The Right Way To Change Coolant In Your C4 Corvette

Remove the transmission upper cooler line. '90 onward; both fans on ECM; no temp switch. One factor many guys overlook is that the SENSORS and RELAYS controlling the fans and the VOLTAGE the ALTERNATOR supply's to the car have a huge effect on both when the fans kick on and how fast they spin, which in turn has a major effect on the low speed air flow thru the radiator.

C4 Corvette Cooling System Diagram 2 0

There are two modes of fan operation. NOTE: Alcohol or methanol base coolants or plain water are not recommended at any time. My father blocked off one of the coolant hoses with a bolt. Disconnect A/C compressor wires. Torque remaining bolts to 18-23 ft. lbs. The car looks like its 95% complete but I am not confident in the routing of the coolant hoses and have no idea how to route the vacuum lines. To avoid being burned, do not remove the radiator cap (surge tank cap) while the engine is hot. C4 corvette cooling system diagram 1989. Remove heads, but lay them aside for now and check the block first. Obviously you'll want to put the car up on a lift and clean out the radiator fins both in front and behind as the cars tend to vacuum up road trash, blocking air flow. When I checked the coolant it looks very dirty and there is a lot of red, muddy rust around the radiator cap. Submerge the valve completely and agitate the solution thoroughly. Temps can vary on leaks, so you might need to get it checked. Monitor the coolant temperature during this time and make sure not to overheat the vehicle.

Remove A/C compressor and idler pulley bracket nuts. Must be good if the driver side fan works. C4 corvette cooling problems. The engine was trashed and everything was burnt up. Confirm 12v between the socket for pin 30 and the negative battery terminal on relay sockets 1 and 2. Your fans are controlled by sensors and the ECU, so you might want to install a sensor that turns the fan on as soon as the car reaches about 180F rather than the stock 230F.

C4 Corvette Cooling System Diagram 1989

Heater core may gurgle or surge. Blocked or restricted air flow, missing duct work. Be careful and remove the lower hose slowly so the coolant can be directed in the drain pan. Confirm continuity between side A of the right cooling connector and Negative Battery Terminal.

08-17-2006 06:27 PM. Mark, be sure to store used coolant in the proper manner, such as in a used engine coolant holding tank. There are two control lines the PCM grounds to. How warm would it have to be for that to show up? It is the owner's responsibility to keep the freeze protection at a level proportionate with the temperatures which may occur in the area of vehicle operation. C4 corvette cooling system diagram 2 0. To check for exhaust leaks into the cooling system, drain the system until the coolant level stands just above the top of the cylinder head(s), ten disconnect the radiator upper hose and remove the thermostat and accessory belt. Secondary coolant fan 40 amp Maxifuse located under the hood. Join Date: Sep 2006. '86- '89 as stated above.

C4 Corvette Cooling Problems

Last edited by a moderator: The roughest internal passages are probably the ones that are blocked. Ethylene glycol antifreeze is a very toxic chemical. The overheat light may or may not come on. Symptoms are the result of coolant boiling at some localized area and may be noticed after extending idling and/or while being driven. If you are smelling antifreeze in the cab, it is more than likely the heater core. To remove the knock sensors you will need a 7/8-inch socket. Cooling off that c4 corvette. Push down the metal plate on all relays and both. Manually ground the control lines. This is particularly damaging to the cooling system as the gases combine with the water to form acids which are harmful to the radiator and the engine.

Remove the lower A/C compressor mounting bolt. There are three fan relays which operate the fans and which are controlled by the ECM. The Right Way to Change Coolant in Your C4 Corvette. All vehicle maintenance and repairs should only be performed by a qualified technician or mechanic and should not be attempted without the proper tools and/or experience. The upper radiator hose will become hot. Splice the dark blue wire from the new fan switch harness to the secondary relay with the dark blue wire. Both run at the same time.

C8 Corvette Cooling System

The cooling fans are controlled by the PCM based on inputs from the A/C system, Engine Coolant Temperature (ECT) sensor and Vehicle Speed Sensor (VSS). BEWARE OF HOT COOLANT!! '84 has temp switch for fan only, no ECM control; '85 has ECM control but temp switch acts as over ride backup direct to fan. Installing our 243108 thermostat allows the engine to run in the 185-192 degree range. Remove the radiator cap.

If installing a new water pump, transfer the heater hose fitting from the old unit. I iced down my intake until it was actually cold to the touch. Remove A/C Accumulator and lay aside. This option consisted of an extra cooling fan in front of the a/c condenser, heavy duty radiator and oil cooler. If you ran the car like that for any length of time, engine damage is possible. Add ethylene glycol base coolant when coolant additions are required because of coolant loss or to provide additional protection against freezing at temperatures lower than -37 degrees Celsius (-34 degrees Fahrenheit). Next on the order of useless LT1 items is the 160 degree hermostat. Torque to 25-35 ft. lbs. There's a label under the hood of your vehicle that will give you the coolant requirements and the filling quantity. TRANSMISSION COOLER. Defective or the wrong water pump. Highly modified engines work best when both of the fans come on simultaneously. Attached is also a ridiculous video. As for the vacuum lines.... his guess is as good as mine.

Is this just as simple as draining and refilling the coolant? Look thru this linked info, the links help. Any idea where that would have gone and if it should be routed somewhere else or if it's ok plugged off? If A/C head pressure kicks the fans on, it must drop to 150psi before the ECM will shut them off. 1985-1996 Corvette Low Temp Cooling Fan Control Switch would be installed in this location (driver's side cylinder head between cylinders 1 and 3).

If the cooling system requires frequent addition of coolant in order to maintain the proper level, check all units and connections in the cooling system for evidence of leakage. Research has also shown that engine wear is related to temperature and that too low a temperature can cause premature engine wear. I just can't seem to get all the air out. If the fan turns on, you have an issue in the PCM and it may be time for a rebuild. If one so desires the computer can be reprogrammed to turn the cooling fans on at a much lower temperature, it is possible to maintain a temperature of below 200 degrees with the stock thermostat in place.

Technically Speaking. Once the plug is removed, install the new switch.