Waterless coolant

[sim500]

I'm pretty sure this is covered elsewhere on this forum site but is there any real benefit of switching to waterless coolant or even fitting lower temperature thermostats. I've read up on both but there is no record of whether this is recommended or just another peace of mind thing that owners do.
Cheers Simon

 

[JuliusF]

Not necessary and not necessary on both counts. Apart from the fact its a long way to the radiators and their tendency to accumulate crap and rot as a consequence(!) Porsche got the 996 cooling generally right. People pays their money and takes their choice, but really there is no advantage to be had.

 

[richardjjs1]

Just make sure you use a decent coolant.
Again I think it depends on the value of the car.
Porsche Coolant is VERY Expensive But would use on a High end 911 but not on a 5k Boxster

 

[JuliusF]

Any branded pink coolant that meets the VW G12 standard will work OK - its what Porsche use.

 

[Richard_Hamilton]

If you have a 3.6 then there is probably a benefit in fitting a lower temperature thermostat. The thinking is that it will open sooner, and get water moving around the areas where the water jacket is a bit restricted a little earlier. However, there is no substitute for warming the engine up carefully, and the other school of thinking is that if bore scoring has started (due to abuse by a previous owner perhaps) then a low temperature 'stat is closing the stable door after the horse has bolted. I'll admit, I did it on my 987.1 Cayman though. I felt it couldn't do any harm, and was cheap enough to do.

 

[Hacki]

Waterless coolant? Air is a good coolant, no water involved at all. So, buying a 964 or 993 could be the way to go.
I´ll get my coat.

Cheers,

Hacki

 

[tscaptain]

And so you should! Air is nowhere near as good at cooling ( thermal conductivity) compared to liquid and particularly awful should you need some of the heat it removes to keep you warm in winter. []

 

[wibble]

The Evans waterless coolant has a higher boiling point. If you have overheating issues then you need to address those, otherwise it will mask any issues. You also need to ensure every last drop of your old coolant is completely flush out. In my view, not a good idea.

Personally I would use conventional anti-freeze. As an alternative use Comma G30 pre-mix (Porsche/VW approved on the label). Clear out any leaves and debris on the front rads especially at this time of year.

 

[robgroves]

Having had a 996 with cracked head, primarily caused by heat, I would advocate a lower temp thermostat all day long, the left hand head has a design issue around cooling, lower temp may help