HI all...I have a 2002 996 C2...I have owned it for 3 years and it has about 56k miles.

I have only had one problem (the water pump last year) but otherwise it has been easy to own.

I had the oil changed about a month ago with Mobil 0w40. Last week though I was driving homer and a stop light my car started to idle slowly and then it stalled. I started it one more time to pull over and the CEL was flashing and was telling me to take it to a dealer so I pulled over and it stalled again.

I had it towed to a garage I have used before and he tells me I have a cam shaft sensor code. He told me he was going to remove it, clean it and try the car. H e did that and said on a road test that now the engine oil pressure was way too low at idle (say between 1 and 2 when normally it has never been below 5 at idle).

What should I be expecting here? If he says I need a new camshaft timing mechanism do I get a second opinion? Should he be replacing the cam shaft sensor or is it enough to simply clean it? Most importantly though, why would the oil pressure drop like that? It has me concerned that this is something major. Any thoughts would be appreciated. Thanks, Clancy

 

At the cold start, the oil pressure should read just below 5.0 @1000 rpm. Once your at normal operating temperature (~180 degrees), and the oil thins, the oil pressure should read 1.5 - 1.75 @ 750 - 800 rpm at idle, and ~ 3.5 @ 5000 rpm while accelerating. If I interpreted your post correct, your oil pressure seems normal. Now to the culprit. Forgive my ignorance, but, if your cam shaft sensor is anything like the crank position sensor on my Benz, then I would replace it. These sensors are fine cold. But, fail (producing stalls) once heated. Good luck.

 

yup that did it...new sensor and we're back!...thanks