In June I hit a small animal going across the desert in the early morning hours. Since then I have had overheating issues. BTW 2007 R56S. I’ve had the head gasket replaced and every cooling component there is. This includes cross over tubes, water pump and aux water pump, radiator, thermostat and housing, flushed many times, bled many times. I’m running anywhere from 234f to 246f. What else is there to look at?

 

Does your fan cycle on when it reaches ~240F? If not, your fan may be faulty. Also, by what means are you measuring your temp, OBD scanner and/or aftermarket temp gauge? If both match, then the cross-confirmation supports the temp readings. The aftermarket gauge alone could read high.5

 

I am using an OBD2 scanner (veepeak) and read the info on my iPhone through the app. The other information does seem to be accurate so I tend to believe this is also accurate. My fan does seem to cycle appropriately.

While running around town (mountain country) it was raining and cool. This did not seem to make a difference. My last run was home. 7 miles and 1,000 ft up. That’s where I hit 246f.

I’ve seen mentioned about additives???

 

Are you getting a coolant temperature warning on the dash board?

 

Whe​n the fan comes on, does the temperature lower to ~220F or does it stay at ~240F+?

Also, does the temperature lower significantly (as it should) if you turn the AC on? This would substantiate the fan operation.

Your repair list does not mention replacing the water pump friction wheel or the idle pulley friction wheel that couples the drive shaft pulley and water pump pulley. If the friction wheel is worn or the idler pulley is worn, you may experience intermittent slipping that reduces the water pump's function.

 

This is the central question. Was a warning light the motivation for wanting to monitor your operational temperature in real-time?

 

So, as I stated I hit an animal (coyote is my guess). That took out my Aux water pump. This led to overheating necessitating a head gasket replacement. I’ve also had the thermostat replaced several times which I understand to operate at higher temps. The pulley on the water pump was replaced and still the car operated at high temps. Lastly I replaced the water pump and radiator but I still run hot. I guess I’ve gotten comfortable with 237. But at 240+ I get nervous. At 246 I start looking for a place to pull over. This is a daily driver I use for work where I put 50-150 miles daily. Before the “accident” I would run about 205 without any issues.

 

When the fan does come on (235) it will lower to about 232. Usually I will not drop temps below 230 but occasionally to 228.

 

Yes, I remember reading the cause of the damage and why you sought repair. However, I was wondering, along with njamerka, if you see an over temp warning light causing further concern.

It seems that you fan is coming on, albeit at a higher temp maximum. It's difficult to pinpoint your issue other than to assume that perhaps your new thermostat has a higher 'open' temp than your original thermostat.

 

The high temp light came on once. That led to the radiator and water pump replacement. I have had the car back on the road for about a week now. Yes. I am a little nervous about the temps. No warning light but only 1-2 degrees before (from what I’m told 247/248f). I live and work in a very rural area and can’t get stranded. Cell service is very poor at best with little traffic. So I’m watching temps closely.

 

If you purchased an aftermarket thermostat, its possible it doesn't flow as well as the OEM, which would cause the temperatures to go higher. The thermostat is not a component I would want to cheap out on. The thermostat is the only variable component that would lead to a different operating temperature. Of course, it could be a combination of all those components leading to higher operating temps.... If the water pump flows a little bit less, and the thermostat restricts flow just a little too much, you'll get higher operating temperatures.

Which brand of thermostat was installed? Any warranty available?

 

Admittedly none of the replaced components were Mini. The shop were I purchased did all the repairs and all aftermarket parts.