brian in buddina Posted 17February, 2020 Report Share Posted 17February, 2020 My 1988 944s has been running warm, which is understandable in the Queensland summer. This last weekend a good "spirited" mountain climb put the temperature needle at the top of the operating temperature band, but not above it & into the red. A couple years ago the same thing happened but it seems to happen a little more often now. Both electric fans are working. I've read up on Clarks garage on things to check. I have not pulled the thermostat out yet, will will do next weekend and test it to make sure it opens as per its stamped temperature rating. I don't know what the existing thermostat's temperature rating yet but... Question to the brain trust: should I consider a thermostat which opens at a lower temperature due to the Queensland summer? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raven Posted 17February, 2020 Report Share Posted 17February, 2020 I would start with checking the thermostat seeing if it is operating like you said and maybe flushing out the system ,to ensure no foreign materials in there ... Not a big fan of lower thermostat open temp ,reason for this is with the thermostat' opening early it dosnt give the water in the radiator sufficient time to cool before it enters the engine again ,,sometimes this can make things worse ,,,,but I do understand your thinking behind it .. I remember as a young man having a 1600 escort with no thermostat in it as the thermostat stuck closed one day ,,I pulled it out and it ran fine for years ,,but it was just a simple little stock engine with no power .. I dont know if I would risk it with a 944 motor ,,,but try the flush out and thermostat check and go from there .. brian in buddina 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3legs Posted 17February, 2020 Report Share Posted 17February, 2020 Also check your fans are actually working when your moving and not just when you look under the bonnet. My old 924 used to do the same thing (also in QLD) and every time I looked under the bonnet the fans were working but one day I had to reach down near the fan and when my arm connected with the fan plug the fan turned off. Turned out there was a broken wire in the plug that would "connect" when car was stationary but the moment I started moving it would "disconnect and reconnect and so on" when going over bumps. Once I replaced the plug temp went back to normal. Raven and brian in buddina 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bear924 Posted 19February, 2020 Report Share Posted 19February, 2020 Also check the fans are spinning in the correct direction. If changing thermostat, you need to ensure you match the thermos switch in your radiator so the fans start at a slightly higher point than the thermostat. brian in buddina 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brian in buddina Posted 20February, 2020 Author Report Share Posted 20February, 2020 good point. What would be a good delta, in degrees, between the thermostat & the thermo switch? Any where this topic has been written up? Hope to drain the radiator, won't call it anti freeze in Qld, this weekend & test the thermostat. Hey we must be getting close for a get together. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bear924 Posted 22February, 2020 Report Share Posted 22February, 2020 I think in my 924 there's about a 5 degree delta, 79 for thermostat and 84 for switch. Was a little while ago that I played with this so I wouldn't bet the 944 on my numbers. brian in buddina 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
944 Geek Posted 19April, 2022 Report Share Posted 19April, 2022 On 17/02/2020 at 13:11, brian in buddina said: My 1988 944s has been running warm, which is understandable in the Queensland summer. This last weekend a good "spirited" mountain climb put the temperature needle at the top of the operating temperature band, but not above it & into the red. A couple years ago the same thing happened but it seems to happen a little more often now. Both electric fans are working. I've read up on Clarks garage on things to check. I have not pulled the thermostat out yet, will will do next weekend and test it to make sure it opens as per its stamped temperature rating. I don't know what the existing thermostat's temperature rating yet but... Question to the brain trust: should I consider a thermostat which opens at a lower temperature due to the Queensland summer? Be careful and test/replace your temp sensor . My 85 has been through several. They lie particularly if there is any corrosion on the contacts, Use an IR temp sensor to make sure your fans come on at 90C. and that the temp you are seeing is the actual temp. I measure the housing where the top hose goes in and also the core of the radiator. DO not use a non genuine thermostat even though auto parts stores will tell you they fit. The orifice in comparable parts is smaller than OEM. Ask me how i found out... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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