ive got an 88 lude si. whenever it rains and i have the car out, i can see the rain literally steamin off the hood. . it looks like a freakin white castle commercial. i noticed this in early spring, so i dont think it has anything to do w/ outside temp. normally when i drive around and touch the hood after, it is really really freakin hot. the temp guage in my car has never gone more than midway, and the coolant level is just fine. most of the time im goin above 40 mph, so the fan barely ever turns on.

 

How old is your radiator? When was the last time your cooling system was flushed?

 

Also do you have any mods that may cause the bay temp to rise?

 

Did you remove any heat shields?

 

i bought the car about a year ago,off of my cousin. he had it for 2-3 yrs, and it overheated on him one time ( he was teachin his wife how to drive stick. he said they were in first drivin around for like 20 min). the only thing he ever did to the car was get the tires changed. ive never had the cooling system flushed. i think the radiator is original equipment. the only mod i have on the car is a catback exhaust (which i "made"). no heat shields have been removed, at least by me. i also have a major oil leak, but i keep on top of that, and keep the oil level up. the engine is strong as hell @ 137k + mi. i know the car had been in an accident, b4 my cousin bought it. the hood, front bumper, front fender, had been at the very least repainted possibly even replaced. so the radiator might be newer, but at least 5 yrs old. but it ran fine for the 2-3 my cousin owned it.

 

First, I would flush the cooling system, then add some fresh coolant/water. You can also pick up a bottle of RedLine Water Wetter which might help a bit. Other than replacing the radiator, which it might be time to do, you could possibly wire your fan to stay on and provide some more cooling. Of course, with 137k on it, your water pump could be on its way out if it wasn't replaced at your 90k timing belt interval.

 

thanks for the help. the first thing on my list right now is replacing the upper ball joints. ( hit a BUMP 80+). after that, then i'll do the cooling system. thanks again