Back at the shop again just a little after 7am. The Desert Diamond Casino had quite a few RVs parked there last night. We were asked to visit the security office and they gave us a paper to put in the window. We had a minimal dinner at the snack bar and I then had an audio conference call that evening. I’m on the board for the Arctic Amateur Radio Club,
AARC, again this year. Initially, we thought it would be noisy as the casino is right across the street from the Tucson International Airport but by late evening, no flights. It rained on and off all night and today is supposed to be more of the same.
This morning, the service manager came over and mentioned that he talked to their Cat engine expert in TX. He had sent the log and data they collected yesterday. He verified that 28psi boost is perfect. The high egt code is meaningless and to focus on the cooling system. He mentioned the thermostats but to also check for dirty coolant.
11:00 - They are removing the radiator stack (radiator, intercooler, air conditioning condenser) as there is a lot of grease and dirt in the stack blocking air so the coolant will be drained and replaced (12 gallons). They’ll see how dirty the radiator core is using a bore scope. If it’s really clogged, the radiator will need to be sent to a radiator shop to be thoroughly cleaned. The thermostats will both be replaced. So at least a couple of days in the shop.
Bridget found a pet-friendly hotel only ½ mile down the road. No extra charge for pets!
5:00 - I stopped by before closing and the intercooler was ready to come out (above). After they removed it, you can see the intake side of the radiator. Lots of junk. And about the lower third of the radiator had dirt packed in. The lower third of the intercooler also had a lot of dirt between the fins. The coolant also looked pretty dirty and even syrupy. The mechanic thought that my guess that it was “factory” was probably accurate.
Finding things wrong is good way forward to proper function. One of my liquid cooled bikes would occasionally overheat but only at low speeds. Same problem, low speed air flow was not enough due to too many blocked air passageways in the radiator. Here's hoping this solves your overheating issues!
ReplyDeleteI suspect that it will. The mechanic also mentioned that the clogged intercooler would result in reduced power due to the lower density of the hot intake air.
DeleteSorry to see you stuck at a service spot. Hope they get it all fixed up.
ReplyDeleteNot really a problem since we found a pet friendly hotel. Lots of places will allow dogs but cats are harder. One place here in Tucson said that the additional pet fee would’ve been $90/night.
DeleteSounds like they're on the right track! Is it really a two man job to get at all the radiator surfaces?
ReplyDeleteThe guy on the left is the mechanic. The one on the left is the service manager and is just helping him maneuver the intercooler out from in front of the radiator. It is a stack of three+ radiator-type devices. The A/C condenser, intercooler, trans cooler and radiator.
DeleteIt's nice when you can point your finger at the problem. Even if there is a thermostat problem, this needs to be addressed.
ReplyDeleteI had talked to another RV owner recently who had a 2004 that was overheating all the time. They finally pulled the radiator and found it packed with oily dirt. The oil was from the blow by tube. His was a rear radiator and was behind the tube. Ours is a side radiator so I didn’t expect the same thing. Anyway, his overheating went away completely even though his combined weight is higher than ours. I’m hoping for the same thing...
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