Hi all,

I live in Florida so we are always running our A/C. Last week I was double parked with the A/C turned ON for approx. 15-20 minutes and I noticed that my temperature gauge was moving towards Hot. I immediately turned OFF the car to let it cool off.
I usually don't double park with the A/C on for long periods of time, so I can say this happens all the time. I have been driving my car for a week now under normal conditions and everything seems to be fine.
I do notice that the A/C air is not as cool when I'm parked as opposed to when we are moving.

Just want to check in to see if this is something I should look into further.

Thanks,

maguirre

 

If I were to guess, and I am, I would say the fan clutch is going. It may not be actually bad yet, but it sounds to me like it may not be engaging as solidly as it should when you're just sitting, idling.

Does the fan make the usual "whooshing" sound during the start up when cold? Does it make the sound when the truck gets anywhere over about mid-level on the temperature gauge? Does the volume of air the fan is moving across the engine when it gets above mid-level on the temp gauge increase dramatically?
Any of those not occuring may indicate a failing fan clutch. It's a very reasonably priced part, and quite easy to replace. Remember to always us OEM replacement parts. They are readily available from any number of places.

Also, have you done any work on the cooling system recently, which required draining/ refilling the system? If so, are you sure you "burped" the system thoroughly afterwards? That's a very important step.
Is the air behind the radiator good and hot once the engine is well warmed? If not, you may have a clogged radiator that needs replacement, or a failing thermostat. Is the radiator good and clean, allowing plenty of air to flow through? A good rinse backward through the radiator with a hose can do wonders. Have you checked the volume of coolant in the radiator is all the way to the filler neck, and the amount in the recovery tank up to the Full line when the engine is cold? If not, they should be.

Hope something in all my rambling is some small help...
Pat☺

 

Thank you for all the info... I thought about a bad fan clutch. I will check all your points mentioned above.