Oizarod115 Posted February 21, 2008 Share Posted February 21, 2008 well. i'm not sure who all remembers it, but i'm sure some of you do or have read where my jeep used to run hot like 260. to everyone who has an overheating problem! i spent tons of money working on this damn thing getting it to run cool. new thermostat, new 3-core radiator new waterpump new pressure bottle/cap new fan clutch, eventually dual e-fans. after all this the truck ran at perfect 210 all the time. come to find out, THE DAMN GAUGE READS 60 DEGREES HOT! i haven't had HEAT at all for the past 2 winters because the damn thing doesn't run at op. temp! my truck didn't pass emissions this summer because its running at 150ish TOPS. (@)^*(@$%(@ :mad: :mad: :mad: :headpop: so take it from me! before you condemn your jeep, buy a cheap laser-thermometer (the non touching kind you can shoot at anything) and verify the problem first! we found out of 3 jeeps every one of them had a gauge that was off at least 15~ degrees. so, in further news. i'm doing a super-stat tomorrow to insure proper temperature... and replacing that devil gauge. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jtdesigns Posted February 21, 2008 Share Posted February 21, 2008 I don't think your dumb for that,, :nuts: could happen to anybody.. but cheap laser thermometer??? Maybe I'm lookin in the wrong place,but I haven't seen one of those under 150 bucks... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oizarod115 Posted February 21, 2008 Author Share Posted February 21, 2008 I don't think your dumb for that,, :nuts: could happen to anybody.. but cheap laser thermometer??? Maybe I'm lookin in the wrong place,but I haven't seen one of those under 150 bucks... oh, i don't know, i borrowed my boss's (work at a volvo shop, he's owner/main tech and i'm the underling...so he's got all the tools you could need) but shooting everything under the sun and finding out their temps is about fun as hell. random here... exhaust tube #1 580ish degree's at idle. head, 260ish near exhaust 160s over near the plugs, thermostat housing, 190s-200s cold coke 37degrees laptop 90-105 degrees gf's... ok well you get the point. i shot it at everything :brows: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
offroader461 Posted February 21, 2008 Share Posted February 21, 2008 your not dumb...i kept having the same issue and borrowed my buddies and it turned out my guage was off also... :eek: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jtdesigns Posted February 21, 2008 Share Posted February 21, 2008 I don't think your dumb for that,, :nuts: could happen to anybody.. but cheap laser thermometer??? Maybe I'm lookin in the wrong place,but I haven't seen one of those under 150 bucks... oh, i don't know, i borrowed my boss's (work at a volvo shop, he's owner/main tech and i'm the underling...so he's got all the tools you could need) but shooting everything under the sun is about fun as hell. Yeah we had one in the F.R.S.H. (Forward Repair Station, Heavy) It's amazon how how accurate those things are,, even from long distances.. We used to shoot the rears of M1's to check exhaust temps, and the sand just to see how it was... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jtdesigns Posted February 21, 2008 Share Posted February 21, 2008 Hey shoot the valve cover after good drive,, I painted my VC and wondering if I should redo it with high temp paint. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeepnuts311 Posted February 21, 2008 Share Posted February 21, 2008 Hey shoot the valve cover after good drive,, I painted my VC and wondering if I should redo it with high temp paint. we checked pretty much everything under the hood. the valve cover really was not very hot, maybe 130-140 degrees... the head was barely at 200, the block was closer to 160. the positive terminal of the battery was about 90, the negative about 80 -Tim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete M Posted February 21, 2008 Share Posted February 21, 2008 I picked up my infrared thermometer from Sears for under $50. :D Opens up a whole new world of problem solving possibilities. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CWLONGSHOT Posted February 21, 2008 Share Posted February 21, 2008 Not dumb at all, your SMART cause you FOUND THE PROBLEM!!!! You just took the LONG route!! :D The lesson here is check EVERYTHING and ASSUME nothing. Not necessarily just REPLACE arts. Run a 195 T stat and you should get your heat back!! The 4.0's really do like it on the hot side. Hope you didn't sludge your engine up too bad. 150 is STONE COLD for the 4.0. Maybe a oil change and a couple hundred mile run with a synthetic oil. Then swap back to Dino oil to get her cleaned out? (If your not already running synthetic) CW Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mvusse Posted February 22, 2008 Share Posted February 22, 2008 I have had my MJ for just a few weeks now, ad noticed the sucker never gets above ~150 degrees. Took of the thermostat housing to check the thermostat and possibly put a hotter one in, turns out it already has 195 degree one and seems to be working fine. Now I am thinking (before seeing this thread) my dashboard gauge may not be accurate, but couldn't think of a way to test it. May have to look for one of those thermometers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oizarod115 Posted February 22, 2008 Author Share Posted February 22, 2008 Not dumb at all, your SMART cause you FOUND THE PROBLEM!!!! You just took the LONG route!! :D The lesson here is check EVERYTHING and ASSUME nothing. Not necessarily just REPLACE arts. Run a 195 T stat and you should get your heat back!! The 4.0's really do like it on the hot side. Hope you didn't sludge your engine up too bad. 150 is STONE COLD for the 4.0. Maybe a oil change and a couple hundred mile run with a synthetic oil. Then swap back to Dino oil to get her cleaned out? (If your not already running synthetic) CW yeah, we're gonna do a BG induction service on her to hopefully clear it out, and a new gauge sender from mopar (27$) and new 195 stat from mopar ($10 with gasket) the oil is always black blakc when i change it so i'll probably run a few short length oil changes with some BG oil additive and see if that own't clean me up a bit. on the bright side, i never overheated the motor and i thought i had since i've pegged the gauge out in the 270s a few times. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oizarod115 Posted February 22, 2008 Author Share Posted February 22, 2008 has anyone heard of running a quart of ATF in with your oil to help clean it out? i know ATF has detergents and stuff in it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mvusse Posted February 22, 2008 Share Posted February 22, 2008 I know of shops that add 1 qt transmission fluid and the rest oil when doing an oil change. ATF is also used as a break in oil in quite a few engines (including lawn mowers, not just cars). ATF has detergents, but so does regular motor oil. The good thing about ATF is that it lubricates much better than oil. Bad thing is that it burns a lot easier and doesn't like high temperatures as much, making it last much shorter. You could try using ATF to clean the gunk out (cheaper than synthetic oil), but I don't know if it works as well as synthetic. I personally wouldn't run ATF in my engine for more than 500 miles before changing it again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eagle Posted February 22, 2008 Share Posted February 22, 2008 A chronic problem with the older XJs and MJs is that the gauges become inaccurate. I think it's due to a poor ground between the gauge cluster and the dashboard/chassis. In my '88 XJ, ALL the gauges read low. My voltmeter shows barely out of the red, yet if I check with a V.O.M. at the battery with the engine running, I'm right where I should be. Temp gauge runs at the first tick between the COLD and 210 marks, yet I have good heat. Oil pressure reads 40 psi on the highway running 5W50 Castrol Syntec. And when I fill the tank to the point of spilling out the filler neck, the gauge only reads 7/8 full. Except on very cold, damp mornings ... when everything reads normal until the engine gets up to operating temperature, then the gauges gradually slide down to being wrong. Moral -- do not use the factory gauges for diagnostics. Just know where they usually run, and pay attention when they read different from normal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oizarod115 Posted February 22, 2008 Author Share Posted February 22, 2008 yeah, i get that now haha. :redX: i'll try the new gauge sender and if she's still off then i'll try the ground then if she's still off i'll tap in an aftermarket one. ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaekl Posted February 22, 2008 Share Posted February 22, 2008 I'm amased that some factory gauges still have actual values on them. I thought the manufactures realized that years ago that they were not calibrated. The driver is only to monitor them to observe changes from normal. Typical temp gauge is CNNNNNNNNH. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oizarod115 Posted February 23, 2008 Author Share Posted February 23, 2008 yeah, but with my truck at operating temperature the gauge would have been pegged out to H and i STILL would've assumed it was needing parts. ;) the number doesn't really matter since most cars are calibrated to have operating temp in the dead center however i replaced the thermostat and temp sender today (both mopar replacements) 22 for the sender and idk what for the stat. and the gauge seems to be dead on for now, i'll check it all over with the laaaser gun monday. she's running slightly below 210 (with NO fans on until i sit dead stop for a while) i now have heat, and all the pep back i never knew i lost sum-b*@$£ feels even better now :popcorn: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CWLONGSHOT Posted February 23, 2008 Share Posted February 23, 2008 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Car RamRod Posted February 23, 2008 Share Posted February 23, 2008 but shooting everything under the sun and finding out their temps is about fun as hell. +1. My gauge reads about 10* hot as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
james750 Posted February 24, 2008 Share Posted February 24, 2008 I don't think your dumb for that,, :nuts: could happen to anybody.. but cheap laser thermometer??? Maybe I'm lookin in the wrong place,but I haven't seen one of those under 150 bucks... Harbor Freight 8 bucks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jtdesigns Posted February 25, 2008 Share Posted February 25, 2008 I don't think your dumb for that,, :nuts: could happen to anybody.. but cheap laser thermometer??? Maybe I'm lookin in the wrong place,but I haven't seen one of those under 150 bucks... Harbor Freight 8 bucks. really.... I'm going to check that out.... wonder how long it'll last... :razz: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
james750 Posted February 25, 2008 Share Posted February 25, 2008 I don't think your dumb for that,, :nuts: could happen to anybody.. but cheap laser thermometer??? Maybe I'm lookin in the wrong place,but I haven't seen one of those under 150 bucks... Harbor Freight 8 bucks. really.... I'm going to check that out.... wonder how long it'll last... :razz: Yeah, i saw the add about 2 weeks ago... on there website there are two kinds, a cheap one for 7 (the range kinda sux)and then a better one with a larger range for 40. http://search.harborfreight.com/cpisear ... &Submit=Go Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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