harmonyroadporsche

When I pulled the engine I forgot to mark the two main 996 engine connectors in the engine compartment. It looks like both are unique but I'm paranoid and would like to make sure. Is it possible to reverse the connectors and if so how do you tell which is which?

Thanks for your response. I appreciate the feedback!

I have a 2002 996 with 6 speed manual transmission that has a coolant system problem. The system has a slow leak when placed under vacuum at 25 psi but appears to hold pressure at when put under positive pressure at 13 psi. The coolant reservoir was replaced to eliminate a likely source of leaking coolant but this didn't solve the problem. The car does not leak coolant when it sits cold but does leak coolant on the drivers side of the engine bay when at operating temp. I put flurescent dye in the coolant and after being driven it looks like the source of the leak is in the vicinity of the AOS at the back left of the engine compartment. Is the AOS a potential source of leaking coolant and am I correct in replacing it as my next step? The car puts out a large cloud of white smoke at startup after sitting which I think also indicates that the AOS may be failing. Any advice would be appreciated.

I had previously read Wayne's IMS article. It looks like he's updated it in the last few days as it now says the tensioners should be removed completely versus loosened. So the loosening should be: 1-3 camshaft tensioner 4-6 camshaft tensioner (optional on 5 chain engines - 2002 or earlier) Main IMS tensioner Tightening the above tensioners in reverse order to 59 ft-lb (80 Nm) after the bearing and bearing cover are back in place. Tighten the bearing cover bolts down to 8 ft-lbs (11 Nm). And then torque down the 12 point nut to 24 ft-lbs (32.5 Nm). Button the whole thing up, check timing to ensure no valve on piston contact and then drive with confidence. Thanks for your help!

I will be upgrading to the non-sealed bearing using the LN kit. Since the LN kit comes with the two fly wheel locks I'll go with that method and I'll remove all three tensioners to be safe. It would be nice if I could lock the IMS sprocket with the set screws as well but that may not be possible at TDC. Do you remove the tensioners in a particular order starting the with the Main and following with 1-3 and 4-6? Do you know what the tightening torque is when reinstalling the tensioners?

When doing the IMS replacement procedure is it OK to completely remove the Main and 1-3 tensioners? I've read that you should just loosen them but I've also heard that you should remove them. Also, is loosening or removing the 4-6 tensioner necessary? Since the engine is coming out and the AC compressor will be out of the way it is easy to access it however if it isn't necessary to remove it I'd rather leave it alone. Thanks in advance for any advice you can give me. Thanks! J

For those interested in the location of the Rain Sensor Control Unit this image should help.

Thanks Loren. I will attempt to swap out the Control Unit and see if that helps. Do you know where the control unit is located?

It is a Canadian car and should have daytime running lights, assuming that's what you mean by DRL.

Thank you very much for the wiring diagram! Where does the headlight switch fit into the circuit? Seeing this might help me narrow down the source of the issue. The control unit is the less expensive component to replace so I'm hoping that is the culprit.

Hi Loren. Thanks for the response. Yes, I believe it has the rain sensor option.

I swapped in a new ignition switch this weekend but there was no effect on the problem. Since that was the most likely cause I'm somewhat stumped. Any thoughts on what I can try next?

I have a 2002 996 and the windshield wipers only work if the headlights are on. Some of the posts I've read indicate that the ignition switch may be the cause. Has anyone else encountered this problem? Are there relays, fuses or other thing I can check fist before opening up the dash and replacing the ignition switch?

That definitely looks like tool damage. When I had my targa top recovered the guy who was putting it on used a plastic pry tool to seat the back edge and fractured the black paint on the targa bar. It is surprisingly easy to cause this type of damage. If you regularly service your carat the dealer they should take care of you. When I had my RX8 (the winter beater) in for service last year one of the techs gave it a door ding. I had a word with the service advisor and the dealership repainted the entire door for free, You deserve no less. Good luck!

I've run into exactly the same problem. If you could post the procedure for replacing the solenoid that would be fantastic!

I've most recently replaced the coolant on a 996 and the 997 procedure should be similar. I have been able to get about 80% of the old coolant out. The other 20% hides in the front radiators and would require more disassembly of the front end so the cost benefit of trying to get the last 20% out isn't really justifiable. You really need a lift to remove the coolant since you need to disconnect 6 hoses under the engine as well as 2 hoses in each front wheel well. Doing it in the driveway on jack-stands would be painful. The general procedure is; - Remove the radiator reservoir cap - Pull up the small metal clip on the release valve behind the radiator reservoir cap - Jack up the car and remove the coolant drain plug - Once the flow of coolant from the drain plug has slowed to a trickle you can attack the hoses - Remove both rubber hoses that connect to the coolant drain housing - The remove the shield under the car that covers the transmission, this should expose the two small hoses to the heater core and the two large hoses to the front radiators - Disconnect all four of these hoses - Disconnect the two hoses in the front driver and passenger side wheel wells - At this point you've removed the majority of the coolant (If you only use the drain plug and don't touch th hoses you'll be lucky to get 50% of the old coolant out) - Reconnect all 10 hoses and reinstall the drain plug with a new metal seal - Using an Airlift or equivalent coolant fill tool you will evacuate the air from the system - Prepare a large container of mixed coolant that contains the volume of coolant required in your car and use the coolant fill tool to suck the coolant into the cooling system You'll probably end up with at least 4L of coolant when you're done. Save it for top ups. I hope this helps. J

Did your Cayenne sound like a Diesel at Idle? I have a 2005 8 Cyl Cayenne S on my hands that sounds horrible at Idle. It initially had a number of codes in the Motronic module and after clearing them Cylinder Misfires in 3 and 8 as well as P0346 (Camshaft Position Sensor Bank 2) were what remained. I replaced all plugs and the coil packs for 3 and 8 and although the Cylinder misfire codes have disappeared P0346 remains. I'm just wondering if the rough running of my engine is likely to be resolved by replacing the sensor. Please let me know what your experience was. Thanks! J

You already have some great advice from the other members above. I second the recommendation to flush all the old fuel out and replace the filter for sure. If the car was stored with a partially filled gas tank the tank itself may have become corroded on the inside over time. If you can pull it and have it flushed/cleaned that would be ideal. Drain and replace the oil and filter as suggested. Pull all the plugs and check their condition. Replace them all if the ends are fouled. Put a few drops of engine oil in each cylinder while you have the plugs out for a little added lubrication when you turn over the engine. Try turning the engine by hand when the plugs are out as it will be easier by far than with the plugs in. Use a large wrench and turn clockwise at the fan pulley nut. If the fan belt slips you can pinch it together as you turn the wrench to add more tension. The engine should turn over easily with the plugs out although you my have to put a fair amount of pressure on the pulley by squeezing the belt. If it won't turn over at all or is making nasty noises you may have seized rings in the pistons or other issues that could require a teardown of the engine. Your next step is to turn the engine over with the starter only. Make sure you have a fully charged battery, and make sure that you have disconnected the spark plugs or distributor wire so the cylinders won't fire (alternatively you can leave the plugs out as the engine will turn over more easily). Crank the engine until you see the oil pressure come up on the dash gauge. If the motor turns over with the starter and you see oil pressure proceed to the next step. If it won't turn with the starter then there are bigger issue and you need to seek professional help (for your car that is :-)). Fill the tank with Shell V-Power fuel or an equivalent high grade 0% methanol/ethanol fuel if you can get it. Ensure you've replaced all leaking fuel lines. Install all spark plugs. Reattach spark plug wires and distributor wire if you removed it. Cross your fingers and crank the engine until it fires. Keep an eye on the oil pressure. If it dives to zero during this exercise you should stop immediately. Once it fires up let it idle for a few minutes as Loren suggested and then drain out all the oil. Check for debris and if none is found you can refill and add a new oil filter. Remember to use a new filter for both steps as this will help to protect the engine. 15w50 Mobil 1 is my poison of choice. However Brad Penn oil with a higher ZDDP content is an even better choice i you can get it locally. Before you drive the car I would drain and replace the gear lube as well. Since it has sat for so long there's no telling when the gear lube was replaced and you would hate to toast the tranny on your first drive. I use Mobil 1 gear lube, but gear lube from Swepco is also highly recommended. Let us know how it turns out and good luck! J

In addition to the hard (metal) lines that run underneath the passenger side of the car you will need to check the rubber hoses that connect those lines to the car. If the engine was rebuilt a reputable shop would have replaced these hoses if they were hard and cracked. You should be able to squeeze these hoses and they should flex inward. If they are hard as stones they need to be replaced. As for oil temp, one way to keep the temp down is drive faster :) . At idle the temp will creep up but should fall back in normal driving to the halfway mark or less (at least it does so in mine). As the others above has said, it may also mean you have a kink or blockage in one of the oil lines. Have that inspected, and take it to a shop that knows Porsches, especially old ones. It is very easy to crush the oil lines when putting the car on a hoist. The shop must be very care full when lifting the car, and if you're there at the time of the inspection (which is a very good idea so they can show you what the situation is) take a look under the car as they are lifting it to ensure that they don't damage the lines, and if they do that they replace them. Good luck! J

Another trick you may try is using contact cleaner on the switch. I had power seat issues in my '86 911, i.e. the driver's seat was dead and the passenger seat only tilted one way. By unscrewing and pulling out the switches (as far as the wires would allow) and spraying the hell out of the switch (look for holes you can insert the tube that comes with the contact cleaner) my seats came back to life! It was a lot cheaper and easier than replacing the switches entirely. If you have future problems with the switches just repeat the procedure. I have done it a couple of times (many months apart) and my seats work great. Hope this helps. J