Riding on the beach in the sand for maybe half an hour and my temp gauge is just below the H!!! This is rediculous. Jeep didnt run this hot. Xterra didnt run this hot. I was going to bring it back for getting to hot before..... but it magically stoped doing it. Maybe its only long term drives or lots of stress or something. Does anyone know if the fan on these trucks is supose to be on all the time? Is it supose to go into a higher speed? I know some clutch fans can engage and disengage but mine always just runs whatever speed the engine does. Just wondering what they are supose to do.

 

What gear are you running in the sand? Too high of a gear can cause over heating. Whenever I am in anything soft, i.e. snow, mud, sand, ect. that the vehicle has trouble rolling through, I put it in low range. Not because I need the added traction, but because it makes the engine work less, and thus less chance of overheating.

 

We just got back from a southern Arizona trip in very remote area where the temperature was 107. Had the AC on all the time, driving slow ( 5 to 6 mph) in low range up and down hills on firm dirt and the gauge got about 1/8th inch below the red H mark. Do not know if this is normal or not. It did not over flow coolant and ran fine though I would have liked to see a lower reading. Has anyone here installed a tranny cooler? And how do you take the chrome grill off the get to the front of the radiator?

 

Hey Skeeet ..

The front grille comes off in about 5 mins...Get a 10MM socket preferably a 1/4 drive with a 6" extention and there are four bolts on top (two on both ends) and two through the grille, then once they are all off, tug on either end by the turn signals and the grill just pops right off.

 

I ran an hour straight, plus another hour on and off on the beach and dune roads in OBX. Temp never got that high. I was in 4 High and in 3rd gear as a high. I run synthetic oil, don't know if that helps.

 

It was a 100..this past weekend and I was in stop and go traffic for a couple of hours running around..Temp gauge was and always is no more than a red pubic hair above the half mark.

 

STAY THE HELL OUT OF MY PANTS AND GO BUY YOURSELF A RULER . . . .[sm=chairshot.gif]

 

yea i switched to synthetic too. and i was in low range. Anyone tow anything heavy with one of these yet for a long distance? Maybe i'll get an oil cooler.

 

got carried away and forgot to answer your question. although it's on an H2, i'm adding an extra tranny cooler. the stock one is about the size of a wallet, and since i don't need the heat from the radiator to warm the tranny fluid, i'll be plugging the heat exchanger part. i don't know if there are any aftermarket "made to fit" kits, but i'm using a Hayden 404 (any Kragen/autozone should have them). it's 3/4" thick, 7.5" H and 15.5" wide. i won't be cutting any lines, i got some hydraulic NPT connectors and braided hose to add on to the system, that way if i have an issue later i can return it to stock without worrying about warranty. it won't be pretty, but since i tow a camper, and will be playing in the sand at Pismo next weekend, it should help.

when we were in Death Valley a few months ago one of the H3s noticed temp going above normal, but nothing close to the max. my temp has never gone above 245, but even that high is worrisome.

 

did you really need to be in 4W low? I only used that when I climbed some dunes and went thru an insane water pit.