temporary high water temperature and engine fluid light on dash

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temporary high water temperature and engine fluid light on dash

January 14, 2012, 03:02:05 pm

We are driving on the Florida Turnpike (flat) outside temperature 58 degrees and the water temperature came up over 220 and the check engine fluids light came on. I stopped a smal amount of coolant had discharged from the resivior but the tank was full and the engine oil was in the normal operating range. Got back on the road the temperature dropped back down to 180 and everything seems to be fine for 20 miles. Any thoughts? The only thing I can think of something could have flown up covering the radiator then fell off when I stopped.

Re: temporary high water temperature and engine fluid light on dash

Reply #1 – January 14, 2012, 03:08:16 pm

I would guess maybe a sticking thermostat....??

Mark

Re: temporary high water temperature and engine fluid light on dash

Reply #2 – January 14, 2012, 03:34:26 pm

That sounds logical, thanks

Re: temporary high water temperature and engine fluid light on dash

Reply #3 – January 16, 2012, 04:10:26 pm

I would say the same thing...... I would probably change it out.

Re: temporary high water temperature and engine fluid light on dash

Reply #4 – January 16, 2012, 06:16:11 pm

Yup, I would first check that the hydraulic fan reservoir was at proper level, as a fan that is not operating properly could cause this.

Then if that is OK, change the thermostat. Not expensive or difficult to change.

Re: temporary high water temperature and engine fluid light on dash

Reply #5 – January 19, 2012, 10:44:57 am

I had the thermostat changed and it was sticking some. It looked like that did it for a couple hundred miles and then it was back. I will check the fluid later today. I could use some direction as I hope to see how and where to check the fluid when I get down to the coach.

Thanks, Phil

Re: temporary high water temperature and engine fluid light on dash

Reply #6 – January 19, 2012, 11:28:48 am

Check the hydraulic belt tensioner for operation. Partial failure could allow the belt to slip. Does any particular road condition seem to bring it on? Hills vs. flat terrain, speed? How about at idle? All else failing, you might stop by a radiator shop and have them check for temps across the radiator and products of combustion in the coolant.

Pierce

Re: temporary high water temperature and engine fluid light on dash

Reply #7 – January 19, 2012, 07:15:42 pm

I checked the level in the reservoir and it was at the add mark on the dip stick. So I am hopefull that will take care of it. We Will be back on the road on Sunday.

Thanks for the input Phil

Re: temporary high water temperature and engine fluid light on dash

Reply #8 – January 23, 2012, 10:21:03 am

Update: anybody with any ideas I would love some input. Yesterday we started our trip to head back home and covered about 500 miles over the course of about 9 or 10 hours we stayed at a steady 65 miles an hour towing our Vue and the tempature stayed around 190 all day until just before we stopped the tempature jumped up to 220 and then settled back down again. Today we went 225 miles same conditions and after 225 miles the tempature jumped up to about 220 slowed down to 55 or 60 and it will drop a little bit as expected and then when whatever happens that starts cooling again the tempature drops back to about 190 until it reoccurs.

Re: temporary high water temperature and engine fluid light on dash

Reply #9 – January 23, 2012, 11:07:38 am

Update: I have also noticed that the transmission tempature comes up with engine coolant tempature so I am thinking it is related to the fan. Does the fan have a clutch and is it activated by tempature or does it spin based on engine rpm?

Re: temporary high water temperature and engine fluid light on dash

Reply #10 – January 23, 2012, 11:10:39 am

Just gotta know, does the Silverleaf VMSpc agree with the temp on dash gauge, I wonder if there is an issue with wiring between the sender and the gauge. One strong reason for the VMSpc, cross checking info.
Not normal to operate normal for hours then jump up then go ack to normal unless there might be an issue in the sender/wiring/gauge, again why I love the VMSpc.
Just a guess.

Re: temporary high water temperature and engine fluid light on dash

Reply #11 – January 23, 2012, 11:21:31 am

The fact transmission tempature seems to also come up matching the engine tempature suggests to me that a they are both actually coming up. I have a thermometer but not with me I can try and check it in the future.

Re: temporary high water temperature and engine fluid light on dash

Reply #12 – January 23, 2012, 11:28:23 am

I don't know if your unit has a thermostatic control for the fans, I would check with James at the factory,when it failed on our U270 we had the same symptoms.

Re: temporary high water temperature and engine fluid light on dash

Reply #13 – January 23, 2012, 11:58:46 am

I'm looking forward to hearing from James I have a call into him already. Thanks

Re: temporary high water temperature and engine fluid light on dash

Reply #14 – January 23, 2012, 01:17:18 pm

Before doing much more than verifying that the reservoir for the fan motors has fluid and that it smells OK, I would put in an engine thermostat IF Silverleaf confirms that temperatures are indeed rising (vs gauge issue). Replacing a thermostat that occasionally hangs up is cheap and easy.

I have not worked on the cooling system of your model coach, but suspect that the transmission cooler is cooled by circulating engine coolant, so a rise in engine coolant temperature will cause a rise in transmission temperature as well.

Re: temporary high water temperature and engine fluid light on dash

Reply #15 – January 23, 2012, 03:14:23 pm

i wouldn't trust VDO guages - my temp was all over the place on my 1999 U-270 - went up to 250 degrees a couple of times - ummings read thecpomputer on the isc and said the engine didn't show any temps ever above 120 degrees (it doesn't record unless that temp is reached) replaced ender and guage - -problem went away. Bought silver leaf, ignored guage and never worried again - eventually sold coach

Re: temporary high water temperature and engine fluid light on dash

Reply #16 – January 23, 2012, 07:49:21 pm

X2 on what Brett said, change the T/stat(s) cheap and easy insurance they are a wear item.

Re: temporary high water temperature and engine fluid light on dash

Reply #17 – January 23, 2012, 08:07:26 pm

Quote from: Pierce & Gaylie Stewart – January 19, 2012, 11:28:48 am

Check the hydraulic belt tensioner for operation....

Pierce

From personal experience, I second Pierce's suggestion. Make sure the belt is not slipping.

Re: temporary high water temperature and engine fluid light on dash

Reply #18 – January 23, 2012, 08:12:21 pm

Belt tensioner test video: Failed versus a good belt tensioner.

Re: temporary high water temperature and engine fluid light on dash

Reply #19 – January 24, 2012, 10:23:28 am

I checked for a bad belt tension-er but it looks like mine is direct drive

.

I talked to Mark at FOT and he seemed to think it may be the controller or sending units for the controller. He suggested that I disconnect the wire harness when the over heating is occurring and see if the temp will drop. If it stays down it would be the controll or sending units (2). If not it could be a fan motor problem. He did say there are other possibilities so it may be a process of elimination.

The main problem is it has only happened after hours on the road. Once it starts it will usually reoccur every 20 min. or so.

Re: temporary high water temperature and engine fluid light on dash

Reply #20 – January 24, 2012, 10:40:39 am

Yes, it could certainly be part of the hydraulic fan system, BUT, an inexpensive engine thermostat could occasionally hang up and give exactly the same symptoms.

Do the troubleshooting on the controller (disconnect wiring harness when this occurs which forces the controller to HIGH), but if that doesn't identify the problem, replaced the engine thermostat before spending big bucks. Heck, Caterpillar recommends in writing the replacement of the thermostat (they call them "regulators") every three years.

Brett

Re: temporary high water temperature and engine fluid light on dash

Reply #21 – March 27, 2012, 09:22:03 pm

Conclusion, I had the sensors & control replaced and it seems to have corrected the problem.

Re: temporary high water temperature and engine fluid light on dash

Reply #22 – March 27, 2012, 09:54:53 pm

What are the two sensors? I pretty sure one monitors the turbo temperature, but what does the other one monitor? Do you know where they are located?
Thanks,

Re: temporary high water temperature and engine fluid light on dash

Reply #23 – March 28, 2012, 07:53:45 am

I know one is a air temp sensor and the other is on the engine but I did not inquire about the location.

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