We are ~150 miles south of Cameron, AZ, dry camping at a
Harvest Host location. In this case, an apparently very popular café and we are parked in their “event” lot. We are running the generator as it is 85°F but also keeping most of the slides in to reduce the space that we need to cool. They mentioned to Bridget that if we wanted dinner tonight (Sunday) then we needed to make a reservation. I think she made a reservation for dessert. I can see I-17 from where we are parked and it is bumper to bumper heading into Phoenix. This will be the first time I can try out the battery monitor.
To get here, we went through Flagstaff and there were some long, steep grades. The engine water temperature climbed to 228°F. There is definitely a problem with the cooling system. I did check the coolant level while we were in Las Vegas and the level was fine but the coolant looked questionable i.e. dirty. I did verify that the hydraulic cooling fan was functioning. And I just kept downshifting to keep the temperature under 230°F. I’m debating whether to fix it this winter when it would be expensive and inconvenient or wait until next May/June. The expense is from needing to stay in a hotel while the rig is in the shop.
This picture was taken last night at the RV park in Cameron, AZ. Un-filtered and unedited. It really was spectacular.
BTW, the pie was okay. Made at the restaurant but not comparable to Hilltop north of Fairbanks.
Dirty coolant as in combustion contamination? Would a pressure test on the radiator/cooling system give some clues? Might be you could do several tests and get an idea of what you want done when the time comes, assuming the problem resolution can wait for your schedule. 228 doesn't sound too hot to me, is that too hot for a diesel? What temp is the thermostat?
ReplyDeleteDirty as in not the nice green or red. It looks like it’s never been changed. Other areas, the engine has two thermostats both around 195° and they recommend them to be changed every three years. I haven’t checked the water pump belt tension as, apparently, it’s not driven by the serpentine belt. And I really need to see if the radiator and intercooler fins are clean. At 221°, I get a message on the dash LCD display. I’m told that the engine starts to go into limp mode at 230°.
Delete