986 Forum - The Community for Porsche Boxster & Cayman Owners - View Single Post

smcintyre6492 · 06-03-2015, 06:35 PM

I have a question regarding change in normal operating temp. Apologies in advance for the long post.

I have a 2004 base Boxster that I've owned since 2006. About 85K miles. Its my daily driver, mostly in-town commuting. I live in Central Texas, where it has been unusually cool this spring/summer - it only hit 92F today.

In all that time, once I'd been driving for a while the temp gauge would read just a tick above the 180. About a month ago, I noticed that the car seemed to be running just a little warmer than normal. The needle was vertical, or a little past vertical; it wasn't reaching the next tick on the gauge (anyone know what temp that corresponds to?), and certainly wasn't reaching the danger zone. But the loud fan was coming on more frequently. Something had changed.

So, I took it in to my regular mechanic, who checked out the cooling system and said everything was within normal operating parameters. Maybe I just noticed a change because the days were getting warmer, he suggested. I remained unconvinced.

Fast forward to this past weekend, I see a puddle under the engine one morning and the coolant reservoir in the trunk is empty. Back to the mechanic, who says I need a new water pump. OK, that probably explains what I've been noticing, right?

Get the car back with new water pump today and, if anything, its running hotter than before. Still not quite reaching that next tick mark on the gauge, but close.

So, what am I dealing with here? Might this just be a symptom of aging (the car, not me)? Do I even have a problem, if the operating temp is still within acceptable parameters (and yes, I know that the actual water temp is 20+ degrees higher than what the gauge reads). To me, the change from what had been ten years of normal operation is more telling than the actual temperature. But maybe I'm worrying about nothing?

I'd appreciate suggestions.

06-03-2015, 06:35 PM	#1
smcintyre6492 Registered User Join Date: Dec 2014 Location: Austin, TX Posts: 6	Regular operating temp has increased I have a question regarding change in normal operating temp. Apologies in advance for the long post. I have a 2004 base Boxster that I've owned since 2006. About 85K miles. Its my daily driver, mostly in-town commuting. I live in Central Texas, where it has been unusually cool this spring/summer - it only hit 92F today. In all that time, once I'd been driving for a while the temp gauge would read just a tick above the 180. About a month ago, I noticed that the car seemed to be running just a little warmer than normal. The needle was vertical, or a little past vertical; it wasn't reaching the next tick on the gauge (anyone know what temp that corresponds to?), and certainly wasn't reaching the danger zone. But the loud fan was coming on more frequently. Something had changed. So, I took it in to my regular mechanic, who checked out the cooling system and said everything was within normal operating parameters. Maybe I just noticed a change because the days were getting warmer, he suggested. I remained unconvinced. Fast forward to this past weekend, I see a puddle under the engine one morning and the coolant reservoir in the trunk is empty. Back to the mechanic, who says I need a new water pump. OK, that probably explains what I've been noticing, right? Get the car back with new water pump today and, if anything, its running hotter than before. Still not quite reaching that next tick mark on the gauge, but close. So, what am I dealing with here? Might this just be a symptom of aging (the car, not me)? Do I even have a problem, if the operating temp is still within acceptable parameters (and yes, I know that the actual water temp is 20+ degrees higher than what the gauge reads). To me, the change from what had been ten years of normal operation is more telling than the actual temperature. But maybe I'm worrying about nothing? I'd appreciate suggestions.