Hello All,

I have a 2013 R56 GP. I am currently running into Water temp issues but would like to clarify. I saw various thread saying the high water temp is normal with the R56 N14/N18 engine. I have a Pivot ODB gauge installed and from what i remember my car used to run about 87c to 90c consistently.

Recently I have fitted a M7 open intake, a 200 cell downpipe and a Wagner FMIC into the car and the car runs higher that what i used to have. It sits around 90c and if i floor it hard it goes to around 100c but would always come back down to 90 pretty fast. The lower downpipe heatshield has been removed due to the size of the AR deisgn downpipe but the downpipe has been wrapped in titanium heatwrap and ceramic coated. one odd thing i also realised was every time i started the car up (Not cold start). The water temp would spike up to around 105-110c and activates the high speed fan, few minutes later it would drop back to 90ish C. I have never experienced the spike of the water temp before and wondering could the water pump or thermostat be faulty ? I live in Japan and Japan summer is bloody hot around 37c (100F) right now with 60% humidity.

I couldn't pin point the exact problem, some said the FMIC would raise the temp as it blocked a fairly huge amount off the radiator. Or simple I need a tune to go with the 200 Cell DP to lower the water temp?

 

I don't have a gauge in my JCW, so I couldn't tell you what I am running temp. My assumption for your problem is that the heat wrap is holding in a little more heat than the stock heat shields do. I have a similar setup to you. FMIC, and just went with a Ceramic Coated Catless pipe. I don't have any issue with it. I removed the stock heat shields altogether, but will put them back shortly. The only reason I say that the wrap holds in more heat is there is no air flow going between the cat and wrap, to dissipate heat, like the stock shields. So it's just there holding in heat, thus keeping things warm, like the water in the radiator. So when you start the car, while warm, you give the car power (and fans) to kick on and cool the coolant. Then the water pump circulates the cooled coolant quickly and shuts the fans off because it cools down. I would start with removing the wrap. My catless has cooled about 50-60 degrees. I don't know if you have a temp gun, but maybe take readings of it with the wrap on and then off to see if there is a difference. Hope this helps!

 

Thanks for the reply

I actually tried it without the heat shield or wrap first to start with and it was the same . The reason I placed the heat wrap on was because without the shield I feel like the Radiator was soaking in too much heat from the unproetected Downpipe.

so fat from my experience wrapping or not wrapping the DP doesn’t make a difference.

 

Hmm interesting. I would assume that your hi-flo one isn't holding or getting as hot as the original. I think I would try to put the originals on and go from there.

Other than that, I don't think I would be too concerned about it. I think with a tune, you can command the fans on earlier and longer. My old r56 S wasn't tuned and fans seemed fine, but my JCW has a stage 1 tune and the fans seem to come on sooner and they stay on even after I turn the car off. Don't know if that's a tune thing or just something I didn't notice.

 

My guess would be the thermostat is going out

 

Gotcha

I just tried again literally 1 hour ago

1. Cold start > car would warm up nicely to 80ish - 90C if I drive nice and slow / idle. Once I start driving slightly harder it will rise to 105ish, high speed fan kicks on and within 20s the temp will shoot straight back down to 90 and stay

2. Warm Start > starting temp at around 80-90 already, would quickly spike to 105ish and then activates the fan, same within 20s it will go straight down to 90.

3. while driving > not much fluctuation. When going flat out the temp would rose momentarily up to 100c but will soon cool down.

PS: currently place in living at is Tokyo, Japan and it’s around 36c / 100F with humidity of 60%

Replying to above, does the warm up / heat of the Downpipe affects the water temp?

 

I'm still thinking there is something wrong with your thermostat... What are you using to monitor water temperatures?

 

Yeah same feeling. Feels like the thermostat isn’t opening at 90ish . Only opens at 105c

I’m using the Pivot OBD gauge that reads the water temp and boost. I mean it might not be the most accurate gauge around but I’m pretty sure it does the job. At least when it’s showing 105 the high speed fan is on