Boxster start up noise
 

hello I am new here. I live in Columbus Ohio and just bought my first Porsche. I restore antique autos and Hot Rods as a hobby. I just got this 99 Boxster and have noticed that upon start up for a short second a kazoo like noise. It is not everytime I start but only on occasion. I have changed oil , Replaced air and cabin filter, replaced oil seperator and will do thermostat and water pump this weekend.

I think this may be the starter or hopefully NOT somthing around the vario cam.
I would like some experienced voices to help me through this issue for DIY. Thanks in advance.
Dennis

Well you need to isolate where the sound is coming from, possibly with an assistant and an auto stethoscope or the ol' screwdriver to the ear trick.

How many miles on the car? Starter sounds like a good bet - gunked up pinion gear shaft or overrun clutch. Could just need cleaning, but depending upon mileage, rebuild/replacement may be the most cost effective fix.

Being intermittent, it doesn't sound like variocam issues to me.

:cheers:

145K on this little boxster. It will be hard to locate but again it sounds tlike a kids toy when a gear is stripped. Sound famalier?

I have same issue! I noticed it a couple weeks ago. Sometimes I can hear it, others I can't. But it lasts for about 1-2 seconds and starts a few seconds after engine start. Is this what you are hearing also with the timeframe I've given?

Mine does it too only with a cold start up. Was told it's lifter noise and not to worry about it. 2000S.

bluelagoon,
Lifter noise - which I get as well after the car sits for a while and oil drains out of the lifters - doesn't sound like a kazoo or kids wind-up toy.
This seems different.

bustingear,
Do you have a video w/ sound or audio clip of it?

you should take the engine access cover off and have someone start the engine while you look and listen to pinpoint the location.

just a thought, but before I replaced my ignition switch, I heard I whining noise similiar to yours. I think it was the starter of flywheel or something. The sound immediately went away as soon as I turned the key back to the run position. Since I replaced my ignition switch I no longer hear it.

Does your key stick for a second before it goes back to run position?
If your key works great then ignore this post. :cool:

If it's starting a few seconds after the engine starts, could it be the secondary air injection pump?

-james

This occours as the motor starts only for 1/2 second and stops. It does it on an intermittent basis.

I have the same noise intermittently on my 99 also, and read elsewhere on these forums it's a pinion in the starter. It gets gunked up, needs to be removed, cleaned, lubricated, and reinserted for another 80-150k of trouble-free operation.

Cheers

Jon

While I would like to beleive that post. (its simple and cost effective) I have also read that it is a worn starter bushing which needs replaced. Starters are about $250. and I would not know where to get the bushing part. Also have been told it coud be the mechanical and the electrical portions of the starter switch hanging up. Have also heard secondary air pump (not sure about that one however)

My 98 does the same thing. Up until now I put it up to the timing chain not being lubed at startups. After the car has run I don't get the noise.

I you haven't found it by now, it's the starter pinion or drive. You may replace it or lube it to fix it. Mine did the same.

This may win an award for revival of the deadest (is that a word?) post ever.

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I, too, had (and still have) that noisy rattle on start-up. Pulled the starter twice... sound remained.

I'm going with failing chain tensioners... suggesting that the sound is the loose chains making noise until the oil pressure is up. Yeah... 13 years later.

Have you changed the pressure relief valve head to the updated part?

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I have replaced the pressure relief valve, the timing chain tensioners, the variocam tensioner pads and new chains and the water pump and if anything the startup noise is worse.

If you're talking about that little part... unscrew/bolt the old one... slip in the new one... takes 2 minutes... oil pressure relief valve... yex. Did that about 4 years ago.

What I used to think was starter noise (thus pulling the starter twice... pulling on the little gear... snapped right back in... thus no starter noise... turns out to be those tensioners.

I'll be pulling off the oil pan this year to look for debris. Was zero when I bought the car.

Cheers!