Variocam thoughts and questions

[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.

[blue62]

Originally Posted by sfkjeld

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.

Well that sucks.
Hard to give any further advice without having the car at hand.
Giving advice over the net is kind of a crap shoot at best.

[Homeoboxter]

Originally Posted by sfkjeld

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.

That must be disappointing, sorry to hear When I rebuilt my heads I flushed the actuators with fresh oil a couple times with a syringe. The oil that came out didn`t look good. I can imagine that if the solenoid is not working for a while the old oil inside the actuator gets cooked and the small oil passages get clogged, so maybe it works out after a couple more hundred miles. Did you confirm the solenoid was faulty?

[sfkjeld]

Originally Posted by Homeoboxter

That must be disappointing, sorry to hear When I rebuilt my heads I flushed the actuators with fresh oil a couple times with a syringe. The oil that came out didn`t look good. I can imagine that if the solenoid is not working for a while the old oil inside the actuator gets cooked and the small oil passages get clogged, so maybe it works out after a couple more hundred miles. Did you confirm the solenoid was faulty?

Thanks. I asked the shop whether the solenoid was bad. They concluded it must have been because it was not moving the actuator at all when they first tested it. After replacing, it does move but not to spec. They referred to it as “slow”.

Hence they want to do this engine flush in the hopes of clearing an oil gallery to increase oil pressure in the actuator. Again, that sounds like a Hail Mary. But after your syringe experience, maybe the flush might clear out something.

Must say, I am stunned at how little difference the vario cam seems to make. If as they said, it wasn’t working at all on bank 1-3 when I brought it in, and it’s not working well now, why does the car run so well? I can’t tell the difference. Seems like a lot tech for not much performance.

[Homeoboxter]

Originally Posted by sfkjeld

Thanks. I asked the shop whether the solenoid was bad. They concluded it must have been because it was not moving the actuator at all when they first tested it. After replacing, it does move but not to spec. They referred to it as “slow”.

Hence they want to do this engine flush in the hopes of clearing an oil gallery to increase oil pressure in the actuator. Again, that sounds like a Hail Mary. But after your syringe experience, maybe the flush might clear out something.

Must say, I am stunned at how little difference the vario cam seems to make. If as they said, it wasn’t working at all on bank 1-3 when I brought it in, and it’s not working well now, why does the car run so well? I can’t tell the difference. Seems like a lot tech for not much performance.

Well, the solenoid just operates a valve that controls oil flow within the actuator. It still can be totally fine if the actuator is bad, or the oil passages are blocked. It’s not too parsimonious to replace a $500 part without making sure it’s faulty. If you have the solenoid you can easily test it with a battery.

[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.