Variocam thoughts and questions

[sfkjeld]

Originally Posted by Homeoboxter

Have you checked your oil filter? That may tell a bit more about the issue. Keep us posted!

Unfortunately I changed the oil a week before I found this discussion. I am pretty sure the “rattling” is becoming louder Tho, when starting the car cold. Once it’s started it runs well and subsequent starts are normal.

I am not clear on the work to replace these 0-rings and the actuator. Is this something a competent shop can do with the engine in the car? Is this a $3k repair or $6k?

[Homeoboxter]

Originally Posted by sfkjeld

Unfortunately I changed the oil a week before I found this discussion. I am pretty sure the “rattling” is becoming louder Tho, when starting the car cold. Once it’s started it runs well and subsequent starts are normal.

I am not clear on the work to replace these 0-rings and the actuator. Is this something a competent shop can do with the engine in the car? Is this a $3k repair or $6k?

Just to make sure your actuator is failing, I would still pull the the filter and cut it apart to see if you have similar green rubber debris to that of shown in several threads in this forum. I believe the replacement can be done with the engine in the car, it`s difficult though because of the limited room. It`s quite straigthtforward with the engine out of the car on a stand if you have the right tools. No clue how much the labor costs, the actuator unit is around $1000 new.

[sfkjeld]

Ok, I don’t get this. Just received my new OBDII scanner yesterday. I cleared the 3141 error code (Camshaft Adjustment Bank1 below limit value) that threw the CEL. I cleared the code with the engine running. The moment the CEL cleared, the engine idled down maybe a hundred rpm. In addition, when I start the car after the CEL was cleared, the car does not really “rattle” the 1st second or two after starting as it had. Other than this anomaly, it runs normally otherwise.

Why does the car start and idle differently with the CEL on than off? Why would the chain “rattle” be different? Is that the nature of the 3141 code?

[Homeoboxter]

Originally Posted by sfkjeld

Ok, I don’t get this. Just received my new OBDII scanner yesterday. I cleared the 3141 error code (Camshaft Adjustment Bank1 below limit value) that threw the CEL. I cleared the code with the engine running. The moment the CEL cleared, the engine idled down maybe a hundred rpm. In addition, when I start the car after the CEL was cleared, the car does not really “rattle” the 1st second or two after starting as it had. Other than this anomaly, it runs normally otherwise.

Why does the car start and idle differently with the CEL on than off? Why would the chain “rattle” be different? Is that the nature of the 3141 code?

Sounds interesting. What I can think of is that your solenoid got stuck in one position and clearing the code made it go back to where it should be at low rpms. But i`m just guessing. Did the CEL come back? You may wanna ask this question in a separate thread, perhaps more folks will chime in with knowledge about these error codes.

[sfkjeld]

Originally Posted by Homeoboxter

Sounds interesting. What I can think of is that your solenoid got stuck in one position and clearing the code made it go back to where it should be at low rpms. But i`m just guessing. Did the CEL come back? You may wanna ask this question in a separate thread, perhaps more folks will chime in with knowledge about these error codes.

No, I think are right. Thank you. Yes, the CEL did return a few days later. I went through the same process but this time, the idle wasn’t really rough to start with. I cleared the CEL and there was absolutely no change in the idle. So To your point, the cam may not have been in the wrong position.

I have an appointment to bring the car into the shop next week to address the cam issue. Am guessing it is the solenoid anyway.

[sfkjeld]

Originally Posted by sfkjeld

No, I think are right. Thank you. Yes, the CEL did return a few days later. I went through the same process but this time, the idle wasn’t really rough to start with. I cleared the CEL and there was absolutely no change in the idle. So To your point, the cam may not have been in the wrong position.

I have an appointment to bring the car into the shop next week to address the cam issue. Am guessing it is the solenoid anyway.

Brought my car to a relatively high end Porsche shop, tho they seem to be more about racing than repairing old Boxsters. Anyway, the car was throwing a 1341 CEL. After they replaced the actuator, they found the car was still throwing the 1341. Their explanation is that when the actuator failed, it fried the “computer”. So they are now replacing the “computer”. They said it is a known problem. I find this a little hard to believe. Anyone with any experience with this? As many report with the dreaded 1341 CEL, the car ran great when I brought it into this shop.

[blue62]

Originally Posted by sfkjeld

Brought my car to a relatively high end Porsche shop, tho they seem to be more about racing than repairing old Boxsters. Anyway, the car was throwing a 1341 CEL. After they replaced the actuator, they found the car was still throwing the 1341. Their explanation is that when the actuator failed, it fried the “computer”. So they are now replacing the “computer”. They said it is a known problem. I find this a little hard to believe. Anyone with any experience with this? As many report with the dreaded 1341 CEL, the car ran great when I brought it into this shop.

Did the shop verify that the cams were out of time before they replaced the actuator?
Did they record and tell you by how many degrees the cams were out of time?
Pretty simple to do.

Did they show you the faulty actuator and explain the fault with it?

If a DME -ECU- computer is fried how does it throw a code?
Or keep the car running??

Just a few questions that enter my mind