Engine Temp

OK, Kids, Next question. My 996 runs right between the 8 and the 0 of the 180 mark. That normal? Can some of you share your operating temps in regular traffic and perhaps a few high ones from track days? Sorry to be the human question mark, I am just trying to get a baseline on the car to make sure I know what normal is and when to get concerned. Thanks in advance. JKC

Perfectly normal. That's precisely where mine runs as well. -Charles

Agree, that is normal. The "temp" needle sits right between the 8 and the 0 of the 180 mark on my '04 996.

Same for me.

me too.

Thanks folks. Again, not to be a pest with stupid questions, but I'd like to know what is normal... Anybody out there with higher temps on track or driver education days? JKC

in the summer in traffic/slow speeds I run at the outer edge of the 0

as long as its not in the red and your not flashing your fine. They run hot down here in florida with the ac on sometimes past the 0 but never hasd any problems

don't the 3.4s run a little hotter than the 3.6s???

My 3.4 runs about the same as what has been stated.....stop & go for long time with a/c on pushes to outside of the "0"

Down here in south Texas (where somebody left the door to hell open), mine runs between the 8 and 0 mark. It only gets slightly above 0 if I sit in traffic for a while.

Mine too. (Thanks for asking this question - I had meant to post it, but never got around to it. Too busy looking at the freaky dog/wolf thing thread)

With gauge slightly to the right of the ZERO, your coolant temp is around 220F.

Thanks. Especially the note about 220 and being slightly to the right of the 0 of the 180. JKC

Easiest way is to hook up an OBD tool and view the coolant temp in real time so you can see EXACTLY where 180, 200, 220, etc are in relation to the needle.

Obviously if the light is flashing it is too hot, but at what temp. should one begin to worry? What is the best thing to do if one is sitting in traffic & the needle continues to creep up....if the motor is shut off, then it gets REAL hot? I know turning on the heater helps, but......

You must be mistaking your 996 for a 993 If you get into temp trouble sitting at a light it is probably b/c you are leaking or low on coolant.

The flashing light indicates low coolant on the level sensor. If the temp needle is in the normal range the temp is ok. I've had the flashing light come on in my 99 C2 on the track when the coolant level was down about a cup, but the temp was still in the normal range (just above the 0 in the 180).

How in the world did you have "normal" temps on the track with a flashing light and low on coolant. Something doesn't add up.

LV, My coolant level was down all of 1 cup as I said... the lateral loads would expose the sensor enough to trip the warning light. The temp was higher than street normal (twixt 8 and 0) but perfectly normal (just above the 0 in 180) for the track. After adding the missing cup the flashing light was gone for the remaining sessions.

EVEN DOWN A HALF GALLON THE CAR WONT RUN ANYHOTTER BUT YOU WILL GET A WARNING. THE ONLY WAY IVE EVER SEEN 996/986S GET HOT IF THEY WERNT LEAKING IS IF THE WATER PUMP IMPELER COMES OFF ONLY SEEN IT A FEW TIMES .........MAYBE 3 ILL CALL THAT A FLUKE ALL 3 MOTORS LIVED

caps key stuck?

so do the 3.4s run hotter than the 3.6s?

ACTUALY IT IS SORRY

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I am refering to sitting in a traffic jam & not moving for 20-30 minutes in 100+ degree temps. Sorry, this was actually just a "pre-emptive" question in the event it should happen. My car has not gotten hot, but I live in Texas as well, & as porsche-t stated earlier, it does get hot here.

I see you are in H-Town. You ain't kidding it gets hot there! I grew up in Laredo/San Antonio and the only place I hated to go b/c of the heat was Houston It is definitely oppresive.

RCG, I don't know if there is any difference between the 3.4 and 3.6 M96 as far as cooling is concerned. I know there are folks who've added the center radiator on 6 speed cars to provide more cooling capacity for both 3.4 and 3.6 motors.

on cars up to 2001 you can see the exact coolant temp on the ac display. press the up arrow, the down arrow (flow) and recirc simultanously for 3sec, you will then see something like 0c on the display. scroll to 7c (if i recall correctly) this will show you the coolant temp. press auto to go back to normal mode.

WTF???

Here's a link to instructions to accessing the info on the HVAC screen: http://www.cb-racing.com/boxster_AC.html Christopher (cb of cb-racing) is now working ALMS series (I think) for Motec. FWIW, 6c is coolant temp.

wow - anyone actually try this?

re LVDELL: wtf ?????? not nice to learn something new?? >Kevin H. in Atl.. great link.. thanx for the 6c correction! it's a long time ago...

Of course it is. I am going to try it today. The WTF was in reference to the fact that I can obtain coolant temp thru my A/C display!

>>>wow - anyone actually try this?<<< Yup. Just did it. Watched the coolant temp climb as the car warmed up. Pretty cool.

I will be trying this in about 5 minutes when I go run errands. I'll post back later this afternoon................

I'm with Dell. It's not WTF as in you are an idiot....it's WTF as in WOW....COOL....I'm running down to the garage now.

I'm a double-WTF with Dell. Pretty nice little secret they built into it. I will wait for you guys to post to make sure its not a cruel hoax forged by some other Manufacturer to get us all to imbed some horrific worm/virus into the cars computer, thus rendering them undrivable to any competitions, events or shows!.

I assume that they changed out the Audi AC Climatronic in 2002+ 996's thus taking this fun feature away from the newer cars?

CRAP!!!! I cannot get it to work

How cool.....I'll try this shortly!!!

Follow the link. The instructions are different than what what aekodriver posted: Hold up arrow and recirc (no down arrow) for 5 seconds (not three seconds) to get to the read out mode.

**** HOT!!!!!!!! Just got back from the car and it works Figured out what was wrong. The link said to press the recirc and air up buttons. Air up is a + but the top vents are designated by a symbol (triangle) that looks like an arrow pointing up. So....press the recirc button and the top vent button for 5 seconds and 0c will appear on the left display, then hit the center vent button to see that actual value or + or - to cycle through the list. BTW, anybody know what "ERL" stands for for code 0c?

Another link http://www.audiworld.com/tech/int5.s...odes#DiagCodes

Those look like diff codes.

Will this work on MY2000 996?

yup!

damn, i thought this was a normal "how to read temp" thread, turned out to be fun, can't wait to try this tonight.

re LVDEL: ERL means energy requirement level (must be something ac related). on the coolant temp: I was told by a fellow german who inquired at p that the temp sensor is located in the oil/water heat exchanger. the ac diag mode will work on all 1999-2000 and on early 2001 996.

My temp was reading past the 180 like strait up and down (past the 180 all together). I am going to "floss" the radiators soon, could their be any other reason for it running hotter? Is this a dangerous temp?

With the needle on the right side of the "0" in 180, the coolant temp read 108 degrees C which is about 226 degrees F.

Wow! That's a lot better then tea bagging on the radiator cap.

Took me a second to figure that one out. What a mental picture at first......lmao

make sure when the cars running and at operating tmep that both front fans are coming on and theres no leaves or plastic bags iblocking the radiators. If its a dangerous temperature the needle will be in the red and the light wil be flashing. coolant tmept sensor on that car should be in the front cover over the oil pumpe not the oil cooler

front fan: on when ac on on when ac off, coolant at or above 102 on high speed whe coolant at or above 108. if you ever see coolant temp above 108 during street use probably something is not ok.