oil temp is starting to rise

[87WoodCab]

I've had my 2006 911S for about 3000 miles, and in the last week I notice the oil temp is about 25 degrees higher than it has been in town driving. The water temp has stayed the same. The ambient outside temp has actually dropped from the 90s to the mid 80s, so this really concerns me. Anyone have an answer to this?

[Hunt3R]

First thing I would check is the coolant reservoir tank in the engine compartment on the drivers side to make sure it's filled to the correct level. Those tanks can develop leaks over time. Mid 80's is still pretty hot outside and driving in traffic can make the oil temp go up. Do you hear the front radiator fans kick on when the temp gets up higher in traffic? If not, perhaps a fan has died and isn't helping to cool the coolant as well which in turn doesn't help cool your oil as well as it used to. What kind of "higher" oil temps are you seeing?

By the way, the water temp gauge isn't really so much of a gauge as a "dummy light". It won't go past 175 unless there's a serious issue, although the actual water temp goes up and down all the time.

[87WoodCab]

Ok, I put maybe 2 cups of water in the reservoir bringing it up to the "max" line. It was cool this morning ( 66) so couldn't get it to go above 200 degrees ( which is where it usually stays in hot weather after warming up). Is it possible that little amount of H2O could make such a difference? It has been going up to 225 the last couple of weeks. Also, at what temp should I hear the fan kick on? Will the rear fan run while the lid is up? My '86 and '87 Carreras were so much simpler Of course they weren't the automobile that this car is!!!

[tonythetarga]

To check the radiator fans, turn on the engine and then turn on the a/c. Get out and check each corner rad and listen for the fan running. It is very common for one of these to fail.
Another cooling tip is to remove the entire bumper cover, rubber inlet ducts and then separate the a/c cooling condenser away from the radiator. Clean in between there with water sprayed from the back if possible. I must have cleaned out several pounds of sand, as well as fluff, leaves and other stuff jammed in there over the years. Made a huge difference. BTW, you can't tell how bad it is from the front by looking in. If it's never been done it has been accumulating since the car was sold originally.

[Hunt3R]

Running low on coolant could make that difference, although 225 isnt that unusual for these cars. Perhaps you have a leak somewhere. I'd be searching for coolant drips under the car. The waterpump is a common part that eventually fails and leaks. The coolant reservoir is another. Keep an eye on the level too to see if it starts going down again. You really should use the right mixture of Porsche coolant and distilled water in the 997 too. It's supposed to be lifetime coolant.