Yo guys, i bought the SSRA a couple months ago and now that it is getting warmer out i have noticed the car runnign hotter. the needle used to be around 185 or so, but now especially in traffic it is reaching 210. i know the car was going to run hotter but i thought it was not as much as the FTRA system. they say since it is that abs plastic then it reduces the heat. i am just wondering because it has been i nthe 70s, i want to know what happens when it is 90s

 

i never noticed my temp going up...

i mean you ARE sitting in traffic..that has a big impact on it.

maybe it's time for a coolant flush

 

Coolant has been done 2 times since i have had the car. Thermostat ?? Only 47k on it but it is a 98. yeah usually when traffic is crawling it goes up. usually when i get driving again, it goes down. if it goes past 210 then i am going to worry. just had the car at work and in the air, nothing leaking. maybe i'll get a new thermie

 

it shouldn't climb much past that....the cooling fans should be kickin on at that temp.

you could get a fan switch

 

This might be a bit of a guess on my part, but doesn't the SSRA steal some of the air that normally goes through the radiator? This would make the engine run a little warmer through driving conditions and reach higher temps in traffic faster. As an experiment, you should try taking the lower section off and running the upper half only for a few days to see if it still happens. No point in guessing where the problem is until you do that much. As far as I know, I'd doubt it'd be the t-stat considering the way it works - it's either open or closed (not really an inbetween). If it wasn't opening, you're engine would overheat in under 10 minutes.

 

The SSRA should not impede radiator air flow at all if installed correctly.

 

You sure about that???

http://store5.yimg.com/I/macewenmoto...s_1785_9721959

 

It angles away from the radiator, and mounts to the bottom of the front fascia.

 

Don't kid yourself. Anything you put in front of the radiator will impeded air flow and cooling to some degree. At the same time, the stock system is up to the challenge even with a FTRA or SSRA installed. If you find you are running a little too hot, install and 160 stat with a fan switch or fan programming.

 

when you install the ssra you remove the radiator shrouds. wouldn't those impede air flow too ?? i am not going to worry about it now. when it gets warmer out and it climbs past 210 then i will fish out a problem. i will try takign the lower scoop off and see if there is any change

 

My 01 z28 always runs at 200-210. Even when driving on the freeway or sitting in traffic. It never moves up or down. Even with the SLP ram air.

 

mine also was running at 210 even on the open highway with the ssra, if i install my slp fan switch will that really lower it?

 

Well if your running on a highway say 60 65 mph your car should be runnin around 200 or lower i'd imagine, mine does but when in heavy traffic that SLP fan switch comes in handy and that 160 stat she runs cool everywhere, you could try it and see if you notice a difference. i sure did, in town driving though.

 

I think the 00 and newer cars are programmed to just hit a certian temp and stay there until there is a dramatic increase. Mine is the same way.

 

98 cars are the only ones with real temp gauges. 99-02 cars were designed differently so they don't move from about 180-226. You can do a search and probably see more about it. Here's a website that talks about it a little.link

As for the original poster's problem. Your fans shouldn't even turn on until somewhere around 200 so as long as it cools off once you're moving and it doesn't get above about 220 while sitting in traffic I think you're okay.