JFP in PA

There is no problem with the way it runs, or the sound. Everything I'm complaining about has to do with the feel. It just feels like a rough or unrefined engine for a little while after a cold start. The RPM's start that high (~1,200) but after warming a little, they settle down to 800 rpm. There are no drivability issues. All of the turbo cars have a bit of a lumpy idle when compared to the normally aspirated cars, but many times idle vagaries can be traced to failing motor mounts. If it was a failing motor mount, wouldn't it vibrate all the time? I guess it does feel the same as a bad mount, but it only does it for a short time and only on a cold start. The idle doesn't stay there. That is only when it is initially started cold. It settles in at 800 rpm, which I believe is perfectly normal. I agree, it seems to be a very difficult troubleshoot, I'm usually very good at troubleshooting, but this has me stumped! My best bet is probably to go to a mechanic that knows these cars very well so they can check it out. For all I know, it may even be a normal characteristic of these engines. Bad engine or transmission mounts usually show up only under certain circumstances, which is why they often get overlooked. When the engine is "loping" at idle, it is really trying to move around quite a bit, so a weak mount would make if feel even worse than it really is. I also would expect the car to normally run at higher RPM's than the regular idle speeds on a cold start.

All of the turbo cars have a bit of a lumpy idle when compared to the normally aspirated cars, but many times idle vagaries can be traced to failing motor mounts.

I would have to agree with jpflip, your first step should be to try recalibration of the steering system before spending any money.

As you will most likely be altering the vehicle's tire aspect ratio (http://www.yokohamatire.com/tires_101/reading_your_tire/aspect_ratio/) when you make this type of change, things such as ride height, quality, and steering response will also change in response to the stiffer sidewalls on lower profile tires.

The codes you might see are not specific to the belts, only that the airbag system is faulty.

Any pending codes would have appeared with the active codes. I would have to agree with RFM's assessment, you may have to test voltages when the fault appears.

I seriously doubt your brake sensors would cause this. My first inclination would be to scan the car with a Porsche specific scan tool (Durametric, PST II, PIWIS), looking at both active and pending codes. Low voltage excursions are know to cause these types of problems, yours may be intermittent, which would be why the MIL would clear itself.

The company selling them, under their "EuorpeanParts" name, is the same company pushing the roller bearing IMS replacement, which has already drawn some heat elsewhere.

It will have to, there are no undersized bearings for these engines.

Sometime back, Sunset Porsche was selling several brand new 986 manual sets, with updates, for around $400.

Try disconnecting the alternator power lead and see if that drops it.

Some where in the car, something (probably an aftermarket item) is wired in as "always hot", and you need to locate it. 150mA is still three times the drain the car should have.

And people wonder why I dislike these aftermarket kits. Because of the energy required to run a HID headlight, the HID bulbs do not run on low-voltage DC current, so they require a power pack (ballast) with either an external or internal ignitor, which controls the current given to the bulb. Considering automobiles use a 12-volt electrical system for their lamps and the HID lighting requires over 20,000 volts to ignite the bulbs and then 85 volts to keep them running, the ballast is a necessary part of the system. Apart from turning it on it also regulates the voltage, and is an integral part of the HID system. The power-up of the bulbs happens in three phases. First comes the ignition, when a high voltage pulse is used to produce a spark which ionizes the Xenon gas, creating a tunnel of current between the Tungsten electrodes. After this comes the initial phase, when the temperature in the bulb capsule rises rapidly, the metallic salts vaporize and the resistance between the electrodes fails. Most likely what has happened is that the ballast or high voltage igniter in your kit has failed and has sent a high voltage spike backwards into your lighting harness, damaging something in the harness network. As we can only hypothesize what has happened, you are going to need to get a wiring diagram for the car and start electrical testing diagnostics to find out where the problem lies. You could have fried the alternator diode bridge, the voltage regulator, burned part of the harness itself, or even the dash light switch. Good luck.

Try this: http://www.wikihow.com/Find-a-Parasitic-Battery-Drain

Autsch!

Not really, we have seen all sorts of things create drain. But this process will help you isolate it quickly.

Disconnect the positive battery terminal and connect your multimeter between the cable and the battery while set on milliamps; after about an hour you should see 40-60 mA (normal parasitic drain from the clock, computer, radio, etc.). If you see more than 60 mA, start pulling the fuses one at a time until the drain drops back into range; that fuse circuit is the source of your problem.

And the Castrol SRF is retailing at over $60 per liter here.

It should not be hard for someone with a PIWIS and some DME knowledge to code the system in an hour. I'd call around and see if you can find an indy to help you with this project. I also would not write off all dealers either, a phone call would cost very little and you might catch a service manager on a good day.

That depends upon the dealer. Some time back, Porsche NA instituted a program with their dealer network concerning activation of options that were not on the car when delivered, which requires the dealer to charge the owner an amount equivalent to what the option would have cost. Some dealers have chosen to ignore this, particularly for a good repeat customer; others not so much. You might be better off looking for and independent with a PIWIS.

Most owners (and shops) tend to stick with the "super" DOT 4 fluids such at the ATE products, which demonstrate very high boiling points, as well as very good all around performance. Many of the DOT 5 fluids are silicone based for a somewhat higher wet boiling point, but have also demonstrated higher compressibility than other types which has made them suspect for any high performance applications. DOT 5.1 was developed to overcome that shortcoming by switching from silicone to a borate ester/glycol ether or polyethylene glycol while retaining the higher boiling point of the silicone based products, but also tend to be on the expensive side, with a 1/2 liter container approach the cost of a liter of DOT 4. But by far, the largest selling high performance brake fluid is the DOT 4 type.

The DME would need to be programed for the presence of the lights; that cannot be done with the Durametric system.

There are both a sensor and a solenoid on each cam cover that measure and activate the VarioCam unit. As this code could entail either, the best way of diagnosing the problem is to measure the cam deviation and angle values on Bank 1 using a Porsche specific diagnostic tool like the Durametric system, a PST II, or PIWIS. With that tool you can not only see the cam values, but you can also use the software to activate the VarioCam system while the car idles so that you can watch what happens in real time. Based upon that data you can determine if it is the sensor (no values or erratic values), or the solenoid (no cam angle change with active).

Year and model would be helpful, or if the engine is a three chain or a five chain version.

All engines are happier breathing cooler outside filtered air. I would locate the missing parts and reinstall them.