Does turning the air conditioner on help cool my V6 Pontiac Fiero Formula?

[lilkhmerraider]

I had a bad day today as my '88 Pontiac Fiero Formula stalled in the middle of traffic. It just stopped and completely turned off. I tried turning it back on, but nothing at all was working. I get a tow truck and it takes me and my car home. As soon as the car came off the tow truck, the driver says he can look at it. I put the key in and suddenly everything turns on! WOW. $144 bucks down the drain. He tells me the engine must have overheated. True. I call some Fiero experts and they tell me I should have turn on the AC to normal and it would have been fine. Will turning on the AC really work? Will the AC cool the engine as well? Educated opinions please. Thank you!

 

[Oreif]

Yes if your Fiero is overheating turn on the AC.
The reason is the radiator fan is automatically turned on when the AC is on.
Otherwise the radiator fan doesn't turn on until the engine is 240* and usually by that time it is already overheated.

If you have trouble often with overheating I would inspect the cooling system for possible problems. If all OK, You can get a lower temperature fan switch so that the Radiator fan turns on at 190*.

 

[bkndacn]

^ does this also work with the older models? because I have an 86 with an overheating problem but I was told that it doesn't have a radiator that it is "air cooled"

 

[melsg5]

your 86 is not "air cooled" it has a radiator

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[Oreif]

^ does this also work with the older models? because I have an 86 with an overheating problem but I was told that it doesn't have a radiator that it is "air cooled"

Works on all years and all models.

Your radiator is up front between the headlights.
Fiero's were never "air-cooled".

 

[jromer81]

You can also simply add a switch to turn on your fan whenever you want. My 87 SE used to overheat and I wired the fan to a switch now when I drive on 90 degree plus days I just turn the fan on when I get in traffic and problem solved.

 

[1983p1]

put down all your windows and turn on the heater

 

[Oreif]

put down all your windows and turn on the heater

You can cool it down faster turning the AC on (which turns the radiator fan on) instead of blasting the heat using the blower motor and the smaller heater core.

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