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Traverse running hot

5.9K views 7 replies 5 participants last post by  Watthour  
#1 ·
My 2017 traverse temp gauge goes up 25 degrees or so when driving slow ( less than 35 mph). It comes back down when I drove highway speeds.
My coolant tank is full. No obvious leaks of fluid or anything.
My radiator fan stays on after shutting off engine for 4-5 minutes
Could it be engine coolant sensor
Water pump
 
#2 ·
Use an external thermometer to verify the temperature. If it's accurate with the gauge, then check your thermostat.
 
#4 ·
Sounds almost like the fans aren't running properly. You're getting adequate air flow for cooling at higher speeds, but not enough at low speeds.

See post #4 here for the shop manual operating description.


See post #5 here for a more detailed explanation.


Some of these relays have been known to fail. If the "left" relay in the diagram has failed, neither fan will run in low speed and only the right fan will run in high speed. If the middle relay fails, both fans will run in low speed but only the right fan will run in high speed. If the right relay fails, both fans will run in low speed, but but only the left fan will run in high speed.

The relays are identical (have same P/N), so you can swap them around and see if your symptoms change. If they do, one of the relays is bad.
 
#5 ·
My 2017 traverse temp gauge goes up 25 degrees or so when driving slow ( less than 35 mph). It comes back down when I drove highway speeds.
This is not uncommon and not new. Going back to the early 1980s when Corvettes and Firebirds had NO grille to allow free air flow for cooling, fans and air deflectors were employed to provide air flow at reduced road speeds. Failure of any of those can contribute to rising coolant temperatures at low road speeds.

Also bear in mind that factory programming for fan operation can allow the coolant to reach 230°F before both fans are in full speed mode. Your friendly local dealer service advisor should be happy to provide you with all the details of that.


My coolant tank is full. No obvious leaks of fluid or anything.
My radiator fan stays on after shutting off engine for 4-5 minutes
Could it be engine coolant sensor
The good news is that the coolant is not leaking. The fact that the electric fan(s) remains on after engine shut down would indicate that the PCM knows the coolant temperature is high, and is attempting to compensate after shut down. That would dispel the notion that the CTS is reporting incorrectly.


Water pump
I would doubt that the water pump is a problem, based on its ability to move coolant sufficiently when traveling at higher speeds (likely creating more heat). If you suspect the water pump, note the engine RPM when traveling at over 35MPH and cooling sufficiently, then reduce the speed and select a gear range that provides a similar engine RPM to test the theory at lower road speeds (less ram air flow).

My suspicion is that ram air is sufficient to exchange the heat generated above 35MPH and the fan air at lower speeds is insufficient. Weak or inoperable fan motors, damaged fan blades, obstructed radiator fins (externally dirty), missing shrouds and/or air baffles, and potential air shutter operational problems could contribute.
 
#6 ·
Coolant sensor could be off slightly. Non-contact temp. gun on engine and hoses would confirm that.
Condenser clean? Also dirt can build up behind the condenser on the radiator.
What ambient temps are we talking about, 100F plus will cause that also. Altitude is also a factor in high outdoor temps.
 
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#8 ·
That's good to know, and makes the suspect list a little shorter. As long as there isn't a layer of insects, plant matter, road grime, and Toyota parts stuck between the condenser and radiator, it should be adequate to reject heat on the dry side of the cooling system.