CEL On 2005 Boxster

[987Berto]

Some background first... almost 2 weeks ago now I'd stopped at a store for not more than 5 min and came back outside, cranked up and the CEL came on. I went to AutoZone to have them read the code for me to see if it needed immediate attention before I go to the dealer and it came up as P0018 - Crank/Cam Position Correlation (Bank 2).

If in fact it was related to powertrain it seemed serious but engine seemed to be running fine and smoothly. I know most codes/CEL has to do with emissions system but I've not seen a powertrain code like this before. Is it drivable with this error without causing problems?

FYI, I've got about 16,500 miles on my 2005.

So after nearly a couple of weeks and dealer working with Porsche Tech Support they've finally come to the conclusion it does have to do with the camshaft. Along the way they tried resetting the ECU and even re-programmed it only for the CEL to still come on. Then they moved on to visual/mechanical inspection since the sensors seemed to be operating properly.

Conclusion is that the camshaft was causing a timing problem and that while they could get it just within limits it would come out of spec again thus a new shaft would be best solution.

HOWEVER, there are no camshafts available world wide and short of waiting 8-12 months for one to be manufactured, Porsche approved a new engine. They expect arrival tomorrow and should be ready by Friday. In a way I prefer a new engine from Porsche to my old one being broken down to get fixed. And I know there's lots of info about new engines on this board, and thus I join the Porsche Engine Replacement Porgram... never would have expected it. Upside is I get to skip out on the 20,000 mile service that was coming up in less than 4000 miles. Downside is I have to start break in over again after I was soooo very happy with the break in I'd done while on European Delivery 2 summers ago.

I guess my certificate of authenticity is bogus now with the engine s/n not matching, lol.

Is there anything else I should know or look out for as a result of a new engine? As for warranty, it's the balance of the new Porsche warranty I had so I still have 2.5yrs and about 34,000mi. Anything to do to shake it out a bit sooner since I don't have the benefit of 4yrs/50k on the new engine?

[Rail26]

Wow, a new engine on a 05. Crap. I have 24k and have been trouble free except for two new bumpers. At least you got a new engine!

[SD987]

I'd definitely be pushing hard for some sort of additional "compensation" for your trouble. Maybe PCM for the price of install or at the other end of the spectrum...umm a sleeve of Porsche golf balls?

[z12358]

I'd have demanded a new 3.4L engine as a 'compensation' for the mismatch -- then settle for a 3.2L.

Seriously, wouldn't hurt to ask for a 4/50 warranty on the new engine. If the engine is still not replaced, inquire how much extra would it cost for a larger engine, then ask them to cover that cost as 'compensation'. The worst you could do is get an emphatic "no" from them.

[RandallNeighbour]

My bet is that they'll replace your engine with exactly what is in there now. They're living up to their end of the bargain in their stated warranty and won't feel inclined let alone obligated to give you anything extra for your trouble.

Now having a new engine in the car isn't as bad as you might think in my book. Sure, a purist won't buy the car because the numbers don't match. But a guy like me would love the fact that the motor has already been replaced by the dealership under warranty... the liklihood of it going out again on the car I'm about to buy from you is much smaller.

I bought my 97 boxster and it had a new engine put in it that had about 2-3k on it when I got it. I have no idea if the break in procedures were followed, but it sure is nice to know I have an older Porsche with a newer engine in it.

[RacebyDesign]

Originally Posted by 987Berto

I guess my certificate of authenticity is bogus now with the engine s/n not matching, lol.

Is there anything else I should know or look out for as a result of a new engine? As for warranty, it's the balance of the new Porsche warranty I had so I still have 2.5yrs and about 34,000mi. Anything to do to shake it out a bit sooner since I don't have the benefit of 4yrs/50k on the new engine?

You should get a brand new engine due to the circumstances.

There are rare situations with strange runnibility issues that a company like Porsche cannot justify having their tech dept and dealership techs chasing their tails for weeks...its too costly for the company, time consuming for the customer, and ultimately they WILL need to compensate the customer in some way. Even with the best diagnostic equipment and training these vehicles are completely different beasts than 30+ years ago. Plus, many times during band-aid fixes a dealership pushes a customer towards the Lemon Law mentality which turns out to be a rough ordeal for everyone.

Perhaps my understanding of your certificate of authenticity is confused, do you have an extended warranty past the factory warranty? If so, the warranty is tied to the VIN number and only in rare situations would they cross referance any engine numbering. Since it was replaced under warranty the certificate will stay in tact as ALL warranty work is linked to your vehicles VIN number. Your vehicle will not be branded similar to a salvage title.

Personally I would chalk this up as a rare fluke never to happen again. Chances are this engine (if taken care of) will last an average of 16k longer than the one it replaced. The only way a purist would shy away from buying your car in the future is if you swapped in a completely different engine (as the numbers wouldnt line up at all). So stay away from those Hemi Boxster-Cuda's. :troll:

I have heard of dealerships under warranty replacing push rods on 2006 Ford F350 6.0 Diesel engines with only 65 miles on the odometer. Like your situation this doesnt happen often but the dealership will stand behind treating that vehicle and customer as anyone else who had a flawless warranty history. Penalizing a customer for their assembly-line mistake (or even bad luck) is very bad business.

Mistreating customer will only get Porsche bad press and they have worked very hard to keep their reputation as it is.

PS: If you are still concerned about the situation talk to the service manager and request documentation from him and Porsche due to the circumstances. Mention that you "dont want to feel like you bought a lemon" as that is a red-flag word.

My feeling is that they will supply you some documentation quickly.

[RandallNeighbour]

hemiboxstercuda? You're on to something there LOL

[987Berto]

Just received a call from my service advisor at the dealer saying the engine didn't arrive today and so they're expecting it tomorrow now. As far as work involved, besides installing and testing, how much time and work are they looking at? I'm still in awe this is even going on.

[jinijazz]

Originally Posted by 987Berto

Just received a call from my service advisor at the dealer saying the engine didn't arrive today and so they're expecting it tomorrow now. As far as work involved, besides installing and testing, how much time and work are they looking at? I'm still in awe this is even going on.

Don't know about dealer, but independent shop can do it within a week.
So did you find out what kind of waranty the new engine come with? Keep us posted.

[MikenOH]

You've got the PASM with 6spd--right? I emailed you about that combo when we were getting the 06.

Not sure what your build date is but your new motor should have the "newest" RMS design which was introduced in June of 05--IIRC. Same thing with the Oil pump piston which some 05's had a rattle noise problem with and was replaced under a TSB.

Best of luck with it.

[racer_d]

I would push for full 50K mile coverage on the NEW ENGINE because, well, its a NEW ENGINE. No reason it should be limited to only 34k (the balance of your original warranty) miles of protection since it was a manufacturing defect. Get EVERYTHING in writing to maintain a good, verifiable vehicle history.

[RacebyDesign]

Originally Posted by jinijazz

Don't know about dealer, but independent shop can do it within a week.

They should be able to swap the engines in 1-2 days. Its really a matter of getting everything set up, installation, and testing/updating. They would rather have a block of time (like a week) though to ensure success and happy customers.

I also agree with Racer_D with everything except the paper trail. All warranty concerns/repairs should be tied to your vin number. They should provide you with a detailed warranty invoice (with everything but the price charged to Porsche). In addition, any Porsche dealer should be able to print your warranty history.

Porsche had to pay a huge bill. Believe me, the paper trail will be quite long and detailed.

[987Berto]

Originally Posted by MikenOH

You've got the PASM with 6spd--right? I emailed you about that combo when we were getting the 06.

Not sure what your build date is but your new motor should have the "newest" RMS design which was introduced in June of 05--IIRC. Same thing with the Oil pump piston which some 05's had a rattle noise problem with and was replaced under a TSB.

Best of luck with it.

So I got it back yesterday and wow, so nice to see it again after nearly 3 weeks without. Not so sure if I can tell the difference but my first impressions were noticing how fast the new engine responds! I mean seriously fast, curious to see how much faster it'll be when I engage Sport mode.

Anyway, at pick up I spoke with the service advisor some more and also with tech for a bit. Essentially it looked like it was a problem with the timing due in part to the cam ring but they're not really sure. The tech was able to bring it within spec a few times but it would slide off spec and without having a new cam assembly to compare the problem one to he really couldn't tell what was wrong. The new engine is wonderful! The service invoice is not quite as long as I expected but it is full of detail and lots of insight into what they did to trouble shoot and document what was going on.

Overall very pleased with how it was handled and of course as a few noted here, my only concern with the "shortened" warranty on the new engine. I'll post more details when I have more time, including recapping some of the work they did.

Don't forget to do the proper break-in with this new engine. Glad it has all worked out for you.