Engine Problem - Help / Advice Needed

[Guest]

My 2.7 Boxster is now 9 months old, having had it's 12k service 5 weeks ago. I've had no problems, that is, until last week I exited a left hand hairpin on a trackday to see an F1 style smoke cloud trailing in my wake !!

The car was warmed up, Oil level wasn't full and to be fair I wasn't pushing it excessively. There was no indication of a power loss or misfire, though an engine mangement warning popped up for 2 secs and then disappeared (and isn't in the system memory now). Dumbstruck, I crept into the pits, and let the car stand for 40 minutes before going home. On startup The engine smoked again, out of the right exhaust (as seen from the back), though all smoking stopped after 2 miles or so. I've pushed the car since, but cannot replicate the problem - it's as if it hadn't happened.

My question is two fold - what could have caused the problem (is it linked to one of the known engine weaknesses?), and more importantly, how should I approach the OPC - should I tell them I was on a track day ?

Thanks for any advice you can offer.

 

[thboxster]

There is a know situation where, because of the position and design of the engine, oil can be forced through parts and result in precisely what you have decribed.

The one difference is that this tends to happen under considerable lateral load. i.e. super grip and a corner that you can generate high g-force (lateraly), which may not fit this situation. In cases where this has happened, the symptoms will subside shortly afterward and there will be no probs.

You've not got slicks on?

I should ask about the colour of smoke as well? White or blue?

 

[JCB..]

(and isn't in the system memory now).

How do you know this?

JCB..

 

[Guest]

The car has the Onboard Computer, within which is the Check feature which lists any warning messages. I presumed this would show me the brief message I saw (that brief I can't remember exactly what it said). Maybe I've misunderstood what the "Chedck Feature actually shows ?

 

[Guest]

Thanks for the note Tony

The car doesn't have slicks, but has 18" Pilot sports so it holds the road well. The bend was a wider than normal left hand hair pin, meaning you could go round it quite fast in 2nd giving a lateral load to the right hand side of the engine (i.e. the side which smoked).

Unsure of the colour of the smoke first time (picking jaw off the floor at the time) - more pale grey rather than distinct blue or white. Smoke when starting later was definitely white though.

Fingers crossed your explanation fits my circumstances - so presume that there's no damage done and no need to go see the OPC ?

Cheers

Darren.

 

[GreigM]

Did you top-up the oil before you went on track? May just be a bit of overfill burning off?

If taking to the OPC I would recommend you DO NOT tell them you were on the track, just say a "spirited" drive, as although there is not printed exclusion for this, they are known to be less helpful.

 

[Guest]

I hadn't topped the oil up - on the digital reading it was two bars from being full (maybe an overspill from when the oil was changed by the OPC during service, but that was 4 weeks prior ?)

 

[gaxor]

Same thing used to happen on my 996 C2, since Porsche no longer utlise a fully dry sump, this happens quite a lot on trackdays

 

[cFirth]

Hi Darren,

I haven't got the on board computer but there is an equivalent engine icon warning light. If this is the one you had on then all it detects is pollution in the exhaust system. Any oil forced into a cylinder will cause "pollution" and should bring on the light. Oil stops light goes out. I have had two experiences of similar lights coming on with other cars. The sensors seem to be very sensitive but go out as soon as the pollution stops. The users hand book gets quite scary and recommends a visit to the dealer but I think their concern is more about un-burnt fuel damaging the catalytic converter if say you had an engine misfire.

I noticed your registration is one character different to mine and your car is the same age as mine did you get yours from Nottingham too?

 

[Guest]

Hi Chris

The message was within the main screen, rather than a warning light but I presume it relates to the same thing. Following the replies to my query (Thanks everyone), it would seem that I haven't managed to do any long term damage to the engine, which is a big relief []

I did get the car from Nottingham right at the end of October last year - small world eh. Not sure how you found them, but it wasn't the great buying experience I'd hoped for, still at least I've got the car which certainly puts a smile on my face. Just to be on the safe side I'll take the car in next week to get them to give it a once over - my stereo's started to play up anyway.

 

[cFirth]

Bland is how I would describe the Nottingham experience. I have only needed to contact them once since taking delivery, to get a phone fitted. Had to ring them 3 times, they never returned my calls, and then they didn't want to know.

After my last mail I went into my garage to get the Boxster out. Flat battery! The only reason I can think of is that the car was left unlocked albeit inside the garage for 4 days.

No problem I have an old-fashioned battery charger which I used to open the bonnet via the fuse panel. 10mm spanner to get the battery terminals off and this should be easy. The alarm must have its own battery. It is bloody deafening and goes off each time you take off one of the battery terminals. No mention of that in the owner's manual!! I wore some ear defenders connected the charger and shut all the garage doors eventually the alarm stopped.

Bearing in mind the car was unlocked and alarm disabled, has anyone any ideas for future reference how to get at the battery without been deafened

 

[Guest]

ORIGINAL: FN53DHE

Thanks for the note Tony

The car doesn't have slicks, but has 18" Pilot sports so it holds the road well. The bend was a wider than normal left hand hair pin, meaning you could go round it quite fast in 2nd giving a lateral load to the right hand side of the engine (i.e. the side which smoked).

Unsure of the colour of the smoke first time (picking jaw off the floor at the time) - more pale grey rather than distinct blue or white. Smoke when starting later was definitely white though.

Fingers crossed your explanation fits my circumstances - so presume that there's no damage done and no need to go see the OPC ?

Cheers

Darren.

Darren

Have had exactly the same problem, not on the track though.

I was taking a friend for a spin and demonstrating the handling abilities when after a tight left hander at a fair old lick, the warning light came on and smoke ensued.

I took the car to my local OPC where they spent over a hour checking everything and taking it on a test drive but could find nothing wrong. There attitude was that these are sports cars and not designed to drive Miss Daisy so they expect their cars to be driven hard. They confirmed this on their road test. When they took the car out, the computer said there was about 150 miles of fuel left in the tank, when they returned after about 10 mins, the computer said there was only about 80 miles left in the tank.... Go figure!!!

No problems since though. Not including my car crash.

 

[geeteethree]

ORIGINAL: cFirth

.

No problem I have an old-fashioned battery charger which I used to open the bonnet via the fuse panel. 10mm spanner to get the battery terminals off and this should be easy. The alarm must have its own battery. It is bloody deafening and goes off each time you take off one of the battery terminals. No mention of that in the owner's manual!! I wore some ear defenders connected the charger and shut all the garage doors eventually the alarm stopped.

leave the ignition on when dissconnecting the battery that way the alarm should not sound (in a perfect world anyway)

 

[Guest]

Situation update - popped into the OPC today (earliest they could fit me in). Service Department chappie said what I'd described was a "common fault" and that he would order some parts which would stop a re-occurence. The problem with the stereo proved to be more elusive - couldn't replicate them (multidisc regularly "ignores" perfectly good CD's, and now the head unit's started turning itself on and off, losing all the settings[]). I suppose one out of two being fixed isn't a bad result though.

Parts being fitted next Monday so will let you know what mystical bits you need to stop it happening in your own motors.[]

 

[Guest]

Car has now been in and the mystical part added - an Oil Separator. Chap wouldn't tell me whether this was a brand new part not originally fitted or a replacement for a faulty one (anyone know ?).

Now all I need to do is get myself onto a track day to see if it works []

Good news about the stereo too - they replaced the head unit and multichanger without me even asking (more concerned about my engine at the time). Gold star to Nottingham OPC !

 

[Guest]

I think it is the oils separator/breather. A friend of mine recently had a "mysteroius" part replaced at his opc in London after he noticed the same problem while driving in traffic.

There has been a modified breather for some time now on both the 996/986