986 boxster problem

[mikefocke]

You slid but was in fore and aft or sideways? Did you hit anything?

Model? Model Year? Mileage?

Do you have access to a code reader?

My immediate reaction is to try and get it into neutral, push to somewhere safe, get it flat-bedded to a Porsche specialist and then brace yourself for the $$$$ estimate. Do not try to start it.

[Frodo]

Wild guess, probably totally outta left field, but...alternator? Don't really understand the connection between the snow slippage and onset of the problem, but your last symptoms (dash board lights coming on, speedo acting up, zero acceleration) pretty much describes what my car did. And it was the alternator. Have you been having any battery-related issues?

[jcb986]

Personally, sounds like you got a bunch snow up around the engine it has caused a short. You need to check your coil packs, lose wiring, etc.

[pixlanish]

it has about 82000 miles

and in response to battery problems the power to my cigarette lighter went out a week or 2 ago im not sure if thats related?

I did not hit anything just a little slide to the right like no traction. I turned the car back on so that i could get home and the problem all went away.

[Beelzy]

Starting to sound like a snow choked Alternator??

[pixlanish]

another update to this
this morning i drove and was going about 80 the car was going fine
came home and there was a dark blackish bownish liquid leaking alot from the car
and there was smoke coming from the back of the car white smoke from around the engine.

[Steve Tinker]

This has now developed into a big problem you are experiencing.
If you have intermixing of the coolant and oil (which it sounds like you have) its time for you to take it to an EXPERIENCED Porsche shop for diagnosis. Do not run the engine or drive the car - have it flat- bedded.
The problem could be as simple as a faulty heat exchanger or as serious as a major engine failure - only a good Porsche tech will be able to advise you on your next step.
But be warned, non of the remedies will be cheap to fix.....

[Overdrive]

pixlanish, definitely provide that info that mikefocke was asking for, it'll help him and other people to understand what your situation is. And take his advice, he wouldn't tell you to bring it to the dealer or a specialist if you didn't really have to.

As for thumbing through the owners manual, look under things like traction control and speedometer, and see if there are any notes about the type of symptoms you've seen such as the speedometer going to 0 while in motion. I clearly don't have mine in front of me otherwise I would have been looking myself, but I seem to remember there being something along the lines of the speedometer faulting and showing a 0 and a recommendation to bring it to the dealer so they can diagnose, so that's why I'm thinking you should check those areas of the manual.

Sorry to throw more questions your way, but did you notice any dash lights flickering, dimming, or anything like that when you were experiencing the car shaking, before everything lit up on the dash? What about after?