General Ducato 2006 2.8l jtd engine temp

[tombstarship]

I have a motorhome with a engine guard temp gauge. When i go up long hills/ranges, the temp slowly creeps up. I stopped the van at 104. The normal temp gauge stayed normal. Ive tried to keep revs around 2000 which keeps temp down, also turned off air conditioning and heater on which also helps. I noticed that the radiator wasnt boiling. How high can i go in temp? Any suggestions? Radiator fan seems to be electric rather than fan belt driven so revving more is not an option??? New radiator, hoses and alternator

 

[bugsymike]

I see you already have a new radiator so assuming it is up to specifications for a vehicle with aircon and even more so if automatic gearbox as well, then that should be OK as it would have been my first thought if only running hotter on steep hills and no loss of coolant.
The danger with an engine running hotter is not (within reason) the actual temperature as long as the coolant pressure cap is in place and working correctly, but when pressure cap is released or not working correctly then the water boils , once it starts boiling it becomes a gas and causes local hot spots inside the engine as it boils at much lower them easily and damages the engine.
This is in the same way a pressure cooker works.
When I was trained as an apprentice in the 1960s I was told for every 1 pound (1lb) of pressure on the radiator cap the engine water would boil 1.5 degrees Centigrade higher, so if water boils at 100 degrees Centigrade at sea level, then a working 10lb pressure cap would allow the water to boil at 115 degrees Centigrade.
The danger is when someone opens the radiator cap on a hot engine and instantly the water boils , shooting hot water everywhere!
Many vehicle radiator/coolant caps are marked 2Bar these days which means 2 x Barometric pressure of 14.7 pounds at sea level (roughly 30 pounds /psi) so giving a fair safety margin as long as all hoses /radiator/cap etc are in good condition.
When engine does run hot and you pull over and stop , it is probably better to leave the engine gently idling if no other problems as this allows the water to circulate around the engine and radiator allowing it to cool down gentle, if engine is switched off the cylinder head/gasket area can actually get hotter.
It mat be worth getting an after market electric fan or switching that you can control if you are concerned.
Sorry if I am "over explaining" I tend to according to my daughters.

 

[tombstarship]

I see you already have a new radiator so assuming it is up to specifications for a vehicle with aircon and even more so if automatic gearbox as well, then that should be OK as it would have been my first thought if only running hotter on steep hills and no loss of coolant.
The danger with an engine running hotter is not (within reason) the actual temperature as long as the coolant pressure cap is in place and working correctly, but when pressure cap is released or not working correctly then the water boils , once it starts boiling it becomes a gas and causes local hot spots inside the engine as it boils at much lower them easily and damages the engine.
This is in the same way a pressure cooker works.
When I was trained as an apprentice in the 1960s I was told for every 1 pound (1lb) of pressure on the radiator cap the engine water would boil 1.5 degrees Centigrade higher, so if water boils at 100 degrees Centigrade at sea level, then a working 10lb pressure cap would allow the water to boil at 115 degrees Centigrade.
The danger is when someone opens the radiator cap on a hot engine and instantly the water boils , shooting hot water everywhere!
Many vehicle radiator/coolant caps are marked 2Bar these days which means 2 x Barometric pressure of 14.7 pounds at sea level (roughly 30 pounds /psi) so giving a fair safety margin as long as all hoses /radiator/cap etc are in good condition.
When engine does run hot and you pull over and stop , it is probably better to leave the engine gently idling if no other problems as this allows the water to circulate around the engine and radiator allowing it to cool down gentle, if engine is switched off the cylinder head/gasket area can actually get hotter.
It mat be worth getting an after market electric fan or switching that you can control if you are concerned.
Sorry if I am "over explaining" I tend to according to my daughters.

Thanks for advice. Much appreciated. Im confused as to when i should stop. Esp when normal temp gauge is showing half way. Since the late 70s I've always driven well maintained vehicles with no overheating problems.

 

[Communicator]

As I also have a 2006 2.8jtd, my curiosity was aroused. From the attached extract from Fiat eLearn, the maximum temperature would seem to be 120C. I had previously assumed that the over temperature warning light was only operated by the contact in the gauge temperature sensor, but eLearn suggests that it is also oerated by the ECU.

The fact that the standard guage is not indicating above normal is worrying, but then mine is currently faulty as it immediately assumes normal temperature after starting a cold engine. I am considering replacing the sensor.

 

[tombstarship]

Thanks. Mechanic who specialises in Ducatos said the normal gauge can have tolerance of 30%. The engine guard sensor is v useful if it suddenly jumps up several degrees at a time. This would be good indication of coolant loss , water pump failure etc.