What is wrong with my car! white smoke, CEL, low oil level

[dezpimpdada]

hi All, hope some of you may have the answer for me!!!

2002 boxster S, manuel 78k miles, never

after bringing the car to my mechanic today for the CEL p0507, p1128, p1130, while driving home on the freeway for about 20 mins( i also noticed on/off white smoke), the CEL started flashing with very slight engine vibration, so immediately i pulled the car to the side ( thanks Loren) and noticed the oil level is down to less than half full. so i have it towed just to avoid potential damages. at home i checked for the codes again it now gives me p0507, p1128, p1130 and p0300 multi misfire, p0304 misfire cyl.4. when i was getting the codes out i noticed the oil level is back to normal. now i thought the reason the oil level went down was due to the burning of oil which explains the white smoke, especially at start up.

i started having white smoke at start up when i first got the CEL p0507, p1128, and p1130. these codes have been consistant in the last 3 readings. prior to these i also had p0430 (bank 2) which never came back after i erased it, instead i got the p0507, p1128 and p1130.

so far i have checked and cleaned the throttle body and checked all fittings leading to the TB. i was gonna clean the MAF today after visting my mechanic but i never got to it before what took place on the freeway going home.

1. does anyone know what might be going on since the computer is giving off more codes each time and where should i start fixing first.

2. should i still clean the MAF anyways.

3. i was told its still safe to drive the car as long as the CEL is not flashing and if oil level is low just add it. is it true ??

4. how do u check if AOS is newer or older style.

car is not over heating, coolant level is good.

thanks guys

Paul

[Tool Pants]

Lots of white smoke out the back can be the oil separator.

[Chris_in_NH]

yup, sounds like classic air-oil separator (AOS) failure.

what you need to do is look inside the throttle body and/or J-tube for more than just a misting of oil. my TB looked like this: (more below...)

that liquid is black gold/texas tea compliments of the AOS not doing its job.

as far as your oil level is concerned, the dash oil gauge only shows (approx) the top 1 liter of oil. when the gauge shows no 'bars', you are down 1 liter/quart. there are still ~8 liters left. the oil gauge level will change periodically and will certainly not be accurate right after you shut the car off. oil in the engine passages needs time to get back to the oil pan to be measured. when you pulled over and shut the car off, there was still plenty of oil in the passages. after the car sat for a while and most of the oil had made its way back to the pan, you then saw a full display on your oil gauge.

additionally, over time oil becomes contaminated with gas and water (normal by-products of combustion). if you take short trips where the engine does not get up to operating temp, more gas/water gets in the oil and gets measured along with the oil. when you drive at operating temp and at high revs, this will remove some gas/water and you may notice a substantial drop on your dash oil gauge as a result - although you have not lost any 'oil' at all. this is also normal, and will allow you to get a more accurate oil reading. the best time to check oil is first thing in the morning after the car has been sitting all night and the oil has had plenty of time to return to be measured.

in a perfect world, you want to reach engine operating temperature every time you drive the car (10-20 minutes of 'normal' driving). and you don't ever want to 'warm up' the car by letting it idle in the driveway. what i do is start the car, wait 15-20 seconds for the oil to get where it needs to go, and then drive gently, not going over 4K RPMs until the engine is up to temp (5-10 minutes after the coolant temp reaches 180). once the engine/oil/transmission/suspension is warmed up, feel free to get that tach all the way to redline if you want. (also known as an 'Italian tune-up') ;) these practices will keep gas/water in your oil to a minimum and allow all the car's metal engine/transmission parts to expand uniformly and slowly. your engine will thank you for it. :)

to answer your questions:

1. the computer (OBD-II system) is giving off more codes because your problem is getting worse. (i.e. the AOS is feeding enough oil into the cylinders that it is causing misfires). you should start fixing things at the AOS. this is the beginning of AOS failure as you are only having misfires in Cylinder 4, the first cylinder on the driver's side (right behind your back). if you don't change the AOS, the oil will eventually make its way to all cylinders. it is very good that you caught this early.

2. i would not clean the MAF yet. wait until you've changed the AOS and you get a CEL. you want to isolate the problem and if you clean the MAF AND change the AOS, which one was the problem part? (although it is quite obvious it is the AOS). plus, your MAF may be fine and if it ain't broke... ;)

3. can you drive the car as long as the CEL is not flashing? yes, except when you suspect AOS failure. the AOS could feed enough oil into your engine that the engine fails (catastrophically). DON'T drive it.

4. the AOS' part number is on the top side of the AOS. then look on the Pelican Parts Part Lookup Catalog http://www.pelicanparts.com/PartsLookup/HT...USA_KATALOG.htm in the Engine section under Crankcase Bleeding and you will see that the latest AOS for your car is 996-107-023-04-M100. it really doesn't matter what the old part number is because it has failed regardless of whether it is the latest model or the original. my guess is that it is the original. AOSs usually go bad around 60-80K miles.

5. after changing out the AOS, change the spark plugs. after you remove the old plugs and before you put the new plugs in, give the engine a few quick 1-second cranks by turning the key. this will blow out any remaining oil in the cylinder(s). the car obviously will not start as there are no plugs in. ;) after that, put the new plugs in and make sure all the coil pack connectors are firmly connected to their ignition wires (they SNAP in). here's a pic of the connection. the rubber boot is pulled back so you can see where it snaps together.

don't forget to also buy a new J-tube (part # 5 in the diagram below). the 'accordion tube' or 'bellows' (part # 10) comes with the AOS (part # 1). all the necessary fasteners/clips are included. you will re-use the mounting screws from your old AOS.

if you are not due for an oil change, you don't *need* to change the oil. if you *want* to change the oil, that's up to you, but it's not necessary. check the oil level via the dipstick and just top it up if it needs it.

i have found that www.SunsetImports.com and www.SuncoastPorsche.com have the best prices, but in this case, Pelican's don't look too bad either. figure $120-130 for both the AOS and J-tube + shipping. it is a rather simple DIY replacement; however, access is the hard part. here's a link to the DIY with pics. http://mike.focke.googlepages.com/airoilseparatorreplacement

and here's a diagram:

good luck!

Edited June 10, 2008 by Chris_in_NH

[dezpimpdada]

thanks Chris for the detailed explanation. i will order the AOS today and start FIXING the problem.

as far as having oil in the TB i did noticed some oil in the TB the day before yesterday when i was checking for loose connections. but not as much as yours. maybe like u said its only the begining of the problem.

last time i did tune up to the car i used Beru plug from porsche. do u think its necessary to go with factory or have you tried using NGK laser platinum or iridium plugs??

yup, sounds like classic air-oil separator (AOS) failure.

what you need to do is look inside the throttle body and/or J-tube for more than just a misting of oil. my TB looked like this: (more below...)

that liquid is black gold/texas tea compliments of the AOS not doing its job.

as far as your oil level is concerned, the dash oil gauge only shows (approx) the top 1 liter of oil. when the gauge shows no 'bars', you are down 1 liter/quart. there are still ~8 liters left. the oil gauge level will change periodically and will certainly not be accurate right after you shut the car off. oil in the engine passages needs time to get back to the oil pan to be measured. when you pulled over and shut the car off, there was still plenty of oil in the passages. after the car sat for a while and most of the oil had made its way back to the pan, you then saw a full display on your oil gauge.

additionally, over time oil becomes contaminated with gas and water (normal by-products of combustion). if you take short trips where the engine does not get up to operating temp, more gas/water gets in the oil and gets measured along with the oil. when you drive at operating temp and at high revs, this will remove some gas/water and you may notice a substantial drop on your dash oil gauge as a result - although you have not lost any 'oil' at all. this is also normal, and will allow you to get a more accurate oil reading. the best time to check oil is first thing in the morning after the car has been sitting all night and the oil has had plenty of time to return to be measured.

in a perfect world, you want to reach engine operating temperature every time you drive the car (10-20 minutes of 'normal' driving). and you don't ever want to 'warm up' the car by letting it idle in the driveway. what i do is start the car, wait 15-20 seconds for the oil to get where it needs to go, and then drive gently, not going over 4K RPMs until the engine is up to temp (5-10 minutes after the coolant temp reaches 180). once the engine/oil/transmission/suspension is warmed up, feel free to get that tach all the way to redline if you want. (also known as an 'Italian tune-up') ;) these practices will keep gas/water in your oil to a minimum and allow all the car's metal engine/transmission parts to expand uniformly and slowly. your engine will thank you for it. :)

to answer your questions:

1. the computer (OBD-II system) is giving off more codes because your problem is getting worse. (i.e. the AOS is feeding enough oil into the cylinders that it is causing misfires). you should start fixing things at the AOS. this is the beginning of AOS failure as you are only having misfires in Cylinder 4, the first cylinder on the driver's side (right behind your back). if you don't change the AOS, the oil will eventually make its way to all cylinders. it is very good that you caught this early.

2. i would not clean the MAF yet. wait until you've changed the AOS and you get a CEL. you want to isolate the problem and if you clean the MAF AND change the AOS, which one was the problem part? (although it is quite obvious it is the AOS). plus, your MAF may be fine and if it ain't broke... ;)

3. can you drive the car as long as the CEL is not flashing? yes, except when you suspect AOS failure. the AOS could feed enough oil into your engine that the engine fails (catastrophically). DON'T drive it.

4. the AOS' part number is on the top side of the AOS. then look on the Pelican Parts Part Lookup Catalog http://www.pelicanparts.com/PartsLookup/HT...USA_KATALOG.htm in the Engine section under Crankcase Bleeding and you will see that the latest AOS for your car is 996-107-023-04-M100. it really doesn't matter what the old part number is because it has failed regardless of whether it is the latest model or the original. my guess is that it is the original. AOSs usually go bad around 60-80K miles.

5. after changing out the AOS, change the spark plugs. after you remove the old plugs and before you put the new plugs in, give the engine a few quick 1-second cranks by turning the key. this will blow out any remaining oil in the cylinder(s). the car obviously will not start as there are no plugs in. ;) after that, put the new plugs in and make sure all the coil pack connectors are firmly connected to their ignition wires (they SNAP in). here's a pic of the connection. the rubber boot is pulled back so you can see where it snaps together.

don't forget to also buy a new J-tube (part # 5 in the diagram below). the 'accordion tube' or 'bellows' (part # 10) comes with the AOS (part # 1). all the necessary fasteners/clips are included. you will re-use the mounting screws from your old AOS.

if you are not due for an oil change, you don't *need* to change the oil. if you *want* to change the oil, that's up to you, but it's not necessary. check the oil level via the dipstick and just top it up if it needs it.

i have found that www.SunsetImports.com and www.SuncoastPorsche.com have the best prices, but in this case, Pelican's don't look too bad either. figure $120-130 for both the AOS and J-tube + shipping. it is a rather simple DIY replacement; however, access is the hard part. here's a link to the DIY with pics. http://mike.focke.googlepages.com/airoilseparatorreplacement

and here's a diagram:

good luck!

[timbo]

Has anyone ever taken an AOS apart to see what exactly it is that goes wrong? Years ago when I worked as a mechanic in a Volvo garage we used to get a problem with the spark arrestor in the breather tube becoming blocked with carbonised oil, pressure would build up in the crank case and oil would come out of all the oil seals. I know this is slightly different but it would be interesting to know weather its due to a mechanical failure or blockage.

[Chris_in_NH]

thanks Chris for the detailed explanation. i will order the AOS today and start FIXING the problem.

as far as having oil in the TB i did noticed some oil in the TB the day before yesterday when i was checking for loose connections. but not as much as yours. maybe like u said its only the begining of the problem.

last time i did tune up to the car i used Beru plug from porsche. do u think its necessary to go with factory or have you tried using NGK laser platinum or iridium plugs??

yes, oil in the TB = AOS failure. you can swap out the AOS in 2-3 hours. it's just a pain in the a$.

i just use Bosch Platinum+2 spark plugs in my '97. for your car, i think Platinum+4's will work fine. i don't worry too much about Beru/Bosch iridium, etc. my car runs perfectly with the Boschs and they are cheap. i have never noticed a difference between plugs. but any plug that is in the same heat range/specs as the OEM plugs will work just fine.

[dezpimpdada]

Chris,

i am having the AOS changed today, i will post after the work is done to see if that fix the problem. ( there was a lot of white somke when i started the car this morning.) i am hoping it didn't cause additional problem already.

As far as the plugs go, Bosch only sells regular 4 style instead of platinum 4. only NGK sells iridium for boxster S 2000 and up. 1999 and below would have a lot more choices from differrent makers.

[usaf-lt-g]

Hmmm I'm wondering if I should replace the AOS just as a precautionary... I'm not having any immediate problems, but I'd rather be safe than sorry later. I'm going to inspect it first, and check the part #. Seems to me, if I have the ORIGINAL AOS, It's almost better to replace it with an 04 or higher version anyways since this seems to be a common problem. Not to mention my babe has 73k on it already.

What do you guys think?

Also, Anyone know where I can get the "puck adapter" for my floor jack for a good price?

Thanks!

[Chris_in_NH]

Hmmm I'm wondering if I should replace the AOS just as a precautionary... I'm not having any immediate problems, but I'd rather be safe than sorry later. I'm going to inspect it first, and check the part #. Seems to me, if I have the ORIGINAL AOS, It's almost better to replace it with an 04 or higher version anyways since this seems to be a common problem. Not to mention my babe has 73k on it already.

What do you guys think?

Also, Anyone know where I can get the "puck adapter" for my floor jack for a good price?

Thanks!

since '04 was the last year of the 986 series, you may want to proactively replace the AOS. as i mentioned above, 60-80K seems to be the most-probable failure range.

as for the 'puck adapter', go buy a bunch of hockey pucks and put one on top of your jack. (remove the 'cup' if necessary). ;)

with the hockey puck, you may need to get your car up a little higher to allow the jack w/puck access to the jacking points. you can just drive up on some 2x4's to get that additional height. tricks of the trade. B)

[Chris_in_NH]

Chris,

i am having the AOS changed today, i will post after the work is done to see if that fix the problem. ( there was a lot of white somke when i started the car this morning.) i am hoping it didn't cause additional problem already.

As far as the plugs go, Bosch only sells regular 4 style instead of platinum 4. only NGK sells iridium for boxster S 2000 and up. 1999 and below would have a lot more choices from differrent makers.

according to the Bosch website, part 7413 is an OE plug. so you could use that one.

i don't know if 'Iridium' plugs are really necessary. but, it's up to you. whatever plug you use (that is made for your model year) is going to work. will one work 10%, 20%, etc., better than the others? i don't know. i usually don't worry about plugs. as long as it's one that works in my car (right size, right heat range) i'm happy. ;)

[dezpimpdada]

good news!!!

after having the AOS replaced the car is back to normal ( with 50 miles tested), i am a happy camper.

thanks Chris and Renntech ~

so far no other parts needed to be replaced, ex. o2 sensor, plugs, cat. convt, MAS.

now i was going to clean the MAS but my mechanic told me " if it ain't broke..............don't fix it" so i guess i will just leave it alone right now.

i hear sometimes certain cars run better with platinum or iridium plugs, but some worse. i have asked porsche service pp why porsche is not using premium plugs but no one seems to know why. just the way factory design them i guess.

[silver arrow]

yup, sounds like classic air-oil separator (AOS) failure.

what you need to do is look inside the throttle body and/or J-tube for more than just a misting of oil. my TB looked like this: (more below...)

that liquid is black gold/texas tea compliments of the AOS not doing its job.

as far as your oil level is concerned, the dash oil gauge only shows (approx) the top 1 liter of oil. when the gauge shows no 'bars', you are down 1 liter/quart. there are still ~8 liters left. the oil gauge level will change periodically and will certainly not be accurate right after you shut the car off. oil in the engine passages needs time to get back to the oil pan to be measured. when you pulled over and shut the car off, there was still plenty of oil in the passages. after the car sat for a while and most of the oil had made its way back to the pan, you then saw a full display on your oil gauge.

additionally, over time oil becomes contaminated with gas and water (normal by-products of combustion). if you take short trips where the engine does not get up to operating temp, more gas/water gets in the oil and gets measured along with the oil. when you drive at operating temp and at high revs, this will remove some gas/water and you may notice a substantial drop on your dash oil gauge as a result - although you have not lost any 'oil' at all. this is also normal, and will allow you to get a more accurate oil reading. the best time to check oil is first thing in the morning after the car has been sitting all night and the oil has had plenty of time to return to be measured.

in a perfect world, you want to reach engine operating temperature every time you drive the car (10-20 minutes of 'normal' driving). and you don't ever want to 'warm up' the car by letting it idle in the driveway. what i do is start the car, wait 15-20 seconds for the oil to get where it needs to go, and then drive gently, not going over 4K RPMs until the engine is up to temp (5-10 minutes after the coolant temp reaches 180). once the engine/oil/transmission/suspension is warmed up, feel free to get that tach all the way to redline if you want. (also known as an 'Italian tune-up') ;) these practices will keep gas/water in your oil to a minimum and allow all the car's metal engine/transmission parts to expand uniformly and slowly. your engine will thank you for it. :)

to answer your questions:

1. the computer (OBD-II system) is giving off more codes because your problem is getting worse. (i.e. the AOS is feeding enough oil into the cylinders that it is causing misfires). you should start fixing things at the AOS. this is the beginning of AOS failure as you are only having misfires in Cylinder 4, the first cylinder on the driver's side (right behind your back). if you don't change the AOS, the oil will eventually make its way to all cylinders. it is very good that you caught this early.

2. i would not clean the MAF yet. wait until you've changed the AOS and you get a CEL. you want to isolate the problem and if you clean the MAF AND change the AOS, which one was the problem part? (although it is quite obvious it is the AOS). plus, your MAF may be fine and if it ain't broke... ;)

3. can you drive the car as long as the CEL is not flashing? yes, except when you suspect AOS failure. the AOS could feed enough oil into your engine that the engine fails (catastrophically). DON'T drive it.

4. the AOS' part number is on the top side of the AOS. then look on the Pelican Parts Part Lookup Catalog http://www.pelicanparts.com/PartsLookup/HT...USA_KATALOG.htm in the Engine section under Crankcase Bleeding and you will see that the latest AOS for your car is 996-107-023-04-M100. it really doesn't matter what the old part number is because it has failed regardless of whether it is the latest model or the original. my guess is that it is the original. AOSs usually go bad around 60-80K miles.

5. after changing out the AOS, change the spark plugs. after you remove the old plugs and before you put the new plugs in, give the engine a few quick 1-second cranks by turning the key. this will blow out any remaining oil in the cylinder(s). the car obviously will not start as there are no plugs in. ;) after that, put the new plugs in and make sure all the coil pack connectors are firmly connected to their ignition wires (they SNAP in). here's a pic of the connection. the rubber boot is pulled back so you can see where it snaps together.

don't forget to also buy a new J-tube (part # 5 in the diagram below). the 'accordion tube' or 'bellows' (part # 10) comes with the AOS (part # 1). all the necessary fasteners/clips are included. you will re-use the mounting screws from your old AOS.

if you are not due for an oil change, you don't *need* to change the oil. if you *want* to change the oil, that's up to you, but it's not necessary. check the oil level via the dipstick and just top it up if it needs it.

i have found that www.SunsetImports.com and www.SuncoastPorsche.com have the best prices, but in this case, Pelican's don't look too bad either. figure $120-130 for both the AOS and J-tube + shipping. it is a rather simple DIY replacement; however, access is the hard part. here's a link to the DIY with pics. http://mike.focke.googlepages.com/airoilseparatorreplacement

and here's a diagram:

good luck!

Great info. About a month ago my 2000 2.7 blew out a big puff of white oil smoke after starting up the engine for my 4th autocross run. I figured it was probably because oil was very hot and thin. It hasn't happened since, but since the car is at 60,000 miles I figure it will be a good preventive measure.