Car overheating while engine is off

[Amf3ar]

Hi,

my vitara (CAMI, 1.6L, 8v, EFI, 1993) after parked with engine off, shows coolant temperature going high...
The temp gauge is at the normal position (hot).
Engine off.
After 10sec if I turn the key, the temp gauge went up over normal.
If I start the engine it goes down (maybe cause the water pump is working...).

- water pump is new
- thermostat is new (82 celsius)
- rad is new

How is that possible? Is there a way to fix it?
I know sidekicks/vitara/trackers have a viscous fan clutch and not an electric one that keeps running when engine is off...but I dont think
an engine overheating while off is normal...

Any tips?

Thanks in advantage!

[fixkick]

Hi,

my vitara (CAMI, 1.6L, 8v, EFI, 1993) after parked with engine off, shows coolant temperature going high...
The temp gauge is at the normal position (hot).
Engine off.
After 10sec if I turn the key, the temp gauge went up over normal.
If I start the engine it goes down (maybe cause the water pump is working...).

- water pump is new
- thermostat is new (82 celsius)
- rad is new

How is that possible? Is there a way to fix it?
I know sidekicks/vitara/trackers have a viscous fan clutch and not an electric one that keeps running when engine is off...but I dont think
an engine overheating while off is normal...

Any tips?

Thanks in advantage!

hello
yes,, that  is normal heat soak.
a big engine sure will get too hot stopped.
but not until 260f @ 50% AF. mix.

its normal that, all that excess hot metal works it way to the coolant, stalled.
yes new cars have electric fans that turn on as you shop for beer at 7/11. stalled key in pocket.

1.6L nah , no need.
if the engine does not overheat idle at a long red stop light you are ok for sure hot summer day.  (the fan gets stiff now and cools it)


cheers to you  and good luck !

[Amf3ar]

Uh so nothing to worry about right?
Thank you very much for your clarification!
I think I will put on my steel 4-1 exhaust mainfold.
Tried that for some days...temps in engine bay are lower...just need something to decrease that sound lol

Thanks again and keep going with this great forum!!

[fixkick]

Uh so nothing to worry about right?
Thank you very much for your clarification!
I think I will put on my steel 4-1 exhaust mainfold.
Tried that for some days...temps in engine bay are lower...just need something to decrease that sound lol

Thanks again and keep going with this great forum!!

my overheating page covers this,  hope me.
not boiling over,
50% AF ratio right?
no steam.
no leaks.
no pinging of engine under load (for sure up hills)
no dash TEMP gage acting not (wild fluctuations are air pockets all bad that)
no steam blasting in to overflow bottle. 
the overflow bottle is say 1/2 fill every cold start in the AM. Just before first start up, level is same all week long, good that is means engine not eating up AF.
eating means burning AF and blowing it out tail pipe end. (bad head gaskets or cracked head/block)

SOAK is totally unrelated to driving.
soak is normal, all engine do that. get hotter turned off, (at first) a factor of thermal dynamics, this.
on some cars it is very bad, not this car but others, for sure like turbo cars or other very high compression engines or other that run super hot thermostats.
 
Reason:
"In physics, the second law of thermodynamics says that heat flows naturally from an object at a higher temperature to an object at a lower temperature, and heat doesn’t flow in the opposite direction of its own accord."

the heads (1 or more) the combustion chambers are super hot so when you stop the engine dead(key off) that stored heat there moves to the water jackets
and now you see heat soak effects, most folks do not after all they are key off (blind) and shopping.

I'd worry all the above not not soak. not on this simple engine. (not turbo charged or head milled to 15:1 CR, see that done wow bad)

I think it is ok.

[fixkick]

soak is related only when engine really is overheated
that is why the manuals on cars tell you not to turn off engine that over heats (unless must) it tells you to idle it and see if gage drops. if yes do that. if not?, not.

so the soak does not go so high it warps the head.
but that assumes some water remains in the block , sometimes none is there NOW, like a lower rad hose blew up and all coolant is now gone. (cut key me)
what fails matter always. parked or at 80MPH up will towing 1000lbs or bricks.

[fixkick]

lots of things to worry any old car.
for sure leaks brakes, , then any fluid leaks for sure not in control or gear boxes dry.
ECU caps bad.
front crank pulley 17mm hex head bolt not set to 94ft/lbs.
park rats eating wires, oh boy.
caliper parts seized piston or slider pins rusted, (not ever on a real jeep our are SST in Teflon sleeves)
ball joint hear hard failure. wiggle test them.
fuel leaks,
fan belts frayed.
all hoses now rutted to death,
thermosat over 7 years old (CEO of STANT said life span that)

[Amf3ar]

Thanks alot for all those info!
Well...this is what I've done on my car:
- newthermostat (82 celsius)
- new Radiator
- new sparks and spark wires
- new hoses
- new belts
- new water pump
No overheating problems except the car seems to start 3cylinders (cold) and the rpm, after going to 1800 suddently drop to 750...even at cold starts...
The car runs well when warmed up.
- replaced the whole intake mainfold (the old one was leaking water...)
After the intake replacement I now have temp gauge showing highter temp (still no at the center of it but close) ...higther that the old intake.
The new (used) intake had his own sensors on it (air, water and gauge).
Can this be the cause of that problem (temp highter that before)?
About the fast cold idle...I just read some tipo on this great forum...should I check IAC if I remember well..

[fixkick]

that is misfiring, old distrib cap and rotor;./?
the dash gauges are not accurate, even no numbers there,  it is just to show , oops seems too hot.

what did the new intake manifold com off of.  (many have different sensors, for sure non USA cars.) for SURE ECT wrong,

93" 8v is in what country? vitaras sold all over earth and not the same (in the manual for nonUSA cars, 3 more engine types (1,2,3) AND DIFFERNT parts.
I can not help lacking country or VIN code. (put xxxxxx for last digits serial)  out side USA VIN plate is on fire wall next to battery , some are blue. plates.
The parts for suzuki must match country, for sure. (for sure all sensors and all EFI parts , all)


yes the 1800 RPM first start RPM hot or cold is ok for sure cold , see that TBI ,throttle body see the left rear corner DP (dashpot) see it extend started, that is the
short time 5 to 15 second super fast cold start, this is for smog, it burns up the lake of fuel, that nasty TBI does in the intake main TB base port( dinky plenum)., (unlike MPI)
The ECU does that it opens the DP up, and then retracts it fast. all do that, ever one but is less hot started at 82c. but still does.
IAC has no wires !
then IAC (thermal sets air flow until 150F  is reached) RPM code under IAC controls vary by temp but is 1200-1500 RPM out side Iceland.
then at 150F the IAC closes, no more air from it, then ISC (2 wires) runs idle at 750 to 850rpm and regulates , so well even shifting to DRIVE it holds 800rpm like a rock.
or turn on blower and headlamps same time hot engine 82c and see RPM hold at 800 (or 750 the dash gauges is not this accurate)

What trans do you have.
?vitara (CAMI, 1.6L, 8v, EFI, 1993)  2door or 4door, 4wd or 2wd,  , trans is?
country "canada": licensed? new?

The misfire you hear can be (3cylinders = misfire gross)
means many times, the IAC is dead.
lacking proper air , it misfires, (less air and over injects cold only)
then the old owner to hides that gross error, and he goes to the TBI front idle bleed screw and CCW turns that sucker to get an  idle that will not stall. (one cause of many)
The IAC is not easy to test,  it is a pure thermal device.

seen here. (my tests all) on more than one. (bench tested by me, to see exactly what it does and how much, -10F is in my freezer (wife at work, hehehehe)
those are not C temps, but F only. USA imperial malarkey.  if bad IAC portion , ECU goes bit wacky.

[fixkick]

if cold start goes, 1800 rpm and you see DP retracs with eye balls, in say 15seconds and last  RPM is  at 750 ,then that IAC is 100% dead.

correct would be 1800 for 15sec then 1200 (about) then after water hit 150f , 750 to 850 RPM regulated ISC.
note the 3 phases there. not 2.
the 2 high numbers are based on water temps at first cold start
when engine hot there are 2 RPM.
ISC is off line hot.
say 1200 then 750  hot. 2 steps phases.
we get used to this fast once the cars engine runs right, all do that every TBI made.

[Amf3ar]

The dashpot retracts too fast.. About in 4-5 seconds.
After that, rpm stay on 1100-1200.
If I press gas pedal (just an hit) they go to to 750-800.
I tried another dashpot with no luck.
Can be a TPS problem too? Cause a mechanic removed it too clean the TB... dunno if he put it on again in the right position...