(Short) AutoEnginuity review and coolant readings from scanner

Folks: Received my AutoEnginuity kit today. Installed, hooked up cheapy USB to serial connector and plugged it into the Lexus first (didnt want to blow up the P car just in case!). This thing is SLICK. Took it a few seconds to hook up to the car and then I could look at tons of stuff. Hooked it up to the Porsche and took her out for a spin. I've been interested in what the coolant is actually reading at, so I set the large live displays to show me engine RPM (just for fun) coolant temp and air intake temps. Works real slick. Summary: after 30 mins of playing/driving this is a very useful tool. Wish they had this for planes already. I wish it came with the addon pieces already to change the timing/advance etc, but u pay extra for that. This will be EXTREMELY useful for trouble shooting and i will test that this weekend because my "labrador car" (camry wagon) had the CEL come on the other day. Coolant readings: For the folks interested in coolant temps, these things definately run HOT. Bascially around town (outside temp was 82 f) in stop and go, with a little playing around now again it sat around the 205 mark (left side of the 0 on "180"). On my car, right on 180 is right on 180! Middle of the 0 is 210 F. Your car may be different. I didn;t take it on the interstate to test cruise, but generally mine sits on the right side of the 8 (approx 195). Right between the 8 and 0 of 180 is exactly 200 F. Again, the sensor/needle on your car may be different. This is all for a 2001 C4 cab. Marcus

Cool, looks like it is time to retrofit the third radiator kit.

who has got the best price on the radiator kit?

hmmm. Where is the coolant temp sensor. I'd guess it is in the engine block somewhere. Adding a third radiator won't do anything if the thermostat is what's holding the temperature at those levels. I bet it is.

you mean to say the thermostat could be faulty?

The raditator kit will not reduce the drive around town temps. I have been telling you guys for a long time that these cars run hotter than the gauge indicates. It is not uncommon to have a coolant temp of 210F + driving around town. This is why I think those who are using 0W-40 are foolish and damaging their engines. If the needle is touching the right side of the "0" in 180, you are at 215F. Driving around town in 75F temps and your car will be bewteen 205 and 210. Let yoiur car idle in the sun for a few minutes and you rapidly get past 220F. I have seen 230F. The cause of the heat is a lack of air movement below 60 mph past the radiators. If you want to run around town with coolant temps of less than 196 in 90F weather, just install a switch to turn on the 2 front radiators on high. Change your oil to a higher viscosity in hot weather, too. 5W-50, 10W-50, or better yet, 15W-50.

No....I think the thermostat is what regulates the coolant temp in the engine. I think it is operating properly, and if you are not racing, the radiators have sufficient cooling power to keep the engine at the temperature specified by the thermostat. Adding a third radiator will not lower the coolant temp below what is specified by the thermostat (unless the coolant temp sensor is outside the engine block). My guess is your car is operating normally. If you want to do a cool mod, that's a horse of another color.

I have just funished an extensive study on 5 996's and ALL of them run hot in moderate temperatures when driving around town. We even removed the thermostat from one of them and had the same engine temps. The ONLY way we got the temps down was to either hit the open road and drive 60 mph or above or turn the front fans on high. The lack of cooling is not a result of the thermostat, but a result of insuficient air passing the radiators. That is why your engine consistantly runs below 200F when highway driving, even in 100 degree temps.

OK...Then I am in error!

Sorry guys, I should have mentioned, I was posting these scannner/coolant temps to corrobrate previous discussions/posts that (a) the dash temp gauge is crap, or at least doesn't give you details (b) these cars definately run hot, and it seems like they ALL do (all 996s anyway). On any other vehicle I have wrenched on, hondas, toyotas that kind of crap, it seems they sit right at the thermostat temp or just above it (185). These P cars may have a higher thermostat temp (maybe someone out there knows?), but in general, I think the cooling radiator/fan set up from the factory is simply engineered to be *JUST* enough to cool the sucker around town. Also...i cant read the oil temps which is what really matters. I personally don't like seeing 210 (middle of the zero on the 180 BTW)....if I saw that in my plane, I'd be reducing power, opening cowl flaps etc. But if thats how they engineered it. Also...just in general, there is ZERO air flow over the engine, cats, exhaust etc and a tight, covered engine install which really doesn't help. In my TVR I have reversed exhaust collectors just for extra cooling...yes, my front mid-engined car has the exhaust collectors going to the nose before 180ing back under car. I did this (at expense of some power due to crap exhaust tuning) so that I would have exhauts pipes crammed in the tranny tunnel with no where for heat to go. Anyone wanna see a piccy of the TVR?Anyway. Anyways....theres your scanner readings. I recommend the autoenginuity thingy just cos its cool if u are a semi computer nerd and like shiny stuff like me. I just hope I dont hit anything cos im staring at the lappy! Marcus

Oh yeh...i looked arounf for teh 3rd rad kit for those people who want to fit it. Vivid racing (for USA people) seem to have the best price...$575 if i recall. One last thing...i was watching the intake temps...about 125 - 130 degs (83 deg f ambient). I'm wondering what a a cool air intake might do for power? M-u-s-t.........resist........urge.......too.....mod......and.....save......fo r......997cab...... Marcus