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4.8L V-8. End of last winter, warning light came on saying "Engine Coolant Display Defective", at which point the system totally disabled the Coolant Temp displays and signaled a CEL. Once I stopped, I turned off the car, started it back up, and the display worked and the temperature quickly went to 201F. This seemed like a faulty temp sensor so I had it replaced by an indie shop for $2500 since they had to remove the intake and more to do it. Within 15 minutes the same warning came back on; I was a bit miffed. Shop read the code this time and said that it was an "improbable temperature" or something, meaning that the temperature did not heat fast enough for that amount of time running. They said that it was likely the thermostat sticking open and it would cost another $3500 to fix it! Seems they were just right there a minute ago...
Anyway, that being the case, I just soldiered through to the warm weather (just about a week), reset the codes, and drove the entire summer with no issues and the engine temp warming normally to 201F. Now that the cold weather is back, the problem is back. The Porsche dealer says that it MAY BE the thermostat and wants to change it for $1500. I have serious reservations about this because of this odd behavior: The temp seems to get stuck between ~145-150F for a long drive time, like a stuck thermostat. Eventually, the warning light comes on and shuts down the temp display, cooling fans go on max. Turn the car off and back on and the temperature very quickly climbs to 201F and everything is normal. Is this not a mechanical thermostat? What the heck is going on here? It sounds more like a software issue than a mechanical one.
I would love to hear a description of this cooling system. I'm an OG and used to changing a thermostat with 2 bolts and a hose clamp.
Anyway, that being the case, I just soldiered through to the warm weather (just about a week), reset the codes, and drove the entire summer with no issues and the engine temp warming normally to 201F. Now that the cold weather is back, the problem is back. The Porsche dealer says that it MAY BE the thermostat and wants to change it for $1500. I have serious reservations about this because of this odd behavior: The temp seems to get stuck between ~145-150F for a long drive time, like a stuck thermostat. Eventually, the warning light comes on and shuts down the temp display, cooling fans go on max. Turn the car off and back on and the temperature very quickly climbs to 201F and everything is normal. Is this not a mechanical thermostat? What the heck is going on here? It sounds more like a software issue than a mechanical one.
I would love to hear a description of this cooling system. I'm an OG and used to changing a thermostat with 2 bolts and a hose clamp.
