2001 S idle issues / hesitation when warm

[bg305]

Thank you for the replies... I know my obdii scanner can show pending codes. When I was looking at boxsters to purchase one of the ones I looked had a pending code for an o2 sensor. So far no codes at all, pending or otherwise. I also just had the car inspected in NY state yesterday and they hooked it up to the shop computer (not porsche shop) and said nothing. (i have had them tell me there were pending codes before on other cars when getting inspected and that they would clear it and I had to drive to see if they resurfaced.

I will try the MAF disconnect and will look for leaks. It seems to have been getting better, I drove it yesterday 20 miles and while it still felt weaker then usual below 3k rpm, the idle was much improved (honestly if i was not looking for problems I would not notice the amount it moves around now). Since I have only had the car a week and am a bit scared to lay into the throttle now, I am honestly thinking the car could be normal and just seems under powered because of the way I am driving it.

I am going to do an oil change and inspect the oil and filter, I also got a fuel filter, air filter (stock paper one). So I will report back after i change the maintenance items and inspect the oil (might be a bit have a busy week coming up).

If there was an issue with the VarioCam solenoid/actuator is it likely that i would likely have codes or pending ones?

[blue62]

Originally Posted by bg305

Thank you for the replies... I know my obdii scanner can show pending codes. When I was looking at boxsters to purchase one of the ones I looked had a pending code for an o2 sensor. So far no codes at all, pending or otherwise. I also just had the car inspected in NY state yesterday and they hooked it up to the shop computer (not porsche shop) and said nothing. (i have had them tell me there were pending codes before on other cars when getting inspected and that they would clear it and I had to drive to see if they resurfaced.

I will try the MAF disconnect and will look for leaks. It seems to have been getting better, I drove it yesterday 20 miles and while it still felt weaker then usual below 3k rpm, the idle was much improved (honestly if i was not looking for problems I would not notice the amount it moves around now). Since I have only had the car a week and am a bit scared to lay into the throttle now, I am honestly thinking the car could be normal and just seems under powered because of the way I am driving it.

I am going to do an oil change and inspect the oil and filter, I also got a fuel filter, air filter (stock paper one). So I will report back after i change the maintenance items and inspect the oil (might be a bit have a busy week coming up).

If there was an issue with the VarioCam solenoid/actuator is it likely that i would likely have codes or pending ones?

Itsnotanova is correct a vacuum test with a proper vacuum gauge is an important test to do.
You are looking for 18-22 in/gh with a steady needle at idle.

The Variocam solenid/actuator works as an on off / or in out actuator that ingauges around 1500 RPM (I think) and then deactivates around 5000-6000 I think, not positive on the RPM's Anyway like most things it will have acceptable wear limits. If they fail I think they can throw a code but not positive.
There are also chain tension pads that wear and cause camshaft deviation.
If you have a OBDII scanner that can read camshaft deviation the acceptable limit is +or- 6 degrees.
With all that said I would stick with simplest most basic things first like the vacuum test. and work my way up step by step.
Something you do not mention is how many miles on the car?????

[blue62]

Just looked at your video and see that you have 50000 miles on her. That is about what I have on the 2000S I bought a year ago. I am thinking with the low miles your problem should be something simple.

[bg305]

Originally Posted by blue62

Just looked at your video and see that you have 50000 miles on her. That is about what I have on the 2000S I bought a year ago. I am thinking with the low miles your problem should be something simple.

Fingers crossed!

I will look into testing the vacuum system. That is a really good idea.

[bg305]

So in looking into the vacuum leak i encounter more questions:

First, a quick update...

I have ordered a Foxwell****NT520 loaded up with Porsche software.**** I don't yet know when it is coming, but my old scantool is absolutely useless other then reading none existent codes.**** On my other cars it gives me live data and all sorts of data, but on the porsche it can't even read the vin correctly. I want to use the Foxwell to better diagnose if my current efforts fail.

I cleaned the throttle body (more on this late)

I had to get bits to get the MAF out and got them today, so I will be taking it out to clean it, doing the oil change and****fuel filter change.

One way to check the vacuum is to open the oil cap with the engine running, which brought me to the following new discovery / question:

Does a oil - air separator fail suddenly?**** When I cleaned the throttle body I noticed a decent amount of oil in the intake plenum (see pics).**** Now I am (all of the sudden) noticing a large amount of white smoke on startup and when I took the oil cap off a pretty loud whistling noise which I read is caused by the extra negative vacuum experienced during the failure of the separator. Prior there may have been small amounts of smoke on super cold starts, but nothing like what i have seen in the last couple of days.**** I really had not noticed anything before my issues started and it seems like a rather sudden failure.**** I instincts tell me something like an oil-air separator would fail gradually, with more smoke appearing at startup, etc.**** Either way, could it be the oil in the intake that is causing my 'sudden' loss of power in the low revs and idle issues?**** I would think oil being sucked in to the combustion chamber would have a negative effect and possibly be fouling my plugs too.

Here is the oil i found when I cleaned the throttle body:


and here are before and after pics of the throttle body

[itsnotanova]

Yes the AOS can fail suddenly and sometimes catastrophically. I'd say it's time to change yours. Most vacuum leaks I've found by just listening for them and poking around. The oil filler tube is the most common cause of a vacuum leak that I've experienced, but any of the many tubes on these motors can cause a leak.

[Pdwight]

Originally Posted by itsnotanova

Yes the AOS can fail suddenly and sometimes catastrophically. I'd say it's time to change yours. Most vacuum leaks I've found by just listening for them and poking around. The oil filler tube is the most common cause of a vacuum leak that I've experienced, but any of the many tubes on these motors can cause a leak.

This was my problem as well