Quote:
Originally Posted by ca44
Thank you everyone for your responses.
I am starting to feel better about the situation and am driving the car more often.
When the car is moving slowly the temp needle will stay almost exactly in the middle. When I driving on the highway it stays just below the middle.
As I mentioned earlier, at idle, when the car is not moving, the needle will slowly rise up to the 3/4 mark and then the fan will start. I was not aware that the fan should run at 2 speeds. I am pretty sure I have only heard 1 speed, high. Should my fan have 2 speeds? When should the 1st, slower speed come on?
Thanks again to anyone wanting to respond.
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Fan operation differs among the various iterations of the 944 series. For the early 944, the fan should come on at low speed when the coolant temp reaches 92 degrees centigrade at the radiator. High speed comes on later, but I've not been able to find a specific temperature listed as I have for the later cars. Note that in early cars with A/C, there are two fans, while early cars without A/C have only one fan. In the slow-speed operation, only the driver's side fan should run in cars with A/C. In high-speed operation (or when the A/C is on) both fans should run in high speed mode.
In the later (post-1985.5) cars, the low-speed fan still comes on at 92 degrees centigrade, but the high-speed is engaged when the coolant temperature reaces 102 degrees centigrade. In later cars, both fans run, either at low or high speed depending on the coolant temp. Also, these later cars have a pressure switch tied into the A/C system, so the fans only run in high speed if the pressure in the high side of the A/C refrigerant lines exceeds 14 bar (about 200 PSI), so it's possible that on a cool day the fans might not come on high speed immediately with the A/C if the car's at idle. This is only for late cars though, the early cars simply force the fans to high speed any time the A/C is on.
For more information about the operation of the 944 cooling fan circuits, look here:
Cooling Fan Operation and Troubleshooting
On an early 944, 92 degrees is just slightly less than halfway between the middle and rightmost white tickmark on the temp gauge. On the later cars, 92 degrees is just slightly more than halfway between the first and second white marks.
For information about what mark corresponds to what temp, look here:
Water Temp Gauge
Summary:
Stock Thermostat: Opens at 80 degrees centigrade.
Low-speed fans come on: 92 degrees centigrade.
High-speed fans come on (Early cars): "High temperature condition" (no temp specified).
High-speed fans come on (Late cars): 102 degrees centigrade.