If you have encountered P0021 or P0011 or any other cam advancement errors or issue
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Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 946
From: Kansas
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You're actually right... probably just as cost effective to buy a new actuator for the side that has failed and have that put on (with an oil change as well, because it couldn't hurt) rather than swapping and driving around waiting for the CEL to come back. In fact, now that I've cleared the code, if (and probably when) it pops back up, I'll just get the new acutator installed. That is the better plan. Thanks.
The mechanic seems to think this is the problem by the way... that the actuator just fails after time. I can live with that, though it is annoying nonetheless.
Yeah, there's an ocean of difference between replacing the actuators and having that fix the problem vs. having to do an entire cam job. I don't have a warranty and didn't get one simply because this is a "toy" that I plan to drive maybe 300 or 400 miles a month, max. That said, as with any used and fairly expensive car, you always hope to avoid the doomsday scenario where you get hit with a $5K+ repair bill. In fact, one of the motivating factors in selling my previous 997.2 non-turbo with PDK was that I didn't want to have a failed transmission and end up having to spend $14K on a total replacement. Figured the 997.1TT Mezger is old faithful, right?
Let's just say I'm hoping that the actuator is all I need.
The mechanic seems to think this is the problem by the way... that the actuator just fails after time. I can live with that, though it is annoying nonetheless.
Yeah, there's an ocean of difference between replacing the actuators and having that fix the problem vs. having to do an entire cam job. I don't have a warranty and didn't get one simply because this is a "toy" that I plan to drive maybe 300 or 400 miles a month, max. That said, as with any used and fairly expensive car, you always hope to avoid the doomsday scenario where you get hit with a $5K+ repair bill. In fact, one of the motivating factors in selling my previous 997.2 non-turbo with PDK was that I didn't want to have a failed transmission and end up having to spend $14K on a total replacement. Figured the 997.1TT Mezger is old faithful, right?
Let's just say I'm hoping that the actuator is all I need.
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Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 52
From: Virginia
Rep Power: 17
Don't get me wrong, I am still going to get a new actuator and have that swapped out along with the oil, but just wondering if somehow sport mode affects this particular issue. It should be noted that, thankfully, my car is still not behaving strangely or anything. It drives fine. I hope that's a good sign.
So a fairly strange thing happened that I thought was worth mentioning. I reset the cel, and it came back on after about eight or nine miles of driving which confirmed for me that it wasn't just going to stay off. I reset the cel again and then put the car in sport mode. I must have driven another 20 miles since, and the light still has not come back on. I was not driving especially hard or anything, but for some reason, sport mode seems to have at least increased the intervals at which the light comes back on. I put the car back in my garage and haven't driven it since, but still no cel.
Don't get me wrong, I am still going to get a new actuator and have that swapped out along with the oil, but just wondering if somehow sport mode affects this particular issue. It should be noted that, thankfully, my car is still not behaving strangely or anything. It drives fine. I hope that's a good sign.
Don't get me wrong, I am still going to get a new actuator and have that swapped out along with the oil, but just wondering if somehow sport mode affects this particular issue. It should be noted that, thankfully, my car is still not behaving strangely or anything. It drives fine. I hope that's a good sign.
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Joined: Aug 2009
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From: Kansas
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I remember reading some similar stories about guys clearing the code then beating the **** out of the car for a little bit and it never coming back. Strange, but I'm starting to really believe that the issue lies in the actuators and not the cams themselves. If that is indeed true, then we can finally lay this issue to rest as I'm sure most people would be ok with spending $500-600 as opposed to $5000-6000.
There is no doubt that actuators go bad - it is a wear item.
There is also no doubt that some cams are troublesome as they are getting stuck in the "high" position. I think they are both problems that are not necessarily related to one another.
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Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 52
From: Virginia
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When you "beat the ****" out of the car, oil pressure and heat increase...if there are any particles stuck in the orifices on the actuator, it is possible that they are free out with the added heat/pressure. When in sport mode, there is a little more boost and I would think everything is working a little harder; is it working hard enough to free up any particles blocking the access of the oil in the actuator? I guess it is possible.
There is no doubt that actuators go bad - it is a wear item.
There is also no doubt that some cams are troublesome as they are getting stuck in the "high" position. I think they are both problems that are not necessarily related to one another.
There is no doubt that actuators go bad - it is a wear item.
There is also no doubt that some cams are troublesome as they are getting stuck in the "high" position. I think they are both problems that are not necessarily related to one another.
It also seems reasonable to expect that the actuators can wear out over time, though it seems others have experienced this earlier into the life of the car than mine. Again, the most positive sign I'm seeing is that my car has been running normally. That points more to an actuator "acting up" than a full blown cam job... I hope.
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From: NYC : Miami
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same part number.
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Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 211
From: Montreal, Quebec
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Thanks dinorocz, believe it or not decided to drive my car in Sport mode like a madman for a while and the Check Engine light went away!!!! I'm so happy right now, no need to change anything 
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Joined: Aug 2009
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From: Kansas
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How long ago did you change your oil?
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Registered User
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 946
From: Kansas
Rep Power: 83
The labor $ you will spend (if not doing it yourself) of swapping actuators and seeing if the bad actuator switches the code to the other bank is going to eat into money that you can just spend on getting a new actuator to begin with. I have begun to wonder if a failing actuator is ultimately the cause of the spun camshaft in the end (given that actuators do fail).
It has been almost 6,000 miles since I replaced the actuators and still going problem free.
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Joined: Jul 2011
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From: Montreal, Quebec
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3 weeks, I had to delete the code about 6 times, at the end I said to myself fu** it I'll drive it with the check engine light on and decided to give that Sport mode spirited driving a shot.....and it worked!!!!