engine temp and towing??

[MScheiper]

Here is what I recently noticed on my 04. 5 in my signature:



Hauling my cargo trailer (about 5,000 lbs), at 65 on cruise, on a slight, long grade, in 6th gear.



Boost about 15lbs

Pyro 750-800 degrees

Dynomite Diesel Injectors 50hp

Smarty Jr. Setting #2

EDGE OFF

My concern is that if the grade is long enough, my engine temp gauge will start to climb, gradually to about 210 degrees and will stay there until I reach the down grade.



Has anyone else seen this fluctuation in engine temp gauge while pulling? Don't hear the engine fan kick on like some of my other larger trucks. Just wondering if this is "normal".



Thanks!

 

[SShafranko]

Not sure about your year truck but i hear my fan kick on and its very loud. I hear it kick on even unloaded when its hot out. 210 on a long grade is still ok i think. I ve also been there a couple of times and my buddy the same. It does seem a little warm maybe by 5 degrees considering your egt's are pretty low but i think your still in the safe zone.



Not sure how many miles you have but you may benefit from a coolant flush and change. I just did mine and noticed a 5 degree drop across the board.

 

[macdaddy]

Normal Temp

If the 04. 5's are like the 05's the fan will engage as soon as the AC is turned on regardless of engine temp. You didnt mention if youre running with the ac on (im assuming it is).



If your ac is on at the above towing conditions that would explain why your not noticing the fan, it already engaged!. Also 210 degrees is normal for your truck,given the conditions you described.



Mac

 

[HBarlow]

Agreed. 210* is normal in summer weather when climbing a grade and/or towing. It will drop back to 180* on the flats.

 

[JMetzger]

My 02 on a real hot day & a long climb ac on the temp gauge will go just a smidge past the halfway mark. If it goes any farther then that I shut off the ac & drop a gear. Boost is around 31psi & EGT around 1150-1200. That is pulling our 10,000pd RV

 

[Motorhead]

I just got back from a 2600mi trip up to Washington and mine registers about the same as you. I was pulling about 7k load of a travel trailer, A/C on. You are seeing normal temps.

 

[DogramTD]

I too agree; 210 is normal pulling a load on a grade. When I used to have my Edge, I would set the eng temp alarm to chime at 218 degrees, and that was just to notify me to start watching cause I was getting warm. I never got over 218 and that only lasted a few seconds.

 

[amsoilman]

I've seen mine at 221Deg. according to the Edge "Attitude", pulling 13,000 lb toyhauler up 7-9 % Grades, but the temp never stays there very long.

 

[Radshooter]

Our fiver weighs about 17K. On a long uphill grade, I will run out of EGTs before the engine even offers to overheat. I downshift and feather the throttle to hold the EGTs around the 1200 mark, but my engine temp has never offered to get hot.

 

[AH64ID]

Quite normal. I will easily run 215 when towing up steep hills on a hot day.

My temps are more stable now with a new thermostat/coolant, but still get up there. .

 

[Dbonzi]

We have some John Deere tractors that we run just into the red (235) all day long, for years and it never hurts them. I would not worry about 210



on another note I have a scan gauge that plugs into the OBDII port on my Ram and it will read engine temp right from the computer. When the scan gauge is showing 205 the factory gauge looks like about 212

so not sure which one is right.

Dennis

 

[AH64ID]

I too run a SG, I would trust the SG over the dash as the SG is the OBDII temp and the dash is told where to point from the ECM, not the coolant temp sensor.

 

[steved]

If the 04. 5's are like the 05's the fan will engage as soon as the AC is turned on regardless of engine temp. You didnt mention if youre running with the ac on (im assuming it is).





Mac

Only if he has current software... mine did not engage with the AC until adding a Smarty Jr last year. That was part of a flash that came out well after the 04. 5s had been on the road... mine was never done by the dealer.



In reality, temps actually stay about 205*F under normal conditions and can reach 225*+ towing on a long steep grade... the in-dash gauge is calibrated funny to not show much movement in relation to the actual markings. My temps never go below 200*F even coasting downhill... I think the highest temps I ever touched were just over 230*F.



I have a Granatelli monitor, and it shows actual numbers which correspond to a mechanical gauge I installed at one point. While it shows a trend, the in-dash gauge is not accurate by any stretch of the imagination.

 

[AH64ID]

Only if he has current software... mine did not engage with the AC until adding a Smarty Jr last year. That was part of a flash that came out well after the 04. 5s had been on the road... mine was never done by the dealer.

And thats not even an absolute. Mine hasn't been engaged when I have tested it with the a/c on, and I have checked a few times, with or without Smarty. I think a lot has to do with underhood temps, ambient temps, a/c pressure, etc...

 

[macdaddy]

Only if he has current software... mine did not engage with the AC until adding a Smarty Jr last year. That was part of a flash that came out well after the 04. 5s had been on the road... mine was never done by the dealer.



In reality, temps actually stay about 205*F under normal conditions and can reach 225*+ towing on a long steep grade... the in-dash gauge is calibrated funny to not show much movement in relation to the actual markings. My temps never go below 200*F even coasting downhill... I think the highest temps I ever touched were just over 230*F.



I have a Granatelli monitor, and it shows actual numbers which correspond to a mechanical gauge I installed at one point. While it shows a trend, the in-dash gauge is not accurate by any stretch of the imagination.

Steve...

You are correct!, I dug into my file cabinet on this one. The reflash your talking was the one I had done for CR sencor performance P0191.



Mac

 

[RVTRKN]

What are your RPMS at 65 in sixth, seems to me your running in overdrive when you should be keeping your RPMs up. 1) better EGT 2) cooler engine temps. I never run in sixth gear climbing. I like my RPMS at 22-2500 RPMs when climbing a steep grade and when climbing an easy grade I will run 5th at 65 MPH. If you lug your CTD it will run hotter.

 

[MScheiper]

Thanks for all the replies! Been away from the computer for a few days. You put my mind at ease. RVTKN that's a good tip, keeping it in 5th always keeps the temps lower. Using 6th too often (only on the flats). Plus its a little harder on the "old stock clutch" in the higher gear lugging it along. I have noticed this temp change with the a/c on, up a grade, and Jr. set on 2. Loading up for the west coast in the morning. Will tell you what I find out while climbing the Rockies. Thanks Again!

 

[Deleted member 995608]

I make my family suffer. I turn off the A/C when pulling long, steep grades.



6th gear on grades is a big NO, NO in my book.

 

[AH64ID]

I make my family suffer. I turn off the A/C when pulling long, steep grades.

I have done that twice, and nothing changed. . at least nothing worth not running the a/c for.

 

[Dbonzi]

I remember the old gasser days pulling a trailer through the cities in stop and go traffic, I would have to resort to turning the heat on. I wasn't real popular with the family at that point. Don't miss those days a bit.

Dennis