What's Your Engine Temp?

[Lil bastard]

Don't know as if I'd want to remove or drill any holes into the plastic covers under the car, or remove them.

Aside from playing a role in the car's aerodynamics (which probably have little effect at legal speeds anyway), these covers are designed to direct airflow to the proper places, ie around the engine bay.

The primary source of cooling for the engine is the oil and the coolant, not ambient air, probably like 95%.

But, consider that the only source for cooling ancillaries like the alternator, AC compressor, drive belt pulleys and tensioners is the airflow through the engine bay. Loosing a few degrees on the temp gauge (which is nonetheless operating in the OK range) may not be worth compromising the service life of these components.

[Jaxonalden]

Thanks for all the replies, looks like 182 degrees is the overall winner. Man that sure seams cold when thinking about engine temperature. I've always been taught that proper engine temp is in the 200-215 degree range. At that temp all the different metals in the cylinder wall, piston, rings and valves are all properly expanded and sealing the combustion chamber.

Porsche must ether be using special metals or someones been lying to me.

[2000SoCalBoxsterS]

My 2000 S runs slightly above 180 degrees.

[Lil bastard]

Originally Posted by Jaxonalden

Thanks for all the replies, looks like 182 degrees is the overall winner. Man that sure seams cold when thinking about engine temperature. I've always been taught that proper engine temp is in the 200-215 degree range. At that temp all the different metals in the cylinder wall, piston, rings and valves are all properly expanded and sealing the combustion chamber.

Porsche must ether be using special metals or someones been lying to me.

You're confusing coolant temp with engine temp. The coolant keeps the engine within the proper operating temp range.

If you use an infared thermometer and check temps on the engine at several places and average it out, you're likely to find those temps in the 500° - 600° range, and of course, the combustion chamber temps reach upwards of 1200°-1300°.

[Lil bastard]

Just an observation, there does seem to be a lot of obsession about coolant temps by Boxster owners - just do a search to see how many times this issue has been brought up.

I've owned several 50's and 60's brit and '70's japanese cars which were notorious for overheating and never saw a degree of obsession amongst their owners as I see here.

Given the inherent inaccuracies between gauges and the number of variables which can affect slight increases and decreases of the gauge, so long as you're operating in the OK range, you're not adversely affecting anything.

Individual engines all have their own 'unique' operating temps within a range and a 3°-10° variation means nothing.

[Quickurt]

I have to agree with LB, geez. I just can't call him by his chosen name (!) but I don't think watching your temp guage like a hawk can head off any catastophic engine failures. I'm also not familiar with what the onboard computer monitors, but if red lights and warning bells go off on the dash read-out to make you "consider your remaining range" just because you're down to 63 miles of gas remaining, I would hope it would do at least the same if your over temp, before the engine

[Jaxonalden]

As I said in my original post "my engine runs cooler than any other vehicle that I drive" and that's all I was getting at. I'm not being obsessed with my coolant temp or watching it like a hawk, I was making an observation that was out of the norm and was just wondering if everyone else had the same temp. Big deal!

BTW, coolant temp is engine temp. If your going to sell the argument that you can use a pyrometer and see greater temps around the engine and then average them for engine temp is ridiculous. The coolant system maintains the engine at a set temperature by the OEM and my point is that Porsche runs their engines cooler than any other manufacture that I know.

An added benny to the 180 degrees means the oil and tranny fluid are also being cooled better.

[Lil bastard]

Hate to disagree, but coolant temp is NOT engine temp - proper combustion could not take place in a 180° environment.

The coolant, flowing through the water jackets does NOTHING to cool either the main, conrod or camshaft bearings - this is carried out by the oil, not the coolant ! The oil sheds this heat through the sump and oil cooler which, in the case of the Boxster, means to the coolant.

In fact, fully 60% of engine cooling is accomplished by the oil - not the coolant !!

The coolant extracts heat from mainly the combustion chamber and the head - cooling the valves in the process.

But, the major components of the engine - the Block, Crank, Pistons, etc. typically run in the 500°-600° range as previously mentioned.

If what you say were true - that coolant temp = engine temp, then no pyrometer reading should exceed 180°- 185° (except maybe the headers/exhaust manifold), which is certainly not the case.

That's not to say the coolant doesn't perform a critical role, it certainly does. But to obsess about it does not accomplish what many mistakenly believe.