996mk2GT3

Hello all! My first post here, inspired by a recently purchased 996.2 GT3. Thanks for having me

Question as follows: I've noticed the "frunk" gets uncomfortably hot after a spirited drive. Even after a few km to work, any items in the front feel toasty to the touch.

A quick non-scientific comparison with an identical car gave the impression that the frunk was much cooler. I understand the the 3 radiators directly surround the compartment - so would a radiator or ducting issue cause this? Could some insulation be missing?

One other topic in the GT4 forum reports that high frunk temperatures are common. Has anyone else experienced this issue? Is it normal or something to worry about?

The temperature gauge reads normal at all times, the coolant level is normal. Our ambient temps have been particularly high (>30C) since I purchased the vehicle but this consistently happens at night and in the early morning too.

spiller

I have noticed it's a little warm when popping the hood after a bit of driving, not excessive though. I rarely carry stuff in there except when I've gone to the track and noticed a bit of warmth when unloading gear. I wouldn't be too concerned, as you mentioned, that area is basically shrouded by the radiators. I assume you are in Australia given the temps you stated? Has been bloody hot here in Adelaide too. I need to get the a/c re-hooked up in mine so I can enjoy it more on warmer days.

Congrats on the purchase too, feel free to share some pics and specs on your car. They are awesome things, hard to imagine ever parting with mine!

mkk62

My right front fender gets too hot to touch after track session. Never figured it out but no problems related in 5 yrs. nothing in frunk so never noticed. Enjoy the car. I recently drove 991 gt3 for a session. No comparison to our raw 6-3!

Mk

4porsh

My frunk also gets hot. I even have the front radiator tilted and have bumper vents like the RS. I stopped storing drinking water in the frunk during travel, unless one like warm water. I think hot frunk is normal.

Macster

Sometimes if the front bumper cover is removed when it is re-installed the rubber sheeting that is the radiator ducting can be out of place and this can let air into the car where it normally wouldn't reach. It won't let hot air into the front trunk but it can have hot air blowing along the front trunk sheet metal.

If the rubber sheeting is out of place sometimes -- if the rubber is not too old and is warm/hot -- you can work it back into place with your hands. But other times the bumper cover has to come off and the sheeting position corrected.

This is probably a job for a tech. While removing the bumper cover and putting it back on is not that hard what can happen is if someone has been at the bumper cover often this someone is not that disciplined, knowledgeable on bumper cover R&R and the bumper cover is not installed correctly. Not only is the rubber ducting positioned wrong but the bumper cover may not be installed correctly in relationship with the underbody panels and even the fasteners can be wrong, mixed up, or just missing.

Porsche techs tell me they can always tell when an amateur has been a the front bumper cover by the way it was reinstalled.

996mk2GT3

Thank you for the prompt input guys! Interesting to hear that the heat is significant even with the RS upgrade.

@Spiller - South Africa actually, I'm sure we're sharing our heat wave!

Will have my tech look at the rubber bumper cover as per Macster - the car is in the shop as we speak. I suppose if that's correctly in pace then what I'm experiencing is "normal".

...if so, that means we have zero stowage space since the fixed bucket seats prevent access to the rear compartment too!

4porsh

Even with the heat, I still place suitcase in the frunk. Does not damage my toiletries.

Macster

Both my Boxster and my 996 Turbo front trunks run a bit warm. Nothing severe. I use both trunks to carry clothes and such when traveling and even when driving through triple digit heat the trunk contents are not that hot.

One thing I forgot to mention to the OP: Be sure both radiator fans are workind and come on when they should. Both of my cars have had a radiator fan motor fail. In one case: the Turbo; a fan motor shaft snapped. But even in Fresno CA summer heat the car didn't run hot. The Boxster passenger fan motor just quit and the Boxster didn't manifest any ill-effects from this. I discovered the fan was not running one day when I purposedly drove the car around town to get it hot enough for the fans to come on and found that while the driver side was running and blowing plenty of hot air the passenger side was not running at all.

The point is if the radiator fan is not running the radiator and surrounding area will get hotter than it would otherwise and this can exacrebate the hot trunk condition.

996mk2GT3

Thank you Macster - sent a screenshot of your first post to my mechanic and he's having a look, probably right as I type this. The fan is definitely also potentially a culprit, albeit a more worrying one. I'll make sure he checks that too!

Thanks for all the input folks, will let you know what we find. Just hoping l'll get the car back soon so I can start learning how to drive it.

996mk2GT3

Update: Went to visit the car at my mechanic today. He'd removed the front bumper for inspection, as requested.

Central ducting was NOT correctly installed, with a large gap between the duct and the top of the central
radiator. Can't honestly believe this might be the root cause of the hot frunk - it's a small gap and the air would go through the core onto the bodywork behind it in any case, even if correctly installed. It sure seems odd that there would be no insulation at all between the rad and the bodywork.

That said, I'll be sure to update this thread once he car is back on the road. Perhaps fixing the ducting was all that was required!

For the record, was pleased to see that radiators were all clean and undamaged. Radiator fan (single, right hand side on RHD RoW car) operating normally.

porschedog

My wife says its hot in my car's frunk, too.

Bob356

I learned the hard way... When I first got my car last summer, my wife and I went wine tasting, bought a case, put it in the frunk and drove 100 miles home.... Bad idea, the wine was hot and ruined! Lesson Learned.

Bob

powdrhound

There is only one radiator fan on the GT2/3. Two on the turbo.

996mk2GT3

Thanks all, have been driving around a bit the last few days - just glad to have the car back!

No real news, the realigned ducting MAY have helped but then our ambient temperatures have been lower this week so it's really hard to say. The compartment is still unreasonably warm though, in my opinion.

Is there REALLY not supposed to be ANY insulation around the compartment? There seems to be plenty room for it between the metal and the radiator core so it seems odd this would be missing. Weight saving maybe?

Has anyone ever tried to insulate this compartment?

I think it may just be a quirk I'll have to learn to live with...

4porsh

I just live with it, and other things with this car on the street. But, on the track she is dreamy.