pomocanthus

Ummmm ... I'm learning a lot but what's with all the hostility?!?! We're all civilized Porsche owners here. Let's leave the hostility for the road and those Corvette owners :lol:

Uh...did you RTFM? :oops: Hmmmmm ... mine didn't come with a manual, at least not a comprehensive one. The install CD only had software itself and VERY basic connect instructions. Is there supposed to be a manual with details on what readings are and what the normal range should be?

It's not a matter of believing or not; just trying to better understand why.

Bob, How do you know which needs replacing? There appears to be the lower control arm, track arm, control arm link. Thanks, Hung

Thanks to everyone for the inputs. It's been rainy and cold the last few days so I haven't been able to try anything with the car. Coincidentally, she has been purring like a kitten w/o a sign of heat shield resonance (I'll coin the term HSR). Aside from heat shield clamps and fasteners, are there other means for keeping them from vibrating? I'm thinking there are probably high temperature silicone or foam that I can use to dampen whatever is loose. I'll look this up and report if I find something easy, cheap, and available ... (insert your joke here) :P Sorry I couldn't help that one. Hung

If idling is bad for cats and O2 sensors does that imply that while idling, there is incomplete combustion?

Thanks Stefan. I will give that a try. The only reason I concluded that it wasn't the heat shields is because of the apparent dependency on the RPM range (BTW I don't have a super Boxster, that is 2500 not 25000 RPM) and how I have to feather the accel to get the noise. I guess it is possible for the loose heat shield to have resonant frequency near that of engine at these RPMs. Do I need to remove the post cat O2 sensors before banging on the muffler? I've heard that they are sensitive to shock. Will report back with solution (hopefully) Hung

Need some help from the experts. Car: 2.5 '99 Tip, 82K miles no CEL runs fine, decent acceleration (except when noisy - could just be paranoia) Service Record: new engine around 60K miles because of RMS failure recent oil change w/ Mobil 0W40 new air filter precat O2 sensors 5K miles old new post cat O2 sensors new spark plugs MAF 5K miles old new AOS cleaned throttle body, ICV, intake manifolds (areas that I could reach) new polyrib belt rotors and pads 10K miles old Problem: A buzzing or grinding noise between 1000 and 25000 rpm sound seems to come from driver side intake manifold as if something inside is vibrating happens only intermittently from day to day (if noisy one day then will be noisy all day, if no buzz one day then quiet all day) happens when I'm trying to keep a certain speed on highway; ease off on accel then lightly depress to maintain speed not as noisy when accelerating hard happens when in gear or in park What it isn't: not loose spark plugs (tightened to 21 ft-lbs with torque wrench) not leaky intake (no engine surge with carb cleaner or propane spray) not pulleys or polyrib belt (ran car briefly w/o belt and no noise, spun pulleys by hand and looks true) doesn't seem to be any loose body panel, heat shield, etc. not AC compressor (noisy w/o AC on) What I'm thinking: replace fuel filter check fuel pressure (having hard time finding Shrader valve with correct threads) clean injectors (how? aside from running a bottle of Techron in tank) compression test maybe replace water pump (but wp is on opposite side of engine where noise is coming from) alternator? (same thing - it is not on same side as noise) could a failing power steering pump do this? If you have ANY ideas or suggestions please help. It is driving me crazy! Thanks, Hung

Dez Did you ever get your engine noise problem resolved? You should open top engine access panel and also panel behind seats. Leave your top in service position so that you can listen for noise from the top as well as front of the engine. With car running, you should be able to narrow down the location of the noise. If it is the alternator, the noise should be coming from the upper left (when looking at the front of the engine from behind the seats. If water pump, noise near lower left (again looking from behind the seats). I too am chasing a noise ... metal grinding or flapping. But noise is intermittent and only when I sit on the accel between 1-2000 rpm. My noise seems to be coming from on top of the engine, somewhere near the driver side intake manifold. Let us know your situation. Thanks, Hung

Can somebody repost the sound byte? I am experiencing a strange metal grinding / flapping sound near the intake manifold and was wondering if this could be it. The sound seems to come from the driver side of the intake close to where the power steering fluid fill point is.

The burden of proof is on them to prove that you DID drive the car w/o oil in it. You don't have to prove to them that you didn't. I suggest you send them a written and signed request (certified with delivery/signature confirmation) stating the facts and include the estimate from Porsche for engine replacement. Be VERY clear about the details of when the failure happened. Give a deadline of when you expect an answer from them. Make sure you keep the signed return receipt of your letter. A written letter will show that you're just not going to go away and it is evidence that you tried to make a claim. If they do not reply then it is the same as denying your claim. You then have the option to take to courts with lawyer or represent yourself in small claims court. I threatened the small claims court route and strong-armed my extended warranty company to pay $5K of the $7K it took to replace engine core. Unfortunately, they had a clause in the contract that they can replace with "like or equivalent" parts. I read this as OEM vs non-OEM but they interpretted as "comparable age" parts. I didn't want to pay a lawyer to try and get the $2K. The $2K difference was for a new core from Porsche vs getting a used core from 3rd party. Good Luck, Hung

Why is warming at idle bad for the engine? I don't quite understand the arguments (aside from the wasting gas and going no where :lol: ) Please explain.

Savaas, Any updates on this? Where did you get the picture of the AOS that you posted above? The bellows look totally busted. Did you replace the AOS? Anymore smoke?

Thanks! I ordered one from them for under $1K. Only problem is there is only one available and must be brought in from Germany, if Porsche inventory system is correct. Otherwise, up to 8 months !?!@*$ Waiting on pins and needles, Hung

I agree. The squeaking is NOT from the friction surfaces so chamfering or filing down the pads will do nothing for you. The outside surfaces of the pads are not perfectly parallel with the piston surfaces so when you brake and they engage, they squeak. Having a thin cushion between them (as juniinc stated) is the only way to prevent squeaks. My question is doesn't this layer make your brakes less responsive by being squishy? Isn't the reason we bleed the brakes is to remove air and make the brakes less squishy? Hung

How much oil do you have in the car? About six months ago I was in a hurry and had a chain store change my oil. After bringing my '99 Tip home, the dash indicator showed low oil. I checked for leaks and didn't find any so I added more oil (about a quart). The dash indicator showed oil is full. Since then the car has been sluggish and smokes intermittently (sometimes at startup, sometimes during normal cruising, sometimes at high revs). I cleaned out the throttle body and idle control valve. There was a lot of oil in the J-tube from the AOS to the TB. There was also a lot of oil in the intake manifolds. I thought it was a failed AOS so proceeded to replace. After pulling the AOS, there was no evidence of AOS failure. Bellows was intact and no sign of wear but since I already bought a new one, I installed the new one. I clean off all oil and put everything back together. To my dismay she still smoked after over 100 miles of driving and still sluggish and there was oil once again in the newly cleaned intake and TB. I then changed my oil and drained more than 10 quarts; apparently TOO much oil. I also changed the plugs and there was evidence of oil in 2 of the 6 spark plug chambers (there was oil on the coil packs). Somehow the excess oil worked its way past the plugs. After more cleaning and new plugs torqued correctly, she is running like a champ. No more smoke. Although 82K, she is running like she is 32. Moral of the story is to NOT overfill your oil and use the dip stick as a gage and not the dash indicator. Don't give up! I was ready to throw in the towel when I started reading all the threads here. With the help from Stefan, Bruce, Insite, Tool Pants, and others, I managed to save myself a lot of money and more importantly my faith in the Porsche marque. When hauling butt around a curve, with the engine begging for more throttle, wind in your hair, you realize why you put up with the agony. I can now proudly say I can do most of the servicing myself and no longer fear for my savings when something seem to go wrong. It is another opportunity to learn how my car works. Besides what are you going to do, go back to driving a Camry? Good luck and have faith, Hung

Will do. Thanks again for all your help Stefan.

Baconaire, Did you ever solve the problem? Your solution will help a lo of people with these persistent codes. Thanks, Hung

I'm finally done with my AOS R&R adventure. Many thanks to Stefan, Bruce and others for the direct (e-mails) and indirect (old posts) help. Once Stefan pointed out where to look for the bellows, it was just a matter of patience. Here are some observations I made. 1. removing the J-hose is pretty straight forward but reinstalling new hose took some muscle. The J or hook end that connects to the throttle body is difficult to push into place. There is not much to grab onto. Make sure the connector snaps into place. 2. removing and installing the two 10mm bolts; This is a blind operation. Once you have the car lifted and rear tire off, sit in front of the disc brake as if you're going to bear hug it and reach with your left arm into the opening shown in Stefan's pix. Feel your way around. I always felt for the bellows first as it is the most distinguishing feature. Then use your new AOS as a visual reference to feel your way to the bolts. I didn't have much success with using a wobble or universal joint to help align the socket with the bolts (as mentioned Bruce). I used a short 10mm socket with a stubby ratcheting wrench. 3. removing the hose clamps and releasing the old bellows; a cable operated hose clamp pliers from Sears ( Sears item# 00947390000) helped tremendously. The head on these pliers are a bit large and it was difficult to get it aligned just right to engage the hose clamp but it can be done. It took me a good 1/2 hour of trying. I highly recommend having a helper to squeeze the pliers and lock them while you use both hands to align with the hose clamps. 4. dislodging the AOS; I had to disconnect the oil filler hose that runs across the top of the AOS. Then the trick is to pull the AOS straight up and at the same time lean top of it toward the throttle body. Think of it as pulling up and rotating the AOS toward the driver side rear wheel. 5. disconnecting the middle hose; As someone noted, it is easier to disconnect the middle hose after dislodging the AOS. This hose is flexible and can be moved around quite a bit even when connected. 6. installing the lower hose clamp over the new bellows; similar comments as #3. A helper will makes things immensely easier as you push the bellows down on the metal tube. I didn't have a helper and by some stroke of Divine Intervention, I managed to force the bellows onto the metal tube and at the same time inadvertently releasing the hose clamp. Be careful because a releasing hose clamp can do some damage to your fingers. 7. reconnecting the middle hose; I found it easier to connect this hose AFTER the new AOS is in place but before reinstalling the 10mm bolts. After all this my car still isn't running optimally, but it is running better with less smoke. Now I have to chase down an air leak or clog in the secondary air system. Thanks again to Stefan and Bruce for their help.

I just about finished AOS R&R with help from Stefan and Bruce. I bought one of these pliers from Sears and they did help. The only issue is that the "head" is too long and was hard to get it into the correct position to squeeze the lower hose clamp on the bellows; that is to have the head parallel to the ground and in the correct location. It is a blind operation so you have to feel your way around. It definitely would have been easier if I had a helper to squeeze and lock the handle while I use both hands to align the "head" of the tool with the hose clamp. Where is the oil filler tube by the way? Hung

ToolPants and Insite, Where is the coolant tank overflow hose located? While performing AOS R&R, I noticed a dangling hose (not connected on one end) above and slightly forward of the passenger side pre-cat O2 sensor. This is while looking inside the rear passenger side wheel well. I traced that hose (by feel) back up to the trunk firewall and presumably passing through that firewall into the trunk where the coolant tank reservoir sits (passenger side of the trunk). Is this the coolant tank overflow hose that you speak of? Should the open and dangling end be indeed open and dangling? Where should it be dangling? Its current location seems like it will dump coolant right onto the aforementioned O2 sensor. Thanks for the help, Hung

Here is more from Stefan ... In this shot, the right rear wheel is off and the camera is actually outside of the wheel well. I have circled the lower AOS bolt. The upper one is a couple of inches above that, just barely out of sight from this picture. Here are both bolts, closer. You can just barely see the lower bellows in the upper right of this picture.

Here is what Stefan sent me. I think it will be helpful to others as well ... [Picture 1 is a] picture of a failed attempt when I tried bolting the AOS before putting on the bellows. I couldn't get the bellows to go on correctly. In this picture you can see how the AOS bolts in (2 bolts just under the joint of the mirror). [Picture 2 is of the] AOS properly installed. You cannot see this through the wheel well without a mirror. I held the camera out to ensure that it was installed properly.

Bruce & Stefan, It has gotten dark here and I've given up for the day. I will resume in the morning with your picture. I will keep everyone posted. Thanks for such quick responses, Hung

Bruce, I found your AOS R&R thread. There are some good info there but I still have some questions which I posted there. Can you take a look and help? I have a '99 tip and I think you do too ( a tiptronic that is). http://www.renntech.org/forums/index.php?s...amp;#entry89280 Thanks, Hung