Car overheated right after I got off the freeway?

[E30_Narek]

I was driving back home on the freeway yesterday and since I have a 4.10 diff, my RPMs are pretty high on the freeway. I decided that I should push the car a bit and my RPMs were at 4k+ most of the time on the way home. The temperature was fine while I was on the freeway (needle on the first line) and as soon as I got off, the needle hit the middle. As I got closer to home, the needle was getting closer to the third line. I've driven on the freeway before and this hasn't happened before. I pulled over, turned the car off for a few minutes then started it again. The temperature slowly decreased back to the first line. Is this because I was pushing the car too much? Would an electric fan help with this situation? I don't lose/leak any coolant, oil doesn't mix with my coolant, I have a new water pump, new radiator hoses, a new radiator, a new thermostat, and a new heater hose. What could the problem be?

[jlevie]

A rise in temperature under those conditions is to be expected, but not as much as you saw. I'd suspect a weak fan clutch.

[E30_Narek]

A rise in temperature under those conditions is to be expected, but not as much as you saw. I'd suspect a weak fan clutch.

That's what I was thinking, I'm probably going to just get an electric fan.

[ak-]

For your stock motor, a new clutch fine is just as efficient if not better in my opinion.

[E30_Narek]

For your stock motor, a new clutch fine is just as efficient if not better in my opinion.

I feel an electric fan would be more reliable if I had the manual switch to turn it on. I'll just turn it on when stuck in traffic, then turn it off when going 40+.

[jlevie]

The fan clutch is really a better solution. Like the rest of the cooling system it is due for replacement every 100k.

[Navarone]

When you're jamming along on the freeway you're heat soaking the transmission, it'll take a while to cool off all that metal and oil since the manual has no oil cooler.

[efficient]

When you're jamming along on the freeway you're heat soaking the transmission, it'll take a while to cool off all that metal and oil since the manual has no oil cooler.

Huh?

[LJ851]

When you're jamming along on the freeway you're heat soaking the transmission, it'll take a while to cool off all that metal and oil since the manual has no oil cooler.

Put the pipe down, dude.

[Cayoncrusier93]

When you're jamming along on the freeway you're heat soaking the transmission, it'll take a while to cool off all that metal and oil since the manual has no oil cooler.

It all makes sense now guys! So what you need to do is buy the fan so you can cool the heat soaked transmisson which will then lower coolant temp!!! Wtf?
Fan clutch +1

[dnguyen1963]

The dude is "technically" correct. The transmission should get warmer after a spirited drive, but this small increase in temp should not contribute to the OP's problem.

[Dj Buttchug]

lol @ trans comment. Op check your fan clutch like previously stated.

[E30_Narek]

lol @ trans comment. Op check your fan clutch like previously stated.

I checked it, seems to be working fine. When I flick it while the car's off, it doesn't move much. Anyways, I've ordered the electric fan. It was only $35 so if it doesn't really help much I can always just put the clutch fan back.

EDIT: I'm mainly getting an electric fan because my temps are too inconsistent right now. When I'm stopped, the temps move up to between first and middle line, then when I'm moving it goes down to the first line. Every 30 or so miles it hits the middle and stays there for a few minutes, then every once in a while it stays below the first line. I'm really not too sure what causes this but I'm positive an electric fan would help keep it much cooler than the fan clutch.

[LJ851]

I checked it, seems to be working fine. When I flick it while the car's off, it doesn't move much. Anyways, I've ordered the electric fan. It was only $35 so if it doesn't really help much I can always just put the clutch fan back.

EDIT: I'm mainly getting an electric fan because my temps are too inconsistent right now. When I'm stopped, the temps move up to between first and middle line, then when I'm moving it goes down to the first line. Every 30 or so miles it hits the middle and stays there for a few minutes, then every once in a while it stays below the first line. I'm really not too sure what causes this but I'm positive an electric fan would help keep it much cooler than the fan clutch.

The electric fan will not help keep it cooler than a functioning fan clutch.

Your temps vary because you have a non original thermostat in the car or a faulty one. The way the stock setup (properly functioning) works is that the thermostat opens just below the halfway mark on the gauge and the fan clutch turns on right about at the middle of the gauge. This gives you a very stable needle because if extra cooling happens (highway speed airflow) the thermo closes and keeps the temp up and if the temp starts to climb , the fan engages more and and keeps the temp down. If you put a colder thermostat in, highway speed airflow will drop the temp to the thermo close point which might be the first line and so your gauge will move up and down as you describe.

A faulty thermostat (not flowing properly) will keep the fan clutch from engaging at all since the fan is turned on by the radiator heat.

To test the fan clutch, get the engine hot and stick a rolled up newspaper into the fan. If you can stop it, it is not engaging.

[G-Man the Visionary]

When you're jamming along on the freeway you're heat soaking the transmission, it'll take a while to cool off all that metal and oil since the manual has no oil cooler.

+1

My tranny is always making things hot hot hot ;D