1995 C4 Corvette. Overheating engine shut off
So I bought my 16 year old son a cool car, classic 1995 Corvette and its been in the shop more than he has been able to drive it. Mechanic struggling to get the car from overheating. replaced the radiator, water pump, sensors and therm. Took it for test run with him with computer hooked up to test the gauges. Freeway, ran sweet with a temp of 186. Took side streets back to shop and overheated at 265 and engine shut off and fluid leaking out of res. Had to have it towed since the computer shut off the engine. What is causing this crazy situation? Anyone???
typical C4 problem my 94 Coupe doesnt go that high about 225-230 . It's troublesome. I bought a progam to that would allow me to change fan on temps, not much help. Big issue, the radiator gets air bound because of the low location, drilled two 1/16 holes opposit each other in the thermostat it stopped the high temp overheat around town. Mine sat for three years, last for me is a chemical and machine rad flush. Frustrating, love the car. When the AC is on the low temp fan should run on start up, don't know wether its low air flow in traffic or not enough circulation. My last step would be to dill and tap the mainifold and make a water crossover between the rear cylinder banks. Worked on my on my Offshore Race engines, No rear water crossover on the 350 and the rear cylinders get air bound especially when you decelerate.. Good Luck Bud
Good stuff. It is a bad ass car, just need to get it dialed in for the kid and Me on an occasional weekend drive. Talked to my mechanic today, he put in a larger radiator and hooked both fans on the same relay so duel fans, hope it stops this nightmare.
I assume the thermostat was checked? You might consider a 10 degree lower opening temp to start the fluid moving sooner to keep the engine cooler. Running both fans will help in town. If it overheats on the highway, there may be something inside the engine causing the problems. Have someone hit it with a temp gun tester and see where the hot spots are. When were the hoses hanged? Sometimes they clamp down and restrict the water flow when they get hot. Cheaper that a new engine.
265 is crazy high temp. What degree does the fan start at? My 92 starts at 225. If in a standstill situation, activating a/c reduces it 10 degrees, by turning the secondary fan on. My highway cruise temp is 193 always. There are temp senders available that activate the main fan at 2 lower than stock temps available at www.corvettecentral.com. Since it did not overheat at speed, that eliminates the reduced flow theory, unless as CC just mentioned, a hose could collapse, or create a partial block from the inside. Let us know when you find a solution, Cheers.
sorry to hear of all the issues yall are having.it is obvious the previous owner stopped the keeping the machine working.you are stuck with getiing it going,dont give up,once you get it working it wil be a beast and by stay reliable.please check the alternatormake sure it is fresh or new as it is the heart of the electrical system,and you must not use parts from aouto zone and so like stores,Only use ac delco or higher quality parts.these are special machines and take special care,i know it sounds crazy but i just recently spent almost 4 thousand on my 1991 corvette,most of the cost was labor,however it runs as good as day one.good luck
As i answered a while back about my 94 with the same problemJust recently did the final fix. Installed a 3 tube aluminum radiator from Ecklers it is a Champion Brand welded unit some modifications were necessary. Retained the 180 stat, no more overheat at all. 95 degree day stopped in trafic stays at 195 degrees. The car is now a suoer daily driver,,With the horsepower increase to 300 the single tube radiator can"t cut it.. Radiator was 215.00 every other trick dosen"t work
IsTiming gear stripped behind timing cover.
I had over heat problem on 95 C4. Replaced with Eckler Champion Cooling 3-Row High Efficiency Aluminum Radiator, corvette big mouth performance air Dam, and a DeWitts Radiator Electric Fan Upgrade Kits SP015.
I have a 96 that got up to 260 and the engine shut down. Oil looks good and the motor turns over but will not start. I have unhooked the battery and rehooked but to no avail. Could the problem of it not restarting be computer issue??
I have a 1990 and I overheated 220°+ on a drive home and shut it down, it didn't start again, turned out to be warped heads, they are aluminum . did my injectors as well while i was already into the head since they are known too be faulty
I put a 160 Thermostat in and it worked perfectly for over a year. Now it starts to overheat when stuck in traffic. I don't hear the fans turning on though.
