1.8 not staying warm

[96 Suzuki Sidekick Sport]

I have a 96 1.8 Sport.
When it gets cold, like now the truck would warm up standing still.
Once I get on the highway the temperature drops all the way down.

I replaced the radiator a few years ago it was clogged. I also replaced the thermostat about three times. I kept thinking I got a bad one. Cant possible be three bad thermostats(different brands).

I usually just block the radiator with a piece of cardboard. I'd like to figure this one out though it really puzzles me.

Thanks

[jtgh]

normal in really cold climates.
ask any one in Canada.
many batter cars and trucks have built in, Rad shader or louver.
Volvo is one maker that does or did.

how cold?

[96 Suzuki Sidekick Sport]

The temperature here in NYC is only between 40 to 60 degrees right now.
I dont believe it should be happening at these temperatures. The needle actually drops all the way to the cold mark the same spot its at when I start the car.

[jtgh]

sorry, we get the post 100 times a year from canada. NYC, loc, good to know.
that is frying hot. +40Degress F.

your gauge or sender for dash gauge is bad.
if you go to harbor freght and buy a $10 IR temp. gun, you can find out the truth .

it is or is is not getting cold ( the coolant)

also the guage sender could be in an air pocket from improper coolant flush methods.
air dont conduct, so sender goes bonkers. see bleed hole related below.

now once you find out is it real or mermorex (hah) then lets do real.

real temp drop.was found:

the stat is missing.
the stat is upside down( this causes stat to go quite nuts , and is a little unpredicable but usually causes overheating, with fast drop of temp , then back to over heating.
STAT insalled with bleed hole not forward or to the mark as inthe book.
fan belt slipping.


the purpose of the thermostat is to prevent the effects of exactly as you stated.
When on the road, the stat must close almost all the way.
if it dont the coolant will drop below 180 D F.
and gas mileage goes to the pits.


first check bleed hole, and stat for wax pellet down (some say this side down)
then fill and burp the block and radiator.
now if it still does it, then IR gun the Stat housing , in drive way hot.
then hit road, if it drops (country road no cars) then cut ignition and curb car and get a stat housing read with said gun.

I have a Thermocouple attachment to my fancy DVM.
i connect to the Stat housing with duct tape (yes another use for this tape)
this gets the thermo couple laid tight against the hose at housing.
then I , yes again duct tape, my meter to the passenger outside window above wipers,
and then close hood , protection wires.
now I can drive and watch a real instrument tell me what is really going on.
this is for the hard cases.
mine just sits at 170-180f and never ch

1-never trust a cheap in car dash guage. (good to watch,but always validate it)
2:suspect air in and around this sender.
3:suspect bad stat or improper installation. Wax down, bleed forward and up hill.

It sure isnt the RAD..

that should put you , right on the problem.
over-heating-why?

[96 Suzuki Sidekick Sport]

Thanks for the advice.

I know the temperature of the coolant drops when driving because the heater core cools down, no more heat. I think that would rule out the temp guage.

Maybe its the bleeder hole on the STAT. Are you referring to the bypass hole on the thermo stat as the bleeder hole?

While I have it out which way should the stat face? Spring side to engine or other way?

The radiator is new and this is the third stat.

Thanks

[jtgh]

ok, the thermostat has a wax pellet ,
the box usually shows how to instert it.

the therm wax block side goes to the water jacket side, (away from the RAD)
this insures the stat always feels the engine collant heat of the water jackets.
then
the little hole off to the side must be forward and up hill , some of the newer kicks have an index mark on the housing to align to. 18L sport has that mark.
this is so all air can escape when cold.
burping becomes hard if hole is wrong.

spring/ pellet down, hole front.

[96 Suzuki Sidekick Sport]

Thanks, I'll check it out tomorrow.

Lets say there is air trapped because I may have the bleed hole on the bottom. Would this cause my problem, running cold? Or would the car over heat instead?

The stat on the 1.8 is sideways as opposed to the 1.6

So the side with the spring should be facing the engine. I think I got that right. Not sure about the bleed hole though, if I have it positioned on the bottom or top.

I'll let you know when I take it off.

[jtgh]

might have no effect all all on engine temperature (after all you have 70 -90% coolant in there. but it will cause the guage sensor to lie its booty off.
see, the sensor is useless touching air. it only works submerged.

oops you are correct stat, is horz. was looking at library db, as I have no 96 books
and the lib, Data is bull crappo.

but you want the bleed up and spring pellet to the rear inwater jacket side. (pump 1.8l)

key points here,
car is not overheating unless you see steam,some where.? or water jetting like mad to the overflow tank.
gauge will lie ,and is common as nails for them to do that.
id put it all back together and burp it good.

then when the guage reads wrong check all the water paths with a IR gun.
i bet it is not cold, but the guage is fibbing.

my top tank runs 180 f
the bottom runs 100f. ,an 80 deg drop across the rad.
the stat housing runs 170 to 180 depending on how long i idle it.

it would be a same to buy parts when the guage is wrong.
I never trust one,
a known working thermometer is far batter.

the IR gun is $10 (I have the $20 so i can go to 500 deg f.)
they are dead accurate. like 2deg.

[veggienft]

Sorry to interrupt. I live in Houston, TX. I have the same car (‘96 ‘zuki sidekick 1.8L sport), with a different temperature problem.

Driving with the A/C running, the gauge temperature stays proper, at 55%. But at idle, the gauge climbs. It hits 75%-80%. The A/C compressor turns off, and the A/C starts blowing hot air .......like the car is using the heater core for cooling the engine back down. When I start driving again, after a couple miles the gauge temperature lowers again, the A/C compressor kicks on, and the A/C starts blowing cold air.

I've used the heater-on method of dumping excess engine heat ......but manually. It would make sense that a smart car would do this in response to a clogged radiator.

Is a clogged radiator my problem? I've never heard of a car handling its own overheating problem like this.

I can pull the radiator myself. The plastic pans are attached with bendy tabs. Can I bend them back and rod the radiator myself? ......without breaking the tabs or the pans? If that's not possible, I'll order a new radiator .......if that's my problem.

..

[jtgh]

no man on earth ever did that and make it work the bend tab on plastic / alum radiator.
bless the one that proves me wrong !

i just put a nice brass rad in mine.

ok read my A/C page.

on this car , it has a smart ECU and smart logic module for the A/C
it is fool proof.
If the coolant goes over .235 Deg F, (or the sensor is bad) then the A/C clutch is dropped.
In fact there is this whole list of drop conditions,
even engine over load !
with a voltmeter (or test light < i hate test lights) one can find the problem easy.
see last schematic.
air-conditioner-repair

short list: ( AC cuts)
1: engine overload or WOT .
2: low Freon pressure or too high.
3: dash AC fan turned off or AC turned off
4:Evaporator coil in cab , frozen to a block of ice ( thermo sensor)
5: there might be other sensors, for front fan but not sure.

the manual does not talk too much about it , that front fan,
like when it must come on and under which conditions it goes off.
must have been a coffee break , write up , of manual time. ?


it is complex but first, find out what sensor is tripping with a volt meter attached to the
AC AMP. it is really a logic module and is not an AMP.

cheers