Hi all a week or two back I reported attempting to bring my car back after a
two year hiatus.
When I last wrote the car was wanting run hot at idle (I hadn’t driven it
yet)
and the alternator didn’t want to charge.
My soulution was to buy a new alternator and battery (Hey they’d sat for two
years)
install two new thermostats…flush the radiator out, install a new
thermostatic switch
and I ultimately added a new electric helper fan.(In addittion to not
replacing the factory one)
Well after I did this I’ve observed the car (it’s an '86 XJ-S) wants to run
hot and the alternator
isn’t charging or if it is just barely.
Here’s the kicker…before the car took it’s two year vacation ,it never
ran hot…would
sometimes get a little warm during LONG idling. Now it just keeps getting
hotter whether
it’s idling or going down the road. In addition to that the new themostatic
switch I installed would never activate the electric fan. I had to add an
aftermarket thermostatic switch.
The only reason I can figure it might not be charging might be a bad cable
either between the alternator and the starter or between the starter and the
battery. As for why it wants to run hot,help!
Any ideas on any of these issues would be appreciated.
Freedom and Whiskey
Gibbs
Gibbs,
I would suspect a ground problem that is preventing the alternator
from putting out power, and making the temp gauge indicate hot.
Maybe the engine is not running hot, and thats why the first thermostatic
switch did not turn the fan on.
Do also check the distributor as Doug said…
Brett
1990 XJ6
…Date: Wed, 07 Jun 2000 22:02:22 -0500
From: Sandy bobmook@mis.net
Subject: [modern] XJ-S troubles
Sender: owner-modern@jag-lovers.org
To: modern@jag-lovers.com
Hi all a week or two back I reported attempting to bring my car back after a
two year hiatus.
When I last wrote the car was wanting run hot at idle (I hadn’t driven it
yet)
and the alternator didn’t want to charge.
My soulution was to buy a new alternator and battery (Hey they’d sat for two
years)
install two new thermostats…flush the radiator out, install a new
thermostatic switch
and I ultimately added a new electric helper fan.(In addittion to not
replacing the factory one)
Well after I did this I’ve observed the car (it’s an '86 XJ-S) wants to run
hot and the alternator
isn’t charging or if it is just barely.
Here’s the kicker…before the car took it’s two year vacation ,it never
ran hot…would
sometimes get a little warm during LONG idling. Now it just keeps getting
hotter whether
it’s idling or going down the road. In addition to that the new themostatic
switch I installed would never activate the electric fan. I had to add an
aftermarket thermostatic switch.
The only reason I can figure it might not be charging might be a bad cable
either between the alternator and the starter or between the starter and the
battery. As for why it wants to run hot,help!
Any ideas on any of these issues would be appreciated.
Freedom and Whiskey
Gibbs