Hey man, how do you keep your E46 coolant temps low on trackdays? I just hit Laguna this past weekend for the first time and my coolant temps kept creeping up into the red. It was unprecedentedly hot in Monterey (temps over 90 degrees all day) but even still I couldn't push the car nearly as hard as I wanted to and kept having to take cooldown laps. It's bone stock engine/cooling wise, just suspension and tires
That is definitely an extreme for laguna. My day was 70'ish? and rainy. The stock e46m system is only good to about 90* in my experience/pace. Anything past that and you will be doing cooldown laps every few laps if you have decent pace. My oem cooling was in really good condition too. I went to a few mid 90 days at Thunderhill in May and was doing cooldowns almost more than normal laps. Upgraded to a D088 rad. Which I then tested in July at a 117* day. It also overheated around the 100 degree mark and needed cooldown laps. Was at an event last month and never over heated in 92* weather, middle the whole day. If I want to make it in 100+ think I would need to do hood vents. The rad can only do so much. Need more fresh air circulating through engine bay. Trapped heat is the enemy. Ive landed on the radiator is good enough and to just avoid 100+ days.
What a joy to watch and listen to
Yooo nice
Hey man, how do you keep your E46 coolant temps low on trackdays? I just hit Laguna this past weekend for the first time and my coolant temps kept creeping up into the red. It was unprecedentedly hot in Monterey (temps over 90 degrees all day) but even still I couldn't push the car nearly as hard as I wanted to and kept having to take cooldown laps. It's bone stock engine/cooling wise, just suspension and tires
That is definitely an extreme for laguna. My day was 70'ish? and rainy. The stock e46m system is only good to about 90* in my experience/pace. Anything past that and you will be doing cooldown laps every few laps if you have decent pace. My oem cooling was in really good condition too.
I went to a few mid 90 days at Thunderhill in May and was doing cooldowns almost more than normal laps. Upgraded to a D088 rad. Which I then tested in July at a 117* day. It also overheated around the 100 degree mark and needed cooldown laps. Was at an event last month and never over heated in 92* weather, middle the whole day.
If I want to make it in 100+ think I would need to do hood vents. The rad can only do so much. Need more fresh air circulating through engine bay. Trapped heat is the enemy.
Ive landed on the radiator is good enough and to just avoid 100+ days.
Running water wetter and 35% coolant / 65% water.
I was sure your car has power upgrades. Good job.
Stock engine aside from intake.
Bro, that is such a great run! are we in the same group today?
Yo, I was in red both days. There were a few other dark E46M on Sunday tho.