is my e30 cooling efficiently?

[steelynorm]

So here is the situation:
95 degrees outside, car is idling and not moving, no A/C.

Temperature needle creeps past 12o clock and then right before it gets to 3/4 aux fan kicks on and cools car below half way mark.

Is my coolant system running efficiently, should temperatures climb with no air movement in 95 degree temperatures?

Also is there a source for the 3 prong plug that fits into the coolant sensor on the radiator, mine has pretty much disintegrated.

[glnr13]

Fan clutch failure (thermocoupler)

[steelynorm]

Fan clutch work intermittently?

Is it possible?
I got the engine almost to 3/4 and aux fan kicked on, pulled into driveway popped hood and looked at fan, it looked like it was not moving very fast. UPS walks up to hand me a letter, i open letter take out contents and figure i will use the UPS letter on the fan which looks to be moving along quite nicely now. I try to stop the fan and the fan seems to be spinning fast and is not going to stop unless I jam the cardboard UPS letter in there.
I thought I was imagining things. Could the fan suddenly start to work in that one to two minute time span?

[e30davie]

Once the engine is up to operating temperature the thermostat and thermo coupler on the fan should keep the engine temperature within ~5 degrees regardless of what you are doing.

I'd say your thermostat could be a bit lazy too. Worth replacing it and giving the engine and radiator a flush if you dont know when it was last done.

[TobyB]

Yes, the fan clutch can work intermittently.

I'd start there- you have classic fan clutch failure symptoms...

t

[Das Delfin]

Mine will go up to 3/4 waiting in the drive thru after a bit on the highway in 85-95 degree weather but never goes past. No electric or aux fan, stock but brand new radiator

The aux fan is designed to kick on low at 3/4 and high once it's in the red, so that part is working fine. It's also designed to turn on if you press the snowflake button. There is another temp sensor you can get that turns the aux fan on low at half and high at 3/4

[Kershaw]

I'd replace the fan clutch like mentioned. You shouldn't need the aux fan in an e30.

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