Hot climate - any ill-effects?

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Tue 3 Jun 2008 18:15
Hot climate - any ill-effects? - Nickdm
Does anyone know if extreme hot dry weather running has any detrimental effect(s) on an engine?

I picked up a new XC90 on Thursday, and whilst out on a weekend drive the external temperature gauge showed 48 degrees C! (I'm in the Middle East). Yesterday after parking in the sun for a couple of hours the dash read-out was 54 degrees!

I'm aware of long-term damage caused to paintwork etc, and of course the impact of dust, sand etc. in filters, but does the engine itself "suffer" under hot conditions? Or is the engine usually hot when running anyway, so the outside air temperature is irrelevant? First service is 10,000km, then 20K km thereafter....
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Tue 3 Jun 2008 18:53
Hot climate - any ill-effects? - Old Navy
Standard non expert disclaimer-

Friends in Australia have an old Ford Falcon auto which I drove with 200K on the clock and it ran well, their only concession to 40+ temps was a fitted carpet on the dash top to stop it cracking. Also a Mazda pickup (ute) which was more rust than steel (no instruments!) with a sweet engine. When you see some of the vhiecles running in some of the more remote parts of the world I dont think you need to worry about your engine, anyway it is under warranty.
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Tue 3 Jun 2008 18:58
Hot climate - any ill-effects? - mss1tw
Better if anything, less warm up time and contrast between the engine and ambient temperature.
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Tue 3 Jun 2008 19:00
Hot climate - any ill-effects? - Lud
Most cars run a bit on the cool side, some very. Perhaps modern cooling systems are more efficient than they used to be, and cars now run as warm as they should, but I slightly doubt it. It could well be that these hot conditions, meaning faster warm-up and warmer running at speed on a light throttle, is actually better for engines than temperate weather. Anyway America and Japan, as well as Italy, France and Spain, regularly suffer high temperatures.
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