On the trip to Saskatoon the engine was getting hot but I made it up the grades OK, Coming home
it was warmer so a few times on the long grades I had to shift into 3rd gear and keep the power
down to 50%. Last year on warmer days no problem at all. I usually clean the radiator every spring
but I didn't until today and I see why it was overheating. Won't make that mistake next year.
Verify coolant level is OK.
How old is the thermostat? Not expensive or difficult to replace. If it is not fully opening, it can cause overheating.
Also, check hydraulic fluid level and if its filters have not been changed in a couple of years, probably a good idea.
Consider the above a preventive maintenance.
After that, it is into troubleshooting.
What is "hot"?
I had countless conversations with owners who were concerned that there temp gauges had moved from it normal position.
It's normal to have the temp rise some up grades in summer.
What temps did you experience? My dash gauge is almost 10 degrees higher than my silverleaf setup
Hot is 211 and 220 is too hot. Chuck a lot of dust which turned into mud came out so I think
that was the problem. I don't know if I will find out this year if that was the problem as I am
not planning to go into the interior this summer where there are hills long enough to create
the problem. Brett I have a 190 thermostat that is 5 years old, good thought but all the mud
that came out I think that was the problem.
Thanks for the update Peter. I will clean mine out tomorrow in preparation for a trip starting on the 1st. I will be traveling through the San Juaquin valley on the 5 and it will be hot.
I wash mine out a couple of times a year, clear water only. If you use a cleaner make sure is compatible with the different metals.
Absolutely. The best is Simple Green EXTREME. It is aluminum-safe. Developed for degreasing aircraft. One gallon should last the life of the coach.
So the last time I hosed our radiator out was when I had the air cooler repaired and the radiator was exposed.
Will there be enough flow thru if you just hose it ( radiator) out thru the air cooler or does that CAC need to come off again ? Or clime underneath and hose it from the fan side, which I don't see how that would clear out any leaves, sticks or stuff trapped between.
Since air flow is from the outside to the engine room, most of the debris will be on the outside of the CAC. Clean that more often than the radiator.
And, yes, to clean the radiator, clean from the engine room (dirty job) or with the CAC removed.