996 temperature water too high
05-06-2015, 11:26 AM
#20
Race Director
Not worried worried, but just aware the water pump can fail at any time and to be on the alert to the water pump giving some warning.
The water pump gives some warning when its on its way out. Noise. The water pump in my Boxster started to grumble/rumble at around 172K miles. Might add that as soon as I had confirmed the water pump as the source of the noise, I flat bedded the car to the dealer to have the water pump (and T-Stat) replaced. I didn't even risk the 25 miles drive to the dealer. I point this out to help sway those that like to nurse a suspected water pump. It is in doing this that risks the thing developing enough bearing play to let the impeller blades contact the block and this can result in much more serious engine problems.
Or the thing can leak. I caught my Turbo's water pump from the odor of anti-freeze on a hot day. A check by the tech with the car in the air spotted signs of a leak, though no coolant was hitting the ground. Oh, the Turbo's water pump lasted around 120K miles. I admit I did drive the Turbo to the dealership, but it was just less than a mile away. And I was prepared to shut off the engine at the first sign of any trouble. Obviously the thing had been leaking a while as there was a nice lump of dried anti-freeze residue built up to the point it was being kept topped off by the pulley.
The water pump gives some warning when its on its way out. Noise. The water pump in my Boxster started to grumble/rumble at around 172K miles. Might add that as soon as I had confirmed the water pump as the source of the noise, I flat bedded the car to the dealer to have the water pump (and T-Stat) replaced. I didn't even risk the 25 miles drive to the dealer. I point this out to help sway those that like to nurse a suspected water pump. It is in doing this that risks the thing developing enough bearing play to let the impeller blades contact the block and this can result in much more serious engine problems.
Or the thing can leak. I caught my Turbo's water pump from the odor of anti-freeze on a hot day. A check by the tech with the car in the air spotted signs of a leak, though no coolant was hitting the ground. Oh, the Turbo's water pump lasted around 120K miles. I admit I did drive the Turbo to the dealership, but it was just less than a mile away. And I was prepared to shut off the engine at the first sign of any trouble. Obviously the thing had been leaking a while as there was a nice lump of dried anti-freeze residue built up to the point it was being kept topped off by the pulley.
05-06-2015, 12:58 PM
#21
Rennlist Member
I'm also due for water pump preventive replacement. I also wonder if and how the cooling fan kick-in setting can be reprogrammed and lowered? Durametric?
05-07-2015, 01:20 AM
#23
05-07-2015, 01:34 AM
#24
Rennlist Member
I think I'm ok but if the engine runs a bit cooler won't that reduce stress on its components?
One thing I'm going to do is go with the low temp thermostat after seeing all the arguments a while back. So I figure new water pump, coolant flush, low temp thermostat and I should be good for a while. So I don't know. Do you think a more aggressive cooling regiment is a good idea?
05-07-2015, 01:49 AM
#25
Not really. I have't measured it with an accurate thermometer but in spirited runs and stop and go driving the gauge sits to the left edge of the 0 mark sometimes it creeps in just a little, but when I drive in the highways it's closer to the middle mark or on the right edge of the 8.
I think I'm ok but if the engine runs a bit cooler won't that reduce stress on its components?
One thing I'm going to do is go with the low temp thermostat after seeing all the arguments a while back. So I figure new water pump, coolant flush, low temp thermostat and I should be good for a while. So I don't know. Do you think a more aggressive cooling regiment is a good idea?
I think I'm ok but if the engine runs a bit cooler won't that reduce stress on its components?
One thing I'm going to do is go with the low temp thermostat after seeing all the arguments a while back. So I figure new water pump, coolant flush, low temp thermostat and I should be good for a while. So I don't know. Do you think a more aggressive cooling regiment is a good idea?
05-07-2015, 02:37 AM
#26
Race Director
Really it is not necessary. As long as the system is pressure tight and filled with something reasonable ini the anti-freeze/water department (though of course I'd advise one to stick to the Porsche anti-freeze) and as long as the fans are working properly the car can take any heat you can throw at it.
As I have mentioned before I had my Boxster in 116F heat and the coolant temperature climbed to 226F and stayed there. The fans were running all the time and on high speed too. It was so hot the engine compartment fan was on I think even at highway speeds. I could here it running when I slowed down enough to hear it over the road/wind noise.
The car/engine was fine but I had never been in that high ambient temperature condition and that far from home (I was in AZ and I lived in the mid-MO area at th time) under such conditions, so I was a bit of a nervous wreck.
When I got home I stopped at the dealer and spoke with the SM who took down all the details and submitted a query to the factory about the high heat and what if anything could have happened. The factory replied back that as long as no warning lights came on, no warning messages appeared there was no problem. And that was many many miles ago and the engine has run just fine ever since.
Might add since then I have encountered at other times conditions that have the coolant temperature "pegged" at 226F and the engine doesn't miss a beat.
I'd drive though the gates of Hell with my Boxster and its cooling system. (Same goes for the Turbo, for the Turbo's cooling system is even better at keeping the engine cool in all kinds of high temp/high load conditions.)
05-07-2015, 02:59 AM
#28
Rennlist Member
Macster and Ahsai, thank you both. A lot of good feedback.
Honestly I'm a bit surprised at how well the cooling system works on these cars. Once I warmed up the engine and drove for a while and the system temp never got hot enough to require the fan - even low speed - to kick in. That, I thought, was awesome!
Honestly I'm a bit surprised at how well the cooling system works on these cars. Once I warmed up the engine and drove for a while and the system temp never got hot enough to require the fan - even low speed - to kick in. That, I thought, was awesome!
