Overheating is the number one cause of automobile overheating. It’s also known as engine overheating, resulting in expensive repairs, expensive batteries, and expensive oil changes. Your engine overheats because it’s trying to do too many things simultaneously.
Cummins ISX engines have a distinctive characteristic – they tend to heat up very quickly. For example, the heat generated by the engine can often be felt when driving on icy roads or while parked outside. If you own an ISX engine car, you’re probably aware that the performance and handling could be better if the temperatures were not as high.
Here are a few ways that you can reduce the heat produced by your ISX engine:
1. Turn off the engine when you’re not driving
When the engine is off, the temperature inside the car can drop very rapidly – this is known as the heat loss from the car. So it is best to turn off the engine when you’re not driving so that outside airflow does not become too limited. If you do this, you can close the bonnet when you’re finished, and the engine will shut off automatically.
2. Add more airflow sensors
Since the engine generates a lot of heat, it is worth adding more airflow sensors to the car to help detect when the engine is overheating. These are typically located behind the front seats, but they can also be found behind the wheel wells, under the dashboard, and even in the engine bay. These sensors are designed to detect cracks in the road and changes in air pressure caused by nearby cars or weather conditions. When you add more sensors, you can determine when the engine is getting too hot with greater accuracy.
3. Open the bonnet more as opposed to closing it
Opening the bonnet more than necessary is one of the ways that the ISX engine management system has been designed to reduce the heat produced by the engine. When the bonnet is closed, the air can escape from the engine bay, which helps to retain some of the heat inside the car. However, when the bonnet is opened, some of the heat can escape, which helps reduce the engine’s overall performance. This can be Counter-intuitive, but it is worth doing to help improve the engine’s efficiency.
4. Use a thermally-insulated panel
A car’s engine bay is a scorching and humid place – so much so that normal materials such as plastic, aluminum, and rubber will begin to break down and lose their flexibility if subjected to high temperatures. An excellent way to help combat the heat produced by an ISX engine is to use a “thermally-insulated” panel that uses insulation such as polythene or glass fiber to reflect some heat away from the car interior.
These panels are often painted black to help absorb some heat from the sun’s rays. When you use a panel like this, you’re not just helping to reduce the temperature inside the car – you’re also helping to protect the panel from damage.
5. Take care with the handling and cooling
If you notice that the car’s handling feels a little off when driving on icy roads or when parked outside, it may be that the tires are too smooth. When the tires are too smooth, they can reduce the friction needed to get the car moving and instead are being used as a heat source. The cooling is also affected when you drive an engine that is not performing to its optimal level.
This can happen if you have parked the car outside for an extended period or if it has been boiling outside. Keep the tires smooth and the car windows open to help airflow. Try to avoid parking the car with the engine off for more extended periods as this will cause the engine to waste more fuel.
The Cummins ISX engine is a powerful engine that has proven itself time and time again when it comes to powering various heavy and medium-duty vehicles. So if you are interested in this, keep an eye out for Cummins ISX engines for sale signs around your area. The problem that many car owners have is that they don’t know how to improve the performance and mileage potential of their ISX engine without overheating. If you follow these tips, your engine will be able to run cooler for more extended periods and thus, prevent damage from occurring.
