Perhaps this is nothing (I hope), but I am hoping you can help me with answering a question on something that happened today. I washed my 997TT which has 2000 miles on it now. I then pulled it into my garage, still wet, so I could dry it out of the sun. When I started driving into my garage, my steering wheel would hardly turn - felt similar to steering when your car is turned off. Then I heard a strange squeel from the engine I think?, and the steering broke loose and was back to normal. Any ideas what may have happened? I drove around and it appears normal, but was wondering if this could be reason for any concern? Thank you!

 

The squeal noisse is probably the belts simply drying . The brief difficult steering after a wash --I had this too and I don't recall if it was this car or one of my previous 997S cars . It not anything to worry about in my case but i don't recall the technical explanation I got at that time .

 

Mine does it whenever I'm sitting still in heavy rain, horrendous squeel from the rt rear with lack of power steering. The issue is water leaking in and onto the pwr steering belt. I've mentioned it to my dealer several times, even took it in once, they said it's fine. BS, I think a recall is coming.
C

 

This is why I love 6Speed . . .

This has been happening since the first time I washed my 997TT. It goes away after just a few minutes. But it sounds so violent! I don't want the belt to snap.

So far it goes away quickly but I worry about driving it in the rain. Luckily it almost never rains in So Cal.

 

Wow, with all our rain up here I hope that doesn't happen!!! That is scary to think it could happen while in traffic. If it happens again I'll mention it to my dealer too and maybe if there are more people that are having this problem, we should notify Porsche AG.

 

If you get water in the engine bay it will happen on all of the TTs.

It happened to me the first time I got a car wash.

And another time while I was idling in a parking lot during a heavy rain storm. Apparently the angle of the down pour was perfect for getting into the engine and I heard the same squeals and lost power steering. Just started driving and it passed in 10 seconds.

 

My intake required a second port to be drilled thus increasing the possibility of water entering the engine bay . Plus it can rain in Florida at this time of year . I'm not annoyed by a little normal squeal . It kinda gives the car a little character in a way.

 

When I wash the turbo I place a towel across the top of the engine covering everything. It absorbs all the water that gets in there so when you fire her up when your finished the squeal does not occur or at the very least for a second or two.

Just dont forget to remove the towel! Which by the way is completely soaked when your done, tons of water finds its way in there.

 

I only use cotton diapers on the rear of my car.....

Okay everywhere else too....

Gee-Bee

 

Happens to me all the time, the worst if I'm stuck in traffic during a heavy rain. I sometimes even get a battery/generator warning while it's squeeling. There has got to be a simple fix, my old Carrera never did anything like this.

 

Mine did this for the first time yesterday after washing the car. It has never done it in the rain. Didn't notice any loss of power steering, only the scary noise. Was going to inquire about this on 6speed but you beat me to the punch.

 

When I wash the car I put towel over the intake and engine. Close the decklid and wash the car. Just remember the the towel before you drive off. I learned this on 6speed. Only driven the car once in the rain no problems.

 

I tried this towel idea once when I first got the car and promptly forgot about it by the time I was done. Fortunately I didn't drive anywhere by the time I remembered. Figured I had better not risk that. We get lots of rain here too and with the other comments, it appears this is a problem that should get resolved by Porsche.!

 

I would advise against doing the towel over the engine bay. I did that for a long time but somehow that put a small scratch on the intake cover. Not sure how that happened but since then I don't use the towel anymore.

 

I haven't had any problems. It also keeps the water out of the BMC air filters. I think any fix by Porsche you will see less air going into the engine bay.