2022 SE temperature on top of the engine

[Rexsio]

I installed a temperature probe on top of the engine just for curiosity. Today in Staten Island the outdoor temperature was 79’ when I drive a car. I put about 10 miles but a driving was short bc i visit few stores and traffic was everywhere heavy I drive very slowly with AC on and green mode. Temperature the highest reach 104’ but right away drop to 103’ I was not fast to make a picture .I never heard a heat pump or any noise from compressor when I shut a car engine for parking. I’m assuming engine was not hot enough to kick cooling system which I should hear that is my observation which I try to share with owners of SE .In conclusion I would ask anybody what temperature of engine should be to engage cooling system to cool engine to prevent from overheating. Bc people in hotter climates must experience and noises from cooling system to be engaged to do a job cooling a motor. But who is installing a probe to monitor temperature. Before I bought SE I read a Motor Trend magazine they were saying is easy overheat Mini Cooper SE but car is going to shut of to prevent further damage to the engine. Driving BMWI 3 for 6 years here in NY I heard my cooling system engage only once in 95’ weather.

 

[Rexsio]

Today I drive SE around 11:45 am in NY temperature is reaching about 100’ in slow traffic 5-20 miles / hr for about 8 miles my engine temperature reach 116 F. ’ but stay at 115’ F. mostly once I switch to highway for 5 miles and speed 40-50 m/hr my temperature went down to 112’ F. only . Parking in garage temperature inside 82’ F. temperature raise to 115’ F. again and I hear a cooling working but I open a hood I take of engine enclosure and temperature drop right away to 110’ .After 3 hr temperature drops to 95’ only with hood close but no plastic enclosure bc I’m going to drive without for now .Tomorrow about 12 I check again temperature no enclosure driving the same distance.

 

[Rexsio]

Today I drive SE around 11:45 am in NY temperature is reaching about 100’ in slow traffic 5-20 miles / hr for about 8 miles my engine temperature reach 116 F. ’ but stay at 115’ F. mostly once I switch to highway for 5 miles and speed 40-50 m/hr my temperature went down to 112’ F. only . Parking in garage temperature inside 82’ F. temperature raise to 115’ F. again and I hear a cooling working but I open a hood I take of engine enclosure and temperature drop right away to 110’ .After 3 hr temperature drops to 95’ only with hood close but no plastic enclosure bc I’m going to drive without for now .Tomorrow about 12 I check again temperature no enclosure driving the same distance.

 

[insightman]

my engine temperature reach 116 F

I can't remember where you're measuring the temperature. Is your probe atop the inverter or have you snaked it under the inverter to measure the actual motor temperature?

I assume the lower position of the motor would make it cooler than if it was directly under the hood. Because MINI put the inverter on top of the motor (and because the hood scoop is fake), it appears MINI is not worried about the inverter getting too hot. Don't all manufacturers test their cars in Death Valley (where it was 113 F at noon today)?

 

[Rexsio]

I believe an inverter is cooled the same time as motor bc all alloys there conducts heat both ways motor inverter my probe is glue to a top of inverter and with 115’ is to much of heat which is trap with big motor plastic enclosure.As today I drive without enclosure with similar condition in NY like yesterday outside temperatures in around 100’ my measure temperature never went above 100” .For the rest of summer my cover sit on a shelf in garage.BC now us I measure temperature in SE I wander how a cooling system is abuse in CA .NM .NV. AZ.with temperatures above 100 ‘ all day long.

 

[Rexsio]

I believe an inverter is cooled the same time as motor bc all alloys there conducts heat both ways motor inverter my probe is glue to a top of inverter and with 115’ is to much of heat which is trap with big motor plastic enclosure.As today I drive without enclosure with similar condition in NY like yesterday outside temperatures in around 100’ my measure temperature never went above 100” .For the rest of summer my cover sit on a shelf in garage.BC now us I measure temperature in SE I wander how a cooling system is abuse in CA .NM .NV. AZ.with temperatures above 100 ‘ all day long.

My test with monitoring temperature only in motor compartment show me I don’t need there 115’ in summer and for winter enclosure in NY is beneficial/ fine trapping heat there but summer useless .Tricking cooling system unnecessary.Bc I believe I’m holding this car for long I don’t need to restrain a HAVAC system to a limit.The best temperature to run EV is between 60/90’ and the same charging HV batteries.

 

[Jim In Tucson]

@Rexsio, if I’m understanding you correctly, you are suggesting that the motor and inverter will run cooler if the plastic motor compartment cover is removed.

Heat is the enemy of everything in the desert, so my cover is coming off today.

Can anyone think of any reason not to remove the plastic cover?

@insightman will cringe at this idea, but is there any reason to consider making the hood scoop functional? Would that assist with reducing under hood temps even more?





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[insightman]

@insightman will cringe at this idea, but is there any reason to consider making the hood scoop functional? Would that assist with reducing under hood temps even more?

@insightman likes function.

 

[Carsten Haase]

@Rexsio, if I’m understanding you correctly, you are suggesting that the motor and inverter will run cooler if the plastic motor compartment cover is removed.

Heat is the enemy of everything in the desert, so my cover is coming off today.

Can anyone think of any reason not to remove the plastic cover?

@insightman will cringe at this idea, but is there any reason to consider making the hood scoop functional? Would that assist with reducing under hood temps even more?





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All the drivetrain components are liquid cooled, under hood temps are mostly not relevant.

Opening the hood scoop without proper ducting will only increase the air pressure inside the engine compartment which will (slightly) reduce the airflow through the radiator and probably make temperatures a bit worse

 

[insightman]

All the drivetrain components are liquid cooled, under hood temps are mostly not relevant.

Opening the hood scoop without proper ducting will only increase the air pressure inside the engine compartment which will (slightly) reduce the airflow through the radiator and probably make temperatures a bit worse

So all of a sudden, I now realize the fake hood scoop is there to block the opening in the hood and promote radiator cooling! Those MINI marketing people who added the fake hood scoop taught the engineers a thing or two after all.

 

[Jim In Tucson]

I had always understood that the hotter the ‘engine’ compartment the less heat the radiator is able to extract from the liquid coolant. Now with global warming being so prevalent perhaps that axiom no longer applies?


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[polyphonic]

So all of a sudden, I now realize the fake hood scoop is there to block the opening in the hood and promote radiator cooling! Those MINI marketing people who added the fake hood scoop taught the engineers a thing or two after all.

It's not even a perfect seal. Water will get in from the fake scoop.

 

[Carsten Haase]

I had always understood that the hotter the ‘engine’ compartment the less heat the radiator is able to extract from the liquid coolant. Now with global warming being so prevalent perhaps that axiom no longer applies?


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Heat extracted from a radiator is a function of air inlet temp, coolant temp, air flow rate, and coolant flow rate. Not sure why engine bay temps would affect radiator performance?

With an combustion engine you have a thing in a box (engine bay) making tons of heat so it's necessary to ventilate that box (imagine using 65% of your battery to power a heater inside the engine bay). EVs are so much more efficient that the primary cause of the temp @Rexsio is measuring is probably the sun

 

[Rexsio]

I believe what I’m saying measuring temperature without a motor enclosure under summer hot conditions my SE under a hood is not running as hot like with enclosure not questioning any radiator or heat pump performance .Those components will work anyway but with less restrains .My simple approach with probe to measure temperature on top of inverter or just inside motor compartment proof to me big difference in temperature there .If you not believe what my digital thermometer was showing just put in summer with 100’ outdoor temperatures winter hat on your head and measure your head temperature to proof me wrong .

 

[insightman]

It's not even a perfect seal. Water will get in from the fake scoop.

In fact, the day before I took my brand new SE to the body shop to get my scoopless hood installed, I raised the hood, bent over to look at what's underneath, and the fake hood scoop exacted its only available revenge by dripping water onto the back of my head.

 

[AndysComputer]

Wouldn’t any heat remain trapped by the hood even with the plastic cover removed?

 

[Rexsio]

Wouldn’t any heat remain trapped by the hood even with the plastic cover removed?

The thermometer is not laying to me the difference with plastic cover and without is obvious to me and as long nobody is doing what I did I don’t see any argument here .Thermometer with probe on Amazon $10 do your experiment I just extended wiring bc was to short come with plug 5volts plug in ubs.

 

[Carsten Haase]

The thermometer is not laying to me the difference with plastic cover and without is obvious to me and as long nobody is doing what I did I don’t see any argument here .Thermometer with probe on Amazon $10 do your experiment I just extended wiring bc was to short come with plug 5volts plug in ubs.

I'm not debating your results, I'm sure the temperature where you are measuring is higher with the cover on than with it removed.

What I don't necessarily agree with is the importance of what you are measuring: what does reducing the temperature under the plastic cover improve?

 

[Not me]

I'm not debating your results, I'm sure the temperature where you are measuring is higher with the cover on than with it removed.

What I don't necessarily agree with is the importance of what you are measuring: what does reducing the temperature under the plastic cover improve?

Exactly. If anyone at Mini wanted customers to be aware of/concerned about temperatures, there'd be a gauge for it.

 

[Rexsio]

I'm not debating your results, I'm sure the temperature where you are measuring is higher with the cover on than with it removed.

What I don't necessarily agree with is the importance of what you are measuring: what does reducing the temperature under the plastic cover improve?

I two days when temp.in NY was 100’ my experiment give me answer without cover I was 15’ lover than with cover on.BC I m going to keep SE for long my cooling system is not going work as hard when is hotter .This what I try to find out about it.I’m sure SE can handle higher temperatures than that but bc HAVC system is very complicated I’m sure in a future will be some failures.