logray

If you don't want to tear apart your existing connector, you can buy new connectors too, let me know if you need the part number for this one, I had to replace it myself since the clip was broken.

Replace the tube or determine a way to make it air tight.

Great news.

That looks better, but maybe still some intake leaks. Have you had the car on a smoke machine? To really clean the IACV well you need to get the pin out. I hope to post a DIY in the upcoming days.

This is interesting, considering the LNE retrofits come pre-packed with lube.

Ditto on driving it, if not the PCH (long/time consuming, but amazingly scenic!!!) the 5 is a beutiful drive as well (although Cal central valley can be mind numbing).

Durametric would not help here, this boils down to electical. If you are having bulb issues (guages work, but they are just dim)... There are two things I would check. 1.) the condition of the bulbs and the quality of their connection to the boards. I've found bending some of the contacts on the bulbs helps, but this is VERY precise work, you really need a magnafying glass or stand to do this properly. 2.) ensure proper connection of the three large multi-wire connectors at the rear of the cluster. If you are having LCD issues, then unfotunately the best course of action is to find a used unit and replace the parts (or just replace the whole cluster, which might require a PST2/PIWIS)..

Yes or you have a leak somewhere else. Maybe time to get it on a smoke machine.

Yep if this sounds foreign to you have someone else do it.

Those numbers look normal. There is a ground point right near the sensor, a bunch of brown wires going into a ring terminal bolted into the side of the head.

RIght, tensioner failed or ramp snapped and that wood chipping action will undoutably have left behind some tell tale signs. He described more of a popping noise when it happened.

Here was the thread, thanks again: http://forums.rennlist.com/rennforums/996-forum/621739-996-cam-timing-tools.html The car I'm looking at didn't have an IMS failure though, the retrofit was elective surgery. In reading LNE's site and this thread above leads me to believe the sprocket on the ims doesn't usually slip unless there is a bearing failure.

I'll look at kellison's thread again, thanks. Yes, highly improbable the bolts would have worked themselves loose & backed out, considering the engine was running perfect for 3000 miles before ths happened after the internal work. Even say in the situation where someone forgot to torque just one of the bolts, I can't see it happening. It should have happened almost immediately after the engine was started and not 3000 miles later. The work I understand was basically a LNE ims bearing, valve job, new lifters, cam pads, variocam chains, etc. They stopped short of breaking open the crank case. I am thinking at this point either the sprocket was forced to slip violently, despite correct torque and thread locker, which I might see some tell tale signs of scraping or dragging on the sprocket face OR the slippage is at the other end, for example insert/interference fit failure on the IMS tube 1-3 chain sprocket. I'm not sure if the piece on the cam that the cam sprocket bolts into is also press/interference fit and could rotate as well or if the sprocket bolts direclty into the cam and there's no way that it could move execpt at the sprocket. That's a far fetched idea anyways. The cam would probably break before it twists that much. Certainly it could be a broken ramp, causing relaxed tension, but I dind't hear any unusual noises from the chain box area. I don't think the sprocket is at the max adjustment, because if I remember right I think there is more than 12 degrees (@ the cam) of adjustment avialable, maybe 2x to 3x that. Unless someone didn't re-install it with the bolts near the center of the slots. This is something I was wondering too and will pull the pump before pulling the cam covers. Just strikes me as very odd that the amount the DME is reporting the intake cam is off by exactly the same amount of the variocam advance, and the exhaust cam seems to be just the same.

Throwing this one out to the masses. I had an opportunity to diagnose a 1999 996 C2 (not my own) which has some very odd symptoms. The car is idling somewhat rough, but not alarmingly so, and there is a slight pop (not quite a backfire) from bank 1 exhaust (psgnr side pipe). That is pretty much the only unusual noise, aside from some slight "pinging" noise coming from bank 2. The owner reports its down on power throughout the range. I scanned the stored codes (no CEL) and found the following: p1531 Camshaft adjustment, bank 1 P0341 Camshaft Position Sensor 1 - Signal Implausible, Short to Ground, Short to B+ p1340 Timing chain out of position, bank 1, Below lower limit or above upper limit Ok, probably bad actuator right! So I looked at the cam deviation, both very steady. Bank 1 25 degrees Bank 2 3 degrees Everything makes sense so far, the actuator is stuck "open" or in the relaxed advanced intake cam position (which is 25 degrees TDC by design). Here's where it gets very very strange. I cleared the codes, and then ran the engine again, at idle and 3000 rpm. I actuated variocam on bank 1 manually with Durametric at warm idle the engine responded as I am used to for this test with a wildly fluctuating idle and a whoooshing noise. Bank 2 behaved the same way. Head scratching time. Re-read the codes: p1340 Timing chain out of position, bank 1, Below lower limit or above upper limit P0341 Camshaft Position Sensor 1 - Signal Implausible, Short to Ground, Short to B+ ?????? How could this be, actuator seems to be working in both banks, 25 degrees in bank 1 (stable), AND a p1340 ???? So I rotated the engine to TDC, and pulled the green caps to look at the exhaust timing slots. Bank 2 was straight up. Bank 1 EXHAUST appeared to be about 12 degrees advanced at the cam (25 deg at the crank). What is strange to me is that variocam advances the intake cam only since the exhaust cam is fixed to the IMS tube with the drive chain. If an actuator fails, I can't surmise a reason why an actuator failure would cause an exhaust cam to advance by 25 degrees TDC. So in other words, variocam appears to be working correctly in bank 1, but that bank has somehow managed to advance itself (both intake and exhaust) to 25 degrees. Although the P0341 might indicate that we can't rely on the intake cam position and need to check the allocation manually. I halfway want to just re-time the engine and see what happens, but the other half of me suspects doom and gloom, unfortunately, and I guess with wild speculation until the cam covers are pulled, a huge variety of possibilities. Cam sprocket was fine but then somehow slipped after 3000 miles on the car since internal engine work Cam to cam chain slipped, jumped several teeth Exhaust cam to IMS tube jumped several teeth Guide rail, tension, or cam pad problem (too much slack?) IMS tube bank 1 sprocket slipped Seizure in valve train forced exhaust cam sprocket to slip exactly 25 degrees (coincidence that variocam advance is also 25 degrees?)

If the dipstick is right then it looks to me like you are running basically "full to the brim". When the oil heats up it will probably go closer to the totally full mark on the dipstick (and beyond the level on the dash). Sometimes the dash indicator is not as accurate as the dipstick. Speaking of dipstick, since you have a 2002, you should read TSB 1/02 1716, some model year 2002 cars require a new longer dipstick to read the proper oil level. If I were you I would still drain maybe 1-2 oil filters worth of oil to put the oil more in the safe zone (and especially adhere to the above TSB since your dipstick might not be accurate). When my oil is totally cold, I like to run it half way up the dipstick, which usually works out closer to 3/4's full once it's hot. Of course the type of oil and drain time is going to affect this.

and this is with hot oil? cold oil? how long of a drain time? what viscosity and brand of oil?

I received the following email from Durametric: "Thank you for writing. The trouble you are experiencing in version 6.1.1.7 is a known issue. Please upgrade to version 6.2.0.2."

Good, it's not just me then... I didn't have my laptop w v5 on me we were using someone elses. I'll open a ticket with Durametric.

1999 C2 996, (p.s. this was not my car) Pulled the following codes from a car using Durametric 6.1.x and two different cables. (I can get exact version later). I think I remember seeing (Porshce) to OBD2 code conversion somewhere, but haven't had time to research that yet. Perhaps these are Porsche codes, not OBD2??? Here's what I pulled from the computer, and I can't make heads or tails of the numbers anywhere (although the text that Durametric provided makes sense, the code numbers do not to me). Maybe this is a bug? Stored codes: C0103, Camshaft sensor bank 1 Short to B+ P3015, Camshaft adjustment bank 1 C0013, Camshaft position with respect to crankshaft bank 1 exceeds limit value C1504, Tank vent system (major leak) below limit value After clearing the codes, and running the engine at idle and then 3000 rpm, more codes appeared: P0201 Mass air flow sensor short circuit/open circuit (airbox is out, to be expected) P1201 Intake air temp. sensor (airbox is out, to be expected) C0013 Camshaft position with respect to crankshaft bank 1 exceeds limit value C0103 Camshaft sensor bank 1 Short to B+ (fyi I am pretty sure this is a bad variocam actuator, but it is curious these code numbers above do not make any sense ot me). 25 degrees bank 1 3 degrees bank 2 TIA!!!

Yes, your description sounds right, however pictures are worth a thousand words if you can post some. Hot oil expands though. If it were me I would drain about 1/2 to 3/4 of a quart, either by pulling the oil filter a couple times (pull, drain, install, run, pull, drain, install, run). Or just drain al the oil and fill back in the correct amount.

You can find coolant test strips at any auto parts store: http://www.amazon.co...s/dp/B000MIUJMO The theory from some experts is that coolant will cause the plastic impellers to slowly degrade over time, and has nothing to do with mileage, but time. I suppose this is true of everything really, for example on my 13 year old car, much of the plastic and rubber on the car and some in the engine was brittle or degrading and ready to be replaced. There is no harm to removing the water pump, just be sure to use a new steel gasket (dry). Yes it is a low risk procedure.

If my car is hot, I wait a MINIMUM of 30 minutes for the oil to drain into the sump before checking the level. If you only allow a minute or two of draining time the dash gauge and dipstick will show much lower than normal oil level, and that doesn't mean you are supposed to add oil. If you are not able to check the level, drain the oil, and refill to the proper amount as per the factory specifications I suggest you have the car towed to an independent or dealer to have the oil changed and properly filled. Then drive the car, it may take some time and "good hot higher rpm driving" to "burn off" the residual oil and the smoke to decrease. This is similar to how you burn off the residual when there is a failed AOS.

edit: Added emphasis to my second sentance (bold).

P0446 EVAP Canister Shutoff Valve (Function) - Below Lower Limit I would certainly investigate the reason for this code first. Aside from that it could be fuel system related, electrical, or crank position sensor. Perhaps a very bad vacuum leak and/or gummed up idle air control valve.

I couldn't find a DIY, but I did find a few interesting threads: http://www.6speedonline.com/forums/996/252234-convetible-top-diy-anyone.html http://forums.rennlist.com/rennforums/996-forum/350529-replacing-the-top-on-an-01-cab-996-a.html