911 Bad Cam Adjuster Wiring Harness Causes the C1 Fuse to Blow

[deane.barker]

My 1999 911 Carrera started smoking at a streetlight. Very smelly blue smoke was coming from under the engine cover. I pulled over and popped the cover. Blue smoke was coming from somewhere under the engine (not the exhaust). The engine stopped very suddenly.

 

We don't have a local Porsche dealer, but the Subaru dealer owns a bunch of 911s and he has a couple Porsche mechanics. I had it towed there.

 

The C1 fuse ("Engine Electronics") was blown. They replaced it, but as soon as they turned the key, the "cam adjuster wiring harness" (I do not know what this is) began to smoke, and the fuse blew again.

 

They disconnected the cam adjuster wiring harness (I don't know what this means, and neither did the service advisor), and the fuse stayed intact, and they got the car started. They were able to drive it out to the parking lot with no problems.

 

They said I need a new cam adjuster wiring harness (again, no idea what this is), and this would require an engine out repair, which they could not do. They estimated this work at $5,000 to $6,000.

Additionally, they did not know how drivable the car was with a disconnected cam adjuster wiring harness.

 

So ... how bad is this?  (Service report image attached.)

Edited July 28, 2020 by deane.barker