Siena: To prevent overheating is simple:

* Don't run plain water in your cooling system, always run a 50/50 coolant / water mix.
* Make sure your fan thermo switch is in good shape (the fan comes on and off automatically).
* Make sure your mechanical fan is in good shape - no broken blades, and the viscous clutch is working.
* Make sure your thermostat is replaced once a year. If it gets stuck in the closed position, coolant will boil.
* Make sure your radiator is clean. A clogged matrix will not cool properly (mud, debris etc muct be steamed off periodically).
* Make sure the correct grade of spark plugs are used. Just because others fit, doesn't make them right, and detonation will cook your engine.
* Too low an octane rating will make your engine run hotter, due to retaarded timing.
* Driving technique - holding the lower gears for prolonged periods (over revving) will make your engine run hotter.
* Binding brakes - if your brakes are binding, your engine will work harder, and run hotter (excessive engine load).
* Incorrect radiator fitment - fitting an radiator from a different car is not advisable. A radiator from a Toyota Corolla 1.6 will not cool a Camry 3,0 V6.
* Service your vehicle at the correct interval, and fix any defects found. Don't wait till something breaks, before you fix, just because an engine runs with defects doesn't mean it's right.

In all my years of driving, and with all the vehicles I've owned, overheating has never been an issue.

Serendipity: *Failure to put the engine off while the motor is immobile or while in traffic jam. This is because the fan turns at a slow pace whereupon the water that cool the engine is circulated hot.

ajoguegbe: How the tablet prevents overheating
Dyno-tab® Cooler Coolant:
Replenishes critical cooling system additives
Keeps engines running cooler, up to 20 degrees F

isarumah: @siena, please oga, I posted on audi and vw issue thread, but you did not respond. The issue is, I bought tiks audi 80 tiger face with 1.8 engine and electric carb. It works fine, but consumes around 15litres/100km(combined drives). Is it normal for the car? If yes, why? If no, what are the possible problems and solution. Respect sir!

Siena:

Not true. Engines can run at idle for 24 hours, without overheating. The fan actually comes on while the car is stationary, and whilst doing a constant speed, the fan won't be triggered. A mechanical fan will also do the job while the car is stationary.

An engine that boils if the car is stationary has underlying issues that need sorting out.

DECOtech: How about increasing the size of your radiator to contain more water?

Siena:

You could. But then your water pump is designed to flow a specific volume. If you have flow issues, you'll have overheating issues.

senator2k9: Nobody seems to have imppressed me with their answers on this thread. Those thermostat was installed on those vehicles coz they were built in Very cold regions where the fan does not work especially during snow n it turns on automatically wen the weather becomes hotter! But in Nigeria here where d weather is very hot, the thermostat is as good as useless coz the engine fan must Continue running to cool down the engine and in that case the thermostat just decorates d engine in Nigeria, and anyday the thermostat mallfunctions n refuses to start the engine fan automatically that's wen u get serious over heating, to be on a safer side, dats y d mechanics advice that the thermostats be removed frm the engine !!

segun-2011:
how much can i buy a bigger radiator and where can i get it

senator2k9: Nobody seems to have imppressed me with their answers on this thread. Those thermostat was installed on those vehicles coz they were built in Very cold regions where the fan does not work especially during snow n it turns on automatically wen the weather becomes hotter! But in Nigeria here where d weather is very hot, the thermostat is as good as useless coz the engine fan must Continue running to cool down the engine and in that case the thermostat just decorates d engine in Nigeria, and anyday the thermostat mallfunctions n refuses to start the engine fan automatically that's wen u get serious over heating, to be on a safer side, dats y d mechanics advice that the thermostats be removed frm the engine !!

senator2k9: Nobody seems to have imppressed me with their answers on this thread. Those thermostat was installed on those vehicles coz they were built in Very cold regions where the fan does not work especially during snow n it turns on automatically wen the weather becomes hotter! But in Nigeria here where d weather is very hot, the thermostat is as good as useless coz the engine fan must Continue running to cool down the engine and in that case the thermostat just decorates d engine in Nigeria, and anyday the thermostat mallfunctions n refuses to start the engine fan automatically that's wen u get serious over heating, to be on a safer side, dats y d mechanics advice that the thermostats be removed frm the engine !!

My people suffer for lack of knowledge. . . .

I will take the liberty to expatiate more on this thermostat issue since i can't understand how a road side artisan
is better that an engineer who have assembled car for both cold and hot regions. The same cars we use here is what is also
used in North America and middle East will very harsh hot weathers.

But here's my take; A lot of components are added to the automobile engine to help in starting the vehicle on a very cold day and also to allow it
run efficiently when the weather and engine is cold. One of such components is the thermostat. Technically, when the engine is cold, the oil has more thickness
and almost congeals. This will require the engine to overcome more resistance in order to rotate. This invariably affects fuel consumption.

So as to combat this issue, manufacturers install devices that ensures the cooling system of the vehicle is not operational if the temperature
of the engine is too low. Therefore, except your 'rewire' has tampered with your fan's connection or thermostat, you will observe that your fan does not
rotate with it. But as soon as the car heats up, the fan automatically starts spinning.

Also, when the engine is cold, the thermostat ensures that coolant is not circulating through the engine but as the engine heats up, thermostat opens up
and allows coolant to circulate through the engine.

But once these cars come to Nigeria, some local 'quacks' suddenly take on the responsibility of 'tropicalizing' these vehicles. In the course of doing these, they consider unnecessary, the overall efficiency of the the vehicle (throttle response, starting ability, idling characteristics etc). in most cases, your fuel consumption increases.

Now, as regards the thermostat, by passing the thermostatic cooling system by wiring the cooling fan directly to the ignition system or removing the cooland thermostat is a terrible idea; in fact, atrocious.

Thermostats have ratings indicating the temperatures at which they will operate. It is therefore best to buy thermostats or thermostatic switches for the appropriate environment. These temperatures are marked on the body of the thermostat or the switches. For instance, a friend bought a golf MKIII from Austria and the normal over heating issue started. On checking, the coolant fan switch, designed for cold regions has 102 degrees written on the switch. This indicates that the environmental temperature where the car will be used must be low. This is to allow the engine to heat up to just under 100 degrees before the cooling system fan comes on. What happens on importing this car here is that while working under load, the car starts over heating and before the time the cooling system is about to start working, coolant is boiling over.

A local mechanic will remove the thermostat and fling it across and go ahead to by pass all by passables. But replacing the thermostat switch with one written 82 degrees on the body sent this problem to the grave.

Removing the thermostat is a bad idea. Aside the effects of over cooling leading to high exhaust emission, poor cold starting ability and increased fuel consumption, the thermal shock created by the missing thermostat can shorten the life of an engine. The mechanics as a result of lack of knowledge, reason that vehicles are supposed to operate at the lowest possible engine temperature whereas vehicles are designed to operate at an optimum coolant temperature of just below the boiling point of the coolant for efficiency reasons.

Emperoh:

My people suffer for lack of knowledge. . . .

I will take the liberty to expatiate more on this thermostat issue since i can't understand how a road side artisan
is better that an engineer who have assembled car for both cold and hot regions. The same cars we use here is what is also
used in North America and middle East will very harsh hot weathers.

But here's my take; A lot of components are added to the automobile engine to help in starting the vehicle on a very cold day and also to allow it
run efficiently when the weather and engine is cold. One of such components is the thermostat. Technically, when the engine is cold, the oil has more thickness
and almost congeals. This will require the engine to overcome more resistance in order to rotate. This invariably affects fuel consumption.

So as to combat this issue, manufacturers install devices that ensures the cooling system of the vehicle is not operational if the temperature
of the engine is too low. Therefore, except your 'rewire' has tampered with your fan's connection or thermostat, you will observe that your fan does not
rotate with it. But as soon as the car heats up, the fan automatically starts spinning.

Also, when the engine is cold, the thermostat ensures that coolant is not circulating through the engine but as the engine heats up, thermostat opens up
and allows coolant to circulate through the engine.

But once these cars come to Nigeria, some local 'quacks' suddenly take on the responsibility of 'tropicalizing' these vehicles. In the course of doing these, they consider unnecessary, the overall efficiency of the the vehicle (throttle response, starting ability, idling characteristics etc). in most cases, your fuel consumption increases.

Now, as regards the thermostat, by passing the thermostatic cooling system by wiring the cooling fan directly to the ignition system or removing the cooland thermostat is a terrible idea; in fact, atrocious.

Thermostats have ratings indicating the temperatures at which they will operate. It is therefore best to buy thermostats or thermostatic switches for the appropriate environment. These temperatures are marked on the body of the thermostat or the switches. For instance, a friend bought a golf MKIII from Austria and the normal over heating issue started. On checking, the coolant fan switch, designed for cold regions has 102 degrees written on the switch. This indicates that the environmental temperature where the car will be used must be low. This is to allow the engine to heat up to just under 100 degrees before the cooling system fan comes on. What happens on importing this car here is that while working under load, the car starts over heating and before the time the cooling system is about to start working, coolant is boiling over.

A local mechanic will remove the thermostat and fling it across and go ahead to by pass all by passables. But replacing the thermostat switch with one written 82 degrees on the body sent this problem to the grave.

Removing the thermostat is a bad idea. Aside the effects of over cooling leading to high exhaust emission, poor cold starting ability and increased fuel consumption, the thermal shock created by the missing thermostat can shorten the life of an engine. The mechanics as a result of lack of knowledge, reason that vehicles are supposed to operate at the lowest possible engine temperature whereas vehicles are designed to operate at an optimum coolant temperature of just below the boiling point of the coolant for efficiency reasons.

Siena:

And just so you know, the thermostat doesn't "start the fan", that's the job of the thermo switch. You're confusing two different components. The thermostat is a temperature-sensitive valve, that controls flow, and is entirely mechanical. The thermo switch is a temperature-sensitive switch, that controls the positive circuit of the electric fan (if fitted) and is entirely electrical.

senator2k9: is the thermoswitch not in the thermostat? Its just like u r saying humans can't eat on their own, that's d function of the mouth !!