Bruce Nunnally Posted August 6, 2006 Report Share Posted August 6, 2006 Picked up a infrared thermometer with laser pointer for use in helping seal our home: <iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=cadillacsevilles&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B0002SR5NA&fc1=000000&IS2=1<1=_blank&lc1=0000ff&bc1=000000&bg1=ffffff&f=ifr" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe> For example, one can run it along a duct or window to determine if there is a leak. This particular gadget claims a +-3F accuracy. Today it was very hot outside here; 101F but heat index at 110F. The sidewalk outside in the direct sun measured 139F. Inside the car, it was generally 148F when I left to take my son to his activity. A hot spot on the dash near the glove box was 154F. My CTS is light platinum exterior, neutral leather interior exactly because we live here in Texas; Light colors tend to hold less heat. The windows are tinted. After the air conditioning got going well, the air vent interior measured under 35F, with spots well under that. This surprised me, but it does help explain why the AC is able to cool the car so quickly. Also, my ability to determine how cold the air is by touch is very poor. When I feel cool air from the A/C I would have guessed it was 20 degrees colder than ambient, not 70+ degrees. The carpet under the dash, with no direct air flow, stayed at 90F when my shirt in the direct flow had fallen to 72F. The dash hotspot with no direct A/C flow had fallen to 92F from 154F after a 15 min trip. I think it would be interesting to hear the BTU (british thermal unit) rating for A/C systems in different types of cars. I would make that a selling point. Certainly my impression is that the A/C system in the CTS vastly exceeds the minimum required level. I still wish the CTS included rear a/c vents, but some savings have to be taken to keep the price down. Bruce 2023 Cadillac CT4-V Blackwing Follow me on: Twitter Instagram Youtube Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thu Posted August 6, 2006 Report Share Posted August 6, 2006 Bruce has a new toy!!!!! What does a warmed up exhaust manifold measure at? What does the exhaust tip measure? I'm curious to know the temp difference. What's the temp of the cat when it's all warmed up? 2003 Seville STS 43k miles with the Bose Sound, Navigation System, HID Headlamps, and MagneRide 1993 DeVille. Looks great inside and out! 298k miles! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ranger Posted August 6, 2006 Report Share Posted August 6, 2006 I got one similar to that last April for my birthday. They are pretty amazing little gadgets and sur ecan come in handy. Should have bought on years ago. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruce Nunnally Posted August 6, 2006 Author Report Share Posted August 6, 2006 The CTS has a kind of metal shield over the exhaust manifold on each side. The shield measured 190F-220F with some spikes above that with the engine off immediately after a drive. The exhaust tip measuring the inside of the Corsa muffler tip was around 220F. The outside of the exhaust tip was 137F. Nice design that. The outside of the driver side catalytic converter (the CTS has one on each side) measured 440F. Bruce 2023 Cadillac CT4-V Blackwing Follow me on: Twitter Instagram Youtube Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ranger Posted August 6, 2006 Report Share Posted August 6, 2006 Want to know what the engine temp really is? Take a reading of the thermostat housing. That would be a great way to get temps for the tick marks on the guage. At least the first half anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thu Posted August 6, 2006 Report Share Posted August 6, 2006 The outside of the driver side catalytic converter (the CTS has one on each side) measured 440F. Holy Hot Dogs, Batman! That's pretty toasty! 2003 Seville STS 43k miles with the Bose Sound, Navigation System, HID Headlamps, and MagneRide 1993 DeVille. Looks great inside and out! 298k miles! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
epricedright Posted August 6, 2006 Report Share Posted August 6, 2006 Wow! That's a great price! I've been wanting one for my business to test my steam traps and the prices in my trade magazines have been right at $90 for quite awhile. That's a great idea to use it to check for air leaks in your house...Lord knows I have plenty of those. I have a heat duct leaking somewhere in my attic crawl space, as there's an area on my roof where the snow always melts first, maybe that will help pinpoint the leak without me having crawl over the place. Thanks for the tip Bruce, I'll be ordering one of those today. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BodybyFisher Posted August 6, 2006 Report Share Posted August 6, 2006 At that price I need to buy one myself! Good idea to use it for air leaks in the house with the price of heating oil/gas going up! Pre-1995 - DTC codes OBD1 >> 1996 and newer - DTC codes OBD2 >> https://www.obd-codes.com/trouble_codes/gm/obd_codes.htm How to check for codes Caddyinfo How To Technical Archive >> http://www.caddyinfo.com/wordpress/cadillac-how-to-faq/ Cadillac History & Specifications Year by Year http://www.motorera.com/cadillac/index.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KevinW Posted August 6, 2006 Report Share Posted August 6, 2006 The exhaust tip measuring the inside of the Corsa muffler tip was around 220F. The outside of the exhaust tip was 137F. Nice design that. Non-contact thermometers are useful as long as the user is aware of the limitations and sources of error. In the above example, the two surfaces exhibit differing degrees of emissivity, and the instrument does not provide a means of compensating for this. Pointing it at an air discharge vent does not measure the air temperature. You might also observe that the temperature of the instrument is a source of bias. Kevin ___________________________________________________ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
epricedright Posted August 6, 2006 Report Share Posted August 6, 2006 The exhaust tip measuring the inside of the Corsa muffler tip was around 220F. The outside of the exhaust tip was 137F. Nice design that. Non-contact thermometers are useful as long as the user is aware of the limitations and sources of error. In the above example, the two surfaces exhibit differing degrees of emissivity, and the instrument does not provide a means of compensating for this. Pointing it at an air discharge vent does not measure the air temperature. You might also observe that the temperature of the instrument is a source of bias. Kevin Kevin, so what you're saying is that instrument would be hard to use to determine the source of my air leak in my attic I described above as it will say not measure the air temp surrounding a certain leaking duct junction, but will measure the temp of the duct itself? Also, if trying to measure the AC vent temp of say my car, it would measure the temp of the plastic vent itself, and not the temp of the air emitting from the vent? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ranger Posted August 6, 2006 Report Share Posted August 6, 2006 Correct. it does not measure air temp, but the material that it is aimed at. To measure air, you'll need a thermometer or a DVM with a temp prob (I like those). This is the one I have. I like the temp range on this one. http://www.thetoolwarehouse.net/shop/ESI-EST65.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
epricedright Posted August 6, 2006 Report Share Posted August 6, 2006 Correct. it does not measure air temp, but the material that it is aimed at. To measure air, you'll need a thermometer or a DVM with a temp prob (I like those). This is the one I have. I like the temp range on this one. http://www.thetoolwarehouse.net/shop/ESI-EST65.html I used to have a Fluke temp probe that I traded to my AC guy for some AC work he did for me. I bought it from a crack head and never used it. Of course after trading it, I ran into all sorts of situations where it would have come in handy. I didn't like it much though because the response time was somewhat slow. A DVM with temp probe sure would be handy. Ranger, the probe you listed there does appear nicer with the better temp ranges. I already ordered the other one this morning. I'm sure either would suit my limited needs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnnyG Posted August 7, 2006 Report Share Posted August 7, 2006 But they are still VERY useful. For example, if you want to see if you have a stuck piston causing a rotor to warp, you can compare readings of brake temps. from side to side. Another non-automotive use is to see if you have bad connections, bad circuit breakers, or overloaded breakers in you breaker box. A quick temperature check will reveal a hot spot pretty effectively! Never underestimate the amount of a persons greed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TDK Posted August 7, 2006 Report Share Posted August 7, 2006 Folks, These non contact temperature readers are nice and we use them a lot at work in industry. Years ago we had to use "tempilsticks", which were like hard crayons that melted at certain temperatures. You had to have a handful to check piping etc and then had to get too close to equipment, that was running at anywhere from 500F up to about 900F (when the glow is visible at night). An automobile catcon could technically run up to perhaps 1,500 F or so - if it was really working hard (hence the stainless steel heat shields, temperature sensors and engine trips etc). We have similar precious-metal/ceramic-support structures inside stainless steel reactor vessels - that routinely operate above 2,000F (but they are also much stouter than any flimsy catcon). Understandably, we also used several specialized optical temperature transmitters to look right through the thick quartz "portholes", in addition to standard thermocouple arrays to monitor and control reactor temperatures. The best way to check loose power wiring harness or equipment issues, is with an infrared still or video camera. Those are still spendy, but if you have a friend at a power company - they might be able to pinpoint a hot spot in minutes. Neat stuff in any case! Add power to leave problems behind. Most braking is just - poor planning. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WarrenJ Posted August 7, 2006 Report Share Posted August 7, 2006 Oh, stick it in your ear! I'll bet it reads 98.6 or so . . . . The one I use at work does. Regards, Warren There is no means of avoiding the final collapse of a boom brought about by credit expansion. The alternative is only whether the crisis should come sooner as the result of a voluntary abandonment of further credit expansion, or later as a final and total catastrophe of the currency system involved. - Ludwig von Mises Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JasonA Posted August 7, 2006 Report Share Posted August 7, 2006 An automobile catcon could technically run up to perhaps 1,500 F or so - if it was really working hard (hence the stainless steel heat shields, temperature sensors and engine trips etc). It occured to me that a catalytic converter at 440*F is actually quite cool. My dad used to have a Ford F-550 with the Powerstroke with a chip and an EGT gauge (Exhaust Gas Temperature). Of course, a turbocharged Powerstroke is very different from a gasoline 3.xL V-6 engine, but still... The EGTs would consistently be at least 600*F, and flash to around 1800*F under full boost. The exhaust manifolds are like BLAST FURNACES (in any engine). That exhaust gas is in the neighborhood of 2000*F+ usually (right out of the cylinder). I understand that a catalytic converter, when under load, can run real hot...well over 1000*F as TDK mentioned. Interestingly, the gauge cluster on my '97 Seville (and I'm sure from many others years as well) includes a catalytic converter over-temperature light. It's right in the middle of the tachometer if I recall correctly. That indicator is not required in the United States, but I understand that in some export markets, that indicator is required. Jason(2001 STS, White Diamond) "When you turn your car on...does it return the favor?" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
epricedright Posted August 9, 2006 Report Share Posted August 9, 2006 I received my temp probe today, my that was fast! I just ordered it 2 days ago on Sunday. So I have a new toy now too! What fun! Doesn't take much for me. I wish it would go below 0 degrees F though. What's the temp of a fresh ice cube? It wouldn't register that temp when the ice cube was fresh...must be below zero maybe? The outside of my drink just measured 38 F and the ice cubes in my drink are now 29.5 F. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ranger Posted August 9, 2006 Report Share Posted August 9, 2006 He, he. Had to laugh when I read your post as I looked at my Manhattan and just had to pull out the temp gun. Glass was 41 deg & the ice cubes about 27. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
epricedright Posted August 9, 2006 Report Share Posted August 9, 2006 He, he. Had to laugh when I read your post as I looked at my Manhattan and just had to pull out the temp gun. Glass was 41 deg & the ice cubes about 27. Ha Ha! It doesn't take a whole lot to amuse us does it Larry? 41 degrees huh, your glass must be thicker than mine. Since your probe goes lower than zero, see what your freezer temp is. I get just lines, so I presume it's below zero. Aim it at a fresh ice cube in your freezer and see what that is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ranger Posted August 9, 2006 Report Share Posted August 9, 2006 Yup, easily amused. Thermometer in the freezer is reading -15. Coils are behind a panel on the back wall (upright freezer). Top shelf back wall read -9, second shelf read -10, bottom shelf read -15. Time for another manhattan. Measured the ice cubes in the refrigerater freezer. Unreliable -10 to +10. I think it has something to do with the reflectivity and transluscency. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
epricedright Posted August 9, 2006 Report Share Posted August 9, 2006 I wasn't sure freezers got that cold. No wonder there's a brand of freezers called Sub-Zero. I'm jealous now though! Your probe is better than mine. Looks like I'll be trading mine with my mechanic at my shop and get the one you have. I'm also jealous that you're drinking Manhattans and all I get is a boring Diet Rite. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
epricedright Posted August 9, 2006 Report Share Posted August 9, 2006 Update: My dogs breath (110 lb Golden Retriever) comes in at 98.5. My breath 93.5 The hottest spot on my lap top: 109.5 What else??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CadiKing Posted August 9, 2006 Report Share Posted August 9, 2006 Update: My dogs breath (110 lb Golden Retriever) comes in at 98.5. My breath 93.5 The hottest spot on my lap top: 109.5 What else??? Sorry, But I have to ask? What was the hottest spot on your lap????? LOL Sorry... Update: My dogs breath (110 lb Golden Retriever) comes in at 98.5. My breath 93.5 The hottest spot on my lap top: 109.5 What else??? Sorry, But I have to ask? What was the hottest spot on your lap????? LOL Sorry... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimD Posted August 11, 2006 Report Share Posted August 11, 2006 Reading about these high tech probes inspired me to make some measurements I have putting off for too long. You can read about the boiling point of various mixtures of ethylene glycol / water at xx PSI using a pressure cap. But I was not able to find a reference for the boiling point of mixtures at atmospheric pressure (no pressure cap). For reference, I made these measurements at 950 feet above mean sea level. Tap water boiled at 210.5 degrees F. My carefully measured 50 / 50 coolant mix boiled at 223.5 degrees F. Since a 50 / 50 mix at 15 PSI does not boil until 265 degrees F, be very careful opening those pressure caps!! Jim Drive your car. Use your cell phone. CHOOSE ONE ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.