mylamb

Soooooo... I received the milkshake of death in my coolant reservoir... looks like a new flavor from Ben & Jerry's... Last Tuesday, driving along & the coolant light starts blinking, but when I pull over, the level seems fine. Of course it was too hot to really check it out, so I waited about 2 hours and saw the milkshake in a near empty reservoir. I topped it off with the 50/50 mixture and drove home. Wednesday, after only driving about 2 miles, the temp gauge started to rise - not past 200 but close to it. The fans were all blowing but oddly enough the coolant light was not flashing. I tried to turn on the heater but it didn't really help. About 1 block before my destination, I hear a hissing, then as soon as I turn the corner "BOOM". The idle was still fine and the engine was still running, but when I backed into the spot I could see that the car dumped all of it's coolant in the street. So the BOOM was a coolant breach, not a blown motor as I initially thought. It started fine the next day. I had it towed to the dealership & will post when I hear what they have to say. I'm hoping that this breach will be noticeable. When I had them perform a leak down test in April for the the disappearing coolant, they couldn't come up with anything. Wish me luck!

I believe R&R of the transmission is about 7 hours. Then about 3-4 to do the work. If you call your local dealers/specialists, they will probably give you a rough estimate. My info comes from a local specialist. Be prepared for a wide array of answers, though... I suspect you will hear a $300-$400 difference depending on who you call.

Just got back from the dealership. Another pressure test revealed no external leaks, and they checked the oil cooler & came up with nothing - said it's fine. The service manager & the tech said that since they already pulled the plugs and found no issues, the only thing left is to wait for more symptoms or to start a tear down. All I can come up with right now is to try another shop & see what they come up with when they run a pressure test. I'm going through about 1/2 gallon coolant per week on roughly 100 city miles. None is leaking & very rarely do I get white smoke (3 times in 2 months.) So far, no power loss that I can tell. And wouldn't you know, they offered to have me look at some 987's! HAHA - not in the market just yet... but maybe I should be??? The service manager agreed with me that he thinks it might be a cracked head or block, or possibly head gasket. They originally told me that the head gasket was fine, then today said that they can't really determine anything without a bigger tear down. I'll post once I try the indy shop... Thanks for all of your suggestions.

Check your balljoints. If they are the culprit, you can inject grease or gear lube with a syringe into the boot and the squeek will go away! Thanks! I will try it.

Kamran, What kind of noise was it making? Clunking, grinding, or creaking like an old box spring? My drivers side rear creaks like an old box spring over bumps & during ingress / egress. I was diagnosed with needing sway bar links, but it sounds more like an arm issue to me...

That's the problem - they have already pressure tested it (it's been done twice - once by an indy back in 2008 & recently at the dealership.) They both came up with the same story "we don't see any leaks." Only now, I seem to be going through more coolant than usual & have gotten puffs of smoke on occasion (not the typical kind you get on start up.) I'm trying to get a handle on the problem before it gets worse, but the 2 facilities that I've been to are not cutting the mustard on a diagnosis. I will need to try a 3rd.

This is very helpful - thanks! How many hours do you think it takes to drop the engine & examine the heads? This sounds like a job for a good indy shop, as the dealers rates are now $155/hr. I will def keep you posted. I would prefer to "catch" this situation rather than be stranded...

Yeah, they did a leak down test - found no problems with the chambers or the gasket. I have only had the plume of smoke 3 times - twice under WOT & once at start up. Since the weather improved here in Chicago in 2009, I have averaged 100 miles per week - most are short trips. The warranty doesn't cover seals & gaskets so I would be on my own with that repair. I actually had a small gasket leak back in late 2006 & had to pay for that - not insane - maybe $1500 or so?

They pulled the plugs & found that each chamber was fine. Still, it has to be going SOMEWHERE. They're convinced the leak is not external. I probably just need a new set of eyes on it. There is another shop near my office that I can take it to for an additional pressure test. Yeah, I was always under the impression that coolant would foul the combustion process, but the dealer said that small amounts will burn off and that's why it's leaving no evidence. But small leaks rarely go away, they only get bigger...

Hello, Does coolant combustion always mean you'll need a "new engine?" I have had a gradually increasing coolant loss for a while now. I had it looked at twice with no diagnosis. Then 2 months ago, the dealer replaced the coolant reservoir & a hose. That did not stop the loss. They found oil in the coolant but no coolant in the oil and flushed the whole system. They also pulled the plugs and found no problems with the head or combustions chambers. Yet, coolant needs to be topped off once per week. I occasionally (once every 2-3 weeks) get a puff of white smoke on start up or under WOT near redline. There is never coolant on the ground or garage. I have never had the temp creep above the mid-range. I try to use the official pink coolant to top it off rather than water. The dealer said that if it's not leaking outside, and they checked the oil (and changed it) a couple of times then it is somehow getting into a combustion chamber and being burned off. There's really nothing they can do except wait for the problem to become more noticeable (I am not losing power) or wait for something to break. To do a teardown to look for the cause would be cost prohibitive (their words.) Is this some type of porous block? Is it possible that the engine has worn a hole in itself and is allowing oil & coolant to mix? Any thoughts or suggestions would be appreciated. I prefer not to be stranded or left with a dead car. I do have an aftermarket warranty but I would rather catch this than be forced to rely on their mercy. 2001 Boxster S No mods 58,000 miles Always serviced by dealer or P specialist. 08/03/09 Turned out to be a faulty oil cooler. Covered by warranty & it seems fine so far - coolant level is not dropping & is remaining bright pink. Will post if the problem continues.

I like them! Good job on the install.

YES!!!! Please let us know what you find. I had the EXACT thing happen yesterday on my 986 S. I can't access R, 1, 3, or 5 (feels like jello) but I can slot 2, 4 & 6. I'm taking it to a local shop this week. SERIOUSLY... I hope it's cheap...

Lorent, I had a similar problem with my car (I only have 1 key too.) It sounds like your keyfob needs to be replaced. I put in batteries all the time and it wouldn't permit the fob to unlock the car even though the light was blinking. You can pay full price for a fob or get one at Suncoast Porsche or on eBay & then have it programmed at a dealer (1 hour of labor.) It's a pain & even on a budget, will run you over $200, but I'm betting this will solve your problem. I've spoken with 2 parts & service techs at delerships & they said the design of the fob is flawed and they break all the time. :cheers: