Is this normal in traffic?
 

My temperature gauge goes as high as 200F or so when I drive in slow moving traffic for 10 minutes. Is this normal? It will usually get as high as the '0' in the '180' on the dial. My 2000 C4 is stock and only has 35K miles.

Thanks...

yes... especially if the A/C is running... when im in traffic i just try to use low RPM's and just keep an eye on it... and if its not too hot out ill drive with the windows down.

Does the engine temperature fluctuate from 180 to 200? You should see the effect of the high speed fan setting coming on and bringing the temp back down. With the AC on, the temp should stay at 180 because the high speed fan setting will come on when the AC is on. You can check your fans (both sides) and make sure that they cycle on and off as required.
My car is an'01 and cycles between 180 and 200 and you can hear the fans come on.
James Greer

Part of what makes it seem unusual to see it climb, is that (especially) American car companies have started using "central tendency" gauges. That is, the needle will stay in the center unless the value changes dramatically. Sort of a cross between an idiot light and a gauge.

They got tired of fielding questions and complaints from people who worried too much about small differences in the gauge readings. So, now, you can sit in traffic and think, "Wow! My temp hasn't gone up at all!" -- when, in fact, they're just hiding it from you.

Porsche doesn't do that, so you will see the variance across different driving conditions.

That's normal for my 2000 C2 as well. Needle never moves past the middle of the zero. I just completed the "radiator fan mod", so now I can control the high speed fans with a flip of a switch. Summer drives w/ stop & go, I just keep the fans running all of the time. Keeps them from cycling on and off a lot.

there a how to on this mod?

Here's one. https://www.6speedonline.com/forums/996/120586-fan-mod-quick-question.html I used 18 gauge wire. Assure the wire is attached to pin 85 (should be marked on back of relay). Also there's a ton of threads about this -- search for fan mod

my car does the same thing...it got close to 200 last week.

Might try to do this mod on mine, good info, but I only have issues on the track son not sure if it'll help me much

Here in Arizona - 110 degree heat mine goes up to the line after the zero in 180. I do the trick with the HVAC controls and can see my coolant temp in celsius on the left display and it hits 110C that equates to 110 x 1.8 = 198 +32 = 230 fahrenheit

How sneaky of them. I'm glad Porsche isn't doing this.

I decided to clean my radiators before looking into other options (such as wiring a switch to turn on the high-speed fan). I spent a few hours removing the bumper (with the help of the wonderful video posted to other threads) and I found a lot of road junk trapped between the condenser and the radiator. Checkout the before and after photos.

I hope to put everything back together this weekend and to take it out for a test drive. I'll update the thread with the results of this work just as soon as I get stuck in traffic again.

And here is the "after" photo.

I see the same thing and also when I'm driving hard. Usually comes down after a couple of minutes. Since I've never seen it go above 200 I haven't worried too much about it.

really? is there a problem with the fans coming on when needed?

my car does the same thing. It doesn't get to 200 though. It will just go over 180 a slight bit. The first time I saw it I thought the car was over heating and I shut it off lol. But, shortly after I realized it was normal. One thing I noticed is my car doesn't have the power as it normally does when it is cooler outside. I guess Porsche's really need that cold air!

Yup 911 run hot but it sounds like you're within the normal operating temps, that said your high speed fan should kick in...

Re outside temps making a difference, check your cold air-intake boot.
If that came off or is missing the car is sucking in hot air from the engine which will have an effect on it's performance.

Cheers,

Sid.

Above the 3/4 line on the temp gauge is dangerous. You need to do the fan mod, search for it - very simple mod. When in bumper to bumper traffic turn off the AC and the coolant temp will not get that hot. You'll have to seat it out - literally. These cars run to hot in bumper to bumper traffic with the AC on.

My car can run all day long here in Phoenix in 105+ temps without the AC on and the temp gauge will sit leaning towards the zero in between 180. If the AC is on it will will be past the zero in stop and go traffic. On the highway traveling at a steady 65 to 75 MPH in 105+ temps it sits in the middle of the zero. ALL WITH THE FAN MOD TURNED ON.

DO THE MOD IT DOES WORK and make it a habit to flick the toggle switch on as soon as you start the car, AC or no AC if the outside temps are above 90 degrees.

That's really high. Coolant flush, 3rd radiator, fan mod, thermostat all should help.
Is your oil pressure that high? Mine sits between 1 and 2 after cars warmed up and when I'm sitting.

New water pump helps too especially if you have a 99 or 2000 model.

I've gotten stuck in traffic a couple of times so far (after cleaning my radiators), and the good news is that the temperature doesn't jump to the middle of the "0" in the "180" until I'm in traffic for 15 minutes or so. This is much better than before, but it still goes up to the same level it did before. I tried turning on the A/C and that seems to help a little, but not much.

For the hi-speed fan mod, does the fan come on if you leave the switch "On" after turning the engine off then on again? In other words, does the switch stay in the "On" position until you manually turn it "Off?"

Yes the fans will stay ON

AC only triggers low speed fan not high speed. I have the manual fan mod and the AC fan speed is not manual high fan speed. +1 on checking if both fans work. The low fan speed resistors are known to fail.