logray

Ditto, normal.

I remember contemplating using this stuff, and have kept this thread around as a reminder why not to try it: http://forums.pelicanparts.com/porsche-911-technical-forum/294171-slick-50-a.html My personal favorite: "quote by Andy Granatelli (CEO STP). Interviewer "Did that stuff (STP) actually work". Andy "Yeah it worked, it made me a ton of money". (paraphrased)"

Ditto. These products are snake oil!

I've always wondered how they would tolerate the information being disseminated for so long. Why wouldn't Porsche go after the source that distribute this info (grey market or otherwise)? Certainly the manuals are a source of income for them and they would want to control that aspect, but they can't prevent an owner or business from dissecting their vehicles and writing about them on their own. Example: http://www.pelicanpa..._MANUAL_pg2.htm $1500 for a set of manuals. There is somewhat of a void currently for aftermarket literature on the newer models and I think Bentley and Pelican are about the only few who have written step by step pictorials other than the official manuals (and do a much better job of it than the OE docs). Additionally, you look at this board and other places and they are littered with quotes, images, or snips of figures from manuals or otherwise (sanctioned by the people who run the various forums). And there are loads of info "declassified" available for download here and elsewhere. JMO, but I would see them being more concerned these days with sharing information about their software and protecting information about newer models, but I'm certainly not condoning piracy or distributing this information without Porsche's consent. (thread closure imminent! :))

Hi there! There are plenty of write ups if you spend some time with search here and on rennlist.com Here's an outline for you, hopefully to set you on the right path. 1.) drop the transmission 2.) lock engine (pulley lock tool required) and flywheel (FW lock tool required) and remove pressure plate. 3.) Install new clutch disc (centering tool required) 4.) Install pressure plate 5.) reinstall transmission HTH.

Yes with the engine idling, apply 12 volts manually to the bank 2 (passenger side) solenoid. If idle doesn't change, problem is with actuator inside the head. Also disconnect the solenoid which connects near the 4-6 AOS crank vent/breather tube, since IIRC the DME grounds the solenoid to actuate the variocam mechanism. If the idle does change then the problem could be with the DME or solenoid, at which point check back here for addtl. troubleshooting steps. Additionally, with engine not running, ohm out the 2 solenoid pins passenger side (rear of car, side of camshaft cover), should see 13 ohms appx to validate the solenoid is OK. If it ohms out OK, then you will still end up getting a new solenoid when you buy an actuator (they are bundled from the factory). I would be fine with that, but first I would ask this person do four things. 1.) Read this thread in it's entirety and examine the links I have provided (including the 300+ pictures with comments I posted which contain very pertinent information regarding how to solve your engine's actuator problem).. 2.) Spend time to research renntech.org and rennlist.com for write-ups on this procedure, I am certainly not the first shade-tree to do this. 3.) Obtain (search for) a copy of the official "996 workshop manual" and read the parts in the Engine documents pertinent to actuator replacement. 4.) Based on the research, compile a list of questions to discuss. Lastly I encourage you once again to spend the money for a reliable Porsche mechanic to perform this work, especially since you will need to spend $1000 on parts and the proper running of your engine is at stake. Remember that this is an expensive sports car and engine replacements cost nearly as much as your car is worth. A big mistake by anyone could cost you $6000-$12000 for a used engine or $15000-$20000 for a new engine.

For the mice, I've heard and seen a couple things. 1.) Leave the trunk lid open when you park it, and close the trunk latch so the light turns off. The rodents think it is slightly less "cozy" in there and won't try to nest. 2.) If in longer term storage, put rat bait or mouse bait in the engine bay. Your engine problem is likely internal and the actuator is bad... very small chance at this point the wiring, ECU, or solenoid are bad, but those are "corner case" possibilities.

+1!

For 997 models it is possible, but you have to change the pump since the filter is integrated inside of it. So I wouldn't go about changing it on a regular interval, because I believe it is rated for the lifetime of the pump.

At your local Porsche dealer of course! Carousel Porsche‎ 9191 Wayzata Boulevard Minneapolis, MN 55426-1873 (763) 744-9191 Assuming part number 99970746540 # 25 in the diagram in the link below, about $8: http://www.autoatlanta.com/porsche-parts/996t-99-05/104-10.php

CPS acronym could stand for camshaft or crankshaft position sender. On the 1999 engine there are two camshaft position senders (1 per head), and 1 crankshaft (flywheel) position sender. If this were my own car on my own time I would still swap the camshaft position sensors (hall senders), but doing this would probably be pointless because your car has all the symptoms of a failed actuator. It is a PITA though to swap the sensors, you pretty much have to gut the passenger side of the engine, and remove the air conditioning compressor unless you have very tiny hands, even then might not be possible. Time consuming and process oriented task. It is very simple to test the actuator solenoids with a multimeter and a 12v+ supply, so I would still attempt that regardless of the car, a very simple task once you disconnect the leads. So in short, yes - probably 95% or greater chance you are looking at an actuator replacement (appx $1k parts, $1-1.5k labor at an independent shop - I've also recently observed Porsche dealers will drop their labor prices if you shop around). After all the data, a corner case would be a CPS, solenoid, or wiring problem (also DME can be a problem in that sometimes they will short out the solenoids but that is extremely rare). Why not post a shout out to find a good shop in the bay area, whereabouts are you located again? You might find a good shop using search, I remember reading about a few, just can't recall the names. edited for accuracy.

Good luck! I hope it helps!

Unless the car is still misfiring, and if it has great power and drives great it seems very extreme to me to completely tear it down and replace the piston rings. If this is a race car/track car, perhaps it might be worth it, otherwise I still say drive it until it really needs new piston rings (assuming it is not misfiring).. I think there are still some steps to take first, for example, using a borescope to inspect the cylinder walls for scoring or other problems. Perhaps trying another new spark plug. If it is still misfiring, has the variocam system been checked thoroughly? I would stay away from slick 50 since I've read bad things about that, but certainly it might be worth a try using SAE 30 break in oil for 200 miles or so, and try out these procedures: http://www.mototuneu..._in_secrets.htm

Yes an actuator in really bad shape will cause misfires due to the timing being off. Probably a good time to stop driving the car unless it's driven to a nearby shop or repaired in your garage (or towed if it is a long distance).

Before you go replacing the AOS, you might want to have a look at this to confirm/deny if that is the problem or not:

I'm on both sides of the fence with this one. When I removed my water pump after 75k miles of service it seemed in great condition. No binding, impeller blades were good, no leaks, no rust. The other side reads about the water pump shaft leaks and separations and impeller blade explosions. I suppose the recommendation goes If you already have other work being done, the cost of removing the water pump and reinstalling is not that great. It is at most a 2-3 hour job in your driveway. If you're curious as to the health of the impeller blades, just having it removed, inspected and reinstalled with a fresh gasket would not set you back too much money compared with pump replacement. My advice would be stick with the pump you have, but regularly monitor the car for leaks and accessory bearings for play. If you do the work on your own car or if someone else does, make it a point at oil change time to inspect the car for coolant leaks (not just at the water pump), remove the drive belt and check all of the accessories for play/noises and the belt condition.

It's tough to say from that picture since it is soooo tiny but my guess is your spark plug tube o-rings are leaking, which would account for the oil in or on the coil packs. Edit: i see you have a flashing CEL, and it is possible that enough oil in this area due to leaking o-rings could be the source for the coil pack or spark plug fouling (and guessing misfires which could be what your flashing check engine light is)

You really wont find cheaper prices unless you go used which I wouldn't recommend. The cheapest you can find the actuator assembly brand new is at Sunset Porsche or Sonnen Porsche (there are a few others, but they only differ by a dollar or two). Your only other option would be someone who bought a unit but didn't install it. Anyhow, the actuator assembly for bank 2 (which comes with a solenoid) runs $726.86 (discounted price). Other parts both required and while you are in there as follows, these are the cheapest you can get them (a few cents less at Sunset Porsche in Oregon): Bank 2 Variocam actuator (incl solenoid) 99610505358 $726.86 Green cam cover plugs 99610522352 qty 3 $48.69 total Variocam pads & o-ring (comes with new actuator) 5th timing chain 99610517053 qty 1 $22.94 qty 23 micro encapsulated cam cover bolts 99938500301 $30.59 total 3 spark plug tubes 99610532552 $14.61 total 3 spark plug tube big orings 99970721540 $7.86 total 3 spark plug tube small orings 99970734341 $3.99 total Oil pump o-ring 99970755440 $2.62 Oil drain washer 90012310630 $0.82 Blue loctite $6.00 Tube of loctite 5900 qty 1 $6.00 Since the oil must be drained, recommend an oil change $75 for oil and a filter (both at discount pricing), unless you've done that recently. All in total about $1000 worth of parts not including tax. I wouldn't feel comfortable dealing with used parts on someone else's car. A shop with the proper tools and expertise would charge probably 5-8 hours labor @ appx. $125/hr (not including engine drop, this would be doing it in car, engine drop and reinstall would add another 6-8 hours). By the way doing bank 2 passenger side actuator in car I've heard is much more difficult than bank 1 with engine in car. If someone has the book time for this repair that would be great, but my above figures are inline with what I've seen other shops charge ($2500-$3000 range for this repair). There are also a few sanity checks to perform before diving into the engine. FIrst, is to ensure the cam position sensors are behaving as they should. This can be done by swapping them between banks which takes a good hour and a half or so. If the problem follows the bank then the CPS can be replaced relatively easily for $175. Second, it is worth it to apply 12 volts manually to the variocam solenoid and also ohm it out before buying the expensive actuator assembly. If it is just the solenoid, those only run you about $140 or so, instead of $725. I would be willing to help, but I have to caution I am not a mechanic and so there are a bunch of things that go along with that. For starters the work wouldn't be guaranteed like it would be with a shop, instead it would just be two Porsche owners and enthusiasts/neighbors getting together to "work on cars". If you can afford it, you would certainly be better off finding someone who is local and has reasonable shop rates that you could hold accountable. I heard about traveling Porsche mechanics advertising on Craigslist. Although I'm very familiar with this car and engine at this point and have put 1000 miles on my car after the repair, I am by no means an expert. Hope this helps.

Hello! Yes don't start it again until you have the codes read (have it towed or get a code reader). A flashing CEL can mean detrimental to engine if you continue running it (as spelled out in your owners manual). Edit, I noticed you also changed your plugs. I would guess that because of this your CEL is probably related to the work you did and is misfire related. Be sure the plugs were installed correctly and are of the correct spec and gap, perhaps reinstall them assuring correct torque value and not cross-threaded, and ensure that the coil packs are good, crack free, and also torqued properly. And that the spark connectors are clicked in.

Ok, cool, I figured it must have been the same person since the questions were so similar. OK, now that I know what year car you have then the story changes dramatically. Here is my psuedo write-up on this procedure (you don't need to remove the heads or go nearly as far into tear down as I did). https://picasaweb.google.com/996pcarnut/Engine (From my thread http://forums.rennlist.com/rennforums/996-forum/644150-1-rebuilt-engine-1-month-and-325-pictures-later.html which includes several links to engine drop DIYs) First and foremost if you plan to do this yourself get your hands on the 996 workshop manual. Unfortunately on the 1999-2001 year cars, replacing an actuator is not an easy task compared with the later 3.6L engines, nor is it very cheap to do. Brand new, the actuators run about $700 and the solenoids are about $150. You can find used parts for a lot less, but unless you are in a bind financially I wouldn't cut any corners here. The actuator and solenoid (1 per side) are both under the camshaft cover. In order to replace them you have to lock the camshafts in place with a special tool (I made my own but also later bought two types of factory tools). Then you remove the camshaft cover. Next you have to use another special tool to compress the actuator mechanism so you can replace it. The camshaft cover then gets reinstalled with a 1-1.5mm bead of Loctite 5900 or Dreibond and 23 cam cover bolts torqued in a very specific sequence. That is a very tricky part, and you should also replace the cam cover bolts with new micro-encapsulated ones or at least clean and apply silicone to the existing ones. The last thing you have to do here is re-time the engine, this is a critical part. There are several write ups on this, but this is by far the best one I've seen for this MY car: http://986forum.com/forums/performance-technical-chat/26418-diy-setting-cam-timing-m96.html You can do the procedure with the engine in car, but honestly having had my engine out three times now, and removing and reinstalling the actuators the same number of times, I wouldn't attempt it myself with the engine in car. With my big hands I would probably spend just as much time fumbling around in tight spaces and screw something up. Dropping the engine is really not as difficult as it may seem. The first time through you might spend a day at it but once you are good, I did it for my third time in just under 4 hours. Reinstall perhaps a little less. This is with a manual car of course. And I would certainly love to help out, but I'm over towards Tahoe near Auburn, CA. If you decide to do this all on your own and are still in a bind I suppose if you paid my gas and maybe a little something more (would have to work that out through PM), I could head over to the bay area with all my tools. We could probably do it in a full long day. If you do plan to do this and your friend mechanic has not worked on a Porsche before I encourage the both of you to read as much as you can about doing this before diving in. It's not rocket science, but there are plenty of opportunities to do things wrong. There is a Porsche dealer, Sonnen Porsche in the bay area who has great pricing if you buy online.

Perhaps SAI, O2 sensors, CPS, OBDII map, etc. were retrofitted to the car? Interesting!

edit: sorry still did not get your model year car, this info below is for 2002-2005 3.6L 996 engines only. Have a look at this thread, it might shed some light: http://www.renntech....-oil-what-is-it Also are you the same person that is posting about the same issue over on 6speed?

Nearly all of the aftermarket exhaust systems advertise that they will not cause a check engine light to come on. Having owned one myself I can vouch for this. I certainly agree with Tom, retrieve the check engine light codes to be certain what the issue is.

+1 on Loren's reply, in nearly 4 years of Porsche ownership I've only had it click on once or twice under really hard driving in very hot weather. If you own Durametric you can activate the fan manually. You can also "manually" turn the fan on if you jumper the relay - search for "fan hack".