Smoke oil and p codes 0300, 0302, 0304, 0305

[octantman]

I believe this is serious.

I (hopefully) attached the Durametric work log. VehicleLog3132009.txt

2003 Boxster, 2.7 five speed manual about 65k miles, daily driver.

Home as usual, no sign of a problem. Back to the store 30 minutes later, only a mile but it is raining and 40 degrees. Out of the driveway a little white smoke, but sometimes this happens, unburned fuel. By the time we got to the store, more smoke so this is different.

Started right up, idled smothly but more smoke, worse when we got home. Flashing CEL 100' from home, by the time we got in the garage white smoke everywhere, very thick. Misfiring once in the garage idling and I turned it off. Oil dripped onto driveway. About a tablespoon under the exhaust pipes, coming out of both ports.

Durametric read fault codes as in topic, misfire detection total and cylinder 2, 4, 5. No other faults read, except it says my radio is faulty, which it is not

So what is worst case and best case?

I have complained to the dealer for years about a vibration at 3,000 rpms without impact. They say it's no problem and maybe it is not related, but I am not convinced.

Help!!

Alan

[ericinboca]

I believe this is serious.

I (hopefully) attached the Durametric work log. VehicleLog3132009.txt

2003 Boxster, 2.7 five speed manual about 65k miles, daily driver.

Home as usual, no sign of a problem. Back to the store 30 minutes later, only a mile but it is raining and 40 degrees. Out of the driveway a little white smoke, but sometimes this happens, unburned fuel. By the time we got to the store, more smoke so this is different.

Started right up, idled smothly but more smoke, worse when we got home. Flashing CEL 100' from home, by the time we got in the garage white smoke everywhere, very thick. Misfiring once in the garage idling and I turned it off. Oil dripped onto driveway. About a tablespoon under the exhaust pipes, coming out of both ports.

Durametric read fault codes as in topic, misfire detection total and cylinder 2, 4, 5. No other faults read, except it says my radio is faulty, which it is not

So what is worst case and best case?

I have complained to the dealer for years about a vibration at 3,000 rpms without impact. They say it's no problem and maybe it is not related, but I am not convinced.

Help!!

Alan

Are you down on coolant? What does your oil on the dipstick look like? Oil or a chocolate milkshake?

[octantman]

I believe this is serious.

I (hopefully) attached the Durametric work log. VehicleLog3132009.txt

2003 Boxster, 2.7 five speed manual about 65k miles, daily driver.

Home as usual, no sign of a problem. Back to the store 30 minutes later, only a mile but it is raining and 40 degrees. Out of the driveway a little white smoke, but sometimes this happens, unburned fuel. By the time we got to the store, more smoke so this is different.

Started right up, idled smothly but more smoke, worse when we got home. Flashing CEL 100' from home, by the time we got in the garage white smoke everywhere, very thick. Misfiring once in the garage idling and I turned it off. Oil dripped onto driveway. About a tablespoon under the exhaust pipes, coming out of both ports.

Durametric read fault codes as in topic, misfire detection total and cylinder 2, 4, 5. No other faults read, except it says my radio is faulty, which it is not

So what is worst case and best case?

I have complained to the dealer for years about a vibration at 3,000 rpms without impact. They say it's no problem and maybe it is not related, but I am not convinced.

Help!!

Alan

Are you down on coolant? What does your oil on the dipstick look like? Oil or a chocolate milkshake?

[octantman]

I believe this is serious.

I (hopefully) attached the Durametric work log. VehicleLog3132009.txt

2003 Boxster, 2.7 five speed manual about 65k miles, daily driver.

Home as usual, no sign of a problem. Back to the store 30 minutes later, only a mile but it is raining and 40 degrees. Out of the driveway a little white smoke, but sometimes this happens, unburned fuel. By the time we got to the store, more smoke so this is different.

Started right up, idled smothly but more smoke, worse when we got home. Flashing CEL 100' from home, by the time we got in the garage white smoke everywhere, very thick. Misfiring once in the garage idling and I turned it off. Oil dripped onto driveway. About a tablespoon under the exhaust pipes, coming out of both ports.

Durametric read fault codes as in topic, misfire detection total and cylinder 2, 4, 5. No other faults read, except it says my radio is faulty, which it is not

So what is worst case and best case?

I have complained to the dealer for years about a vibration at 3,000 rpms without impact. They say it's no problem and maybe it is not related, but I am not convinced.

Help!!

Alan

Are you down on coolant? What does your oil on the dipstick look like? Oil or a chocolate milkshake?

not down on coolant, oil is slightly darker than new, not frothy.

[ericinboca]

I believe this is serious.

I (hopefully) attached the Durametric work log. VehicleLog3132009.txt

2003 Boxster, 2.7 five speed manual about 65k miles, daily driver.

Home as usual, no sign of a problem. Back to the store 30 minutes later, only a mile but it is raining and 40 degrees. Out of the driveway a little white smoke, but sometimes this happens, unburned fuel. By the time we got to the store, more smoke so this is different.

Started right up, idled smothly but more smoke, worse when we got home. Flashing CEL 100' from home, by the time we got in the garage white smoke everywhere, very thick. Misfiring once in the garage idling and I turned it off. Oil dripped onto driveway. About a tablespoon under the exhaust pipes, coming out of both ports.

Durametric read fault codes as in topic, misfire detection total and cylinder 2, 4, 5. No other faults read, except it says my radio is faulty, which it is not

So what is worst case and best case?

I have complained to the dealer for years about a vibration at 3,000 rpms without impact. They say it's no problem and maybe it is not related, but I am not convinced.

Help!!

Alan

Are you down on coolant? What does your oil on the dipstick look like? Oil or a chocolate milkshake?

not down on coolant, oil is slightly darker than new, not frothy.

Hmm. In my experience, white smoke is coolant being burned. The oil on the floor in the garage was from the exhaust? not from the area where the transmission connects to the engine? or can you see where it is coming from?

[octantman]

I believe this is serious.

I (hopefully) attached the Durametric work log. VehicleLog3132009.txt

2003 Boxster, 2.7 five speed manual about 65k miles, daily driver.

Home as usual, no sign of a problem. Back to the store 30 minutes later, only a mile but it is raining and 40 degrees. Out of the driveway a little white smoke, but sometimes this happens, unburned fuel. By the time we got to the store, more smoke so this is different.

Started right up, idled smothly but more smoke, worse when we got home. Flashing CEL 100' from home, by the time we got in the garage white smoke everywhere, very thick. Misfiring once in the garage idling and I turned it off. Oil dripped onto driveway. About a tablespoon under the exhaust pipes, coming out of both ports.

Durametric read fault codes as in topic, misfire detection total and cylinder 2, 4, 5. No other faults read, except it says my radio is faulty, which it is not

So what is worst case and best case?

I have complained to the dealer for years about a vibration at 3,000 rpms without impact. They say it's no problem and maybe it is not related, but I am not convinced.

Help!!

Alan

Are you down on coolant? What does your oil on the dipstick look like? Oil or a chocolate milkshake?

not down on coolant, oil is slightly darker than new, not frothy.

Hmm. In my experience, white smoke is coolant being burned. The oil on the floor in the garage was from the exhaust? not from the area where the transmission connects to the engine? or can you see where it is coming from?

Correct, in fact it collected in the exhaust tip and dripped out on the front of the tip since it is sloped toward the front, or muffler. Smoke could have been slightly gray but in the mirror it was very white. I turned it off and it began to dissipate and its appearance was hard to say what color it was then. Now the engine ran not more than 5 minutes total for both trips.

[ericinboca]

I believe this is serious.

I (hopefully) attached the Durametric work log. VehicleLog3132009.txt

2003 Boxster, 2.7 five speed manual about 65k miles, daily driver.

Home as usual, no sign of a problem. Back to the store 30 minutes later, only a mile but it is raining and 40 degrees. Out of the driveway a little white smoke, but sometimes this happens, unburned fuel. By the time we got to the store, more smoke so this is different.

Started right up, idled smothly but more smoke, worse when we got home. Flashing CEL 100' from home, by the time we got in the garage white smoke everywhere, very thick. Misfiring once in the garage idling and I turned it off. Oil dripped onto driveway. About a tablespoon under the exhaust pipes, coming out of both ports.

Durametric read fault codes as in topic, misfire detection total and cylinder 2, 4, 5. No other faults read, except it says my radio is faulty, which it is not

So what is worst case and best case?

I have complained to the dealer for years about a vibration at 3,000 rpms without impact. They say it's no problem and maybe it is not related, but I am not convinced.

Help!!

Alan

Are you down on coolant? What does your oil on the dipstick look like? Oil or a chocolate milkshake?

not down on coolant, oil is slightly darker than new, not frothy.

Hmm. In my experience, white smoke is coolant being burned. The oil on the floor in the garage was from the exhaust? not from the area where the transmission connects to the engine? or can you see where it is coming from?

Correct, in fact it collected in the exhaust tip and dripped out on the front of the tip since it is sloped toward the front, or muffler. Smoke could have been slightly gray but in the mirror it was very white. I turned it off and it began to dissipate and its appearance was hard to say what color it was then. Now the engine ran not more than 5 minutes total for both trips.

We need some more people to express an opinion, but I would look inside the air intake distributors for a film (possible heavy film) of oil. If you find oil in there, your AOS (the AOS on top of the engine, not the one in the pan) probably let go. The AOS is supposed to send vaporized oil into the intake to be burned in the cylinders. When it is malfunctioning, it can send liquid oil, which, in enough quantity, can cause a misfire - especially for cylinders 4, 5 & 6...your misfire in cylinder 2 does not match this theory perfectly, but doesn't spoil it either.

If you don't find anything there, I would do a pressure test on the coolant system to see if it is leaking. And then compression test the cylinders. I might also drain the oil and take a hard look at it (maybe even send off for analysis - Blackstone Labs does the oil on my track car) to be sure there is no coolant in it.

[octantman]

I believe this is serious.

I (hopefully) attached the Durametric work log. VehicleLog3132009.txt

2003 Boxster, 2.7 five speed manual about 65k miles, daily driver.

Home as usual, no sign of a problem. Back to the store 30 minutes later, only a mile but it is raining and 40 degrees. Out of the driveway a little white smoke, but sometimes this happens, unburned fuel. By the time we got to the store, more smoke so this is different.

Started right up, idled smothly but more smoke, worse when we got home. Flashing CEL 100' from home, by the time we got in the garage white smoke everywhere, very thick. Misfiring once in the garage idling and I turned it off. Oil dripped onto driveway. About a tablespoon under the exhaust pipes, coming out of both ports.

Durametric read fault codes as in topic, misfire detection total and cylinder 2, 4, 5. No other faults read, except it says my radio is faulty, which it is not

So what is worst case and best case?

I have complained to the dealer for years about a vibration at 3,000 rpms without impact. They say it's no problem and maybe it is not related, but I am not convinced.

Help!!

Alan

Are you down on coolant? What does your oil on the dipstick look like? Oil or a chocolate milkshake?

not down on coolant, oil is slightly darker than new, not frothy.

Hmm. In my experience, white smoke is coolant being burned. The oil on the floor in the garage was from the exhaust? not from the area where the transmission connects to the engine? or can you see where it is coming from?

Correct, in fact it collected in the exhaust tip and dripped out on the front of the tip since it is sloped toward the front, or muffler. Smoke could have been slightly gray but in the mirror it was very white. I turned it off and it began to dissipate and its appearance was hard to say what color it was then. Now the engine ran not more than 5 minutes total for both trips.

We need some more people to express an opinion, but I would look inside the air intake distributors for a film (possible heavy film) of oil. If you find oil in there, your AOS (the AOS on top of the engine, not the one in the pan) probably let go. The AOS is supposed to send vaporized oil into the intake to be burned in the cylinders. When it is malfunctioning, it can send liquid oil, which, in enough quantity, can cause a misfire - especially for cylinders 4, 5 & 6...your misfire in cylinder 2 does not match this theory perfectly, but doesn't spoil it either.

If you don't find anything there, I would do a pressure test on the coolant system to see if it is leaking. And then compression test the cylinders. I might also drain the oil and take a hard look at it (maybe even send off for analysis - Blackstone Labs does the oil on my track car) to be sure there is no coolant in it.

Hope you are right. Just saw a post on another forum and the AOS is exactly what several folks there said happened to them. There were photos of how to check for more than just a light film and how to replace the AOS. I can check that out tomorrow and probably do the work myself upon confirming and getting the parts. Thank you for the opinion, I am inclined to agree since there was smooth running up until the heaviest smoke.

[1schoir]

Hope you are right. Just saw a post on another forum and the AOS is exactly what several folks there said happened to them. There were photos of how to check for more than just a light film and how to replace the AOS. I can check that out tomorrow and probably do the work myself upon confirming and getting the parts. Thank you for the opinion, I am inclined to agree since there was smooth running up until the heaviest smoke.

Octantman:

What you have described here are the classic signs of a faulty AOS. The only thing you haven't done is to check for excessive pressure at the oil fill cap which, if the AOS is shot, will be so strong that it will be difficult to actually unscrew and pull off the cap.

However, since you are getting liquid oil dripping out of the exhaust, you have got to be careful not to run the engine because you run the risk of "hydrolock", which could cause major engine damage. This can occur when oil gets sucked into the combustion chamber and the pistons try to compress the oil.

Pull off the air intake where it connects to the throttle body and if you see some oil pooled on the bottom of the throttle body, you don't have to look any further. Replace the AOS.

Go to Mike Focke's Boxster Pages and you will find a nice photo of the kind of smoke you can expect to see when an AOS goes bad, and some good DIY information, here: http://mike.focke.googlepages.com/airoilseparatorreplacement

Regards, Maurice.

[RFM]

I would start with the AOS as members Maurice and ericinboca suggest.

[octantman]

I would start with the AOS as members Maurice and ericinboca suggest.

Agreed on all points, pooling oil in the y tube. The bottom of my AOS has a tube coming down and turning into the side of the engine. I cannot see 2 bolts holding the AOS to the engine. Will this be easier than the procedure you reference? I looked at it and the unit is different. The round top of the AOS is oriented vertically and the tube to the throttle body is not long, maybe 4" and flex tubing.

I'll order the parts and will be able to tell by the new what I will be up against.

Thanks guys, you are right on the money.

[ericinboca]

I would start with the AOS as members Maurice and ericinboca suggest.

Agreed on all points, pooling oil in the y tube. The bottom of my AOS has a tube coming down and turning into the side of the engine. I cannot see 2 bolts holding the AOS to the engine. Will this be easier than the procedure you reference? I looked at it and the unit is different. The round top of the AOS is oriented vertically and the tube to the throttle body is not long, maybe 4" and flex tubing.

I'll order the parts and will be able to tell by the new what I will be up against.

Thanks guys, you are right on the money.

Replacing it is not too hard - awkward, but not too bad. I replaced my stock AOS in my track dedicated 986S with a Porsche Motorsports AOS; you can see my DIY in the 986 mods section. You will not have to do all that I did with the motorsports AOS, but you can get the idea of how to get the thing out and how to put a new one back in. Be sure you get the tube on the bottom back on secure.

[octantman]

Hope you are right. Just saw a post on another forum and the AOS is exactly what several folks there said happened to them. There were photos of how to check for more than just a light film and how to replace the AOS. I can check that out tomorrow and probably do the work myself upon confirming and getting the parts. Thank you for the opinion, I am inclined to agree since there was smooth running up until the heaviest smoke.

Octantman:

What you have described here are the classic signs of a faulty AOS. The only thing you haven't done is to check for excessive pressure at the oil fill cap which, if the AOS is shot, will be so strong that it will be difficult to actually unscrew and pull off the cap.

However, since you are getting liquid oil dripping out of the exhaust, you have got to be careful not to run the engine because you run the risk of "hydrolock", which could cause major engine damage. This can occur when oil gets sucked into the combustion chamber and the pistons try to compress the oil.

Pull off the air intake where it connects to the throttle body and if you see some oil pooled on the bottom of the throttle body, you don't have to look any further. Replace the AOS.

Go to Mike Focke's Boxster Pages and you will find a nice photo of the kind of smoke you can expect to see when an AOS goes bad, and some good DIY information, here: http://mike.focke.googlepages.com/airoilseparatorreplacement

Regards, Maurice.

Maurice and ericinboca:

Thank you for the advice, it encouraged me to do this myself.

I have the AOS off, and the throttle body and two ducts between the intake manifolds. This item is different, for sure. Did NOT need to jack the car up. I'll post photos and a little of my experience tomorrow, but meanwhile here is the part number for a 2006 Boxster 2.7:

996.107.026.00

No bellows. Rubber "L" tube out the bottom fits into side of engine. Short angled tube fits straight down into the engine. Two machine screws hold the unit to the base. Y tube fots onto side and that into the throttle body.

Oil everywhere. I took everything on top off and cleaned well, except the intake manifolds, but I put shop rags on a wire and got a lot of oil out. Hopefully only a small amount left. The car ran less than a minute after the thich white smoke started so I probably am OK. Only faults were misfires in 3 cylinders. There was more oil on the 4-6 side so that makes sense that fault was 2, 4, 5.

I am not even a weekend mechanic but it was not a big deal since the posts and photos were good enough to allow me to anticipate the steps. Just tedious and to save $600 or more I don't mind tedious.

Thanks again,

Alan.

[ericinboca]

Hope you are right. Just saw a post on another forum and the AOS is exactly what several folks there said happened to them. There were photos of how to check for more than just a light film and how to replace the AOS. I can check that out tomorrow and probably do the work myself upon confirming and getting the parts. Thank you for the opinion, I am inclined to agree since there was smooth running up until the heaviest smoke.

Octantman:

What you have described here are the classic signs of a faulty AOS. The only thing you haven't done is to check for excessive pressure at the oil fill cap which, if the AOS is shot, will be so strong that it will be difficult to actually unscrew and pull off the cap.

However, since you are getting liquid oil dripping out of the exhaust, you have got to be careful not to run the engine because you run the risk of "hydrolock", which could cause major engine damage. This can occur when oil gets sucked into the combustion chamber and the pistons try to compress the oil.

Pull off the air intake where it connects to the throttle body and if you see some oil pooled on the bottom of the throttle body, you don't have to look any further. Replace the AOS.

Go to Mike Focke's Boxster Pages and you will find a nice photo of the kind of smoke you can expect to see when an AOS goes bad, and some good DIY information, here: http://mike.focke.googlepages.com/airoilseparatorreplacement

Regards, Maurice.

Maurice and ericinboca:

Thank you for the advice, it encouraged me to do this myself.

I have the AOS off, and the throttle body and two ducts between the intake manifolds. This item is different, for sure. Did NOT need to jack the car up. I'll post photos and a little of my experience tomorrow, but meanwhile here is the part number for a 2006 Boxster 2.7:

996.107.026.00

No bellows. Rubber "L" tube out the bottom fits into side of engine. Short angled tube fits straight down into the engine. Two machine screws hold the unit to the base. Y tube fots onto side and that into the throttle body.

Oil everywhere. I took everything on top off and cleaned well, except the intake manifolds, but I put shop rags on a wire and got a lot of oil out. Hopefully only a small amount left. The car ran less than a minute after the thich white smoke started so I probably am OK. Only faults were misfires in 3 cylinders. There was more oil on the 4-6 side so that makes sense that fault was 2, 4, 5.

I am not even a weekend mechanic but it was not a big deal since the posts and photos were good enough to allow me to anticipate the steps. Just tedious and to save $600 or more I don't mind tedious.

Thanks again,

Alan.

Excellent - good news.

[1schoir]

Maurice and ericinboca:

Thank you for the advice, it encouraged me to do this myself.

I have the AOS off, and the throttle body and two ducts between the intake manifolds. This item is different, for sure. Did NOT need to jack the car up. I'll post photos and a little of my experience tomorrow, but meanwhile here is the part number for a 2006 Boxster 2.7:

996.107.026.00

No bellows. Rubber "L" tube out the bottom fits into side of engine. Short angled tube fits straight down into the engine. Two machine screws hold the unit to the base. Y tube fots onto side and that into the throttle body.

Oil everywhere. I took everything on top off and cleaned well, except the intake manifolds, but I put shop rags on a wire and got a lot of oil out. Hopefully only a small amount left. The car ran less than a minute after the thich white smoke started so I probably am OK. Only faults were misfires in 3 cylinders. There was more oil on the 4-6 side so that makes sense that fault was 2, 4, 5.

I am not even a weekend mechanic but it was not a big deal since the posts and photos were good enough to allow me to anticipate the steps. Just tedious and to save $600 or more I don't mind tedious.

Thanks again,

Alan.

Alan:

Way to go! :clapping:

Thanks for posting the differences that you found. Looking forward to the photos and your additional details. I've never heard of an AOS without the additional rubber bellows, so I'm curious to see what you encountered. I'm sure that will help others who encounter the same or similar problems.

Again, hats off to you for jumping right in. Treat yourself (or your Boxster) to something nice with the money you saved!

Regards, Maurice.