Those of you with Low Temp Thermostats
 

Have you like me, noticed that temp always seems to stay ver near the 180 hash mark? Even after a long drive. With the old t-stat it was always in the middle or edging towards the next hash mark.

Granted some our mechanics on the forum have pointed how inaccurate the dash gauges are in general. But this does get me thinking whether running an old coolant cap, that presumably is not keeping pressure as well as the new cap, can somehow prevent the coolant from doing its job, resulting in a hotter running engine.

Or perhaps the combination of an updated cap and low temp t-stat provides a significantly better performing coolant system?

As you are running a MY 2000 Boxster you can always use the AC hack to show the engine temp in Celcius, by that you will be in control of what is going on in the cooling system. Mine never exceeds 90 C if I have the AC fans running and stays around 83 on the highway. I do not trust the info given by the temp needle

Either you are in a very cold area or you are not pushing it enough. In 60~70 temperatures I have noticed that behavior. So long as I kept the engine under 4000 RPM. Above that, it'll move up. My morning ride 80 degrees) and it was just back of the 8. In the afternoon temps (100+) I'm in the middle to the back of the 0.

If I understand thermostats correctly, the temperature rating of a thermostat refers to the temp at which it opens only and should have no bearing on the operating temp of a fully warmed up car as any thermostat should be fully open at that point.

How right you are Mark.

Brad

So why is there a very small increase in output with a low temp t-stat? I believe this claim is made on LNE's website. I may be nuts but I definitely feel a difference, albeit marginal.

The ambient temp has been about 80 lately. But in the past the same below 4K RPM driving definitely resulted in the needle tilting closer to the next hash mark. If this was a one off I wouldn't have thought much of it. But post t-stat I don't ever recall the temps tilting left this consistently. And like I said in the other post its peppier.

Hmm, atmospherics? I mean cooler moister air possibly? If so, that would assist the cooling system efficiency plus provide some improved engine performance.

hmm...it's definitely been raining more for an August.

Not withstanding the many theoretical debates on whether a 160 will result in lower "steady state" (after full warm up) temperatures than the stock, I believe it has been reliably reported that IN FACT (e.g. based on testing) the 160 DOES result in lower operating temperatures, both coolant and oil.

In my case, I find that with the AC on my temperature needle now points consistently left of the 180 hash mark whereas before it pointed to the middle of the 8. This must mean that airflow over the radiators helped by the low speed fans keeps the coolant at a lower temperature than before. This makes sense because A low temperature thermostat allow the coolant circulation to start at a lower temperature.

The thermostat controls the amount of cooled coolant entering the motor:

http://www.bombaydigital.com/boxster...olant_flow.png

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madmods, I'm sorry to tell you that you are so full of crap that its coming out of your ears - you obviously know more than the combined experience of all those who contribute to this Forum.....
Please use the search function and read up on this subject and make a valuable contribution - you are quickly dropping into the troll syndrome....

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How do you do the "AC Hack"?
Thanks
Van

I am prepared to accept the experience of perfectlap and others who have the LN thermostat. I suppose if the thermostat opens at a lower temperature and the cooling system is able to maintain that temperature in operating conditions, then it will be lower. At a certain point in stop and go traffic, however, the temperature is apt to rise regardless - however, the car with the lower initial coolant temperature should still remain lower until both cars reach the maximum capability of the system.

Brad

I have found these same results too. The 160 degree thermostat DOES seem to lower the coolant temps. While the temps may rise in traffic, with spirited driving and while running the A/C on a hot day….it never seems to get AS HOT as before the Low Temp Thermostat was installed….Lower temps DO = more HP - now IF only the REST of the care was built as well as the thermostat!

question: does much more frequent expansion and contraction not have some unintended consequences to the engine itself?

What are you inferring involves more expansion and contraction - the low temp or standard stat - and why?

Doesn't the Dash gage measure the Coolant temperature and not the engines operating temperature?

If the 160 opens 20 degrees cooler than the 180 I agree that you are getting earlier full flow cooling but is that a good thing?

I suppose when racing it is because you probably need cooling to kick in earlier to help ward off any Temperature spikes.

I suppose the cooler engine will also have tighter tolerances which could help in some places and cause premature wear in others.

However the few moments of cooler engine may be very brief as the engine reaches its normal operating temperature and the temp valve is wide open after the initial warm up.

For the average road driver I don't see a benefit and perhaps it even takes the car longer to reach a normal operating temp so it could actually be detrimental.

Just pondering some contradictory logic to see whether the thing is of any use at all or just a $160 gimmick from the Marketing dept.

I don't see any racing drivers cars with stickers advertising their brand of thermostat :p

Perhaps its one of those secrets the racers don't want to give away :D

the engine itself. Specifically near the head gasket, and whatever unwelcomed forces could bear upon it. In speaking to my mechanic once, who mainly works on air-cooled engines, he pointed out that these can expand as much as 4-5 mm's in either direction, which of course got me thiking about our varieties.

correct me if I'm wrong but at least some later 997's had these low temp t-stats stock.

GT2, GT3, and Turbo cars all use a low temp stat from the factory.

Yeah, that wasn't what I was asking. I was asking which of the two stats you were inferring would involve more expansion and contraction - the high temp stat I assume?

I recently installed a low temp thermostat and a new cap , along with a coolant pump ,new belt and new coolant. Thats a lot of variables but I have noticed a slight drop in overall operating temperature.Per the dash gauge maybe 10 degrees. I am in Florida and the ambient temps have been in the 90's before and after this work. In May, based on discussions here I was investigating what was an elevated operating temp. I found a bad radiator fan and replaced it. That helped a lot but the dash gauge was still reading relatively high. Two months later the coolant pump bearings seized and the pulley shaft snapped (is that engineered ?). The vehicles operating temperature is now more in line with readings other members report here. Is it is possible the old coolant system components had simply lost efficiency and their replacement brought the system back to specifications resulting in the "normal" operating temp? I have noticed only a small change in the time it takes to reach let er rip operating parameters. [



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