> I've just re-joined the Alpines list again and already have a pressing
> question for the group to ponder. My wife, Nancy and I love to motor about
> in our stock Mediterranean blue SV Alpine. This past weekend we decided it
> was a good time for a drive to Mt. Rainier, about a 2 1/2 hr. drive from
> home here in Bellevue, Wash. The problem is, weather here in Northwest has
> been unusually hot these past days with temps soaring into mid-90's.
> Undaunted, we motored off merrily . . . Mt. Rainier bound.
>
> As we were starting up the grade, the temp guage read a little on the high
> side (surprise, surprise). My guage is in degree Centigrade, with only 3
> markings, 50, 85, 120 with no indication where the danger area is. The
> owners manual revealed very little assistance offering only this statement:
> "The normal running temperature is between 84 C. and 93 C. dependent on
> ambient temperature." No mention of where one should take precautions and
> shut down. Judging by the guage spacing we figured it was reading about 105
> C. when we decided to abandon plan "A" and head around for flatter ground.
> The journey home was fine with the temp guage reading about 90-95 C.
>
> I should also point out that the cooling system is operating fine, with a
> stock fan blade and I've added a coolant enhancer, "Water wetter" that I was
> told helped keep British cars from overheating (maybe it would have been
> worse without this). We also resorted to warming our feet with the heater
> on full blast. The car drove fine through all of this and although we were
> climbing, we were moving along at a steady 45-50 mph.
Craig, some while back (not on the net) some one I was talking to mentioned an inline heat gauge.. Can't remember who or where. (well why am I posting this?) It sounded like a neat deal. What I have done in the past is , as soon as I can get the cap off, I put in my temp gauge (one I purchased at a truck stop) the truckers use them to check to temp of the produce they carry. The gauges are pretty close if you calibrate them first.I calibrated mine with a pan of water and Janes candy thermometer(sp).
> Nancy was especially
> concerned about the gauage reading so high,
And who can blame her she is a nice person and doesn't need to walk for water.
> the final straw being the very
> long line to the ticket booth to enjoy the priviledge of paying $10 to get
> into the park. Visions of rush hour stop and go in a remote corner of the
> wilderness didn't set well along with the concern for the overheating
> problem.
>
> Were we correct to exercise caution at this point? How far is safe on the
> temp guage? Are all temp guages in Centigrade? Everything else on the car
> uses traditional english measurements like miles and gallons.
>
> We poke fun at the Miata owners
They need pokin.
It was good meeting both you and Nancy at the Redmond ABFM.!! cheers.
Chuck , The Orange One