overheating

[Retroman1969]

It should read on the low side of the 8?
Odd, both my 986's run in between the 8 and 0 when fully warmed up and can venture to the high side of the 0 in outside temps above 90 degrees. I've been told by two shops, the dealership, and even a few folks on here that it was a 'normal' operating range.

Side note: awhile back, my daily driver started reading about what the image in the first post shows (even a little higher) and it turned out that there was tons of debris sandwiched between the condensers and radiators. A proper cleaning as described above (removing bumper cover and separating the condensers from the radiators) brought it right back down.

[jdlmodelt]

Originally Posted by Retroman1969

It should read on the low side of the 8?
Odd, both my 986's run in between the 8 and 0 when fully warmed up and can venture to the high side of the 0 in outside temps above 90 degrees. I've been told by two shops, the dealership, and even a few folks on here that it was a 'normal' operating range.

Side note: awhile back, my daily driver started reading about what the image in the first post shows (even a little higher) and it turned out that there was tons of debris sandwiched between the condensers and radiators. A proper cleaning as described above (removing bumper cover and separating the condensers from the radiators) brought it right back down.

I get the same results as Retroman. I was seeing to the right of the zero in mid 80's and 10,000 elevation this weekend while climbing up the passes.

[Vanya]

I was driving yesterday the car and in the parking spot i saw how ALL coolant was leaking in the floor under, close to the back rear wheel. I immediately add more fluid but now when i tried to check from where was the leak i cant see nothing, the trunk is dry to... I stopped today in some chip service to ask the mechanic and he said what i have to change the head gasket, but i cant believed what is that!!!

Where i should check the leak? My car still hot, i already clean the radiators an the fans working properly..

[afterafx]

Originally Posted by Vanya

I was driving yesterday the car and in the parking spot i saw how ALL coolant was leaking in the floor under, close to the back rear wheel. I immediately add more fluid but now when i tried to check from where was the leak i cant see nothing, the trunk is dry to... I stopped today in some chip service to ask the mechanic and he said what i have to change the head gasket, but i cant believed what is that!!!

Where i should check the leak? My car still hot, i already clean the radiators an the fans working properly..

I had the same thing happen to me. After driving for a while, the pressure would build up that it would start leaking. I tried to test it at home by letting it idle and it didn't leak. I stuck my hand under the coolant tank and felt liquid. I then changed the coolant tank and been good ever since.

[Luv2Box]

Your car is not running hot, it is running hotter than what most consider normal temp. To say that every Boxster should be running with the needle on 8 or 0 is not accurate. I've owned my '99 for six years and it consistently runs at the right side of the 0 when warmed up. Depending on ambient temp or how hard I'm driving it or a grade it will go to where yours is in the picture and I've had no failures due to temperature.
There is an easier way to test your front fans, let the car warm up and pull it into a dirt field, if you see dust coming up from both front sides they're working and believe me you'll know. Also you should be able to hear your engine fan running when the car warms up and it is located on the passenger side and sounds like a vacuum cleaner when running.
It is a good idea to clean your radiators and condensers as they do accumulate debris and if you do decide to change out the water pump put a new thermostat in as well.
You'll soon find out that the internet is full of owners who recommend to blindly start replacing parts only to find out later that the cause of their problem was something else and they've spent a lot of wasted money.
Find a good independent mechanic that can use Porsche equipment to diagnose problems and see what they have to say. Most will diagnose without charging you then you can decide if you want to tackle repairs and or maintenance yourself or pay them to do it.