Guys,
My TM always seems to be running hot, but not overheating. I don't know if it is related to my 'engine racing' issue in another thread but it always seems to be hot inside the car and when I get out it seems quite hot to walk past. The cooling fans seem to start ok and often after i turn the car off they will still run, adding to what i was saying about the engine running hot. Any ideas what could be causing this?

Tools

TP had the same problem, turned out the flap on the heater box wasn't sealing properly and hot air would enter the cabin all the time. Some new foam strip on the flap and an adjustment of the linkages fixed it.

First gens did keep the fan running even with the engine off and the key out.

Hot air tends to stream out from under the car when you walk around it, quite normal after a drive.

Remember 80% of the energy in petrol is lost as heat, it has to go somewhere . . . . .

As long as the gauge doesn't go above half way, is stable, you don't lose coolant and the fans come on at the right time, it is nothing to worry about.

could be a faulty thermostat

worse case scenario ( this is my current problem at least ) head gasket needs replacing, but check thermo and heater as the guys above mentioned, on occasion though, i'll let mine sit and tick over, somedays it remains cold, other days it gets up to half, once in a blue moon, over half. ( for sake of not cooking it, have not run it for a few weeks, waiting on gasket kit to show up ) being i redone the head, and timing etc all at once, can guarantee mine is gasket needs replacing. not necessarily the case with yours, but perhaps worth a check if thermo and everything else is ok.

Thanks for the replies guys. I certainly do feel some heat from the vents even when the heater is off but it seems to be warmer than that . I have had the car for 23 years and it never used to feel hot outside like it does now. I might change the thermo and back flush the radiator on the weekend and report back if there is any difference.

Tools

Should have also said that I replaced the head gasket a couple of years ago (there is another thread about that expedition!) so I don't anticipate that is the problem. Still has plenty of power , no air bubbles, no milky oil etc.

tools

i would check the bottem rad hose may be old and collapsing slowing down the water flow

Guys,
My TM always seems to be running hot, but not overheating. I don't know if it is related to my 'engine racing' issue in another thread but it always seems to be hot inside the car and when I get out it seems quite hot to walk past. The cooling fans seem to start ok and often after i turn the car off they will still run, adding to what i was saying about the engine running hot. Any ideas what could be causing this?

Tools

if your TM is earlier than '86, then this is a feature of the car... leaded TMs had fan run-on feature that kept the fans on for a few minutes after the ignition was turned off.

could be the radiator is blocking up, be thankful yours gets hot mine never does unless its over a 26deg day

Well I pulled out the radiator and flushed it thoroughly in both directions, replaced the thermostat and the the radiator cap. A couple of days later the top hose blew So I replaced both top and bottom hoses and refilled with coolant. But it still feels hotter than it ever has, and the needle moves more than it ever has. Having said that it only goes up about 1/3, but it never used to do that. There is something amiss but I just can't work it out.

Tools

if your TM is earlier than '86, then this is a feature of the car... leaded TMs had fan run-on feature that kept the fans on for a few minutes after the ignition was turned off.

It was built in 85 so fits in to this category. Did they run on for a certain time or is it temperature controlled. Again, it never used to run on as it does now.

Tools

i think it's predefined time for run-on, but temperature controls if they run-on or not.

It's there due to some crapola with the carby - cant remember why at this point in time.

It was built in 85 so fits in to this category. Did they run on for a certain time or is it temperature controlled. Again, it never used to run on as it does now.

Tools

Had Nissans and Fords from that era and they had similar setups with electric fans. Engines get hotter once they are shutdown and i guess it is there to prevent possible damage and for maybe an easier restart soon afterwards. Vee

Well I was driving home on the last two nights and had a bit of steam coming from under the lid. That was after driving for less than 10 minutes at low speeds. I opened the bonnet last night and the top radiator hose was under quite a bit of pressure, as if the thermostat hadn't opened, yet it was replaced quite recently. I assume the coolant runs out from the top of the radiator. What are the implications if I take out the thermostat and see how things go for a few days?

Tools

The only time my TP Magna has ever overheated was when the head gasket went (about eight or nine years ago). It didn't show the classic head gasket trouble signs at first either. Just to complicate things, the excessive heat cooked the thermostat and jammed it in the closed position.

Hopefully your car's problems are something a bit cheaper.

taking the thermostat out to see if it fixes the issue isnt a big problem in the short term but can also be deceiving. ide just replace it with the lowest temp one for the car (86 Celsius or something like that). problem is with no thermostat it wont get up to running temp and pressurise so there is a good chance it cant exhibit the problem unless its that bad that it still overheats. even if the cap is not that old ide replace it and the thermostat then see what happens. shouldn't cost much over $30 for the pair. no point taking the thermostat housing off twice then having to bleed it twice ect.

I did about 25km twice on the freeway yesterday then sat in peak hour traffic for half an hour and had no problems. This is frustrating the hell out of me!

Does your thermo fan cut in an out while its idling when up to operating temp?? If so then don't worry about it 1/3 is nothing to worry about!! Vee