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What is considered safe/normal for the ECT reading? (turbo)

Posted: Sat Jun 24, 2006 7:00 am
by qwk
For the ECT reading in K-Pro, between what numbers are considered normal/safe on a turbocharged application? ANd what is considered overheating?

My temp gauge on my cluster doesnt work. I drove the car to my tuner shop to have some suff installed (including a Water temp gauge) and the ECT jumped as high as 230 (city + freeway driving). Today was the first time driving the car in the hot weather, around 100-102 degrees.

I am turbocharged so my manifold and turbo will make my engine bay a lot hotter. My headgasket is fine. I am not losing coolant and my resovoir bottle doesnt fill up or change. The ECT on a cool night is always steady at 183-186.

(If it matters, its a built k20a2 motor in a 2000 Civic with a Koyo Radiator (half size). manifold if a Full-Race sidemount with a GT4088R turbo)

Posted: Sun Jun 25, 2006 7:50 am
by IT1ONBOOST
OIl and Coolant levens good I'm assuming.
You try setting your Fan switch to come on at a lower temp? I have mine at 180.

Posted: Sun Jun 25, 2006 8:36 am
by qwk
IT1ONBOOST wrote:OIl and Coolant levens good I'm assuming.
You try setting your Fan switch to come on at a lower temp? I have mine at 180.
Yes, oil and coolant levels are good. No leaks or burningof or anything.

My fan switch is wired to stay running all the time

Posted: Sun Jun 25, 2006 12:11 pm
by IT1ONBOOST
you haven't used any stop leak type fluids have you? Over time those subtances can collect and clog coolant passages. other wise I don't know what else to do but drain flush and refill....
Good luck bro

Re: What is considered safe/normal for the ECT reading? (tur

Posted: Mon Jul 03, 2006 8:27 am
by crucian
My turbocharged civic always seemed to run very hot during the summer and my friend's is the same. He runs his fan all the time and it still overheated. What he did was take the thermostat out and now it stays around 180. Ocassionally it goes up to 210+ but then it cools down quicker.

Re: What is considered safe/normal for the ECT reading? (tur

Posted: Mon Aug 07, 2006 6:07 pm
by kaj
crucian wrote:My turbocharged civic always seemed to run very hot during the summer and my friend's is the same. He runs his fan all the time and it still overheated. What he did was take the thermostat out and now it stays around 180. Ocassionally it goes up to 210+ but then it cools down quicker.
no thermostat = bad idea

Re: What is considered safe/normal for the ECT reading? (tur

Posted: Tue Aug 08, 2006 10:55 am
by crucian
kaj wrote:
no thermostat = bad idea
Ammm.. where I'm from, we don't believe in the thermostats. So that's your opinion. I won't encourage anyone to do it where the temperature of the weather changes though. :wink:

Posted: Tue Aug 08, 2006 11:40 am
by locash
Crucian, it is not opinion, it is fact. If you do not use a thermostat, the water will not be in the radiator long enough for the system to do its job. Use the stock thermostat and fix the real problem.

Re: What is considered safe/normal for the ECT reading? (tur

Posted: Tue Aug 08, 2006 11:46 am
by kaj
crucian wrote:
kaj wrote:
no thermostat = bad idea
Ammm.. where I'm from, we don't believe in the thermostats. So that's your opinion. I won't encourage anyone to do it where the temperature of the weather changes though. :wink:
yeah. just my opinion. how do you expect the water to stay in the radiator long enough to cool down?

Posted: Tue Aug 08, 2006 12:53 pm
by crucian
Ok, come down here to the Virgin Islands and tell all the mechanics that and see if you won't get laughed at. But as for me I do run a thermostat here in Germany, but at home in the islands, I don't. Oh yeh, and my car back home is a '89 and it still runs with the orginal engine no thermostat.

Posted: Tue Aug 08, 2006 1:31 pm
by Spunkster
http://www.hondata.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1193

Running without a Thermostat is a very bad idea...it is there for a very good reason.