So....what happens to a Boxster when you almost run out of gas?

[deliriousga]

You get a call from your wife on the way to the fill it up saying "That engine light just came on when i was going through the back roads to the gas station." Of course, I'm the one who ran the tank down on the way home yesterday so now I'm feeling really great.

I pulled the code a few minutes ago and got a "P1119 Oxygen Sensor Heating 2 Ahead of Catalytic Converter - Below Lower Limit ". Huh??? A little research shows the light only comes on when this code happens along with a misfire. Well, that makes sense because the "back road" is a curvy road and she doesn't have the lightest foot, so I'm sure it pulled in some air instead of fuel a couple of times, hence....misfire.

Cleared the light and all seems to be well. Just don't try this at home and maybe you won't get the call.

A question related to this thread. Doesn't the fuel pump run hot, when the fuel is low or real-real low? I am assuming the fuel pump is in the tank, therefor not being "cooled" by the liquid fuel.

[deliriousga]

Originally Posted by bmussatti

A question related to this thread. Doesn't the fuel pump run hot, when the fuel is low or real-real low? I am assuming the fuel pump is in the tank, therefor not being "cooled" by the liquid fuel.

I'm confused (or maybe just slow) as to where the fuel pump comes in here or how it's related to the code.

[Biz-z Z]

Originally Posted by deliriousga

Cleared the light and all seems to be well. Just don't try this at home and maybe you won't get the call.

I'm confused and slow. How did you "clear the light"? I presume the low fuel light (we have one don't we) went on too?

[deliriousga]

Originally Posted by Biz-z Z

I'm confused and slow. How did you "clear the light"? I presume the low fuel light (we have one don't we) went on too?

I cleared the Check Engine light. I have an AutoTap tool that connects to a laptop and plugs into the OBDII port. I can watch and record the sensor readings while the engine is running, view any Diagnostic Trouble Codes (DTCs) and other computer info and also clear the DTCs when something is fixed.

http://www.autotap.com if you want to check it out.

[Biz-z Z]

Originally Posted by deliriousga

I cleared the Check Engine light. I have an AutoTap tool that connects to a laptop and plugs into the OBDII port. I can watch and record the sensor readings while the engine is running, view any Diagnostic Trouble Codes (DTCs) and other computer info and also clear the DTCs when something is fixed.

http://www.autotap.com if you want to check it out.

Thanks.

[teacher]

I was told by a service technician to never let your gas tank go past 1/4 tank, always fill up because the gas pump has to do double duty when the tank is low and therefore will die sooner than it should. Also, make sure you get a Porsche Key seperator, which will easily let you just put the key in the ignition (as opposed to having all your keys dangling out of the ignition slot). Doing so will cause your ignition module to fail eventually. Since I bought my car used, 2001 runs great, I think the previous owner didn't know of this potential problem and now I have to replace the module (eventually). I found a good strategy around this for the time being, which is to quickly pull the key out when you are parking. I know a lot of people will tell me that this is only a temporary solution, which is true, but I'm willing to wait to shell out the $600 replacement cost as quoted by Porsche. Although, what do you think about dealer work when the car is not under warranty? I'm thinking to buy the ignition module and have it replaced by another Porsche service, which costs less than the $120 per hour labor rate charged by Porsche. The only upside to Porsche service is the 2 year warranty, so any ideas about that?

[RandallNeighbour]

Teacher, Porsche tries to sell you the whole ignition assembly, but all you need is the plastic bit inside that is available from the Audi (or the VW??) dealership's parts counter... $15 bucks. Someone here bought one at Autozone for cheap, but I can't remember who it was right now.

It's a pain to replace though. You have to have tiny screwdrivers and lay upside down in your driver's seat (head under the dash, feet up by the rollbar). I had my mechanic do it and watched him. 15 minutes for him, 5 hours for me = pay mechanic to do it.

You may be a better repairman than me though.

[9000RPMan]

I agree with Teacher on the single key in the ignition. I have always carried 2 sets of keys, my car keys on 1 keychain and my house, etc. keys on another. I usually just put the Porsche key, my Mobil speedpass and my gym membership card together (the non Porsche key items weight literally nothing, so I do not think there is any effect on the ignition switch). I just find that it does not take up any more space in my pocket, and prevents a bunch of keys clanging together while driving.

[ColinD]

So everytime my gas gauge gets close to 1/2 a tank the CEL comes on and everytime its P1119 02 before the cat. I just read a post that the code can be related to a misfire do to the fuel pump sucking in air. Can anyone confirm this?

Thanks,
ColinD