Read this before doing CPS swap
 

One of our Boxsters was exhibiting a classic CPS failing behavior. Struggling during warm starts.

What I thought was going to be a relatively easy 1hr job turned into a 15+ hour nightmare.

Ordered the CPS for about $100 delivered and waited for some good weather to
tackle the job.

The CPS is a relatively easy to replace. Its a little tricky to get to, on the passenger side
in a recessed location between the engine and the transmission. Jack up the rear end, place two jack stands and prepare for some major arm contortions.

That being said -- it took me maybe 15 minutes to get access to the 1 5mm hex bolt that holds the CPS in place. The o2 sensor connector and its holder are a little in the
way -- you should unconnect the o2 sensor and then loosen the 10mm bolt
holding on the plastic clip. You don't even have to remove the clip, just rotate it out of the way.

Ok 15 minutes in, got the hex head in and got enough torque to pop the bolt loose.
awkwardly reach up and work the bolt out only to have it drop into an opening
that was not obvious on the tranny side of the cubby hole. Go to carefully grab it,
(did I mention how awkward it is lying on your back and working around the cv-axes, undercarriage braces, headers, and other misc piece in your way). Well the bolt
decides to roll down the cubby hole to places unmentionable.

Spent a hour trying to fish it out with a magnet with no joy. Drive to my buddies shop , get my trailer, and winch the car on, and haul it back. Carefully unload without
moving the flywheel for fear of grinding it and the aforementioned bolt into metal fragments.

Try a few more magnet techniques with no luck. Decide the best course of action is
split the tranny from the engine and widen the opening. Maybe I'll see it, or at least have a better chance to grab it.

Last night
5 hours later I managed to part the tranny from the engine enough to get past the flywheel, but not see past it -- fish some more -- nothing bites.

I go back this morning to continue the search -- I decide to remove the muffler and get even more space -- now we can get a remote camera in there -- still can't find it.
At this stage I'm starting to doubt myself -- did it really fall into that cavity -- I know it did -- but still....

I decide to yank the hole tranny -- maybe it wedged itself behind the clutch fork.

Nope -- not there either --

http://986forum.com/forums/uploads01...1433277009.jpg

At this stage we turn around and see that it had fallen into a recess in the engine side.
Seriously - it had to fall down, then back towards the rear of the car, then change direction and roll to the front of the car.

http://986forum.com/forums/uploads01...1433280324.jpg
(I apologize the forum wants to rotate the image -- bottom of engine is right hand side)

If I wasn't so happy we had found it -- and I needed the bolt to finish the CPS work I probably would have thrown it across the room.

Moral of the story -- stuff a rag into the recess before undoing the CPS bolt!!!!!!

15 hours of hell when I was only 15 minutes away from finishing.
Fortunately nothing lost but time and gray hairs.

Hope this saves some body some serious heartache.....

Mike

Sorry for all of your pain and agony - but sometimes it is good to hear that these things don't just happen to me! :)

I'd be worried about this if I knew what the CPS was...

Well, tranny is removed. Don't forget to check IMS and crankshaft seal. ;) :D

Thanks for posting this. I'll be thinking about it if I ever change my crank position sensor (CPS). Hope that solves the problem!

Based on my woes -- might be good you didn't :-)

Crank Position Sensor.

Hard starts after car is warm seems to be a sign of a bad sensor.

Mike

Good reminder,

Engine on this one was replaced ~$500 miles and 1 year ago.
IMS, and many other things were internally upgraded.

Mike

After the fact I found out my mechanic had done it twice!!!
But he was lucky and retrieved it with a magnet very easily.

My bolt was far more nefarious?

Are you going to be at Laguna this weekend?

I'm working in Cupertino through the weekend, but if I get some
free time I might come down to watch the PCA Club races.

Mike

Hey at least you didn't get the transmission out only to find the missing screw over by a rear wheel.

:dance:

But I knew it had dropped because I felt it and heard it, but
Believe me -- that thought crossed my mind -- and I still swept the area twice :-)

When we opened up the tranny AND pulled the clutch fork and it wasn't there
I was ready to cry .....

Mike