My G/f has an '06 Boxster with 4500 highway miles...daily driver.
She recently noticed an odd fluttering noise that comes from behind the driver...sounds kinda like if you had tin foil fluttering between the spokes of a bicycle wheel.
I searched the site and came up w/this possible explanation for the noise. She is also experiencing a loss of power.
"I think the sound is likely cavitation, which basically occurs when a pump is pressurizing oil with air in it or theres not enough oil feed to a pump. If the relief valve is opening too early or too much in cold running (ie higher viscosity oil which = higher pressure, and also reluctance to flow into the pump) its possible the pump is being starved of oil, or being fed oil with air in it.. The air is compressed (assuming for the mo that oil is incompressible) and implodes which over time will diesel (or burn) the oil, and will reduce the oil life, increase the acidity of the oil and damage components, making matters worse...
When cavitation occurs (particularly on leading edges of pressure equipment, ie pump lobes/gears) the material in these areas is damaged causing a drop in performance and "sealing" making the matter progressively worse. This may explain why a new oil pump helped for a short while, but eventually the problem came back..."
She's taking the car to the dealership tomorrow...about a 160 mile round trip so I don't want the time wasted and suggested she have the
oil and filter changed...in case they cannot find any problem causing this odd noise I'd like to see what the filter looks like inside at least.
I searched but had no luck locating at what milage the general consensus agreed on was best for an initial oil & filter change for a daily driven Boxster. 20K miles seems absurd to me. The car is driven an average of 500 miles per week....90% highway.
Better to change it now...or wait until what milage for the initial oil/filter change?
If there is a link to an answer for this that would be much appreciated.
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