Quote:
Originally Posted by KevinH1990
A lot can happen to a Boxster in the 6 months since your major service.
You can obtain a generic code reader from several online sources. If you have a Harbor Freight near you, they sell OBD II readers at a reasonable price. A Porsche-specific tool such as a Durametric is a better option, but it is more expensive. If you plan to DIY often on your Boxster and keep it for several years, a Durametric is a worthwhile investment.
If you don't know the codes, you will be guessing at the cause of the problem. For example, you could have a misfire on one of your cylinders. A code reader will tell you which cylinder is misfiring. You could then perform some simple tests to identify the solution. If it is a cylinder misfire, some potential causes are (1) A damaged coil pack; (2) A damaged spark plug; (3) Poor compression on the cylinder; or (4) A damaged fuel injector.
Taking this example further, say that the code reader identifies a misfire on cylinder 3, you can swap the coil pack from an adjacent cylinder and determine whether the misfire moves to the other cylinder. That would tell you the problem was likely a defective coil pack. If the misfire doesn't "move" you might have one of the other problems.
Please keep in mind that your problem could be elsewhere such as with the Mass Air Flow Sensor. Having the code will point you in the right direction.
Also, don't drive the car for a prolonged period with a flashing CEL. The engine will be passing unburned gasoline into the catalytic converter which is very hot when it is at operating temperature. You don't want to risk a fire.
Good luck.
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Thank you for such a detailed response. I'm gonna contact Porsche soon to see if I can get an appointment to have it towed there. I'm not risking turning the engine on again until it's safe.