JFP in PA

Aloha Everyone. I have a 1998 Boxster, 2.5 engine, 5 speed. My engine had a blown head gasket on cylinder number three. My mechanic and I pulled the cylinder head and replaced the gasket among many other things. We did not have a manual nor did we know about any special tools to keep the camshaft aligned but we did tie off the chains and marked the camshafts before we removed them. We finished our work on the engine and put everything back as it was. The engine started and ran good but we though it was just a bit off so we changed the camshaft timing a little and restarted the engine. It was worse so we did it again. Again it was worse and got it is so far off we can't seem to find it again. We have spent hours trying to get it re-timed but still no luck.

Is there a way to time the camshafts ( 1 - 3) besides just trial and error? The camshaft timing gear stays in place but the camshafts move sometimes when the bolts are loosened and a valve spring pushes them out of the way. When this happens we have to start all over again. The computer seems to keep the engine from firing when we are to far off which doesn't help anything. Surly we are not the first ones to make this mistake. Cylinders 4 - 6 are still at the original settings as we only pulled down one head.

Any Takers on this one?

Mahalo Nui Loa

David Noon

Trying to do this by trial and error is going to be a nightmare. First of all, there are several speical tools required to time (or "allocate" in "Porsche speak") the cams. Below is the "basic" cam tool set, and none of this stuff is cheap ($600-800 for what you see). You also need to be very careful, if the timing goes off just a tad too much, pistons start hitting valves, and you have a new boat anchor..............

Try putting a voltmeter on the battery. With the engine off, it should read somewhere above 12 volts. When you first start the engine, it should jump up to about 14 volts, and then gradually (over about 15-20 minutes) the voltage will go down slightly. If it doesn't do these things, try replacing the voltage regulator on the alternator. Much cheaper than a new alternator...

A common volt meter is always a good starting point; however, a load tester can do the same things as a volt meter, as well as test the diodes and regulator under high current draw conditions, and can also put the battery thru its paces as it would during an attempt to start the car; things that a volt meter cannot do......... The load tester is a much more flexible diagnostic tool.

Check the level of the battery's charge with a cheap hydrometer (less than $5) from and autoparts store; and check the level of your electrical system's draw on the battery without the car running (should only be a couple of mAmps).

The best way to evaluate this is with a battery load tester. This is a device that can check the battery's static voltage (should be around 12.5V or so) as well as the system voltage with the enigne running (should be ~14.5V). Its biggest advantage is that it can apply a 130A load on the battery which simulates trying to start the car (you apply the load for 15 sec. and what the battery's voltage output). We recently had a 911 in the shop that was doing exactly what you describe, a dealer had recommended a new alternator, battery, and starter were needed (read big $). The battery static voltage looked fine, as did the electrolyte gravity (meaning it was fully charged), and the alternator was putting out ~14.5V. But the car periodically refused to turn over. The load tester said the battery failed under the simulated load (probably an internal mechanica fault that develops under the load). We put in a new battery and the car has been fine ever since.

Find someone near by that has a load tester; or consider buying one (the only cost about $50 and work on anything with a 6 or 12V battery, so it's a nice add to any toolbox)....

In good shape, the engine should compression test numbers in the low 140's (PSIG)...................

8-12% would be an extremely tight engine, with that kind of mileage 15-20% would be realistic; anything over 30% would be an issue.....

No. While it could be condensation from sitting, it could also be a sign of oil/coolant mixing, which could be anything from a failing oil cooler to a cracked head. Proceed with caution.....................

Rather than depend upon the "approved list", which periodically adds and removes products without explanation; as well as "unapproves" products that were once golden, but now are no longer acceptable (again, without explanations), you will still find your self without much guidance.

There have been far too many discussions on this topic, some become quite heated (a lot like attempting to have civil discourse on politics or religion). I've already been down this road too many times to want to wonder through that mine field yet again. If you would like to know which brands and weights I think are good (and why), send me a PM and I will provide you with the benefit of my experience…..

Have you run a load test on the battery with the Snap On MicroVAT ?

JFP, could you elaborate without as much of the nomenclature, possibly with some examples of appropriate brands?

What is UoA? ACEA? I assume A3/B3/B4 are qualities of oil. Yes, I'll google it, too... but that won't give me the context of "oil in my porsche" as if you explain it.

I guess I've been hanging around the BITOG site too much and assumed everyone was familiar with the terminology.

UoA= Used oil analysis. There are several commercial labs that run an extensive battery of tests on oil to help you understand how they are doing under use.

ACEA= European Automobile Manufacturer's Association (http://www.acea.be/index.php) based in Brussels. They represent all the gas and diesel vehicle manufacturers in the EU, and set the standards for various technical areas, including oils. What is unique about their oil rating protocols is that you must become a member to obtain a rating, the ratings are only performed by independant outside labs they have approved, the ratings sytem only tests and rates finished products, and any formulation changes require total requalifying (unlike the API which allows self testing by the manufacturers and other more slack rating qualifiers). They publish "Oil Sequences", which describe all of the required testing and what each rating lable stands for:

( http://www.acea.be/i...7_LD_and_HD.pdf)

Ratings basics (the full testing requirements are too long to get into for a basics discussion, but available on line):

A3/B3 Stable, stay-in-grade oil intended for use in high performance gasoline and car + light van diesel engines and/or for extended drain intervals where specified by the engine manufacturer, and/or for year-round use of low viscosity oils, and/or for severe (high temp/high shear) operating conditions as defined by the engine manufacturer.

A3/B4 Stable, stay-in-grade oil intended for use in high performance gasoline and direct injection diesel engines, but also suitable for applications described under A3/B3. Big advantage of the B4 rating is the inclusion of direct injection, which tends to cause higher fuel dilution of the oil.

So and "A3, B3, B4" oils are for "high performance" gas engines, can stand up to severe abuse and "remain in grade" (continue to demonstrate vis range characteristics as advertised) in applications like your Porsche................

If you are going to switch brands then be sure that you flush all the old out first. The Porsche (ELF) organic antifreeze does not react well with some other traditional antifreezes - that is it turns the mixture into "jello".

So, I think the keys here are antifreeze thats rated for alloy engines and don't mix types.

+1 On Loren's comments. We have had more than one M96 flat bedded in with cooling systems full of partially gelled crud as the result of mixing coolants. Not all brands seem to do it, but when it happens, be prepared for hours of work to clear the system, or paying a lot of $ to have a shop do it. We handle these on a strict "time and materials" pricing basis because you cannot estimate the time needed.

Once you see the bill for trying to save some money on antifreeze, the OEM coolant at $24 a gallon is a real bargin..............

04 cayenne S, psm light just came on. What to look for to fix the problem.

A dealer or an indy with a PIWIS unit........................

I'm not sure about the 2008 gearbox. I thinking of using Amzoil Severe Gear 75W-90.

Mike

Mike,

I bought a 2001 2.7 Boxster last summer, and although it was shifting fine, I decided to changer the transmission oil. I went with the Amzoil 75/90 and ever since the car is difficult to to get into 1st and 2nd gear until the engine warms up a little. It's a little annoying, but I'm living with it. Next time I'll go with the Mobile One. I'm assuming that's what was in there before, but all I know is that the car had been maintained by the porsche dealer up until I bought it.

Geoff

The factory fill is a unique full synthetic product, produced to Porsche specs, which has no aftermarket equivalent. Gear oil manufacturers, at least the honest ones, have said repeatedly over the years that they do not produce an equivalent due to the unique specs. The rest say they "have something that works"............... We have only used the OEM fill in client's cars, and have never had any issues. We have also drained M1, RP, Redline and other makes out of cars that were having shifting issues, refilled them with the factory stuff, and all the problems promptly went away. Always be cautious when dealing with aftermarket blenders, to say the least, they tend to stretch the facts more than a little.........

The introduction of the M97 engine had the larger single row IMS bearing and larger thread size on the IMS hub carrier. The M97 engine is the 3.4 unit fitted to 2006/7 and later model year cars and the uprated 2.7 units for the same period. There is ne definitive answer as to why or how the IMS bearing or carrier fails but its generally accepted if its going to fail it will happen before about 55k miles , usually around the 40 -45k mileage regardless of age or how the car has been driven. It is also suggested that frequent oil changes (ie every 10K) may reduce the risk of oil contamination build up from short or infrequent use. The oil contamination be it carbon or absorbtion of water is also considered a potential contributor to the problem. My advice would be to drive the car for longer rather than shorter journies , ensure it fully up to operating temp before enthusiastic driving , and change the oil at 10 K intervals using a porsche approved oil be it Mobil 1 0-W-40 or 5-W-40 or similar (shell Helix, etc) depending on your location and severity of winter. Mobil 5-W-50 is only necessary for track use.

Wow, talk about misconceptions! First, the IMS bearing fails because it is a sealed unit by design, preventing any engine oil from getting into it. When the bearing seals begin to die, the internal lubricant leaks out, galling begins, causing the failure. Oil contamination is not a factor in how it dies. One of the early "fixes" was to remove the OEM unit and pull the seals off it so that the engine oil could lubricate it. While this helped, the basic components of the bearing were both undersized and the wrong materials; which is why the LN unit uses ceramic balls rather than steel.

As for oil and change intervals, this subject has been covered many times. Mobil 1 0W-40 is a poor oil choice for several reason, one being that it breaks down in a couple thousand miles. You should be using an ACEA A3, B3, B4 rated oil that UoA's have demonstrated holds up; there are 5W-40 and 10W-40 products readily available that more than do the job and fine for any climate other than the arctic, but should still be changed between 5-10K miles..........

Porsche engines no like over fill B)

Oil level is now perfect. Would still like to find a better dip stick, still very hard to tell the oil level on the stick. While the digital guage is good, there is no substitute for the dip stick.

If that's the case, I'd suggest hanging on to your car, later models have no dip sticks..................

I just inspected my IMS Bearing on my 1999 996 and didn't remove the tension from the chain tensioners. I put the cover back on and haven't done anything else. How can I tell if the IMS is in correctly?

Other than to identify which type of bearing you have, without physically removing the unit (using the correct method which involves locking down the engine and releasing the tensioners) and examining it for play, looseness and wobble; you really have not learned much. Both LN and Jake Raby have a lot of information on what to look for when pulling the unit, including videos.

If you are going in that far, you really should have replaced it……………….

Hi,

Anyone know how to clear an airbag failure alarm, its an 03 Boxster 3?

Terry

You either need the OEM PIWIS/PST II computer or a Durametric software system; nothing else will do it...................

2003 Boxster S

Does anyone else find the dip stick in the boxster hard to read? I clean off the dip stick completely and reinsert into the tube. when I pull it out I find it very hard to tell what the oil level is.

Is there an aftermarket dip stick that may be easier to read?

Thanks,

One point to consider is using the oil level indicator on the dash.

The digital guage has arrows for min and max off to the right. There is one bar above the max arrow, does this mean an overfill of oil if that bar is solid?

Depending upon how long the car has been sitting; yes if it has been sitting for a long period before reading, or no if the engine has just been turned off. It takes some time for the oil to cool and settle and get a correct reading......

OK, looks like I have to drain some oil out, must have overfilled.

Try doing a filter change, that will remove about 2/3 of a quart and is a lot less messy....................

2003 Boxster S

Does anyone else find the dip stick in the boxster hard to read? I clean off the dip stick completely and reinsert into the tube. when I pull it out I find it very hard to tell what the oil level is.

Is there an aftermarket dip stick that may be easier to read?

Thanks,

One point to consider is using the oil level indicator on the dash.

The digital guage has arrows for min and max off to the right. There is one bar above the max arrow, does this mean an overfill of oil if that bar is solid?

Depending upon how long the car has been sitting; yes if it has been sitting for a long period before reading, or no if the engine has just been turned off. It takes some time for the oil to cool and settle and get a correct reading......

2003 Boxster S

Does anyone else find the dip stick in the boxster hard to read? I clean off the dip stick completely and reinsert into the tube. when I pull it out I find it very hard to tell what the oil level is.

Is there an aftermarket dip stick that may be easier to read?

Thanks,

One point to consider is using the oil level indicator on the dash.

wanted to check the battery, but couldn't find anything useful in my tool box to remove the bolts. guess i need to buy a new tool...

also in the owners manual, it calls for new bolts and 37ftlb torque to install, while in the service manual, 33ftlb is needed and no new bolts are required.

Looks like an external torx socket, good set costs about $20-30 at Sears and other outlets.....

I think what you need is:

900.219.007.02 screw plug - US MSRP $4.02

900.123.144.30 sealing ring - US MSRP $0.38

Please double-check with your dealer.

Loren

I appreciate the quick response. I'll double check with the dealer on this.

Gus

Thanks Loren

Part numbers turned out to be correct--- although both Porsche Dealers here in Houston seemed hesitant. Seems the part is called a Transmission screw plug as well. With shipping time, etc--took 8 days to arrive. My 2000 2.7 has been on jack stands waiting for this Part ($4.57). During the course of changing the coolant pump and proper coolant flush I stripped the original part--although it was usable, I felt compelled to replace.

Thanks

Gus

Suggestion: Put a small dab of anti seize on the plug before you torque it in; it will come out a lot easier (and without damage) the next time.

does it have to be porsche approved? ;)

or i can add any generic stuff available at auto parts stores? :rolleyes:

It needs to be "N" rated and on their "approved windsheild fluids" list..............