Temperature Gauge - What's normal

Tidybuoy · 03-05-2007, 05:52 PM

My 944 is new to me as I have only had it a month. It only has 18k miles and had been in storage for 7 years.

I had a shop replace the cam belts, rollers, and water-pump before I ever started it up.

My temperature seems to be at the high end. It never goes past the upper "white" mark but it is frequently right on that line. It moves from dead center to the top white line.

Is this normal? I'm used to my BMW where the temperature gauge stays in the middle and never moves.

The shop put in a new genuine water-pump and thermostat but I wondering if I should replace the thermostat with a cooler one.

Can you guys let me know what your cars usually run at.

My car is a 1988 N/A car, and runs very well except that I need to replace a few vacuum lines to get it perfect.

Thanks in advance........................Vern

bearone2 · 03-05-2007, 05:59 PM

a needle width above the middle line all the time. hiway speeds, idling, traffic, even with a/c on.

Tidybuoy · 03-05-2007, 06:17 PM

That sounds about normal to me. Now I wonder why mine fluctuates.

BrianT · 03-05-2007, 08:33 PM

My 1983 does the same thing, if I am running down the road it will stay in the middle, if I am setting still or in stop and go traffic it will go to the white, the fans will kick in and the temp will go back down to about middle and the cycle starts all over again. I have asked about this on the forum and seems like this is the normal.

Eldorado · 03-05-2007, 09:03 PM

where as mine stays a needle's width below the first line..

odd..

martin944 · 03-06-2007, 01:40 PM

I have a 87 944S, mine stays a little above the the first line on normal driving , but somtime goes upt to the 2nd line in traffic, then back down again when the fans kick in.

1988_944 · 03-06-2007, 01:49 PM

My 88 goes just above the first line. It seems that yours may be going to high.

conkeytonk · 03-06-2007, 01:57 PM

I wonder what a new tempreature sender would do? I'll find out, I just bought one from our host.

toolboy62 · 03-06-2007, 02:08 PM

I think that where the temp. guage sits is dependent on the voltage from the alternator... mine *used* to sit about 1/4 of the way through the "normal" range except when it heated up, it would get almost to the white and then the fans would kick in. I've since installed a Transpo regulator and my voltage is now close to 14 on the gauge (14.1 at the alternator) and it sits just of the bottom white line and will go up to about halfway until the fans kick in.

Unfortunately about the same time I did all this I also had the thermostat, thermoswitch, and radiator replaced (the car was running the fans too much and sometimes they couldn't keep up) so I can't say if the new thermostat opens at a different temp. than the old one did. Likewise it is possible that the new thermoswitch is kicking the fans in sooner.

nate

67l60 · 03-06-2007, 02:18 PM

http://www.clarks-garage.com/shop-manual/elect-19.htm#coolant

go here all the info you need by this yours is working perfectly

i had the same question earlier and looked it up

Tidybuoy · 03-06-2007, 03:20 PM

Thanks 61I60,

I use clarks garage all the time but I have not seen this page. This will help me a lot.

My car has the newer gauge. I didn't realize the early cars were different - which explains the variety of answers (all heplful).

Thanks again...................Vern

67l60 · 03-06-2007, 03:29 PM

mine will initially travel up to the 3 bar first thing till warmed up
then during operation ,it stays a just above 1 bar
in traffic it will travel to middle 2 bar i figure as log as it stays below 3 bar we are all good i have the later dash as well

AaronM · 03-06-2007, 04:09 PM

On my '86 951 the temperature guage sits just above the 80 Centigrade mark (first white line) with very little fluctuation at all, even in traffic and idling.