2002 Boxster knocking sound...once and a while
 

Car had one owner, dealer maintained, all service done, 97k. After car in warm, usually when i get home from work, i get out of the car to open the garage and i hear a knocking sound coming from the rear. The driveway is on a slight incline and when I drive it into the garage, I don't hear the noise at all. It does not happen all the time.

I know IMS is a go-to but i also hear IMS has no warning other than oil leak and or failure. Also, if it was IMS which is a bearing issue, wouldn't it be all the time? The one's i've seen on Youtube are much louder and are constant. Mine is a subdued knocking and then goes away after I move the car into the garage?

I searched a bunch and found a guy in 1999 who had this problem and it was an AC issue - expansion valve and rec/drier. Same deal with only occasional sound.

Not sure what to do. Was saving up for the IMS upgrade here in San Diego anyway just not quite there yet.

Does anyone know if Dieter's in San Diego is any good?



Thanks for all the help, not a hater btw, love the car.

-John

Could be a motor mount...if the IMS is going bad the noise it makes is constant.

does it sound like this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MPu-5FnTEcg

Nope, not that bad/loud or predictable as the one on youtube.

The engine mount makes sense as it needs one. But what in the engine mount wear forces it to make a noise?

It's never been replaced and I have some stiff shifting and she sounds horrible when I run down pothole ridden streets near my home. Plus I have the weird vibration in the early 2k rpm range.

http://boxster.wikia.com/wiki/Engine_%26_Transmission#Engine_Mounts



I will get on that project asap and report back, I think the part is only $150 and should be able to knock that out per pedro's instructions.

Good luck with the fix.

Steve at Dieter's knows his way around Porsches..he helped me get my 67 911 back on the road and has posted several DIYs on Boxsters.

A lot of people with high mileage Boxsters have gone from 0W40 to a thicker oil like 5W40 20W50 etc. to reduce noises/leaks If you are still runnning thin Mobil 1 you might try something thicker.