Thanks to 986 forum posters are in order. My base 98 temp started reading well above the 180 up to the next increment. Hmm? A search here showed the need to clean the rads. I even found a video on u tube to demonstrate front cover removal. I found a compost heap in my radiators. Wow! I removed all of that debris and constructed vent screens from aluminum mesh.
I am happy to report these screens have remained sturdy through minimal temperature range in Central Florida, triple digit speed and regular exterior maintenance procedures. I thought that would relieve the elevated temps , but not so. Back to the forum. Digital readout from the AC control panel verified the dash gauge is not askew. Thanks for that posting on accessing internal data with a few clicks of the panel. Info here in the forum helps determine that the passenger side radiator fan is not sequencing correctly. Do the easy first. Check fuses and relays as once again detailed here in the forum, all check good. So we are down to the fan motor/ballast resistor or the temp sender in engine compartment. I got an entire fan/housing /ballast assembly from someone parting out,for about the price of the resistor alone.I probably could have spliced the ballast in first to test, but rain had set in for a few days, I have a nice shop, and like to wrench so I pulled the front cover and dug in. It took a few hours as I removed parts and learned how well these machines are put together. I inspected the components revealed as the PO did not provide any records.The inspection did not find anything out of order,now I know. This job could have been done with the wheel off and the fender liner removed, but I wanted to check the rads condition with the new screens installed. It was pristine in there ! Going in through the wheel liner all I had to do was remove a support bracket,move some wires around and the entire assembly came out and the replacement back in. The bracket had to come out for me to do this .The end of the story is the fan/ballast replacement was a complete success. The gauge never exceeds the 8 in 180. I verified that indication by digital in the control panel.I have been on several 50+ mile runs at smile inducing velocity and the temp remains nominal.
