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City Car Maintenance or Mod Recomendations
Topic Started: Dec 27 2017, 11:52 AM (438 Views)
clen
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Buy 'Em Up! Now!

So I have had my car over a year now and I only put around 6000 miles. But it's 6000 City Miles and I notice that I have lots of stop/go traffic. This means I run from 800 RPM to 4000 RPM back to 800 RPM a lot and this is on an automatic.

I really try and take care of my car.

My car is garaged so it's not outside and subject to the elements

I only use "top tier" gas.

I put a bottle of Techron in the car every month.

I use Mobil 1 high mileage and I use a Mobil 1 oil filter

I replaced the oil at 4000 miles (I replaced my oil the second day I got the car and now replace every 4k)

I replaced the brake pads and fluid with Prestone DOT 3 Synthetic

I replaced the transmission fluid with Dextron 6, I forgot the brand

Things I was thinking to do

Replacing the thermostat from the 180 Degree to a 160 Degree

Put some washers under the hood hinge to let out some of the heat. The engine gets really hot.

Any other ideas I should think of?
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PTA2PTB
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I'm totally awesome! I swear.

clen
Dec 27 2017, 11:52 AM
Things I was thinking to do

Replacing the thermostat from the 180 Degree to a 160 Degree


Don't even think about it. :shake

Your engine wasn't designed to run, that cold. Not only will you not get sufficient heat output in the wintertime, it won't get hot enough to burn off a lot of the condensation that forms inside the engine. That condensation can turn to acids, that will attack your bearings. Stick with the 180. Or, better yet, go up to the 195 degree thermostat.
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clen
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I'm in NYC and in summer, my car gets very very hot. I would like to keep it cooler in the summer.
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Stubby79
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turn the rad fan on.
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aartod


I installed a switch to turn the cooling fan on when needed. It still will come on automatically, however I like to flip it on when I know it's going to be getting hot... such as steep logging roads in summer or sitting in summer time traffic. I also have a mechanical temp gauge which tells me the actual temp.
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suzukitom
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Tom

clen
Dec 27 2017, 12:18 PM
I'm in NYC and in summer, my car gets very very hot. I would like to keep it cooler in the summer.
Antifreeze/coolant mix will raise the boiling point in the summer. otherwise Metro members in hotter areas like Nevada and New Mexico would have said something by now.
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clen
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Quote:
 
turn the rad fan on.


It comes on on it's own, but I am wondering if it is sufficient anymore. I bounce between 210 and 230

Quote:
 
Antifreeze/coolant mix will raise the boiling point in the summer. otherwise Metro members in hotter areas like Nevada and New Mexico would have said something by now.


Should I just flush it between Winter/Summer so that I have a more optimal solution for Summer and a more optimal solution for winter?
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snowfish
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Basic GearHead

Your car came stock with a 195 thermostat. 180 is the alternate.
Nothing to be gained by going to a colder thermostat.
Going colder will decrease performance, efficiency, mpg, and cabin heat.
You'll still be bouncing of the coolant fan in the summer. All cars do in city driving.

50/50 coolant mix Is optimal for year around.

An all aluminum, dual core, radiator will give the best coolant temperature management.
Your 17 year old radiator is trying to cool both the engine and transmission. Nature of the beast with automatics.
Very doubtful that flushing would help. It's just getting tired.

Hood hinge spacers do work. My friend is a mail carrier who's mini van was running a little hotter than he would like.
He added some spacers (washers) and removed the hood to firewall seal. He did not change thermostats or coolant ratios. We know better than that.
Coolant fan still comes on, but not as often as before.
Removing the hood to firewall seal Will let water into the engine compartment at the car wash. So don't use high pressure spray, in that area, and you'll be fine.

My recommendation would be an aluminum radiator, 50/50 coolant mix, hood spacers, and let the coolant fan do it's job.

I commend you for taking care, of your car, like you do. :cheers
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evmetro


I only by the lowest octane fuel. I think it is 87 around these parts. Temp bouncing between 210 and 230 is too high. Might be time to service the cooling system.

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clen
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Buy 'Em Up! Now!


Quote:
 
I commend you for taking care, of your car, like you do.


I like my car a lot. I want it to last. Also I have an abnormal fear of breaking down so I tend to try and fix/replace things before failure.

Quote:
 
Temp bouncing between 210 and 230 is too high. Might be time to service the cooling system.


This is usually in city traffic in the summer, which happens a lot in a city. I could be in traffic 2 or more hours.

I have an ultraguage and I monitor engine temp and when I'm not moving it bounces from 210 to 230, when moving I go from 196 to around 210.

Quote:
 
An all aluminum, dual core, radiator will give the best coolant temperature management.


Been looking at them, I need to budget for one.
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ZXTjato
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bass heads

Ha ha ha heat problems i laugh 😅

When it comes to severe stop and go I change pads around to match the temperature better. Sometimes i use pads that are designed for hot stopping power or sometimes i use pads for cold stopping force. I'm not sure what speeds your trying to stop from 70-75? When i work at different times or go to the canyons for driving I like my hot pads,trade cold untouched brake force for repeated use and vice verse. When i did lots of citiy driving i liked small wheels, 12" khumos to be exact. As others have said let the temperature be on the warm side i run my engines cold and it has negative effects in the winter time,no heat in the cabin, runs WAY rich and makes my back window filthy, clogs up my egr and makes my oil black. Summer however i can maintain normal temps in 120° and above air temperature. Keep an eye on your engine mount rubber and i think you will be fine, 6000 miles is pretty much 1 inch in metro terms. These cars are made for citiy war.
Edited by ZXTjato, Dec 28 2017, 05:05 PM.
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t3ragtop
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Turbo3 and Twincam Tweaker

do everything on your list at 2 year intervals except the oil and filter. driving as you described creates a good bit of blow by which tends to "soot" the engine oil faster.

i do a spring oil change on oil that hasn't even gotten a mile tallied over the winter. the oil may have an hour's total run time in the 4 months i keep it stored. oil that just sits in the engine starts collecting condensation as air temperatures float back and forth through the vapor pressure point which "sours" the engine oil, turns it acidic.

i'm on board with the new 2 core aluminum radiator. ;) you may even want to get the fabricated aluminum swift gt radiator and pancake fan for max cooling but you'd want to add something like a 9 core transmission cooler and maybe even a fan as well for the transmission.
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clen
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Buy 'Em Up! Now!

Quote:
 
i'm on board with the new 2 core aluminum radiator. ;) you may even want to get the fabricated aluminum swift gt radiator and pancake fan for max cooling but you'd want to add something like a 9 core transmission cooler and maybe even a fan as well for the transmission.


So instead of getting an aluminum radiator that does both, get two separate ones? I would have to figure out how that would work out in my car.

I thought of just getting something like this

ProRad Radiator New Chevy Geo Metro Chevrolet Suzuki Swift Pontiac 8011732

or

Radiator Spectra Premium CU1732

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92blumetro
jack of all trades, master of two

a new oem style rad will make a difference, along with a proper cooling system flush, and a extra cooler for the auto trans. auto cars usually have larger rads.
but a upgraded all aluminum rad would really make a difference, more surface area and 1 extra row of cores.
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cwatkin


You seem to be doing everything right except for the low temp thermostat as others have said.

Synthetic oil is one thing that wasn't common when these cars were designed so wasn't in the spec. They seem to really like synthetic oil though so keep on doing this. I have been running the European spec 0W40 in mine.

Conor
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