2001 Boxster S Limp Mode
 

Hi all

I'm new to this forum and have recently bought a project Boxster S. It is a genuine barn find car with 79k miles and full history.

It's been laid up in the barn since 2012. The owner had some health issues which prevented him from driving it.

Anyway, we have got the car running with a new battery and replaced all coil packs to cure a mis-fire. Known remaining faults are a leaking LHS radiator and the temp light on the dash is blinking slowly. All fluid levels are fine.

My question relates to limp mode. The car will rev OK for a couple of applications and then seems to jump into limp mode. Does anyone have any ideas on what areas to check ?

Get the codes checked with a reader that understands the Porsche-specific codes.

There are many components that can create symptoms similar to "limp mode": bad throttle pedal sensor, bad MAF, clogged fuel filter, bad fuel pump, dirty fuel injectors, problems with wiring/connectors, partially blocked/clogged air intake, etc.

I've experienced similar symptoms on four different occasions due to bad MAF, disconnected MAF, clogged fuel filter, and a partially blocked intake.

As Anker suggests, check for ECU codes first using a Porsche specific reader. If there are any codes, post here and someone will help you with diagnosis. If no codes, then you'll have to systematically work through the various possibilities one by one.

Thanks for the replies. I'll contact a Porsche specialist and see if they can run a diagnostic. I had tried my own OBD reader but I guess it's not specific enough for the car.

You did look at the air filter and blow carb cleaner through the intake?

... and clean the MAF sensor? I'd be doing those "free" things before I hit the shop.

Good luck.

Yes - this is what I have done so far;

MAF sensor has been cleaned with MAF cleaner
Throttle body removed and cleaned with carb cleaner
Intake duct removed and cleaned from air filter back to throttle body
New air filter installed

I've searched google etc, but it seems fairly inconclusive - throttle position sensor, O2 sensors, brake switch etc... could be a number of issues. I guess it's down to the code reader now.