Clio 197 Engine Heat

[Typhoon]

Hi guys,

Please don't think I'm a complete idiot because I'm aware the engine heat can take the skin straight from your hand but is it common for the 197 to produce such a large amount of engine heat?

Example, I drive 12 miles to work, quite sensibly, no traffic and takes 10/15 minutes. I get here and if I open my bonnet I actually get knocked back because it's absolutely roasting. The thermo in the car is sat right in the middle of the dial, I've just never witnessed a car get so hot so quick. Not sure if it's something sinister underlying.

Cheers!

 

[MicKPM]

They do run warm yes but this is also one of the reasons that they run a lower temp stat which looks the same as the 172/182 item but isn't.

 

[Typhoon]

They do run warm yes but this is also one of the reasons that they run a lower temp stat which looks the same as the 172/182 item but isn't.

Cheers Mick - is there anything I should actively look for? ie; coolant (which it has)

 

[MicKPM]

Unless you have diagnostic kit or some kind of data logging kit there's not much you can actually do. Do you know what temperature it is actually holding?

You need to make sure the coolant is being regulated by the stat and that it's also being controlled by the fan.

Loads of people fit the 172/182 stat which is wrong despite saying in 197.net that it's okay... Obviously not otherwise Renault wouldn't have fitted a lower temp unit as standard would they.

 

[Typhoon]

Cheers Mick, will see if I can get someone to hook it up, just for peace of mind!

 

[jackaleks]

If you're worried about the stat take it out and chuck it in a pan of boiling water, then watch if it opens.

 

[MicKPM]

It's more at what temp it opens at. The 172/182 opens at around 89-93 where as the 197/200 is around 76-80 IIRC

These do run hotter though and he may not have an issue

 

[Simon@SprayShack]

in my experience with my old 197, it never sat in the middle of the gauge, its about just below the 1/3 when driving very slowly and then just over a 1/3 when giving her the beans. That's normal im led to believe from speaking and looking at other members cars. I've also heard of a few members putting in hotter stat's, not sure for what reason, something to do with the hesitation issue I suspect, but anyway that's the first thing id be checking esp if you haven't had it from new.

 

[Advikaz]

I've never found my 200 to get all that hot tbh.

The Abarth though gets roasting under the bonnet!

 

[Ghosty0101]

Don't feel stupid, I took my meg r26 in for the same thing but they found nothing wrong with it! The fan is small and weedy but cuts in at 100 degrees which is normal apparently! They just seem to run hot and dislike traffic jams!

 

[Ghosty0101]

They all looked at me like I was a right mong at the garage!

 

[Typhoon]

They all looked at me like I was a right mong at the garage!

Haha, that's what I was worried about. Obviously its bound to be hot but this in unreal. I get out the car and can feel heat radiating against me!

 

[KyleRS]

My 197 sits at 1/3 most of the time unless in traffic or giving it some.

 

[Matt e]

megane would be hotter anyway because of the turbo

 

[Steven103]

Fair enough if it's alarming, but from the automotive engineering point of view...

* Combustion occurs at around 700 degrees
* Peak exhaust gas temperatures in certain situations can get well over 1000 degrees (when all the nasty emissions stuff like NOx starts forming)
* The catalyst can easily be 500 degrees

And only 30% of that energy leaves the engine as torque. The other 70% is wasted as heat and sound.