ADVICE NEEDED - MIS-FIRING ENGINE - MAIN DEALER ADVISE

[adrian996]

QUESTIONS: 1.   Has anyone experienced this problem , and if so how was it fixed , at what cost? 2.   The Porsche dealership advised me that the engine would need to come out but when I advised that I was taking additional advise they changed their mind !! Thoughts? 3.   The car is just 3 months out of warranty. With a car of this age & mileage should Porsche consider a goodwill payment?

Hi Jon. Flippin' heck, that was a bit of a close one! A bloody good job that you appear to have more sense than money, I'd say! 1. No (thank God!) but I'd say that it could be something like one or more of your coil packs (they sit on top of you spark plugs and are very exposed to both extremes of hot and cold). My car isn't garaged either and my independent has told me that one of the six is cracked and will need replacing soon - but I will wait for (guess what the symptoms are, Jon?) the engine management light to come on or for it to start missing!! I'll then replace all six at the same time - false economy not to - at about £35 + VAT a piece. 2. As I say - very close call and (despite my opinions of OPCs) no one could argue that that stinks to high heaven! I've heard some people say (sic) that garages - including OPC - are doing anything that they possibly can at the moment to raise revenue. I took my Dad to a Fiat dealership today to look at the new 500 (V.cool!). The atmosphere in there was akin to wadding through treacle. There were about 8 salesmen there - all just sat down frantically looking for work to do - mainly on their laptops. You've got to feel sorry for these guys - they must be cacking it. 3. I would refer to answer No.2 here, Jon! Bang the drum as loud as you can with Porsche UK - I would by-pass your OPC - it usually gets things sorted far more quickly (mention a letter to Andy Willman - editor @ Top Gear, etc.) and explain how close you came to loosing the contents of your wallet! Let us know how you get on. Hope it is nothing more than this. Adrian.

 

[Billygoat]

Background

I own an October 2004 (54) 997 C2 Tiptronic.

I have owned the car since October 2007 and have done 2200 miles since then.

The car is kept outside and not garaged.

The previous owner purchased the vehicle from Porsche Nottingham in March 2007 with 12 months extended warranty. This warranty expired in March 2008. The mileage then was 16000 (March 2007).

The car has done 4900 miles since March 2007.

The car has done 20900 miles in total and is serviced up to date. It has always been maintained throught the main Porsche dealer network.

So, as they say 'it's a proper car'.

The problem

The car has not been used much in the last 6 weeks - maybe 250 miles in total.

Today whilst driving the car the engine management light appeared on the dash display.

The car started to mis-fire especially when stationary.

I limped the car to my local Main Porsche Dealer - OPC (on their recommendation).

To my shock they have advised that the engine needs to be taken out to fully assess the damage !!

Cost 11 hours at £110 plus vat labour only !!

They have advised that they have changed the ignition sensor.

They have diagnosed the following problems:

1. Cam shaft Position on Bank 1 - Timing.
2. Multiple misfires.

Having taken independent advise I notified Porsche that I would get the vehicle recovered and take additional advise. I also mentioned that I am a member of the Porsche Owners Club.

Porsche then advised me that it may not be necessary to take the engine out !! and they would borrow a camshaft solenoid from a spare engine. This may solve the problem.

I have instructed them to proceed with this test.

QUESTIONS:

1. Has anyone experienced this problem , and if so how was it fixed , at what cost?

2. The Porsche dealership advised me that the engine would need to come out but when I advised that I was taking additional advise they changed their mind !! Thoughts?

3. The car is just 3 months out of warranty. With a car of this age & mileage should Porsche consider a goodwill payment?

Any thoughts or ideas would be most welcomed.

Many Thanks.

Jon

 

[Black80XSA]

My first two thoughts were... 1. coil packs- prone to cracking after 4 years, when they get moisture inside they cause misfires and check engine light on dash(should be a visual assessment when car on ramp). DIY £45 each, may need anything from 1 to all 6. Indipendent probably about £70 each fitted, OPC £600 a set fitted. 2. Blocked oilway on tappet (camshaft follower in Porsche speak) - my mate has one on his 986, and got similar symptoms to you. Done under extended warranty - approx £2500 for camshaft, set of tappets, and labour. If i were you i'd assess any goodwill from Porsche (unlikely) and then get the car to an independent. Can't help much in terms of Northampton. Mike at Zentrum in Nottingham, Northway Porsche in Reading. In fact i'd be tempted to call both of those for advice.

 

[robert997]

Agree with the above posts completely. Coil failure a major issue on these due to spray from rear wheels and placement of a drain pipe above the coils 1 and 6. Mine suffered 3 times now and fixed under warranty and extended warranty. Seems most likely to me. Don't expect any goodwill as you didn't extend the warranty I'm afraid, if you do get some, and I hope you do, it's a bonus. I would have thought the engine management system would report coil failure, maybe the OPC need more encouragement to do a proper job. Porsche's cost a bomb when they go wrong, so if no joy from OPC try one of the recommended independents.

 

[Billygoat]

Good news !!!! Silverstone Porsche have confirmed that the camshaft solenoid has worked and the car is back to full working order. Total cost £850 plus a 10% discount for being a PCGB member !! Whilst I am delighted with the news I feel a little concerned that had I not queried their original diagnosis I could have been in for one hell of a bill !! Advise - In future always mention that you are taking independent advise & are a member of the Porsche Club GB - You will find that you will be treated slightly differently !!!!

 

[dereksharpuk]

I'm glad that you are glad ... at paying out £850, If that had been the initial quotation you would not have been! Bottom line here is what Rob has said, Porsches are expensive when they go wrong.... more so with 997 than a 3.2 Carerra, Personally, I would never keep my Porsche beyond the 2 year warranty period without extending it. They are very reliable and getting more so, but I would not like to temp fate. You took a risk by not extending the warranty and have now paid out roughly what that warranty would have cost you. It could have been worse! However, the good news is that you are a member of Porsche Club GB! That helped, in more ways than one. []

 

[Black80XSA]

Well its sorted so go enjoy the car - you might have saved about £300 by finding an independent provided they could diagnose the solenoid fairly quickly without changing other things first !