Variocam thoughts and questions

[sfkjeld]

Originally Posted by sfkjeld

No, I think are right. Thank you. Yes, the CEL did return a few days later. I went through the same process but this time, the idle wasn’t really rough to start with. I cleared the CEL and there was absolutely no change in the idle. So To your point, the cam may not have been in the wrong position.

I have an appointment to bring the car into the shop next week to address the cam issue. Am guessing it is the solenoid anyway.

Brought my car to a relatively high end Porsche shop, tho they seem to be more about racing than repairing old Boxsters. Anyway, the car was throwing a 1341 CEL. After they replaced the actuator, they found the car was still throwing the 1341. Their explanation is that when the actuator failed, it fried the “computer”. So they are now replacing the “computer”. They said it is a known problem. I find this a little hard to believe. Anyone with any experience with this? As many report with the dreaded 1341 CEL, the car ran great when I brought it into this shop.

[blue62]

Originally Posted by sfkjeld

Brought my car to a relatively high end Porsche shop, tho they seem to be more about racing than repairing old Boxsters. Anyway, the car was throwing a 1341 CEL. After they replaced the actuator, they found the car was still throwing the 1341. Their explanation is that when the actuator failed, it fried the “computer”. So they are now replacing the “computer”. They said it is a known problem. I find this a little hard to believe. Anyone with any experience with this? As many report with the dreaded 1341 CEL, the car ran great when I brought it into this shop.

Did the shop verify that the cams were out of time before they replaced the actuator?
Did they record and tell you by how many degrees the cams were out of time?
Pretty simple to do.

Did they show you the faulty actuator and explain the fault with it?

If a DME -ECU- computer is fried how does it throw a code?
Or keep the car running??

Just a few questions that enter my mind

[sfkjeld]

Originally Posted by blue62

Did the shop verify that the cams were out of time before they replaced the actuator?
Did they record and tell you by how many degrees the cams were out of time?
Pretty simple to do.

Did they show you the faulty actuator and explain the fault with it?

If a DME -ECU- computer is fried how does it throw a code?
Or keep the car running??

Just a few questions that enter my mind

No mention of cams being out of time. Wouldn’t the car run differently if they were? And yes, I don’t get how a fried computer would allow the car to run completely normally. Much less still able to throw the same 1341 code with the CEL.

[Homeoboxter]

Originally Posted by sfkjeld

No mention of cams being out of time. Wouldn’t the car run differently if they were? And yes, I don’t get how a fried computer would allow the car to run completely normally. Much less still able to throw the same 1341 code with the CEL.

I think when you get this code, that can also be because the two actuators are not running syncronously, one is working while the other is not, which will result in a difference in timing between the two intake camshafts, but only in a specific rpm range. This does not mean that your engine won`t run. It will, just not ideally. Correct me if I`m wrong. This "fried computer" thing sounds puzzling. It`s hard to imagine that the actuator and the computer both die at the same time... Did they show you the faulty actuator?

[sfkjeld]

Originally Posted by Homeoboxter

I think when you get this code, that can also be because the two actuators are not running syncronously, one is working while the other is not, which will result in a difference in timing between the two intake camshafts, but only in a specific rpm range. This does not mean that your engine won`t run. It will, just not ideally. Correct me if I`m wrong. This "fried computer" thing sounds puzzling. It`s hard to imagine that the actuator and the computer both die at the same time... Did they show you the faulty actuator?

The shop claims that when an actuator fails, it often “fries” the Computer. But as I say, this car runs perfectly. Low rpm and high rpm. They are installing a used computer today and presumably the car will then stop throwing the 1341 CEL. I will be surprised if that works. I have asked for all the replaced parts so will receive the Old bank 1-3 actuator and the “fried” computer.

[blue62]

Originally Posted by sfkjeld

No mention of cams being out of time. Wouldn’t the car run differently if they were? And yes, I don’t get how a fried computer would allow the car to run completely normally. Much less still able to throw the same 1341 code with the CEL.

Your cams can be out of time and the engine will still run fairly well.
Depends on how far out of time they are.

If you have one actuator not working your cams can still be in time until around 1500 RPM when the actuators are supposed to actuate. Then the cams on one bank will be out of time. Then the actuators kick back out around 5000 RPM so the cams will again be in time.

If the shop can not tell you if the cams were out of time and by how much before they replaced the actuator.
And if they are not showing you the faulty actuator and what the issue was with it.
That they charged you big money and didn't fix anything
Also now they want to replace the computer.
For more money.

Sounds to me like
1. they don't have a clue as to what they are doing.
2. they are taking you for a ride.

[sfkjeld]

Originally Posted by blue62

Your cams can be out of time and the engine will still run fairly well.
Depends on how far out of time they are.

If you have one actuator not working your cams can still be in time until around 1500 RPM when the actuators are supposed to actuate. Then the cams on one bank will be out of time. Then the actuators kick back out around 5000 RPM so the cams will again be in time.

If the shop can not tell you if the cams were out of time and by how much before they replaced the actuator.
And if they are not showing you the faulty actuator and what the issue was with it.
That they charged you big money and didn't fix anything
Also now they want to replace the computer.
For more money.

Sounds to me like
1. they don't have a clue as to what they are doing.
2. they are taking you for a ride.

Yes, kind of what I am thinking. Both #1 and #2. Once they replace the computer and the car is still throwing the 1341 CEL, it’ll be interesting to hear plan C.

This is a high end shop. Between the race cars, turbos and both newish 911’s And air cooled 911s. But I’ve never seen Boxsters in that shop. When it comes to the vario cam system for 986s, is it the same as 996s? I assumed it was.

[blue62]

Originally Posted by sfkjeld

Yes, kind of what I am thinking. Both #1 and #2. Once they replace the computer and the car is still throwing the 1341 CEL, it’ll be interesting to hear plan C.

This is a high end shop. Between the race cars, turbos and both newish 911’s And air cooled 911s. But I’ve never seen Boxsters in that shop. When it comes to the vario cam system for 986s, is it the same as 996s? I assumed it was.

Sorry I am not familiar with the 996 so I would not know.
I do know that they only used the twin actuator style in the Boxster from 1997-2002.
In 2003 they went to a different method of varying cam timing.

Keep us posted on the outcome.
Always interested on end results.

[sfkjeld]

Originally Posted by blue62

Sorry I am not familiar with the 996 so I would not know.
I do know that they only used the twin actuator style in the Boxster from 1997-2002.
In 2003 they went to a different method of varying cam timing.

Keep us posted on the outcome.
Always interested on end results.

Just picked up the car. Turned out the new computer did not clear the CEL as they thought. At least they Didn’t charge me for the new computer. What they did do was replace the cam solenoid and replaced some wiring they thought could be causing the 1341 CEL. They said the oil pressure to the actuator is moving the cam now. But not to spec. That said, the car still passed the CA smog test. So they asked me to drive it 500-1000 miles then they wanted to flush the engine thinking it might clear a plugged oil gallery. They also changed the oil and said the oil filter was clean.

30 miles after picking up the car, the 1341 CEL returned. So I guess I’ll do the engine flush, but seems a long shot. Otherwise, I may just drive the car with the CEL. Hopefully I can clear the CEL and it will still pass smog next year.

[JFP in PA]

Originally Posted by sfkjeld

When it comes to the vario cam system for 986s, is it the same as 996s? I assumed it was.

Both the 996 and the 986 used similar VarioCam systems, the only difference was what year the Boxster when to the later VarioCam+, which was after the 996 had changed over.