Screaming hot ac condenser

[safarijeepjim]

Is the ac condenser in front if the radiator supposed to get hot when the ac is not on? Reason I ask is because the other day I was putting a new radiator in, when the old one was out I was pumping water in the motor while it was running to flush the system and within just a few minutes the ac condenser was too hot to even touch! The ac was not on. After the install I also noticed that the rpms were very sparatic at idle when I did put the ac on. When driving in these hot temps it will blow cold, but was causing the motor to run around 215-219, so I kept it off. But today I had to actually run the heater in these 100+ temps when I was hitting the steep hills on my way to work. I'm guessing that the hot temps from the condenser isn't helping the radiator to keep cool by any means... Any ideas guys?

 

[DSM1G90]

It's a normal thing for AC operation.

Condensors are supposed to get hot to exchange the heat for to cool down (condense) the fluid to return to the compressor to the evaporator in the cabin for the fan to blow the refridgerated air.

Go outside to an home with AC and feel the heat that their condensors are blowing off when the condensor fan is running.

 

[safarijeepjim]

But when the ac is off? If I have it off I don't understand why it needs to get hot? I can understand why it would get hot if its on.....

 

[DSM1G90]

(Sorry, read too fast and didn't see the beginning of your statement)

Could be that your defrost is on and this will run the compressor to keep the fluid in the system from getting 'stale'. Or, it's just simple heat exchange from the radiator transferring to the condensor by contact since they are together.

causing the motor to run around 215-219,

I wouldn't get too worried on these temps due to that the motor loves these temperatures to be more effective in operation.

It was designed by engineers to operate like this, but the trick is to keep the coolant system in full order with the correct degree T-stat to pull the necessary heat off of the block.