Lowering oil/water temps by using the blower

[dombat]

In the "Race" section it says "if you have a heater blower motor then turn it on if temps start to rise as this will also aid in the cooling."

I presume this means have the heater on hot and the motor running? How does this work?

On a 130mile trip to Wales the other day my oil was approaching 100c and when I got to my destination the expansion tank was virtually to the top. Is this a worry or just normal temp after a long fast motorway trip?

 

[ashills]

by using the heater you take some of the heat away from the engine coolant water so will lower running temps slightly

 

[Fast Guy]

The heater in the car is just a smaller version of the car's radiator. It cools a small part of the coolant to heat the interior. It does work to a degree, but if you are planning on running that hot regularly, a larger radiator would be a safer option.

 

[stumo]

If your oil was 100c then that's ok.

If you need to run with your heater fan on to keep the engine cool then you've got a problem with the radiator...it's probibly partially blocked (or you got another problem).

The water level in the expansion tank will go up and down depending on how much the water has expanded**.



**As water heats up it expands, it's pressurised by the cap so that the boiling point is raised, the excess water goes into the expansion tank. When the water cools it contracts sucking the water from the tank back into the engine.