Here's an interesting 'issue' (or is it?) relating to Porsche's Bosch Engine Management systems on the 996. Simply, resetting your engine's control computer results in VERY marked improvements in the car's performance that 'goes off' again over a few hundred miles.
I'm now on my second 996 - the first was a 3.4, this one a 3.6. This 'phenomenon' can be repeated time after time on the 3.6 and was just as marked on the 3.4.
You can try it yourself - it's totally harmless to your car. Either disconnect the negative termnal to the car's battery for a couple of minutes (remember to have the ignition - but not the engine - switched on when you do this or the damned alarm goes off!) or alternatively remove fuses B8, C1 and C2 for a couple of minutes and replace. (Check your car's fuse allocations first to make sure they're the same as mine. You should remove those relating to Engine Electronics and Fuel Injection). Either method resets the car's engine management computer.
I suggest you do this when your engine is hot so you can go for a drive immediately after you've replaced the battery lead or fuses. After about 2 minutes running you will be astounded at how much torquier and accelerative the car is and how much better it sounds.
If this turns out to be repeatable in many owners cars then we are possibly looking at a design or programing issue in the engine management. I believe it stems from the unit's ability to 'learn' your engine (it stores modifed ignition retard values and mixture correction values for each engine that it 'learns' over a few miles). I believe it is programmed to back the settings off too far and is ruining the performance of our cars.
I will be very interested to hear from anyone who fancies trying this 5-minute exercise, especially as it has been repeatable for me on 2 cars.
Looking forward to your experiences and replies
Ian W
I'm now on my second 996 - the first was a 3.4, this one a 3.6. This 'phenomenon' can be repeated time after time on the 3.6 and was just as marked on the 3.4.
You can try it yourself - it's totally harmless to your car. Either disconnect the negative termnal to the car's battery for a couple of minutes (remember to have the ignition - but not the engine - switched on when you do this or the damned alarm goes off!) or alternatively remove fuses B8, C1 and C2 for a couple of minutes and replace. (Check your car's fuse allocations first to make sure they're the same as mine. You should remove those relating to Engine Electronics and Fuel Injection). Either method resets the car's engine management computer.
I suggest you do this when your engine is hot so you can go for a drive immediately after you've replaced the battery lead or fuses. After about 2 minutes running you will be astounded at how much torquier and accelerative the car is and how much better it sounds.
If this turns out to be repeatable in many owners cars then we are possibly looking at a design or programing issue in the engine management. I believe it stems from the unit's ability to 'learn' your engine (it stores modifed ignition retard values and mixture correction values for each engine that it 'learns' over a few miles). I believe it is programmed to back the settings off too far and is ruining the performance of our cars.
I will be very interested to hear from anyone who fancies trying this 5-minute exercise, especially as it has been repeatable for me on 2 cars.
Looking forward to your experiences and replies
Ian W
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