Cold temp gauge

Last night in this cold spell I drove two hours on the interstate including through the mountains watching the temp gauge. It remained low, never getting above 150, the whole way. Is this ok with the Sprinter or should I have put a cardboard in front of the radiator to keep the engine running warmer?
 

autostaretx

Erratic Member
I doubt that anything would go wrong... you may not have been operating at "peak efficiency".
How was your fuel mileage?

--dick
 

220629

Well-known member
I doubt that anything would go wrong... you may not have been operating at "peak efficiency".
How was your fuel mileage?

--dick
I agree FWIW.

There are some here who have mentioned wedging pipe insulation tubes into the grill to reduce the air flow. I haven't done that, but it seems like a fairly simple and effective method to me.

vic
 
From watching the dashboard fuel gauge, I don't have a scan gauge, it seemed the fuel mileage was way down. It was my impression, from long ago, that diesels were suppose to run hot for best operating, are the Sprinters typically suppose to run cool?
 

220629

Well-known member
... are the Sprinters typically suppose to run cool?
No. The thermostat design on my T1N is 195F.

On my T1N the dash temperature hovers a bit below 180F in winter and maybe a bit over 180F during summer under normal operation.

With what I believe is a properly operating thermostat, my engine always gets up to just below 180F on the highway. Around town or stop and go it stays quite a bit cooler.

I've ordered the burner for my Booster Heater so that should be operating soon. I will likely employ that for around town driving once it's working. That will knock down fuel economy, but should help the engine to be happier.

vic
 

cahaak

New member
If you were running on the interstate and at speeds of around 60-70, then your operating temp should have been up to around 180-182. I've driven mine around lately with temps at -5F or so and it gets up to temp on the interstate. It certainly would not hurt to block the grill, I do that in the winter. Much faster warm ups and easier to keep temps up. Even with the cold temps, my mpg is down, but only by maybe 1 to 1.5 mpg - not that bad.

Chris
 

autostaretx

Erratic Member
I've ordered the burner for my Booster Heater so that should be operating soon. I will likely employ that for around town driving once it's working. That will knock down fuel economy, but should help the engine to be happier.
It only burns a cup of fuel per hour (at full toot), so it shouldn't be *too* much of an impact.
(perhaps a 6% effect? That'd drop 20mpg to 18.75)

--dick
 

220629

Well-known member
It only burns a cup of fuel per hour (at full toot), so it shouldn't be *too* much of an impact.
(perhaps a 6% effect? That'd drop 20mpg to 18.75)

--dick
You had me worried with the cup of fuel/hour because I got about 1 1/2 teaspoons for the 90 second open fuel line measuring test. (That includes a combination of low then high pump pulses.) That tested rate would fill a cup pretty quickly.

Espar D5 Heater
5 kW (17,000 BTU/hr) - High
2.4 kW (8,200 BTU/hr) - Low

Approx. 12V Power Consumption

4.16 amps High
1.91 amps Low

Approx. Fuel Consumption (+/- 10%)

0.62 l/hr (0.16 US gal/hr) High
0.27 l/hr (0.08 US gal/hr) Low

0.62L = approx. 2.620587 cups :tongue:

Anyway, it won't be going full tilt so you're correct that it won't affect mileage much.

Thanks for the info. vic
 
I flicked the fan with good force from my finger and the blade moved one blade distance. I can move the blades one fan blade at a time noticing that half of the spin has some drag to it. It seems that the fan is always spinning while engine is running. Is the fan clutch designed to stop the fan spinning to let the engine warm up, then it turns the fan on to cool the engine?
 

220629

Well-known member
That doesn't necessarily sound bad.

The fan uses fluid coupling. When the fan isn't rotating the fluid pools. That pooled fluid, coupled with cold temperatures making the fluid fairly viscous prevents any tests involving spinning or moving by hand pretty much unreliable.

A cold fan will generally spin when first started because of the pooled fluid. That is why you may notice a bit of a roar when the engine first kicks off. After centrifugal force distributes the fluid then the thermostatic controls begin working. In very cold temperatures that may take some time until the heat from the radiator begins to warm the fluid hub.

Anyway, hand spinning won't tell you much. vic
 

220629

Well-known member
Still pondering my pump output test results as carried out to actual running of the heater.
You had me worried with the cup of fuel/hour because I got about 1 1/2 teaspoons for the 90 second open fuel line measuring test. (That includes a combination of low then high pump pulses.) That tested rate would fill a cup pretty quickly.

Espar D5 Heater
5 kW (17,000 BTU/hr) - High
2.4 kW (8,200 BTU/hr) - Low

Approx. 12V Power Consumption

4.16 amps High
1.91 amps Low

Approx. Fuel Consumption (+/- 10%)

0.62 l/hr (0.16 US gal/hr) High
0.27 l/hr (0.08 US gal/hr) Low

0.62L = approx. 2.620587 cups :tongue:

Anyway, it won't be going full tilt so you're correct that it won't affect mileage much.

Thanks for the info. vic
It only burns a cup of fuel per hour (at full toot), ...
Well Dick,
I may owe you an apology. I did some quick calculations.

approx 90 seconds of pump test operation = 1 1/2 teaspoons.

60 seconds = 1 minute

60 minutes = 1 hour

1 hour = 3600 seconds

3600/90 = 40

40 x 1.5 teaspoons = 60

60 teaspoons = 1.25 cups

The Espar test does definitely include a combination of partial speed and full speed pump output, but maybe my heater is closer to a cup of fuel per hour than it is to the Espar listed 2.620587 cups. My fueling test did come in at the lower end of the acceptable test range. That should equate to a bit lower max BTU output while running.

:cheers: vic
 

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