Normal operating temp of 986 2.5

[perleman]

Hi All,

I have a UK Box 986 2.5. I have noticed that the needle on the temp gauge moves quite far over, especially in start-stop traffic - as soon as I drive for a few minutes at a reasonable speed the needle slowly moves back. In motorway driving it stays just left of centre, but in heavy traffic it moves almost beyond the '0' in the '80' inscription of the temp gauge. Is this normal?

[pk2]

Hi All,

I have a UK Box 986 2.5. I have noticed that the needle on the temp gauge moves quite far over, especially in start-stop traffic - as soon as I drive for a few minutes at a reasonable speed the needle slowly moves back. In motorway driving it stays just left of centre, but in heavy traffic it moves almost beyond the '0' in the '80' inscription of the temp gauge. Is this normal?

Sounds like for all the world like your electric fans on the radiators aren’t working for whatever reason. I’ve never gone over 180 in 4 years of So. Cal traffic

Regards, PK

[Doug H]

Hi All,

I have a UK Box 986 2.5. I have noticed that the needle on the temp gauge moves quite far over, especially in start-stop traffic - as soon as I drive for a few minutes at a reasonable speed the needle slowly moves back. In motorway driving it stays just left of centre, but in heavy traffic it moves almost beyond the '0' in the '80' inscription of the temp gauge. Is this normal?

Hi,

I have been monitoring the temperature of my car a 2.7ltr for some time now

Typically after a complete warm up it normally runs in a band from around 94C to 105C. It does rise with limited air flow (in traffic) and falls again to around the mid/upper 90s once air flow is re-established

I live in the Tropics

Regards

Doug

[CJ_Boxster]

It cant be over heating and the fans are working of the Needle doesnt go past the "0", somewhere over the "0" is when the fans turn on. I've sat in my car and let the temps climb and somewhere over the "0" i hear the fans trigger and the needle drop slightly then the fans turn back off and the needle climbs again and so on and so on.

Its normal in heavy traffic for the needle to go up to the "0". Might want to do a coolant service if you havent done one yet to help keep the temps as low as they can be.

[juniinc]

my car runs about at 192 , and it barely moves

in high traffic she rises a little bit more .

Edited January 21, 2008 by juniinc

[perleman]

once car runs about at 192 , and it barely moves

in high traffic she rises a little bit more .

Sorry? Can you explain?

[saaber]

Hi All,

I have a UK Box 986 2.5. I have noticed that the needle on the temp gauge moves quite far over, especially in start-stop traffic - as soon as I drive for a few minutes at a reasonable speed the needle slowly moves back. In motorway driving it stays just left of centre, but in heavy traffic it moves almost beyond the '0' in the '80' inscription of the temp gauge. Is this normal?

Try cleaning out the radiators. My car dropped 7-10 degrees F after spraying them thorughly with a pressure washer. Also check for incompatible coolant types which can gel and create a blockage. A minor thing but if your AC is on your fans will run all the time making the temp a bit lower.

[juniinc]

explain 192?

I don't really look at my temp ,cause too busy looking at my RPM.

seems like mine is always around there though.

9 out of 10 I've seen are usually the coolant cap(loosing pressure) also clean your radiator fins! should drop some degrees.

once car runs about at 192 , and it barely moves

in high traffic she rises a little bit more .

Sorry? Can you explain?

Edited January 21, 2008 by juniinc

[Loren]

Folks if the needle is straight up on the gauge - that is normal.

That is the way Porsche has designed it's gauges for years (even the race cars had the tach rotated so that max RPM was straight up and down).

[cbracer]

for a 2.5 the needle should be straight up for normal highway driving. In stop and go traffic, the needle will move into the 0. After the half way point of the 0, the fans should turn on and work its way back down. In stop and go I've had my need on the far right of the 0. Only under heavy track use does the needle move past the 0.

[seafeye]

for a 2.5 the needle should be straight up for normal highway driving. In stop and go traffic, the needle will move into the 0. After the half way point of the 0, the fans should turn on and work its way back down. In stop and go I've had my need on the far right of the 0. Only under heavy track use does the needle move past the 0.

the line between 180 and 250 is supposed to represent 220. Anyway years back 250 was too hot. Now with the thinner oils the temp can get closer to that number without the oil breaking down.

250 is still really really hot but i think that if you are closer to 220 you really don't have anything to worry about. Just make sure all your fans are working and that you have cleaned out your radiators.

http://www.renntech.org/forums/index.php?s...amp;hl=radiator

[perleman]

Thanks all... some more questions...

* Is it acceptable to clear out the vents & scoops using a vacuum cleaner / water hose pipe without removing the bumper or is this ineffective?

* How can I be sure both fans are working?

* Could this overheating be caused by me topping up with a little non-Porsche coolant (that may have glooped up?)

[1schoir]

Thanks all... some more questions...

* Is it acceptable to clear out the vents & scoops using a vacuum cleaner / water hose pipe without removing the bumper or is this ineffective?

* How can I be sure both fans are working?

* Could this overheating be caused by me topping up with a little non-Porsche coolant (that may have glooped up?)

Perelman:

You can't do a thorough job of cleaning out the radiators without removing the bumper because you can't see or access some of the dirt and debris until you pry the air conditioner heat exchanger off of the engine coolant radiator. Those two coil panels make a "sandwich" that traps dirt and debris in between them.

Have you checked to make sure that you don't have a blown fuse for the fans that are behind the radiators?

Those fuses for early Boxsters are located at position C8 (Right Side Radiator Fan) and at position C10 (Left Side Radiator Fan) in the main fuse panel at the driver's (left) side footwell.

Regards, Maurice.