MJDore

...there are a blue million threads on this but I wanted to give my specifics to see if anyone has a thought or two.

First of all, car is a 1988 944 NA. Water pump has been replaced, new belts, new plugs. I've only had the car for two weeks now but it has NEVER run hot since I got her.

This AM I sat in some traffic and then the Starbucks drive-thru line. I was NOT running the A/C or even the vents. I was just rolling with the windows down on a mild spring day here in Nashville. As I sat there I watched the temp climb. I figured this was normal as I had been in stop and go for about 45 mins and was now sucking in exhaust from a GMC Sierra in front of me. BUT, what I didn't think was normal was when the temp climbed into the red and the warning indicator came on.

I immediately pulled across the street into my office parking garage and I could see that getting some airflow was starting to help. Within a few mins the warning light went off and the temp started to decrease slightly. Once I stopped the engine I could hear the fan running. It was hard to miss. It was pretty damn loud so I figured it was running at it's highest speed. Also, I heard some 'gurgling' in the glovebox area of the car. Almost like fluid was trying to get out and get moving somewhere else but couldn't.

Thoughts here? Is it normal for it to run hot enough for the warning light to come on in heavy traffic on a mild day with no A/C running? Didn't think it was but I'm very new to these cars.

More background...I've noticed some fluid in my garage floor after parking the car for the night. It was not discolored and didn't have an odor so I figured it was just condensation and normal. BUT I haven't been running the A/C so I'm not sure where it could be coming from. Also, prior owner did not replace thermostat.

I'm a novice mechanic at best and brand new to 944s. I appreciate this board and any help.

Danny

potent951turbo

Its definately not normal to run hot like that. Seems most people's car run around the quarter mark or halfway. Mine runs right below the quarter mark, but I have a low temp. fan switch and thermostat. There could be air in the system which will need to be bled from a 12mm screw near the first spark plug area. I have had BMW's and 944's get really hot from air in the system. I would definately check out underneith the car for leaks also if your getting a puddle under it. If all else fails, you might need to get a new thermostat and fan switch, they can go bad. Replacing the fan switch isn't too bad, however the thermostat I think can be one of the worst jobs on a 944. I replaced mine when I did the waterpump, I don't think I will ever try to do it in the car again.

MJDore

I'm guessing air in the system may be the cause of the 'gurgling' I heard?

Safe to drive it to the mechanic AS LONG AS the indicator light doesn't come back on?

bart1

Try to bleed the air. It will definitely cause you to run hot. Is your coolant level in the reservior dropping? Fill it to the max line & see if it moves.

StoogeMoe

Well, two weeks isn't a long time. This is probably the first time you got caught in traffic on a warm day. If it stays cool while you are cruising along at 45mph, then it is most likely the fan relay or thermofan switch that isn't turning your fans on at slow speed, allowing the temp to reach the red. Check out Clark's Garage for the diagnosing procedure to determine which one it is.

The gurgling could have come from air in the system, but most likely it was caused from near boiling of the coolant. Definitely don't drive it if it gets to the red. If you overheat the engine, you can say goodbye to it.

____________________________________
1986 944 NA - Guards Red - 88k miles
1983 944 NA - Platinum metallic - awaiting new engine
1985.1 944 NA - Guards Red - donor car
1984 911 Carrera Coupe - Guards Red (gone, but not forgotten)
"If you're not living on the edge, you're not living"

ibkevin

Screw the mech. Grab a 10mm wrench and a rag, take the car out for a drive w/ the heater valve open, when the temp starts getting hot pull off to the side of the road, and vent the 10mm bolt where the upper radiator hose meets the block. Check coolant level

MJDore

UPDATE

I made it to the mechanic via the Interstate and no traffic. Car did fine although it ran a little hotter than normal.

When I got there the first thing they did was bleed the system. It had ALOT of air in it. I mean ALOT. After draining they refilled it and checked to see if the hoses were full or circulating. They said they were. Problem is, the coolant kept bubbling up in the reservoir and trying to come out that way. They thought my thermostat was opening based on what they were observing but decided to change it anyway. We're gonna start there and with the line bleeding, of course....

BUT...they felt like I had a blown head....what, what, what? The car has run like a top since I got it two plus weeks ago, made a trip from Tampa to Nashville (700 miles), and now all of the sudden it runs hot one time and the head is blown?

Does this sound possible/probable to you guys? I'm new to the 944 so I'm flying blind. Should I go get my car and get the hell outta there?

They're changing the thermostat in the AM and then we'll see what happens after that. I'd love to have some ammo to take in there with me tomorrow, if possible.

Thanks again.

StoogeMoe

Uh oh, if it's doing what you described, then it does sound like a head gasket. Sorry.

__________________________________________
1986 944 NA Guards Red all original 88K mi.
1983 944 NA Platinum Metallic w/LSD ~120K mi. (needs engine)
1985 944 NA Guards Red w/LSD (donor car)
1984 911 Carrera Coupe (gone, but not forgotten)
"If you're not living on the edge, you're not living."

MJDore

The thing is, I haven't experienced the sluggish starts and poor idling like others have described here when their head gasket has blown. Sucks.

ALSO...the PO had the heads rebuilt (I have the receipts).

Can anyone ballpark what I can expect to spend for this?

TheMAXX

I am not saying that it isn’t a blown head gasket but I had similar problems. Mine turned out to be an intermittent thermal switch and air in the system. It can be very hard to get all of the air out. The heater must be turned to full heat so if there is any air in there it will be bleed also. I also had a bad coolant tank (expansion tank) cap. The system is under pressure, as the coolant heats up if the cap is bad and it doesn’t maintain the pressure the coolant will boil out. The temperature at which the coolant boils is actually increased by the pressure.

If they try to bleed the system with the coolant tank cap off I would suggest going to another mechanic. Unless you seriously over fill the coolant tank the bleed hole on the top of the engine is higher then the coolant tank and air will just keep getting back into the system.

BTW after changing my radiator because it started to leak I was able to bleed the system very easily. I guess I had done it plenty of times before trying to work out the various problems so I have gotten better at bleeding it.

Eyal 951

A warped head could be the result of over heating it (when the indicator came on) depending on just how hot it got, and how long. I doubt it is, but its very possible. Have em do a compression test, and report back the results.

Speed Demon

PV=nRT

(Pressure)(Volume)=(moles)(rate)(temperature)

GOOD OL' PHYSICS

I never thought i would use that after highschool

MJDore

The only test they've done so far to check for the blown head was the deal where they suction up fluid from the reservoir and see if it has anything other than coolant or water in it. It was hard for them to tell yesterday because the coolant was boiling like crazy.

We're gonna start with small stuff like the thermo and work our way "up" from there. Lots of testing to be done today. I'll report back.

Incidentally, I feel pretty good about these guys. They're a father and son team and the father has had this European shop for years. He's an Italian guy and he says he used to work for Porsche. They had em all over their lot. I'll report back.

MJDore

Another update...opinions, please.

Talked to the mechanic. He went in to replace the thermostat except that THERE WAS NO THERMOSTAT. He immediately stopped and started checking the radiator for leaks and found that the radiator had a pretty good sized leak in it. It eventually lost enough coolant that the car started running hot that one time. He said had there been a thermostat in it it would have leaked coolant as soon as the car got to temperature. Sound right, mechanics out there?

He was checking the heads with the compression test and thinks they're okay. We're going to replace the radiator and all the fittings to stop the leaks so he can do further tests on the heads. I'm hoping it ends with the radiator and thermostat. Thoughts?

Eyal 951

No thermo? wtf? How long did it take your car to warm up when first started? You sure about these guys? Has he ever seen a 944 before?