btw, how can we prevent engine overheating? i got an 05 STi, (sorry to hi-jack the topic), and sometimes things just makes me think that after a long drive, the engine is getting to overheating edge, does installing a cooling panel will help or not? any suggestions would be great, and if i am in the wrong section, plz re-direct me!! thx.

 

Normal driving, even hard driving, should not result in overheating unless there is something wrong and/or the car is significantly modified and making well over stock power levels. The factory cooling system is sufficient as long as the car is properly maintained.

 

Factory cooling system on the STI is quite good. In Best Motoring's endurance test, the STI was perfectly fine while other cars (BMW M3, RX7) were having heat problems. I don't think you need to worry about it.

 

if youre really into preventing overheating, then upgrade everything. thermostate, hoses, radiator, cooling panel, etc. but regular maintanance is way cheaper.

 

I am also curious about an overheating problem I have that only happens at the track. After running for around 30 minutes on the circuit, toward the end of the session, the aftermarket temp gauge spikes, even though I do a cool down lap to try an prevent this. The stock temp gauge raises slightly, but nowhere near the 'H'. When I return to the pit, I find that a significant amount of coolant has spilled from the overflow (about a 1/2 liter).

There is no power loss, no coolant in the oil or vice-versa, no smoke from the tail pipe... nothing that would indicate a head gasket going bad. I am running a 16lb cap (1.1bar), and the rest of the cooling system is stock. I was about to shell out for a 60mm radiator and hoses, but it was suggested that it could be some other problem causing this that a larger radiator would not fix.

Next question is, does elevation and atmospheric pressure play any role in how efficient the cooling system performs? The track I go to is built on top of a mountain. Any physics gurus out there?

 

get a egt gauge