AviSalem

On 8/20/2017 at 10:17 PM, AviSalem said:

Hey Guys,

 

So I am slowly trying to get things figured out with the car when I get some free time (I have 7 month old twins). I built a DIY smoke machine I saw on YouTube, I just need a couple more barbed fittings to hold the tube into the vacuum lines. With the car in service mode, I activated the Fuel Evap Purge selection on the Durametric and heard and felt nothing from the valve under the intake plenum that goes to the TB. Could this be stuck open and causing the large evap leak P0455 and causing my issue? Is there a way to clamp off the hose and recheck the TRA values to see if they go normal with no Evap system? 

 

Thanks

@Loren @JFP in PA @Ahsai I need help guys, please! Does the durametric even operate the regeneration valve under the intake plenum or is that activation for the valve by the carbon canister?

Any help out there?

Hey Guys,

So I am slowly trying to get things figured out with the car when I get some free time (I have 7 month old twins). I built a DIY smoke machine I saw on YouTube, I just need a couple more barbed fittings to hold the tube into the vacuum lines. With the car in service mode, I activated the Fuel Evap Purge selection on the Durametric and heard and felt nothing from the valve under the intake plenum that goes to the TB. Could this be stuck open and causing the large evap leak P0455 and causing my issue? Is there a way to clamp off the hose and recheck the TRA values to see if they go normal with no Evap system? 

Thanks

Hello All,

I have a 1999 Boxster. I recently had fault code 34 for the Central Locking unit. I switched out the interior sensor and now I am getting fault code 22. Any help on this? I'm not sure what the difference is between the two codes.

Thanks!

41 minutes ago, Ahsai said:

Then it's likely you still have intake/vacuum leak then.

Yep, TRA and TRA2 are at .37.

FRA is .95

FRA2 is .97

17 minutes ago, Ahsai said:

Did you reset the DME and do you currently have P0455, P1124, and P1126?

 

P1124 and P1126 are triggered by engine running too lean (intake air leak) or low fuel pressure/flow. If the FRA values (fuel trim under load) are fine, TRA points to air leak.

Yes I currently have P0455 and P1126, P1124 was pending.

I cleared the codes and had the battery unplugged a while during a window regulator replacement, does that quality as a reset? I will get the values shortly...

6 minutes ago, Ahsai said:

Also did you power the IAC with a 9v battery intermittently to make its rotor turn when you cleaned it?

This I have not tried yet after cleaning!

7 minutes ago, Ahsai said:

Have you checked your gas gap's o-ring and see if there are cracks? After you fixed all the vacuum leak that you could find, you may want to reset the DME and drive the car again and see what codes come back and if the TRA values have improved. All the fuel trims will be reset to 0 so you will need to drive your car for a day or so for the DME to readapt and then the fuel trims will be more of less accurate.

The gas cap was the first thing I tried, made no difference even with a new one. Also I completed this fix a couple of weeks ago, and checked the values. They are all within 3-4 of being perfect.

Hi All,

Sorry for the delayed update. I found a couple hoses broken and disconnected, I used the carb cleaner technique to find my vacuum leak. I am still having the same issue with the A/C on. I also have codes P0455, P1124, and P1126. I have seen many posts relating to P0455 and what can cause it, but I haven't found a write up on how to test the various components. Any help is appreciated.

Thanks

Avi Salem 

1 hour ago, Ahsai said:

What John suggested above and also check the whole intake path after the MAF sensor for air leak (spray carburetor cleaner on suspected area carefully and have a fire extinguisher close to you). Also check if you have any vacuum hoses disconnected.

Thanks, I will have to try that when I get another chance, I did pull the oil filler cap with the car running, the idle seemed actually better and smoother with the cap off.

On 6/27/2017 at 0:51 PM, Ahsai said:

TRA at .37 but FRA looks great means that you have a large intake air leak, somewhere common to both banks.

Typical places of air leak: oil filler tube cracked, rubber air intake to throttle body not seated well, vacuum leak (vacuum hoses), the elbow on the left intake manifold that connects to the brake vacuum line.

Hey Ahsai,

Last night I blew smoke into the J tube coming from the AOS to the throttle body, did not detect and smoke coming out anywhere, even manually turned the butterfly on the throttle to see if I could get anything coming out from that end. Also blew smoke through the J tube the other way, towards the AOS, and still didn't see any leaks. Should my next step be trying to pull the oil filler cap off the car to see how much vacuum it's pulling? On a side note, after reconnecting everything and starting the car, I kept get engine misfire codes with the CEL blinking, needed to clear these out and keep my foot on the gas to keep the car running smooth, eventually it ran ok by itself. The TRA/2 are still running .37.

Thanks Ahsai, I hope I can find the leak, I don't have a smoke tester. I do use a vape, maybe a couple of puffs to the engine bay will help 

On 6/25/2017 at 8:12 PM, Ahsai said:

TRA=+0.37 (adding 37% more fuel at idle) means the engine is pegged at full lean on that bank. What's the TRA on the other bank?

Vacuum leak like John said.

 

FRA close to 1.0 is fine.

Hey guys, 

FRA is .99

FRA 2 is 1.00

TRA is .37

Tra 2 is .37

Load signal is 1.15

Air mass varies from 15.75 to 16.25

14 minutes ago, Ahsai said:

Like John said above and look for FRA and TRA (or RKAT).

I actually looked at FRA and TRA, sorry for the confusion. One was at .94 and the other was at .37, looked like the 2 banks had different numbers

3 hours ago, JFP in PA said:

 

If you have a lean condition, I would be looking at the fuel trim values.  The car should not be running lean, usually the result of a small vacuum leak somewhere in the intake system.

Hi JFP,

I don't think the Durametric offers the trim values for the 986, I just looked through all the options and couldn't find it. Is there anything else I can check? Also, I find it so strange that I can rev the engine in neutral with the air conditioner on and not have a problem, but when driving and shifting gears, I have a problem. I would think if the A/C is pulling too much load, I would have the same issue when I rev the engine and release the gas in neutral.

Thanks

11 minutes ago, JFP in PA said:

You haven't mentioned any codes being thrown, so I will assume there are none.  The DME is supposed to respond to the activation of the compressor by telling the engine to increase RPM and ignition timing slightly to compensate for the additional load created, making the process rather seamless.  One suggestion I might offer is to check your car's MAF values to see if they are inline with specs.  You might also try pulling the MAF sensor and cleaning it using a quality aerosol MAF cleaner to see if that makes the MAF more responsive.

Thanks JFP. I will have to check the codes in the AM, but I know they relate to both banks running lean. I probably should've added that in my initial post! I have already pulled the MAF and sprayed it with cleaner, as well as cleaned the throttle body and IAC. The car has been running this way since I bought it though. I have The durametric, what values should I be looking at? Also, this doesn't occur during idle, I can clutch at a red light with no issues, it only occurs switching between gears.

Thanks!

So this is a little strange to me. When driving my 99 boxster without my air conditioner on, car drives great, press the clutch and put in neutral, and RPM goes down to just below the 800 Mark and is steady. With the A/C on, in any gear I'm in, and I press the clutch and hold (coming to a stop), the RPMs drop to around 400 rises back up to about 800 and begins hunting before the idle goes back to normal at just below 800 RPMs. Reading up wherever I could, it's sounds like a vacuum leak, but wouldn't that affect the car both when the A/C is on and when it is off? Also worth noting that when shifting gears with the A/C on, I have to give some gas as I'm clutching just so that when I release the clutch for the next gear, my RPMs are high enough. Essentially the RPMs are dropping way to quickly with the A/C on.

Any help is appreciated, thanks.

Avi

Hey All!

Great news, I bought a relay and it fixed my problem. Windows drop and convertible top works! I didn't think it was the relay but I got a good deal on a used one and I'm so happy it worked! Thank you all so much for your all of your help, couldn't have made it through this without you guys! Have a great weekend.

With much thanks and gratitude,

Avi

On 5/6/2017 at 9:12 PM, Loren said:

Unfortunately if it is beyond the common faults like the handbrake microswitch or a physically damaged part then is will take more diagnosis. Sorry.

Hey Loren,

Would you happen to have a wiring diagram for the convertible top system?

Thanks,

Avi

11 minutes ago, Loren said:

Unfortunately if it is beyond the common faults like the handbrake microswitch or a physically damaged part then is will take more diagnosis. Sorry.

Thanks for the help Loren, you guys are all great! I will definitely follow up with what I find, I will probably end up taking it to the dealership sooner or later.

With big thanks,

Avi

16 minutes ago, Loren said:

You are just guessing without one of these tools - and that can get expensive fast when you buy parts you do not need.

Most good Porsche independent shops have one of these tools.

 

Thanks Loren, I'm definitely not looking to throw parts at it, I'm just hoping and searching for any way to troubleshoot myself.

1 minute ago, Loren said:

A Porsche PST2 or PIWIS have quite a few more options and tests they can perform on tops.

Hmm I really don't want to go back to the dealer as I just spent  $1,200 with the alarm system and new key. Are there any other troubleshooting steps I can perform myself? Right now when I test the voltage on the 3 pin connector that connects to the latch I only get 4.5v. Like I wrote earlier, I failed step #8 on the relay test.

29 minutes ago, Loren said:

A PIWIS or perhaps even Durametric should be able to tell which switch is not working properly.

I have a Durmateric, but it isn't giving me any faults, maybe I am using it incorrectly?

5 minutes ago, Loren said:

Just to be clear the alarm issue and the top issue or two different issues.

 

Does your handbrake light come and off when applied and released?

Sorry Loren, I was just trying to get your attention ;)

The alarm has been replaced and works at this point for lowering and raising the windows with the switches. 

The brake light does go on and off as it should.