986 S problem at idle, engine won't rev and shakes, battery disconnected

[Gorthaur]

It's hard for me to believe it's the MAF. The problem shows itself at idle, not over 4000 RPM.

After that last lucky start I drove it for more than 30 minutes and she was really perfect, just like she had always been in the past years. She seems to lay in some sort of "recovery state" I just have to wake her up from. Ok it can be the plugs but... in five years not a problem. Then I disconnect the battery and the problem shows itself on the first start. Then suddenly, after a dozen times of switch the engine off - fire it on, she is just perfect... but the day after she's strange again. Strange coincidence, huh!?

[Meir]

this tread is becoming very interesting.
i have one question.
did the problem started right away after messing with the cluster? or couple of days later? (just want to be sure)

[Gorthaur]

Originally Posted by Meir

this tread is becoming very interesting.
i have one question.
did the problem started right away after messing with the cluster? or couple of days later? (just want to be sure)

On the very next restart, after many hours without battery.

On sunday 3 PM I disconnected the battery and did the job, on monday 10 AM I reconnected it and on tuesday 13 AM, I started it for the first time.

[Meir]

OK. this is my 2 cents.
after 20 years of installing every available aftermarket electronic equipment in cars (4 years of them as the official installation shop of Porsche Israel), i can tell you one thing.
if you worked on something (in your case the cluster) that where the problem is.
problems usually don't happen by themselves. the chance that a MAF/coil will blow at the same time you were working on something ells, is close to zero.
car was working fine before taking the cluster out. right?
remove the cluster, check the connectors and wires. these connectors are very sensitive and tend to break or loos a pin (ask me how i know).
also take Homeboy advice, and check the ground points behind the cluster. make sure they are tight and none of the wires is broken. some of them are very thin, and can break easily when working in that area.



whit that said, it can also be that you are very very unlucky, to have somethig ells go bad when working on unrelated part of the car.
i truly daubed it.

[Meir]

taking the cluster connector apart, is described hear in figure 6:

Pelican Technical Article: Boxster On Board Computer (OBC) Upgrade / Boxster Turn Signal Switch Replacement - 986 Boxster (1997-04) -

good luck.

[Ghostrider 310]

The initial post was not too clear to me. In Meir's post he states the problem only occurred only after cluster removal, before removal car was 100%. If that indeed is the case, I agree with Meir the cluster job needs step by step diagnostics and re check. One thing though Meir, if a connection was bad or otherwise compromised it could potentially damage a component like the MAF or cause it to read incorrectly although that would be exceptionally rare.

[Gorthaur]

2000 Boxster S weird idling - YouTube

Here's a video of the car at idle... as you can see, if I floor the throttle pedal, it revs just up to 2k.