Lanny Chambers wrote:

>
> Yep, if the ambient temperature and engine load are high enough, and
> especially if the A/C is on (because the condenser throws hot air at the
> radiator). The Miata does not have a huge reserve cooling capacity even
> when everything is working properly; if it's not, it tends to overheat.
>
> When my fan motor went bad, I saw the needle creep upward on 95-degree
> days if I went over 80, or over 75 uphill, or over 60 with the A/C on.
> Around town, the A/C condenser fan, which still worked fine, was
> sufficient to keep everything cool. On a 1.8, the ECU switches the
> condenser fan on at 106C even if the A/C is not in use, just in case the
> main coolant fan is fritzed. Handy safety feature, but it sure made
> diagnosis difficult. By the time I discovered the bad fan motor, I'd
> already replaced the thermostat and radiator, removed the front plate,
> and sacrificed two chickens and a goat.
>
> ---
> Lanny Chambers
> '94C, St. Louis
> http://www.hummingbirds.net/alignment.html

No ox? No wonder it took so long. Even without reading the miata
enthusiast's manual I knew that sacrificing an ox, in addition to 2
chickens and a goat, is required for problems that can not be diagnosed
on a miata. Sheesh, everyone knows that. It sounds to me like you
cheaped out on buying the ox.

pat