Boxster S 2003 Engine issue

[fiveseven]

Hi everybody

I had a misfortunate experience with my model 2003 986 boxster s yesterday. The car has driven 82.000 km or approx 51000 miles. It is the first time it hasn’t driven me all the way home. I had to stop on the highway when the motor suddenly did chopping sounds.

I could see that the motor/engine oil had run out and my initial thought was to refill oil so that I could move on. Unfortunately that didn’t help. The motor could turn on but the display showed a yellow warning like ”Check engine – go to workshop”. I had the engine running a few mins and drove very carefully a few meters’ but it was still doing the chopping sounds and I turned off the engine. The exhaust had a smell of something burning.

October this year (last month actually), I did a major service at Porsche and they found a few things that needed to be fixed.
- Change of gaiters at the drive shaft (not a car expert but it sound to be around the engine)
- Fix rattle sound from exhaust. Fixed with screws and a welding
- Oil leakage (had a leakage like this done at last year’s service)

I got the first two fixed shortly after the service but the leakage wasn’t fixed. They told me they had washed the spot where they thought there was a leakage but couldn’t se anything to fixed. They asked me to come back after 2 weeks and some driven miles, so they could check again. When I came back I was told there still wasn’t anything and that they didn’t have to do anything about it. Yesterday as already mentioned the engine oil had suddenly run out? Isn’t that strange?
I can’t do anything about it until Monday, since everything is closed until then where I live.

I am afraid the engine is messed up, any of you guys with more car/Porsche knowledge can give me a hint as to what can be wrong?

[Adam]

Well, I think I know what happened, but I don't want to jump to conclusions. Just search IMS and you'll see what I mean. Take it to a certified shop ASAP and have them take a look.

[fiveseven]

Wow that doesnt sound good! Engine replacement

Cant find anything on how IMS acts when it hits you. Only polls and talk about engine replacements. What makes you think that is what happened?

[941MXVET]

Your description of what transpired is vrey similar to what others' have described when their IMS has failed. The metal to metal sound, followed be the rapid oil drain.

[986Shaft]

Good Luck.

IMS Failure engine sounds:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LlWMlimt9w8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qQ8mNVI9_G8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9BQ5XAIzNVA

A piston failure:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HnQwkcIsVAg

Some info. on my failed Boxster:

http://www.986shaft.com/
http://986forum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=22172&highlight=IMS+ebay

[fiveseven]

If anything the sound was a little like the 944 when gassing. My brother who came to assist thought it sounded like a cylinder wasnt working. None of us are car experts.

This is a reply i got from another forum:

QUOTE (infocusf8 @ Nov 14, 2009 - 08:40 PM)
When you say the engine oil had run out did you check it by the dip stick or use the readout on the dash? That M96 motor holds 9 qts. of oil which is a lot of oil to leak out. It seems to me you would have seen a big spot under the car or your oil warning light would have come on not to mention black smoke burning off the hot exhaust while you were driving. The only thing I can think of is you had a major RMS failure. The slight oil leak that the dealer saw is usually the first indication that the RMS is failing. If all the oil leaked out and the CEL was flashing and you continued to run the motor it could be anything and everything that was destroyed.

My reply:

Hi infocusf8

The thing was that it was pretty dark and raining quite heavily at the time so I didnt se any black smoke if there were any. The oil light warning wasnt on the display. I was on the highway and when it happened i knew i should stop and I did that. The motor was running and i did try to pres pedal and move slowly ahead but engine was chopping. I checked the engine oil on display (didnt think of the stick since it was dark and raining). When I put oil in I tried to move ahead a little again but same thing, chopping from engine, so i turned off the engine. This was the point where i realised running the engine further could harm it.
I did let it check for motor oil again after refilling 1L and after one hour (cold engine) I could se that the oil was above half on the display.

What is the CEL? The only warning light i saw was the "Check Engine - go to workshop" yellow warning.
EDIT: CEL must be check engine light right?

BTW thanks I appreciate your views

[edevlin]

Ouch, get it towed to a good shop, good luck,

Ed