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Engine Bay Temperature

Yahoo Message Number: 115268
Has anyone found a way to monitor the engine bay temperature? I have a 2006 Intrigue with a cat C13 and would like to know what the temperature runs well driving
Thank You
Jim Norgren
2006 Intrigue- Cat C13

Re: Engine Bay Temperature

Reply #1 –
Yahoo Message Number: 115269
I watch "engine intake temp" on my SilverLeaf. It generally runs about 10-20F greater than ambient temp. Also, if it ever exceeds 30F over ambient, you are on your way to getting hot, be on alert for engine coolant temp rising.

Greg
06 Magna

2006 Magna Rembrandt C13
2016 Jeep GC toad

Re: Engine Bay Temperature

Reply #2 –
Yahoo Message Number: 115271
Hell, just go to Walmart and buy a home temperature sender with a remote outdoor sensor and put it in your engine bay. I did that for years in my inverter Bay before moving my inverter to a sane location



Re: Engine Bay Temperature

Reply #3 –
Yahoo Message Number: 115272
Hell...want your engine room to run cooler in the summer ?

Remove the full width MFG advertising mud flap. Tested and proved to be worthless.

cc5851

Re: Engine Bay Temperature

Reply #4 –
Yahoo Message Number: 115273
That's a Band-Aid my buddy tried. All band-aids . If you have a wax manual fan controller and a good copper core radiator your good to go.

Re: Engine Bay Temperature

Reply #5 –
Yahoo Message Number: 115274
Brian's right. Just need a wax valve and nice steel radiator. I would only add, keep that nice radiator clean, wash it annually and you are good to go.

Greg
06 Magna

2006 Magna Rembrandt C13
2016 Jeep GC toad

Re: Engine Bay Temperature

Reply #6 –
Yahoo Message Number: 115275
Still waiting on a indicator that will tell me if the fan is on.

Wally & Elta Mae
2007Allure 470 Sunset Bay #31535

Re: Engine Bay Temperature

Reply #7 –
Yahoo Message Number: 115276
The fan is always on! They can be inhibited if the fluid gets dirty, and they're in fact is the problem. I have not found anybody that can service these units in the US. They are German made and you have to get them from England and they take 3 months to get them so take good care of your fluid and pray a lot. I have experienced all the heat problems you can have but found once everything was corrected and working properly I ran at 185 degrees consistently except on hills where will climb to 200 keeping the RPMs up



Re: Engine Bay Temperature

Reply #8 –
Yahoo Message Number: 115278
Just for the record: intake air temp is unrelated to engine bay temp. The reason intake is hotter than ambient air is that it's been through the turbo, which is a) very hot anyway and b) compresses the air, which heats it considerably. This is what the charge air cooler (the second radiator) is for - it cools that heated intake air before it gets into the engine.

Don Hutchins
'08 Allure 470 #31613
Don Hutchins
'08 Allure 470 #31613
40' w/tag, Cat C-9 & Cat tranny

Re: Engine Bay Temperature

Reply #9 –
Yahoo Message Number: 115279
Good point Don, the intake air temp is downstream of turbo so technically unrelated to engine bay temp. I just use it as a general proxy of the temperatures back there. When everything is operating correctly, I can subtract 15-20F from the intake air temperature and that will be outside ambient temperature. That is not all that important in itself, as I can look at my phone weather app for that. More important is the differential between ambient air temperature and intake air temperature. If that exceeds 30-35F, one is on his way to an overheat situation. It shows all the cooling systems (radiator and CAC) are beginning to lose the battle. I only saw this a couple of times on my coach and that was back before my wax valve. Since the wax, I have never seen that differential over 30F. Anyway, that differential is an easy thing to watch going down the road and a good indicator of the effectiveness of your cooling system at the time.

We are all lucky though that Country Coach has over-engineered the radiator/CAC/fan cooling system (notwithstanding the over complex Sauer Danfoss temp control unit), and our coaches run considerably cooler (190F) than others( at least they do with Source Engineering thermal wax valve!).

Greg
06 Magna

2006 Magna Rembrandt C13
2016 Jeep GC toad

Re: Engine Bay Temperature

Reply #10 –
Yahoo Message Number: 115282
So, this is another moment when a light bulb comes on over my head. If I start the coach and look in the engine compartment the fan will be on, is that true. I have the wax valve, also I have the SilverLeaf VMSPC version.

Wally & Elta Mae
2007Allure 470 Sunset Bay #31535

Re: Engine Bay Temperature

Reply #11 –
Yahoo Message Number: 115283
I too had the wax valve installed.
Standard installation the fan runs on the intermediate speed on start up. So can take awhile for engine to warm up.
Their is a removable orifice that reduces fan speed when engine cold. But I was told they don't like to remove this orifice because if the AC is turned on before the engine reaches a certain temperature (185 ?)
It could blow your AC evaporator.
So I'm leaving mine alone.
I have noticed a drop in MPG post wax valve. Thinking fan is always running on intermediate speed.
But I'll take that over running too warm. Which mine experienced (118) once.

Kent. 05 Allure 400 ISL. 31281

Re: Engine Bay Temperature

Reply #12 –
Yahoo Message Number: 115284
Source Engineering says with their wax valve the fan should be at 800 RPM when cold and go as high as 2200 when hot. I have never checked mine with instrument, but it sounds about like that.

Greg
06 Magna

2006 Magna Rembrandt C13
2016 Jeep GC toad

Re: Engine Bay Temperature

Reply #15 –
Yahoo Message Number: 115287
That's the danger of reading forums. Someone is always posting a link to a tool that I don't seem to have...

Concur with the metal radiator/wax valve/clean fluids/filter and annual cleaning of the radiator. I also noted a drop in temperature when I shifted to Final Charge coolant. ISL, so my temperatures are different then the CAT's. We seem to run all day at a little above the thermostats opening temp. About 187-189. On long hill climbs, in hot temperatures (Say I17 North from Phoenix to Flagstaff with 113 outside temperature.) - the engine temps will get close to 200. (I usually do these kinds of runs with the OTR AC off, and generator on, and roof AC's running.)

I also find at the end of long hot day of driving, that a cool adult beverage does wonders on my personal temperature:)!

Best to all,
Smitty
04 Allure 31017
04 Allure Sold to a nice new owner! Now enjoying a 07 Magna Rembrandt 45' ISX600 #6775
"We're ONDROAD for THEJRNY!" (Toad and Coach license plates, say Hi if you see us!)

Re: Engine Bay Temperature

Reply #16 –
Yahoo Message Number: 115288
Whoops. Meant I had a high temp once of 218. Post wax valve with OTR AC on, the engine temp never exceeds 208.

Re: Engine Bay Temperature

Reply #17 –
Yahoo Message Number: 115289
I use Cummins Organic acid treatment coolant fluid. The red stuff. After installing the scientific systems wax valve my operating temp dropped about 8 degrees. When I climb17 out of Phoenix on a 100+ degree day my temps push up to just over 193 degrees or so, pulling my CRV and weighing 40,000lbs . I too have a ISL 400. Its nice seeing the temps never approaching 210 or more as with the Dan fauss controller. There were 3 different occasions when I had to crawl under the coach and disconnect the DF controller to keep the temps down. Once going up the Grape Vine, Once on highway 17 and once going from Larime to Cheyenne. I'm glad that is no longer an issue. 5or 6 controllers during the first 11 years was a pain in the neck even if I only had to pay for half of them. Also my gas milage increased with the wax valve. Its pretty hard to get less than 8mpg now at normal speed of 63-65 un less climbing steep grades as from Durango to Silverton over Red Mt pass to Ouray. Then its about 7.5 Mpg. TWInsall 2004 Intrigue 42' 11731.

Re: Engine Bay Temperature

Reply #18 –
Yahoo Message Number: 115292
(Electric window awnings) The small electric awning on bedroom window of my 06 Magna would not retract, there is no way to manually close it, had to remove it, does anyone know of a place that rebuilds those motors, it is a 120V-60hz-1.3A 15Nm-18rpm made by Simu/Somfy.

Re: Engine Bay Temperature

Reply #19 –
Yahoo Message Number: 115293
(Forgive this mini Hijacking question:)!)

Thomas,

Is our 04 Intrigue with he ISL400, a VGT era? Or, did you get towards the end of the CAPS era ISL's as I did with our Allure (ISL370, now Cummins reprogramed to ISL400.).

More 'Hmmmmm' info like question, then anything else. We feel we're doing well, with now running around 7.85-7.9MPG. Smaller 40', and with our CRV we're running between 37-38.5K pounds (Depending upon gear we take.) going down the road.

I've noted others with the VGT era's sweeter HP/Torque Curb Bands - seem to get a bit better MPG then the CAPS real ISL's. So, adding to my base of thinking this must be so:)!

TIA,
Smitty
04 Allure 31017
04 Allure Sold to a nice new owner! Now enjoying a 07 Magna Rembrandt 45' ISX600 #6775
"We're ONDROAD for THEJRNY!" (Toad and Coach license plates, say Hi if you see us!)

Re: Engine Bay Temperature

Reply #20 –
Yahoo Message Number: 115294
So sorry to ask this, someone sent me a link for a digital thermometer and I am unable to locate it. Would that person be kind enough to resend it.....

Wally & Elta Mae
2007Allure 470 Sunset Bay #31535

Re: Engine Bay Temperature

Reply #23 –
Yahoo Message Number: 115302
OK, now I have questions. In order to use use this; I would have the engine compartment open, apply a reflective piece of tape to the fan blade. I would then start the engine and measure the fan speed. This would give me a reading of the rpms of the fan at a low motor rpm. How do I measure the fan rpms when we are going down the road? I already have the coolant temperature from the SilverLeaf, can I use this information in conjunction with the gauge. Once again, I have the Wax valve.

Wally & Elta Mae
2007Allure 470 Sunset Bay #31535

Re: Engine Bay Temperature

Reply #24 –
Yahoo Message Number: 115303
Tape cardboard over the radiator grill. Go out and drive the coach till the gauges on the transmission and engine both get close to 200 degrees return, stop and remeasure. Then pull the cover off and place the coach in high idle the temps should drop rapidly. Remember if the wax valve fails the fan goes to high speed if not you might have a fan issue. TWInsall 2004 Intrigue 11731