Temperature light flashing slowly?
 

Hello Again!

I wonder if anyone here has experienced these symptoms with a Boxster 2000 3.2 S ?

After driving about 12 miles the other evening and parking up for a music gig for about 3.5 hours, I noticed the temperature light on the top right of the dash blinking slowly. The temperature gauge wasn't overly hot at about 85 but I stopped the car, left it for 10 minutes whilst reading the manual under a streetlamp and then added some more water to the reservoir. On re starting the engine, the warning lamp had gone out, so I simply drove the car home slowly and parked up. On examining the car once parked, I noticed that there was no heat at all around the nearside/passenger side rear air vent. The temperature light had not really dropped or risen at all on the drive back and there was no water leaking out anywhere or any steam venting from anywhere as far as I could tell.

Since then, I've made the same drive twice and had the same symptoms repeat themselves once but not both times.

One each occasion I've added a little more water to the reservoir (I find it really difficult to see quite how high the water level is through the plastic)

Today I added more water before even starting up. It was a lovely sunny day and I could read the water level on the reservoir tank a little clearer and I think I got the level up to just over the high mark. I made sure that the blue cap was tightened really well too. Drove the car for about 12 miles at various speeds then parked up for an hour and a half. Still no heat coming from the left air vent, but no flashing light from the temperature gauge and a constant reading of about 80. No problems again driving home, no water leaking anywhere, no steam, no spraying of water around filler cap, but again no heat from the left hand side air vent. I tried the AC on all 3 trips and it seemed to be working ok, but not really chilly cold, so could this be a contributing factor I wonder?

I'm wondering if any of you might have any ideas for me take with me to discuss with my local Porsche garage? As a blonde, I do hate just turning up with a sick car with no idea of what might be wrong!

Thanking you in anticipation.....x x x

Check your oil to see if it looks like chocolate milk shake.

Have you checked under the carpet in the rear trunk? It's possible you have a coolant tank leak, perhaps from a small crack.

Four functions of the coolant warning light:

1. Engine coolant level too low
— light flashes slowly (0.5 Hz)
2. Engine compartment temperature too high
— light flashes slowly (0.5 Hz) (engine compartment blower might be faulty)
3. Engine coolant temperature too high
— light is lit; pointer on the right
4. Temperature sensor at water outlet faulty
— light flashes rapidly (1 Hz); pointer on the right

Note
The temperature warning in point three is indicated if the conditions "engine coolant temperature too high" and "engine coolant level too low" are present simultaneously
(1Hz = 1 flash per second. 0.5Hz = 2 seconds per flash)

Many thanks for your input, guys......

FJP in PA Yes, I had wondered about one of the blowers being faulty. Perhaps that could explain why there is no hot air flowing through the left hand side air vent? I'll mention this to the garage in the morning.

thom4782 I'll check under the rear boot carpet in the morning when it's light to see if there has been a coolant leak from the coolant tank.

bam914 Ditto.....will check this out in the morning. If the oil is looking more like chocolate milk shake than engine oil, what does this indicate? Do I have to stop using chocolate sprinkles on my cappuccino? No, seriously, could this mean coolant is somehow leaking into the engine and, if so, what are the usual causes and remedies?

I'll feed back to you all tomorrow when I've had the chance to investigate further.

Meanwhile, thank you for getting back to me so quickly. It really is appreciated. I probably wont enjoy the process but if I want to enjoy driving the car then I have to deal with the realities of her needs.

A damaged cylinder head gasket or a cracked engine block are two typical causes of coolant and oil mixing together. These typically happen after the engine has overheated. This is less likely than a cooling system leak.

If you are referring to left outside air vent when looking from the back of the car to the front, that is engine air intake vent. So it's not surprising that you wouldn't feel hot air being blown out of it. The right side is where the engine compartment vent hot air when the compartment temperature rises above a certain level.

Thom4782 Thank you for another speedy reply! I'm inclined to go with the blocked air tube idea as being the cause of the lack of hot air coming out of the side air vent and will suggest this to the garage once I've had a look under the rear boot carpet for any leaks from the coolant tank in the morning as there may be more than one issue going on here. Will post results of my findings later tomorrow.

Have just noticed you're edited message, thom4782.....so will need to rethink this through again now if the left side air vent is an input vent! Once I've done my oil check in the morning I'll be in a better position to see what is going on and will get back to this forum with my findings. Fingers crossed on the cooling tank leak!! Don't want to think about a cracked block or cylinder head gasket right now as that could be a bit more complicated, but if that is what is wrong, then that is what is wrong. Thank you again.

It's now 8.10 pm on Monday 2nd September and I've just arrived home after dropping off the car with a Porsche trained specialist up in Yateley. Once he has checked her over, I'll post his findings on here, but it could be a few days as he had about 7 other cars parked all over his drive this evening! The drive up (approx. 30 miles) was event free....no warning lights, no steam, no smoke and no funny noises....thank goodness!

As suggested by thom4782, I checked under the rear boot carpet for any leaks but couldn't find any evidence for one. thom4782 also mentioned the possibility of a cracked block or a damaged cylinder head gasket and these are both things that the mechanic will investigate after thoroughly checking out the coolant system for leaks and the fans/blowers etc.

bam914 mentioned checking the oil to see if it had changed in consistency and colour and I did that this morning. It looked rather pale and thin to me and there was a little bit of condensation on the inside of the oil filler cap too, so I've reported all of this to the mechanic and he will check it all out once he has given the coolant system a thorough going over and tested the fans/blowers. I'm not sure how many of these there are but as there is more than one radiator, then I would expect there to be more than one fan. Perhaps it's only the one in the engine compartment that would be involved here?

JFP in PA drew my attention to the list of reasons for the slow blinking of the engine temperature warning light so I mentioned the engine compartment blower to the mechanic as well.

The car was due to visit the mechanic for a service this month anyway so the oil will get changed etc., but it could be just a tad more expensive than I was expecting!

As I said, I'll post the mechanics findings on here once I've heard further from him.

I am expecting a bit of a rollicking for being so lax with the coolant mixture. I hadn't realised the implications of corrosion that water in the engine might cause, but am hoping she hasn't been too badly affected and will make a point of keeping better records of what mixture has been added and when in future. Here's hoping!

Good News! The blue coolant cap is probably the original cap & should be exchanged for the latest version which is black & the part # ends in 04. New cap cost about $30 US.

Hi BYprodriver The blue coolant cap is a replacement one that I bought back in 2010 when I bought the car and it does seem to form a pretty good seal as there is an audible release of pressure when I unscrew it. However, I shall mention it to the mechanic as a possible item to consider in the diagnosis. Thank you for sharing the part no. details and possible cost though. This kind of information is always most gratefully received :-) Rx

US are all black now & I would think would be same worldwide.

100% replace it if it is not the latest ("04").



/

ok, I hear you, BYprodriver and fatmike. I'll get on to it in the morning. Many many thanks for bothering :-) R x x x

Hi again.....I got the car back again yesterday following the mechanic thoroughly checking and pressure testing the coolant system (all ok) and an oil change + filters. He filled the oil up to just below the 2nd segment from the top so as to be able to see if the coolant pours into the engine and, so far, there has been no movement on the oil gauge. No engine temperature warning light and no rise in temperature above 85 either. The coolant filler cap had been changed for the latest 04 version on the last service last year, but as it was still a blue one I hadn't realised that it had been changed.

The car sounded good and drove normally and well on the way home and has continued to do so. I've been out in her again today visiting friends which involved lots of short runs with plenty of stopping and starting and, each time, there has been no movement on either the oil gauge or coolant level. I've not seen the engine temperature warning light come on at all and the engine temperature has remained steady at all times.

It's early days but I am beginning to think that I might have just been too lax on keeping the coolant topped up and eventually that level dropped so low that the sensor picked it up and started flashing. The low oil viscosity just might have been where it was a little overdue for an oil change too. Most certainly I've never ever seen the temperature gauge rise above 85, so I'm keeping everything crossed that can possibly be crossed and hoping that I might be right. This was the mechanics view as well.

Meanwhile, thank you all so much for all of your helpful comments on this issue. I've also found that I enjoy reading through other peoples posts on various 3.2S related issues and have come to realise the value of having people like you in my corner.

I'll repost again in a few days to say how she is going. Cheers :-) x

My brand new cap is blue and ends in 04?

Coolant doesn't just disappear. So you certainly have a mystery on your hands. This is especially true given that the coolant system pressure test showed no leaks and I presume your mechanic didn't find coolant in the old oil. Best of luck.

Where did you buy it? & does it have the Porsche trademark triangle on it?

Hi thom4782.....I agree.....it is indeed a mystery! Especially as I believed the original coolant level to be well inside the min - max margins before the warning light first came on last week. However, I was only trying to peer through the opaque coolant tank and might just have misread the true situation. Since I brought the car back on Saturday, I've been looking into the top of the coolant tank at the coolant level itself which is just above the white opaque body of the tank, so I'm getting a more accurate reading now. I guess only time will tell because if the coolant is seeping through into the engine through a crack in the cylinder head or a damaged gasket, then the oil level will start to go up again over the next few days. I shall be keeping an eye on this and will repost my findings by the end of the week.

Just to confirm for Byprodriver and trimer, .....the coolant cap on my car is blue and is marked with o4 and it has the Porsche triangle trade mark. The mechanic said that he had fitted it during it's last service in September 2012.

blonde....
If you notice the coolant going down slowly, you may find that your coolant tank has a small crack in it that only opens when the coolant gets hot. Your opaque tank probably means its original and getting near the end ....
Mine was the same @ 50,000 miles (though I think age has more to do with failures). The leak was crusting up @ the rear of the tank and was not actually dripping into the boot (trunk) area. Its only when I managed to get my fingers up behind the tank that I felt the crusty deposit left by the coolant.
Changing the coolant resevoir is another story for another day.....

Hi again Everyone,

Well, I've been keeping an eye on the coolant and oil levels all this week and had noticed no difference at all until yesterday when the oil level had risen by 1 segment and the coolant level had dropped by about half a pint. I started the engine and let her idle till she reached about 60%, switched her off, left her for 5 or 6 minutes to cool slightly and then checked the coolant level again. The coolant level was still down so I added half a pint. Then I checked the oil level again and it was still on the lower level....ie., 1 segment below the full level.

Today I checked the coolant level at cold....it seemed slightly low again, but only very slightly. On starting the engine I noticed that the oil level had dropped again showing the top 2 segments clearly. I started the car and left her to idle for about half an hour whilst I got on with some gardening and then switched her off. After leaving her for about 15 minutes, I checked the levels again. The temperature had risen to almost 100, there had been a very slight mist from the exhaust on starting her up, but no water on the ground and the mist cleared within 3 minutes. This time the coolant level had risen significantly by about half a pint and the oil level had risen to showing only 1 segment as clear.

She is sounding sweet as a nut when she runs. She has about 110,000 miles on the clock and is a 2000 build. Do you think it sounds as if I have a significant problem or have I just been panicking or obsessing because I felt so guilty for not keeping a proper maintenance schedule? My friends all seem to think I should be trading her in for a younger little metal box (vw) but even the idea sends shudders. I just can not imagine another car bringing such a smile to my face every time I look at it!!

If you do feel it is time for me to trade her in, please do feel free to suggest a replacement for her. My last car was an 1800 Mazda MX5 Eunos which I drove for about 5 years and she was amazing, hardly costing anything to maintain and never ever let me down. I only sold her because she was 17 years old and could no longer be covered by insurance when catching the ferry over to Europe. She was such fun to drive.....I think I just found my replacement car!! But not yet!!

If you're losing a pint over several days, you have a slow leak. I don't think the oil gauge is accurate enough to prove coolant is mixing with oil. Look for intermix in the coolant tank or on the dip stick. My guess is your leak is on the front side of the coolant tank or the water pump. You might consider having a different shop look for the leak.

Hi thom4782

Your idea of having a different shop look for a coolant leak sounds as if it is the first thing I should do next. I'm guessing the water pump would be an easier job than the coolant tank and therefore cheaper, but then I don't know?

It doesn't look as if there is any oil in the coolant tank, but what colour is coolant meant to be? Mine is a sort of pale and watery coffee colour.....should it be blue? The oil and filter were changed last weekend and look OK to me. I went for a 20 minute drive in her tonight and took her up to about 90 mph. The temperature remained on 80, no warning lights, a tiny bit of mist from the exhaust pipe when I turned her over but only for about 1 minute and very minor. When I got back I checked the oil level again and this time it was 3 sections below and low on the dipstick too, so I agree with your comment on the oil gauge not being terribly accurate. The oil on the dipstick looked completely clean but it was too dark to check the coolant level.

I'll take a look at some prices on coolant tanks and water pumps and take her into another garage early in the week and will tell them what you said. Many thanks for your help and for getting back to me so quickly.

Blonde,

Your coolant is coffee color, as in brown? Brown coolant is not a good sign.

http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c1...ns7/photo1.jpg

For coolant colors, Porsche has used yellow-green and now pink.

Blonde..
Really, you are over thinking this....
Leaving the car idling for half an hour and then checking fluid levels is not the correct way of doing it. Both oil (9 ltrs) and coolant (22 ltrs) have a sufficiently large volume to expand and register different levels when hot. Plus the oil needs about 20 minutes to drain into the pan to give an accurate level.

To get a base line, check both coolant and oil levels COLD (overnight) just before you set off in the morning. Make a mental note of both readings.
Re-check COLD the next morning or the following morning again if you havn't driven many miles.

The coolant tank & coolant fluid discolour with age, plus the level rises significantly in the resevoir with heat. There's a good chance you can't see the correct level in the resevoir unless you remove the cap and peer in from the top - again inspect when the car has stood overnight.
You have to make a baseline assesment before assuming you have coolant loss or oil leakage....

This is a major symptom of a bad head gasket, if your coolant is a coffee colour it means somewhere in your engine coolant is mixing with oil. The M96 has been known for getting hairline cracks in the cylinder heads and having cylinder walls give.

Do you remember if the car was burning white or grey smoke? Did it feel like it was sluggish (while accelerating?)

There are countless things that could lead to coolant and oil to mix, head gaskets, piston rings, cylinder walls cracking, ect.. The next step in my mind would be to do a compression test and hope for the best!

Many thanks again, Guys,

It sounds as if I have overcomplicated things with the levels on coolant and oil, so I'll stick to the readings when cold so as to establish a base line for assessment. I'm already looking into the top of the coolant tank to asses the levels as the tank is really too dense to see the level clearly through it.

The thing is that I don't use her for getting to work and usually only drive her for short distances a couple of times a week, so she is not getting regular use. Anyway, I'll start the process off again in the morning.

Will also give my local Porsche people a ring to find out how much a compression test would be and if it's not too hair raising then she will go in for one at the end of this week.

She didn't feel at all sluggish today when I drove her this afternoon. The coolant is definitely a brown muddy colour....like river water...... not thick and yucky looking like the photo posted by Kenny Boxster but definitely not pink, green or yellow. The mist coming out of the exhaust when starting up is white and hardly visible. I had put this down to condensation due to the change in temperature over here as the UK has just gone into Autumn in the last couple of weeks.

I'll post again next weekend and try to stay calm meanwhile.

Enjoy your week and have some good drives x

Please take photo of your coolant color

Plus one. Please.

Head Gaskets in M96 engines never fail. 2000-2001 heads crack easily. Sometimes they only leak when up to operating temperature. Sounds like this is Clueless problem.
Coolant in the oil reduces lubrication so IMSB deteriorates. Good time for pressure check & maybe head rebuild! :(

You mentioned seeing condensation in the trunk when you checked your oil level (when engine is warm). Do you still see any condensation above the coolant and oil fill caps?

I had this happen on my 2000S...I'd loose just a bit of coolant over the course of a week or so. Coolant tank just two years old and cap ending in .04. I finally took a look at the O-rings in the pressure relief valve and found the larger O-ring to be pinched in one spot. I found a replacement O-ring at a local hardware store, installed it and haven't had a problem (or condensation) since.

Hi again, I'm still just keeping an eye on the levels every couple of days.

Had to take her along to a local Porsche garage on Friday to pick up a windscreen washer nozzle and took the opportunity to discuss the coolant/oil level situation with the mechanic whilst he was fitting the nozzle.

His feelings were that there are no symptoms of coolant leaking into the oil. She is driving really well and the oil looks perfectly normal according to him, as does the coolant. The coolant is slightly pink/brown which would agree with what was added a couple of weeks ago and the age of the mixture. Apparently the coolant levels do tend to go up and down a little with changes in weather temperature too (we've had some very warm weather here over the last 2 days), so his advice was just to keep an eye on both the levels over the next couple of weeks and to get back to them if I need any further assistance. He said that a compression test would be in the region of £100 to carry out, so that's not too scary.

As before, I'll get back to you in a few days. Meanwhile I'm enjoying driving her again, which is what it's all about after all!

Many thanks again for all your interest and comments. Have a good week.