More dead boxsters

[davidc]

Any comment on this:-

2001 3.2S; tried to start, the result being a turning-over noise but with no attempt to fire (i.e. sounding as though no valves were moving!). Eventually started with a clatter like the hammers of hell, so stopped v v quickly indeed. Then, because I didn't believe it, another attempt to start with the same result and an equally quick stop. Later, with the local mechanic in attendance, another attempt - we agreed not even to let it fire as the "turning-over" noise was bad enough.

So after a period of reading all the IMS blogs with increasing gloom, recovered to the experts, who started it (the recovery driver had driven it off the truck before they could stop him), diagnosed it, drained the oil and cleaned the filter (with no bits in it), and can't find anything wrong.

So what has it done? And more to the point, what's it going to do?

 

[Mark_Bennett]

I had a similar issue a year or more ago.

I started the car one Saturday morning, it sounded like a tractor.
Stopped it.
Started again in disbelief... Still a tractor. Stopped and looked around the back. Oily looking smoke coming from the exhaust (with the engine off...).

Called Porsche, who agreed it sounded bad, and "probably the intermediate shaft"
Car recovered to Porsche, oh but the driver didn't go straight there, no... It didn't arrive until after lunchtime on Monday! I of course didn't know this and called Porsche about midday Monday morning- "what car Sir? We haven't got your car..." AUUUGH![]
I have NEVER received an explaination as to what happened to my car over the weekend. I tried going through the complaints procedure and as Porsche wouldn't return my calls I never got a resolution...[] But I digress...[]

Anyway, when it finally got to Porsche they started it, and "couldn't find anything wrong".

It's been fine since.

 

[glewis]

My 2004 Boxster S 550 did exactly the same about 2 months ago. I'd started it the previous night just to move it to make more space on the drive and everything was fine, but only had the engine running for about 30 seconds.

Came out to go to work the next morning, turned the key, engine fired up and OH MY GOD !! I fully expected to see bits of metal falling out of the exhaust. Turned it off straight away, waited a minute and tried again - same thing.

Sometimes when it's been parked for a while, there's a slight tapping for a second or two until the oil gets in to all the nooks and crannys, so I thought I'd be brave and let it tick over for a while. It did get a little quieter but still pretty noisey.

Took it for very gentle drive around the block and the clatter had subsided to "tick tick tick" like a sticking tappet or something. The car is covered by an extended warranty so I thought, "what the hell" and drove to work".

By the time I got there, everything sounded completely normal and (touch wood) it's been fine since. I can't help wondering if the very brief start up and switch off the night before had anything to do with it though, so since then, I've always made sure that if I start it, I let it run for a least two or three minutes before switching it back off.

 

[tscaptain]

Found this quote on a US forum
"Upon cold start engine may emit sound like chains dragging over piece of heavy wood for a moment but it should quiet right down."
http://www.boxa.net/forum/lofiversion/index.php/t36360.html
Yikes!
How long had it been standing for in this very cold (well for this country) weather? Oil slow to circulate, etc? Interesting that having replaced the oil with, presumably, warmer oil no prob found. Who were the "experts"? Having done a quick scan around the www it doesn't seem that rare a problem. Would worry the hell out of me though!

 

[davidc]

But the interesting thing is not the rattle, but the non-firing turn over. Normally the car starts at once - this time it didn't. It gave the impression that things weren't happening in the cylinders. And yes, the weather had been cold but not excessive (not enough to prevent the 912 starting!)

Otherwise I can only go back to the days when AFN's service department was a cupboard at the end of the showroom, and Laurence Hardwick answered the customer next to me who was complaining about a noise when he started his car - "Well doctor, you should know - morning sickness........"

 

[tscaptain]

Do you get any smoke from exhaust on cold start? I know these horizontal cylinder engines are prone to getting small amounts of oil in the cylinder when left for a while and I've read other reports of this being a relatively common occurance. Is it possible for the plugs to get a bit oiled up? Not familiar with Boxster so just having a stab in the dark![] On the other hand if it is "morning sickness" I wonder what the gestation period is?! Good luck with it anyway, David

 

[BrianJ]

Mine did that once after I had started it and run it for about 2 mins to move it. Next time an hour or so later it wouldn't start at all. Turned over but no sign of firing. Engine management had apparently decided that supplying any fuel would kill the cat and shut off the fuel supply. Left it all day then it started up but made one hell of a gruesome din like a tractor until it had run for a couple of mins and cleared out all the partly burnt combustion products, then engine mgmt returned to normal. If you read The Telegraph, "Honest John" continually tells people with cars of all types with catalysts not to start them from cold, run them for a couple of mins and then turn them off again. Since then, each time I want to move it from cold (eg to wash it), I go for a run down the road - no further probs in 5 years.

 

[Rockape]

IMO? Missed out on what that means?

 

[InnerSphere]

IMO = In My Opinion

On the car thing - I had the same with my Cayman. They really don't like not getting all the oil properly circulating or getting the cats properly cleaned out from the fuel dump when they first start. It messes up the readings to the ECU and it tries to compensate by turning the flat six into a diesel tractor engine It also makes it difficult to start as you experienced.

As others above have suggested - let it run till it smooths out again. I always let my car run till the engine smoothed out - even before pulling off to avoid loading it. This was normally around 90 seconds unless it stalled and had to start again - cue the above problems again.

Hope this helps
Graeme