997.1 turbo strange recurring cam CEL
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997.1 turbo strange recurring cam CEL
This is how it went.
I seem to have been having bad luck with the VVTI solenoids in my car. After replacing both of them, the car ran flawlessly for about 6 months.
Recently Bank1 theww a generic P0011 “camshaft performance issue bank1”
Ran like garbage , misfired, blinking CEL.
Dive right in and started least invasive/costly to most. Swapped in new camshaft position sensor, then new Hi/Lo solenoid in the head. No change. Still ran poorly, Assuming that my VVTI sensors were still good.
After that, I swapped that VVTI solenoid from bank 1 to bank 2 and the problem follow the sensor over to bank 2, giving me the identical code for bank 2 (P0021) Note* prior to swapping them, I checked them side by side and powered them up to see if they operated. Visually, everything seemed ok.
BUT The twist. after swapping it, the CEL remained solid and all symptoms previously experienced were gone. the car drove great. Didn’t drive it much because of the weather. But it ran idled and dove fine.
Get the new sensor, instal it, clear code, car rips. After maybe 50 miles of driving and with a variety of conditions, the CEL comes back. Drove it home and IT began to run poorly again.
I can’t figure it out. Problem still on bank 2 and runs poorly. Is my luck so horrible that I have a dud replacement from the stealership?
thanks all
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Joined: Jun 2009
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From: Benton County, AR
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A bad solenoid out of the box is a possibility.
There can be another problem. The mechanism the solenoid is used to activate/deactivate can be bad. I'm not familiar with your model of car and its engine but with my Boxster out of the blue the engine began to run poorly. Long story short there was a pending error code that pointed to a bad VarioCam solenoid/actuator.
Still keeping this short both the solenoid and actuator were replaced and the behavior went away. With the Boxster both the solenoid and the actuator are "buried" under the camshaft cover. There is no way to know if the failure is with the solenoid or the actuator so the SOP is to replace both of these.
With other models the solenoid is more accessible and can be replaced to see if the error goes away. If it does the problem was with the solenoid. If not the problem is with what the solenoid controls, an actuator or something like that.
I dare say replacing the actuator or whatever it is called is not a 5 minute job. (The cost to replace both the solenoid/actuator for my Boxster came to just over $3K and about half that was the cost of the solenoid and the actuator.)
You can try to argue the new solenoid is bad. But that it works ok on the bench suggests it is not bad. However, maybe the Porsche dealer service tech staff has a way of testing the solenoid they can share with you.
But if the solenoid is found good then you are facing replacing the actuator or whatever. About that "whatever". Try to pick the brains of a senior tech at the dealership to see if he will share with you how he and his co-workers approach a situation like this. As I started with my experience in this area is with my Boxster and I did get to talk to a couple of senior techs and they shared with me how they approach this and deal with it. What I'm trying to say is based on my experience all I "know" is solenoid and actuator. You want to be sure there is not something else that can account for the behavior.
There can be another problem. The mechanism the solenoid is used to activate/deactivate can be bad. I'm not familiar with your model of car and its engine but with my Boxster out of the blue the engine began to run poorly. Long story short there was a pending error code that pointed to a bad VarioCam solenoid/actuator.
Still keeping this short both the solenoid and actuator were replaced and the behavior went away. With the Boxster both the solenoid and the actuator are "buried" under the camshaft cover. There is no way to know if the failure is with the solenoid or the actuator so the SOP is to replace both of these.
With other models the solenoid is more accessible and can be replaced to see if the error goes away. If it does the problem was with the solenoid. If not the problem is with what the solenoid controls, an actuator or something like that.
I dare say replacing the actuator or whatever it is called is not a 5 minute job. (The cost to replace both the solenoid/actuator for my Boxster came to just over $3K and about half that was the cost of the solenoid and the actuator.)
You can try to argue the new solenoid is bad. But that it works ok on the bench suggests it is not bad. However, maybe the Porsche dealer service tech staff has a way of testing the solenoid they can share with you.
But if the solenoid is found good then you are facing replacing the actuator or whatever. About that "whatever". Try to pick the brains of a senior tech at the dealership to see if he will share with you how he and his co-workers approach a situation like this. As I started with my experience in this area is with my Boxster and I did get to talk to a couple of senior techs and they shared with me how they approach this and deal with it. What I'm trying to say is based on my experience all I "know" is solenoid and actuator. You want to be sure there is not something else that can account for the behavior.
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Sep 17, 2012 08:53 AM