about it.