Hello my fellow porsche friends,

Have a problem with a CEL. Today went to a local Bridge Auto to get the codes ... and of course I misplaced the paper where I wrote them down . It was 2 codes, I believe it was P 1126 and another one. Anyway, when the guy diagnosed it for me when he put the codes in the computer, he gave me a list of possiblities .. he said could be an air leak, or maf sensor or fuel injector. Basically said I am running very rich and I should be having very poor fuel economy (which Iam). When he cleared the codes and I started the car up .. my idle was not steady ... was going up and down a bit. I put in a bottle of the Chevron fuel injector cleaner and it seemed it help a bit. When the car warmed up the idle seemed a bit better. When started cold, it was rough again.

I took off the oil cap with no problem while the car was running so its not AOS.

Here is where I think the problem lies. Every since I changed my air intake to an EVO high performance air intake and changed to a FD Motorsport Fister exhaust I been having this CEL come on. A few of my friends told me I need to sport tune the computer now because its still running on stock settings and now with the EVO intake and exhaust upgrades its fouling the air and gas mix going to the engine. Bascially now, I have a lot more air going into the engine and the stock computer doesn't know whats going on, therefore throwing up a CEL.

Whats your thoughts on this guys??

Also, of course I am due for inspection at the end of the month ... since I cleared the codes and if I run it for about 20 miles ... will I be able to pass a state inspection? Should I take the chance or should I just have the computer tuned first and then try the inspection?

My local Porsche mechanic said he uses SoftTronic ECU Flash for the tune.

Also BTW, I put those upgrades on over a year ago ... so the computer has never got used to the upgrades .. in case some of you thought I need to run and cycle the computer with the upgrades ... I cleared the codes a few times already and the CEL kept coming back ..

Thanks guys for all your help!!

 

Damn??? no advice people??????

 

1. Having the actual codes would be helpful

2. You should not need to reflash your ECU because you added an EVO intake.

3. Is the new air filter an oiled type? A fairly common problem with those type of filters is contamination of the MAF resulting in CEL's. If the CEL code refers to mixture, there's a good bet this is your problem.

4. I'd suggest cleaning/replacing the MAF, reinstalling the stock air filter, and see if the problem resolves. It sure seems like there is an issue with your air intake, and throwing an expensive ECU tune on top of the problem is unlikely to resolve it.

 

Hey thank you for your reply!

I actually have the dry filter not oil ... yes, I read a lot about the oil filter problems with the MAF ... made sure to get the dry one ..

Man, I wanted to kick myself when I couldn't find the codes the kid wrote down for me ... I knew it would be a shot in the dark without the actual codes ... tried my best to replicate what he told me what the codes stood for ..

Iam afraid that would be my last resort to do .. to bring back the stock intake and see what happens ... just don't get it ... maybe your right, maybe its just my MAF sensor needs replacing ... I heard these 996's have problems with the MAF sensors going on them ..

Iam itching to get the ECU flashed anyway ... Its my understanding that you really need to do it, if you want to get the most out of the upgrades like intake and exhaust .. it kinda ties everything in to get peak performance ...

Guess what I will do, is flash the ECU and have him clean the MAF sensor and see what happens from there ... he was telling me he has a special spray for cleaning the sensor he uses ... Hopefully, that will work ... if not, I will purchase a new MAF and then go from there ... I will update the thread after I get the flash and clean the sensor ... If the CEL comes back, I will make sure to right down the codes and update ... I will then purchase another MAF ....

Thanks again!

BTW, I will wait to do the inspection after the flash and cleaning of the MAF ... see what happens

 

i would deal with the problem you have right now, if you add more mods or a flash you are just making it harder to diagnose exactly where the problem lies. get the codes and post them up.

you can buy code readers for 40 bucks, or buy a decent one from harbor freight for 80 and will read codes readiness and a bunch of other things, well worth owning one.

 

Yes, while I was thinking over everything last night ... I was leaning on your same advice ... should clear this issue up before upgrading the ECU ... What I will do is buy a new MAF ... put it in and run it and see what happens ... I actually cleaned the maf in the past with electronic cleaner when I was getting the CEL in the beginning ... still came back ... proberly in need of a new one ... Car only has 26,000 miles on it ... not driven everyday especially in the winter ... I can get a MAF sensor from Pelican for $259 ... can't beat that ... might as well try and give it a shot before anything else ... Yea, last night while laying down before going to sleep, I was thinking about the ECU flash ... its $800 bucks ... not exactly the smartest move to make right now ... Man, I am 40 yrs old and sometimes still think like a 20 yr old LOL ... Thanks guys for all your help ... once I change the MAF and if CEL comes back .. I will update with the codes!

 

personally i wouldnt spend a penny before getting the codes and getting further advice on what it could be

 

Couldn't agree more... Adding a new variable in an attempt to fix an existing problem is just asking for trouble.

A shop should be able to look at the fuel trims being stored in the ECU as well as the CEL code and figure out if the MAF sensor likely needs replacing.

Here's how fuel trim works:

• MAF sensor measures the mass of air coming through intake.
• ECU reads MAF sensor value and determines by tables how much fuel to squirt.
• O2 sensor measures residual fuel post combustion. It's checking to see if it is as lean/rich as the ECU intended it to be.
• ECU reads O2 sensor value and determines if 'drift' is occurring, for example mixture is consistently rich.
• ECU adjusts 'trim' value, which re-calibrates how much fuel it will squirt based on MAF reading.
• When trim value exceeds a certain threshold, ECU triggers CEL to indicate a MAF that is reading too inaccurately.

 

Hey guys,

Ok went over to the auto store and got the codes ... its P1128 and P1130 ... This guy was telling me most likely the MAF if its not a vacuum leak ... I actually had it smoked tested the last time my car was in for an oil change ... came back negative on the leak ... any ideas? MAF?

Thanks again for all your help guys ... much appreciated

 

Here's an idea for you Mike:

Try disconnecting the sensor completely and take the car for a short drive (30 minutes or less) with the sensor disconnected, it shouldn’t cause any major damage to your car. The engine management system (DME) will enter into a type of “limp mode” that will compensate for the missing MAF. If engine performance improves dramatically when disconnecting the MAF, then the problem quite likely lies with the MAF.

Also important, there are a few different MAFs. Make sure you read our MAF Replacement instruction before ordering which you may do here if this is the issue.


Hope that helps!
Mark/Pelican Parts

 

Mark,

Thanks for the advice and will do it! ... funny, but when I clear the codes and CEL turns off I noticed a loss in power with the car ... and then after some time when the CEL comes back on, it seems like the car has the power restored on it ... I was told that the computer goes into a over ride mode and everything is wide open ... hence the reason for poor MPG with the CEL on

Is this the same concept in a way?

Thanks again
Mike

 

Ok I ended up changing the MAF sensor ... Car is running a lot smoother it seems ... cleared the codes and so far no CEL! ... BUT (yea there is always one of those) ... under hard acceleration ... when I am going past 6 RPM ... its throwing off a ABS and PMS light ... but when I turn the car off and turn it back on .. The lights clear ... if I start to drive it hard again, same thing ... always when it goes past 6 RPM ...

any suggestions?

 

Generally, those lights mean slow down before it ends badly. The ABS and PSM ("Porsche Stability Management", or "Please Save Me") lights only come on when the car is actually rescuing you from yourself. If you are pegging the rpm's above 6000, spinning the wheels, and constantly being protected from the physics of imminent disaster, then you may benefit greatly from a weekend vehicle dynamics clinic. Find the limit in a controlled and safe environment off public roads. Definitely not recommended to behave that way in an urban environment.

If you are not driving like you stole it, and these lights are just coming on and staying on, then recheck MAF, brake switch, voltage regulator, and/or alternator. A couple guys in a Turbo forum had a problem that sounds like yours, for some it was brake switch.

 

Really?

First of all, I track the car at Limerock CT

Second of all, I don't spin the wheels or drive like a manic in urban areas, its not that hard bringing the car up 6000 rpm from 2nd to 3rd entering on the parkway.. Its a porsche not a KiA

3rd of all its connected to the MAF sensor

Don't speak to me like a child, if you don't have anything useful to say, don't say it ... seriously, you need to check yourself, you sound like an idiot

 

Mike. I have the same issue. always on hard acceleration, not touching the brake. Clears with the ignition. At no point in time is the care being pushed "to ending badly".