Heat inside SRT10

[fred]

I have heard much said about the heat build up in the SRT10. I have heard it first hand from owners and on this board. It has concerned me enough that I may postpone a purchase. I am disapointed that, after all the talk during the preproduction testing of this car when the "heat" issue was first raised, the problem has not been fixed. I believe there were postings that Dodge did not have the full insulation in the preproduction cars that were being tested and that all would be well with the production version. It appears that was not the case. Why this issue still exits with the 04 model is beyond me. I guess as long a Dodge continues to sell the car with this issue they will see no reason to hurry along any improvement. For me, I will not buy it like this. Especially in Florida where we have enough heat already!

 

[Daniel Cragin/DC Performance Inc]

We have developed a heat insulation package for the SRT/10 with Adavnaced thermal products. It fixes the problem once and for all.

 

[SoFlaSRT]

Even on a hot day with the top up and the windows closed, the AC is more than adequate to handle the heat. No problem there whatsoever. The heat is a factor when you have the top down and are sitting still. It comes from the outside.

 

[Paul Hawker]

My SRT-10 has an excellent heater/AC system which keeps the interior at the desired temp with the top up, and windows closed, however with the top down, and the windows open, heat from the engine escapes from the hood vents, and blows around the side of the windshield, and cooks the interior.
WIth the A/C on high, it can keep the heat at bay, however something should be done to manage the airflow to avoid the hot draft.
Side sills are warm, but not a big problem.
Overall much more comfortable than my 96 GTS.

 

[Skip White]

My solution for the migratory heat problem, is to remove the secondary cats from the car. I have done this and my side sills are not even warm after cruising, and after a spirited run thru a couple of gears, they become slightly warm. In the peak of summer they may get a little hotter, but nothing like they used to. Other benifits of this are a few more HP, no doubt, since the substrate material was very dense and deep. I have heard the car will pass any emission test around after doing this, I will find out soon. I also love the fact that the engine has less heat build up,oh one more thing, the sound quality is bit more the way the car should sound. This is the best mod I've ever done. I don't like the idea of removing the primary cats, as this would be going a bit far,(for now anyway).

Can anyone out there tell me why they put the secondary cats on the car, if it will pass any emission test out there??? I have an idea why,but I'm not really sure.

If any one would like to see some pics of this mod., let me know

Skip

 

[Frank 03SRT]

Skip, could you post the pictures?

 

[Phoenix SRT]

WIth the A/C on high, it can keep the heat at bay, however something should be done to manage the airflow to avoid the hot draft....Overall much more comfortable than my 96 GTS.

It's all in the perspective, I guess. With the top down, so much heat pours into the cockpit on my SRT that the A/C doesn't stand a chance. It's kind of like trying to cool hell. And it doesn't matter whether I'm moving or stopped. The good news is that all that heat makes the car pretty comfortable with the top down even when it is fairly chilly out. Once the temp gets much above the low 80s, I drive something else.

I find the SRT much hotter in the cockpit than my Gen I. The footwells in my RT became pretty warm, but the rest of the cockpit didn't seem to heat up.

 

[Skip White]

I've never posted pics before. I'm very familiar with e-mailing, but not posting.

If it's fairly simple, can someone guide me on this, and I will post the pics.

Skip w

 

[King GTS]

Originally posted by Daniel Craigen:

We have developed a heat insulation package for the SRT/10 with Adavnaced thermal products. It fixes the problem once and for all.

Dan you made this post early on, after reading more responses, will your heat insulation pkg. fix all the heat problems discussed? Thank you in advance.

 

[DRBSRT]

King GTS........Could it possibly be that you are acturaly considering an SRT-10?????? Personally, I think the Houston Viper community needs you back in the fold!!!!!! I may be buying another SRT-10 shortly, but I'm more than a little concerned about the heat issue inside the cockpit with the top down. Wish DC would fix this problem once and for all!! See ya!!

 

[King GTS]

King GTS........Could it possibly be that you are acturaly considering an SRT-10?????? Personally, I think the Houston Viper community needs you back in the fold!!!!!! I may be buying another SRT-10 shortly, but I'm more than a little concerned about the heat issue inside the cockpit with the top down. Wish DC would fix this problem once and for all!! See ya!!

Thanks David.

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I'm 100% gonna do something here soon. My friend just bought an SRT and it's kind of growing on me. The heat issue is a major concern of mine too. It's not even funny in the Texas heat. Then there's the Coupe SRT issue and all the mystery surrounding that.

You must be registered for see images

Some people are thinking that when Chevrolet steps up here shortly with the C6 and the ZO6 C6 then that will force Dodge into bringing on the Coupe. I hear that's just in a few months too. Then there's Ford and the GT situation too that could force the hand of DC. I'd hate to get into an SRT, dump an insane amount of cash in the engine, then here comes the Coupe. I could always return the SRT to stock, swap the wheels, sell it and buy the Coupe. But we'll see. Right now I'm weighing my options and trying to gather as much info as possible. Good to hear from you buddy.

 

[Black SRT]

I’d like to know why Dodge didn’t go to an electric fan setup instead of a mechanical fan driven off of the power steering fluid pump. Not only does this design steal HP from the engine, but also it doesn’t seem to spin fast enough to pull a sufficient quantity of air through the radiator when needed. It never spins fast enough to hear.

I would also like to see a radiator mounted oil cooler that would cool oil with air instead of the current design that cools oil with engine coolant. This is why the oil and water temperature track together at 200’ in traffic and 180’ on the highway. My GenII Viper ran about 10’ cooler. These systems may have been ok for the GenII V10, but they’re not getting the job done for the 505 CID.

 

[Viperfreak2]

Maybe they wanted people to hear the engine at idle in traffic, not one of those noisy electric things. My temp stays very level all the time, much better than previous Vipers. I can sit in the staging lanes of the local dragstrip on hot summer nights and the needle will not budge. Perfect. Anyone make a cooler thermostat yet? Same one as a genII?

 

[Skip White]

Seems like were on the subject of engine heat, so I'll mention my thoughts on this. The SRT runs cooler at speed and in the higher gears, indicating that this car, does not have enough fan power to cool the engine the way it should, not to mention a little bigger radiator would have helped. As the weather cools down the engine really runs much cooler at highway speeds.

As far as a cooler thermostat, no way will this help. I think it has a 185 or less in it now, because my car will run at that temp on the highway in fith gear, on cooler days. The system is not able to achieve this exept under perfect conditions. The funny thing is that no matter how hot the weather is and lofing around in trafic, the car stays at around 205 never going above that. You would think as cool as it gets under ideal conditions it would also overheat as easilly. I don't get it.

As for the P/S pump supplying the power to the fan,and being an expense of power, well I'm sure the drag on the alternater for an electric fan is every bit as much. The P/S pump is probably wasting some power in the bypass mode, don't ya think. I'd like to be able to controll the speed on the hydro fan motor, to flush the heat from the engine instead of wating for it to cycle. Maybee that would help to do before a hard run.

Skip

 

[Black SRT]

Skip,

I based my comments on a December article in Circle Track Magazine: “15 Must-Do Race Tricks For Any Engine.” One tip is to go electric on cooling fans. All electrical systems run off the battery and the alternator only needs to keep the battery charged; whereas, the power necessary to move the hydraulic fan is coming directly from the engine. It may only be 1 HP but it’s also very inefficient, for cooling purposes, compared to an electric fan; according to the article and as we both agree.

The PCM ramps up the fan based on engine coolant temperature and A/C refrigerant pressure. Maybe there’s a simple way to fake out the PCM to keep the fan at 100% duty cycle. On some older corvettes, simply turning on the A/C would force the fans to come on. The DRBIII has a mode to force the SRT fan to 100% duty, so maybe someone like Roe will design a bypass switch.

 

[CajunViper]

I have driven my SRT10 through the winter and summer here in Louisiana and Texas. I do not notice the side sill heat at all. The difference between the RT10 and the SRT10 is night and day.

Yes, when you are stopped at a red light in Houston on a late July day and the temp. is 95^ and the Humidity is 80%, ANY CAR IS GOING TO BE HOT. While moving, adjust your sun visor to bring in the fresh air and it is fine. I really do not know what this heat issue is all about. I think so many people have brought it up that it has become a Myth and not a fact. As I said above on a hot day any car is going to be hot.

My 2 cents
Dean

 

[Phoenix SRT]

I have driven my SRT10 through the winter and summer here in Louisiana and Texas. I do not notice the side sill heat at all...I really do not know what this heat issue is all about. I think so many people have brought it up that it has become a Myth and not a fact.
My 2 cents
Dean

Man, you are impervious to heat then. The heat that swirls into the SRT cockpit is no urban legend. I have more than one covertible, but only one 500 HP mobile oven.

 

[King GTS]

I have driven my SRT10 through the winter and summer here in Louisiana and Texas. I do not notice the side sill heat at all. The difference between the RT10 and the SRT10 is night and day.

Yes, when you are stopped at a red light in Houston on a late July day and the temp. is 95^ and the Humidity is 80%, ANY CAR IS GOING TO BE HOT. While moving, adjust your sun visor to bring in the fresh air and it is fine. I really do not know what this heat issue is all about. I think so many people have brought it up that it has become a Myth and not a fact. As I said above on a hot day any car is going to be hot.

My 2 cents
Dean

With all due respect. I can't comment enough on the inveracity of your statement. The Viper's heat issue is like no other car I've ever seen. Name another sports car that has the heat issues that we do. I've owned 3 Vipers and the heat issue has definitely not been addressed. I can also name a myriad of sports cars who have absolutely no heat problems on 95 degree days. The Viper is and always will be the best there is (heat or no). But to say that any car is gonna be hot on a hot day and seemingly dismiss the Vipers heat issues is just wrong IMO.

 

[Saleen-Explorer]

Yes, when you are stopped at a red light in Houston on a late July day and the temp. is 95^ and the Humidity is 80%, ANY CAR IS GOING TO BE HOT. While moving, adjust your sun visor to bring in the fresh air and it is fine. I really do not know what this heat issue is all about. I think so many people have brought it up that it has become a Myth and not a fact. As I said above on a hot day any car is going to be hot.

My 2 cents
Dean

You have special skin that reflects heat. GTS, RT, SRT all have heat problems, and your basically the 1st person to not notice it in all these years. Scince South Florida has pretty much the same temp, hot and high humidity, I guarentee you take a Vette, Porsche, Mustang etc and sit through heavy traffic on a hot day none of those cars will put out a fraction of the heat the Viper will, not even the older air cooled Porsche's which we've owned.

With that said, the easiest fix is to remove the cats with a full exhaust, the difference on my friends ACR was night and day and the car runs much more cooler and doesn't get warm sitting in traffic, and won't burn your leg on the sills anymore, sonofab!tch caught my leg with the stock exhaust after running hard. I don't know why anybody would leave the stock cats or exhaust on anyway scince it sounds like a** and holds in a ton of heat.

 

[ACR Joe]

I understand the problem with the top down, but in an extreme ambient temperature environment, has anyone tinted the windowds to decrease thermal ***********? Did wonders for my GTS. Does the SRT-10 have a plastic or glass rear window?

 

[ACR Joe]

Then there's the Coupe SRT issue and all the mystery surrounding that.

I though that was a non-issue - No coupe and that's that. If a coupe is indeed in the works, I'll pass on the SRT-10 and hold on to my ACR a bit longer. Any wisdom here?

 

[Phoenix SRT]

I understand the problem with the top down, but in an extreme ambient temperature environment, has anyone tinted the windowds to decrease thermal ***********? Did wonders for my GTS. Does the SRT-10 have a plastic or glass rear window?

Heat is not an issue (mostly) with the top up. The a/c works fairly well to keep the cockpit temp pretty reasonable even when it is 100 degrees here in Phoenix.

 

[King GTS]

Then there's the Coupe SRT issue and all the mystery surrounding that.

I though that was a non-issue - No coupe and that's that. If a coupe is indeed in the works, I'll pass on the SRT-10 and hold on to my ACR a bit longer. Any wisdom here?

With everything that's going on in the car world right now...the 2005 Corvette is gonna be KILLER....C6 Z06.....the Ford GT, I think a Coupe is all but guaranteed!