boxster thermostat

[vrauba]

Can anyone walk me through thermostat replacement on Boxster 2.7L engine? Any special tools required? Thx.

Actually, maybe I'm jumping to conclusions....my water temperature gauge stays on 0, the red warning light flickers and the car leaks about 6 oz. of antifreeze after every drive, noticeable when stopped (I keep topping off with distilled water). Is there a relay involved with the cooling system? Could the temp sensor go bad causing the malfunctions listed above. The engine doesn't seem to run excessively hot, but then again , I've only taken short trips of 7 miles or less since this started happening. My past experience with other makes of cars has been that most cooling issues revolve around a stuck thermostat or a broken or cracked hose. But with this Porsche, im baffled. HELP!!!

Edited February 12, 2005 by vrauba

[Tool Pants]

If you are in the 0 of 180 then this is normal.

For your coolant loss check this first.

http://www.renntech.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=1838

[vrauba]

If you are in the 0 of 180 then this is normal.

For your coolant loss check this first.

http://www.renntech.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=1838

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

The temperature gauge stays at 0....never moves from the extreme left position, no matter how long the engine is running. The coolant seems to come out by the right rear wheel when engine is stopped from what seems to be an overflow tube of some sort. The info on the url you sent doesn't seem to match my symptoms. When I refill the tank with clean distilled water, the leaking fluid is much clearer with only a hint of green antifreeze. The first leak was all green...so I'm thinking that the water from reservoir is not circulating through the engine properly....but that would cause high operating temperatures, not 0 degree readings. That's why I thought it might be the thermostat. But a faulty thermostat would also mean high operating temperatures, since I assume the temp sensor is on the engine side of the thermostat, which again would mean I should be getting high temp readings on my gauge vs. no reading. That's why I'm baffled. Any other advice?

[Tool Pants]

I do not know what for sure what mean when you say the gauge stays at 0 since there are three 0s on the gauge.

If you car runs at normal temp but dumps liquid on the ground through the overflow tube then it might be the blue cap. See if you have the 01 cap and if not replace it and report back. Also, at a coolant tech session Bob said he tests all replacement caps before he puts it in the car, since even a replacement may not hold pressure even if it is new.

[vrauba]

I spent the whole day on my back....the good news is I think I solved the problem. When I examined the water temperature sensing unit, I noticed that one of the 4 wires going to it was broken (brown one). It's in a well protected area behind the plastic panels on the underside of the car, but somehow the wire broke in the most inconvenient location (vibration, I suppose)...right at the heel of the plug. It was a bear figuring out how to dismantle the plug...I did cause some damage, but I know now (after learning the hard way) how to disassemble it. It was also a nightmare soldering the wire back together because there is no slack in the wire and it's in an inaccessible area. Anyway, somehow I managed, and once the 4 wires were reconnected to the sensor, the temperature gauge on the dash started working again and I guess it somehow must relay temperature readings to the computer that regulates when the thermostat opens/closes. Now it works like it's supposed to, and it doesn't overheat or overflow anymore. :-) Contact me for specifics if you ever have this problem...I can save you hours of work and tons of frustration.