Cayman 2.7 start up exhaust smoke issue

[Motorhead]

Hi Adam,

I assume that you haven’t changed how or where you park the car, e.g. on an inclined drive? If not then possibly it’s due to a failed or failing air-oil separator and something which needs to be attended to as oil in the exhaust will contaminate the cats.

Also, just check the coolant level to make sure that you don’t have a leak.

Jeff

 

[Carbon]

Hi Jeff

thanks for the replay, I did see a lot of mention to the air-oil separator when poking around online.The car is parked as I always park it and I can't see any leaking or low coolant warning lights. Apart from the start up the car seem to run fine.

I'll most likely get it booked in to get looked at by my local OPC, if any work needs to be done hopefully covered by the warranty.

 

[Motorhead]

If as you say you’ve not changed your parking habits Adam then clearly something is amiss, and a failed AOS can lead to significant volumes of white-ish smoke on start-up, although of course it could be something else and best checked-out ASAP.

If you have the Porsche extended warranty I think you should be covered, but you need to check the T&Cs and with your dealer.

Hope you get it sorted.

Jeff

 

[Carbon]

Hi All

iv been having this issue with my cayman (2.7 981) in the recent month, on startup I seem to get blooms of white smoke poring out of the exhaust. The car has never done this before within the 5 years owning it.

The exhaust smokes occasionally on startup, the smoke can range from a small amount to blooms of smoke for 5 to 15 seconds. This happens only on startup, it doesn't seem to matter if the if the car has been stood for a few days or only left for 45min after driving it and getting everything up to operating temperature.

I did take a video this morning will try and get it uploaded.

dose any one else have this issue or know what it could be?

thanks
Adam

 

[911hillclimber]

I've spent a lot of time with this problem on my Boxster, 2009 987.2

The smoke on cold start is alarming, so I fully understand the worry.

You do not say what year your 2.7 is, but Jeff above knows all to well what I went through trying to find a solution which I have.

Here are my comments:

I changed the AOS twice to no avail. It is a hard job to do/get done but OPC or an independent can check it before changing it There is a 20mm dia pipe to the throttle body readily removed and if very wet with oil, change the AOS. Any residual oil will have to gradually drain over time, so not an instant fix.

The car is sensitive to the incline of parking, but mine smoked no matter what level, prob every 4th or so start up.

I dropped the oil level down so that the dash oil level indicator shows 2 empty bars, not 1. This was the fix on my car. No smoke for 12 months since doing that. I have an excellent indie service the car (Zuffenhaus) who slightly under fill at service to give me the 2 bars down indication. There has never been an 'Engine oil' light on the dash at this level.

Maybe you have just had the car serviced and the service oil fill was just too much. It does not take much to induce this irritating condition.

OPC/Indie can remove a litre of oil or so to get the level to 2 empty bars for you and see how you get on. An OPC may refuse to drop the oil level to 2 bars empty as it is outside Porsche specs.

My first port of call was my local OPC and they were less than helpful.

I know a few who run their Boxsters 2 bars empty and have zero problems and helped me reach this conclusion.

Thought I would share my findings and hope you can find a fix.

Should add, the car did and still does run perfectly during the smoking era and after, engine uses no oil.

Good luck, let us know what happens.

 

[Carbon]

HI 911Hillclimber

The car is a 2016 model was close to the end of production line before the new 718.

Im planning on getting it booked in to the Teesside OPC, will be giving them a call first thing Monday morning. Iv found the Teesside OPC to quite helpful in the past let's hope they can help with resolving this issue, will have to see how things go.

Iv always kept on top of the car service and any maintenance needs so far but the car has only covered 29k mikes and has never been tracked. My last service was last year May time and its been running find since then. The car doesn't seem to be going though a lot of oil as its only one bar empty and has been like that for some time.

The car is the same for me only smokes on the start up once its running and driving i dont seem to trailing a smoke screen behind me and there are no profirhmance issues.

[/h1]

 

[911hillclimber]

I've had my 2.9 for over 4 years now, and the huge clouds started to appear 1 year after my ownership.

The dealer I bought it from was weak on the subject of course, now out of business.

It is oil getting into the inlet tract prob via that hose from the AOS, you only need a drop.

When parked up the chance of oil gets to run to the head of the inlet valve that might be closed or open/cracked open depending where the engine stops.

Oil in the combustion chamber burns instantly on start-up and 3 secs later the white smoke is everywhere in the county.

The OPC should remove the pipe I mention from the AOS to the inlet tract, easy to do. It should not be really wet.

If they deduce the AOS is faulty (they can tear inside) then they should clean the pipe while they do the AOS.

There may be some oil still in the inlet, but that will be gone in a week.

AOS is about £80 and fitting about an hour DIY. It is an uncomfortable job to do!

I suspect the AOS, but a failure at those miles is unusual IMHO, but these are modern Porsches and are fragile.

 

[malarcy]

Would echo the AOS comments.

If you have a good relationship with OPC then they may well go ahead and swap it based on the description and the video evidence. If not then there is a 3rd party diag tool that I know some indy's have that measures crankcase vacuum - which is a measure of AOS "failing" perhaps OPC have similar ( or a Porsche version )

I know someone who had multiple alarming error codes thrown for the PDK gearbox, and analysis the codes were related to "the ecu and the gearbox getting upset over varying info about airflow and the gearbox was trying to avoid damage apparently. By the use of the 3rd party device they swapped the AOS - all issues resolved! - And he never had the startup smoke issue.

Good luck with it. Interested to hear the outcome.

 

[Motorhead]

Following on from Paul’s comment, an indication of AOS failure is difficulty in removing the oil filler cap due to the higher crankcase vacuum. This was the case on my old Mk5 Golf GTi and was accompanied by erratic idle/low-speed behaviour.

Jeff

 

[malarcy]

Following on from Paul’s comment, an indication of AOS failure is difficulty in removing the oil filler cap due to the higher crankcase vacuum. This was the case on my old Mk5 Golf GTi and was accompanied by erratic idle/low-speed behaviour.

Jeff

Good point Jeff - My Audi did similar - think the system there is "PCV" but i think the function is largely the same.

Bit of a write up here, for interest.

https://myemail.constantcontact.com/Tech-Tuesday--Understanding-the-PCV-System-and-AOS----by-Tony-Callas.html?soid=1107025842595&aid=eTkBY9h8Ej4

 

[911hillclimber]

Following on from Paul’s comment, an indication of AOS failure is difficulty in removing the oil filler cap due to the higher crankcase vacuum. This was the case on my old Mk5 Golf GTi and was accompanied by erratic idle/low-speed behaviour.

Jeff

Good point Jeff - My Audi did similar - think the system there is "PCV" but i think the function is largely the same.

Bit of a write up here, for interest.

https://myemail.constantcontact.com/Tech-Tuesday--Understanding-the-PCV-System-and-AOS----by-Tony-Callas.html?soid=1107025842595&aid=eTkBY9h8Ej4

Agree with the sucktion on the oil filler cap, but it was not that noticeable on my AOS tests.

The first (original to the car) I cut it up expecting a tear in the diaphragm, but none, however, the two sides of the diaphragm were equally wet with oil.

You might get an assurance from the OPC anlysis that changing the AOS will fix it, and if that fails you don't pay?

G.

 

[Carbon]

Hi All

Thanks for all the info and help on this. just thought I would give an update.

I managed to book the car into the Teesside Porsche center and thanks to Samantha and the technicians there, they managed to diagnose the issue. The issue being the oil-air separator as you all have mentioned above, I'm now having the part replaced and hope to get the car back soon.