996 C4 Running close to overheating

[Guest]

Has anybody had a problem with the 996 Carrera 4 Cab running at nearly 100 degrees during this summer? My car which is a 1999 model ran very hot during this summer in France. The temperature was 30 to 35 degrees Celsius. Other cars did not run as hot. The oil pressure in idle mode was close to zero.

BR Peter

 

[Guest]

Doesnt sound good. Can someone explain what the oil pressure is meant to tell you...

 

[tim court]

I have got a sort of related problem. - Coolant level warning light comes on, but find it only needs a very small quantity to top it up. Next morning when I drive it out of the garage it sometimes leaves a small trail of water on the floor. I have subsequently re-checked the water level and it has been ok.

The light more often than not comes flashing on after I have given the car a real blast. Switching off the engine will reset it and checking the coolant level confirms nearly always none is required. I have guessed that this quirk is due to cornering forces exposing the sensor or something???

Oil pressure guage??? Its primary purpose is to give forum posters hours of pleasure debating what it ought to read.

It should be noted it also has a fairly important secondary purpose. It tells you at the very least the pump is working and gives a general health picture of your engine. It would be the first guage I would look at if I heard any untoward mechanical noises when driving.

If the pressure drops rapidly when driving along it will be usually accompanied by loads of smoke and loud clattering noises rather like a washing machine on half spin filled with scrap iron. At this moment KILL YOUR ENGINE before it actually resembles the aforsaid washing machine....(that is if it is still in place and not strewn along a couple of miles of tarmac).

 

[JULIAN]

I had this problem with my C2 when it was new. The OPC bled the cooling system and this seemed to work for a while, but the problem came back. Then they changed the header tank which solved the problem. I did 40k in the car and had no further probs.

 

[Guest]

I had a similar problem and its clearly more prominent in the summer (as you said), for obvious reasons. Took it to the OPC for diagnosis and found it to be the "Hot MAF sensor". Took it to a specialist, who immediately suggested that it might be this (before I revealed that I had been to the OPC for a computer check). Had it replcaed for around £300 at the specialist. The part cost about £250 and its half hour labour. OPC labour was around £150. Solved the problem like magic. The sympton also included a slight hesitation around the 5krpm during hard acceleration, though this symton did not appear while being road tested by the OPC engineer, before being wired to the laptop!

The specialist told me that its a common problem as the car gets to the 4/5 year old mark.....hmm, perhaps Porsche intended it this way, particularly as no one else supplies the MAF sensor.