running hot?

[jbond0076]

1995 D1. temperature guage shows perfect (except when running the AC), but she seems to be hotter than normal. oil dipstick way too hot to touch after 25 mile drive.
Should I be nervous about taking the family on a 12 hour drive both ways?
(thermostat is new, fan clutch is new...)

 

[GotRovr]

with my 96 D1 I often need to limit the AC on long uphill grades when fully loaded

Is your radiator original? Has it been recored or flushed within the last 6 years?

 

[jbond0076]

recored no, but flushed yes. Thanks.

 

[flyfisher11]

If you are going to go on that long trip I'd advise at least getting a direct reading guage, scangauge, or OBDII reader that reads realtime coolant temp. The stock "gauge" in your truck basically reads; cool/medium/too late.

www.scangauge.com

 

[German Gr?ner]

You need to check Radiator core.The thing with AC reinforces our theory... More thermal charge, insufficient cooling then more temp.
The stock gauge is not useful in order to detect small temperature changes, and It doesn't protect the engine against damage in fall anything goes suddenly bad... You have to have luck to look at it just in the moment...
This scangauge seems to come with some light alarm, I think is a good measure.

Regards

 

[jeffro0502]

That temp gauge should stay put in the middle....mine 96 did, even when trekking through AR in the mountains in August with the A/C blasting. The only time I've ever had a gauge move from the middle is a stuck thermostat on my 03 that I caught just after it started to move, and once on my 96 when it was time for a new radiator. Fortunately both times I caught; had my wife been driving either of them would not have been so lucky.

 

[German Gr?ner]

In Diesel Discos the problem is worse because the gauge is the same, but the sensor is another, not really ideal to work together with the instrument.
I constructed my own alarm light that works approx in the same way the "fuel reserve light" does, using "Check engine" light.
It saved my head gasket two times.

Regards