Engine Dead - Need help
 

I posted recently that my 1997 Boxster with 52k miles died. I was driving along and the car started hiccuping. By the time I got to my office it started hiccuping bad and the CEL came on and the engine died. I towed it home. I have a code reader and this is what it said.

P0300 Misfire Dmg to Cat
P0301 Misfire Cyl 1 - Cat Damage
P0304 Misfire Cyl 4 - Cat Damage
P1313 Misfire Cyl 1 - Emissions Related
P1316 Misfire Cyl 4 - Emissions Related
P1319 Misfire - Emissions Related

I changed the spark plugs and the coils. The plugs in cylinders 1 and 4 were darker than the other 4. I also put in a brand new MAF. The engine turns over and sounds like it wants to start, but it just won't catch. I pulled a spark plug and it appears to be getting fuel to the cylinder. This weekend I plan on removing the oil filter and cutting it open to inspect that just in case this is a dreaded bigger problem.

Any other ideas? It appears the engine is not getting ignition. What could be causing this?

Thanks in advance for any replies!

Could be the crank position sensor. If it is bad the DME can't determine when to fire sparks, so it doesn't bother and your engine won't run.

A simpler thing to try first -- ignition switch. Have you had any difficulty turning and removing the key recently?

Crank Position Sensor.....hmmmmm.
 

Thanks for the reply, this is really frustrating to chase down.

The ignition switch appears to be working as normal. It will turn over the engine and the accessories come on as they should. Is there any tell-tale signs of a failing switch I should look for?

As far as the Crank Position Sensor, I will search the forums and do my homework on that.

Still not running.....
 

Okay, so now I have pulled the oil filter and inspected. Nothing floating around except used oil (that's good right?). I have replaced the Crank Position Sensor. I am running out of ideas and trying to sort this out.

1. Changed the plugs and coils and note that Cyl 1 & 4 plugs appear dark. Replaced
the o-rings and one tube.

2. I changed the MAF with a brand new Bosch.

3. Removed oil filter and found nothing visible in the oil or the filter.

4. Replaced the Crank Position Sensor.

Any other ideas?

I am also concerned about the amount of oil on the bottom of the motor that is seeping near the transmission area. With 52k miles I am thinking about doing the clutch soon and I planned on the LN upgrade while I had the transmission out. Could the bearing be seeping and gumming things up and causing the car to not run?

Sounds like you should pull the trans & check the IMS bearing Now. The bearing can be worn enough to cause the engine to missfire. Check LNengineering website for approved installers.

Thanks!
 

I agree that it may be time. I'm just confused about how the IMS could be causing this ignition issue. It turns over fine and there was nothing in the oil. Since there is so much muck in that area I am thinking the update is due now, but I would like to know the motor will run again before I start throwing money at the cluth and bearing upgrade.

If the motor is toast I have to have a serious talk with the wife. I'd like to know where I stand before I start removing the transmission. I'm just a backyard mechanic with average skills and a healthy dose of bravery. So far I've managed to maintain this and repair everything with the help of this board and the Pelican board, however, at some point I think I have to get this to a pro.

Have you checked for new fault codes since you replaced the plugs / coils and deleted the old fault codes??

I did clear the faults after I replaced the plugs, coil and MAF. This thing has me stumped.

You ask how the IMS can affect the timing
 

The timing chain that drives the cams goes around the teeth attached to the IMS (recall that the IMS is an intermediate shaft used to translate crankshaft motion to camshaft motion though the IMS term is often used as shorthand for the bearing in the forums). If the bearing gets loose, it can cause the chain to jump a tooth and the timing to be out. One of the ways of telling if the IMS is worn and wiggling is to compare the camshafts timing.

I suspect you may have a IMS bearing problem. Knowledgeable boxster owners are always looking for a good time to inspect their IMS bearing since this is the only way to know it's actual condition. Sounds like this is a "good" time for you. Your OK oil filter is a good sign.

Wahoooo!!!!
 

After all the stress and worry, I finally took it to a shop. One new fuel pump later and it ran! The indy mechanic tells me the original was putting out 0-30 lbs of pressure. I'm hoping to tidy up a few other maintenace items and I'm working on a price for a new clutch and the LN Engineering bearing upgrade. Hopefully it will be something reasonable and I'll have her back on the road.

I can't wait, it's been 3 months! :D :D :D

Good for you, failed fuelpumps seem to be the problem of the year so far!

:cheers:

I should check my fuel pressure.

Hey Steve what became of this? I ask because my 97 base just cut out (got towed home) - it starts but then the engine immediately dies and I'm wondering where to start in fixing it.

Sorry didn't see the most recent replies.

This thread is EXACTLY the kind of result we from "Tick tick bang" ad campaigns and IMS hysteria. I am really sorry to see that all roads lead to the IMS and the info on this forum must now be considered as tainted and suspect.

Forum members throw out a few suggestions and when they run out of ideas then go to the hail mary and tell the poor sod it is his IMS and oh yeah your motor might be toast.

Guy says what does this have to do with ignition and all he gets is crickets. Pathetic, really pathetic.

Glad you got your fuel pump fixed.

I must make a few adjustments to my previous comment.

An explanation of how the IMS can cause jumped timing was given and was plausible so it was not just crickets.

Other than that I stand by my rant.

Good on u Landrovered for maintaining sanity and commonsense in the face of adversity. It is always good to have different opinions and sometimes that is what it takes to get the job done. Being outspoken is a good quality as there tends to be so much consensus thinking nowadays. Also credit goes to the original poster for his persistence and in the end taking his p car to an indy repair shop. That is why I love this forum. Kind of like neighbors that I have not met.:dance:

I really hope my engine will never be hiccuping

Guy also said :

"I am also concerned about the amount of oil on the bottom of the motor that is seeping near the transmission area. With 52k miles I am thinking about doing the clutch soon and I planned on the LN upgrade while I had the transmission out. Could the bearing be seeping and gumming things up and causing the car to not run? "

Car was misfiring, leading to non-start condition, leaking alot of oil between trans & engine & he is planning on replacing clutch & IMS bearing soon!

I would say the most pathetic thing here is your lack of reading comprehension but your usual habit of making overly negative comments is more pathetic & useless!

Bypro,

This is not an isolated event or I would gladly apologize.

I agree with Landrovered. I just got back from Maryland and joined into this thread and my first thought was ......Fuel Pump, Not IMS. As I read down ? FUEL PUMP!!! Been there, Done it !!! Glad the problem is solved. Max

Almost forgotten..
 

Hopefully this thread helps a few others out too.

At the time I checked the fuel pump and knew it was still pumping, just didn't have a way to test the pressure. Confirms my amature skills are just that.

Ended up doing a grocery list of "while I'm there" maintenance and have been driving the car with no problems since. There was clear seepage at the IMS when we pulled the transmission. The LN Engineering upgrade was completed. In my day job I work with forensic engineers doing origin/cause analysis. The research on the IMS is there and it clearly shows a trend supporting this as a failure point. Of course not every one fails and that leaves room for different interpretations, but I'm a believer.

A couple of plugs since it's been over a year......I called and left a message for Jake Raby and I can't say enough good about him. He called me around 7 pm (his time) on a Friday night and talked to me like a good friend of years. He talked about ways to diagnose the potential problems and shared his knowledge freely. He answered a lot of questions with no selling going on, just a genuine commitment of his time.

I also remember being thankful for every single reply when I was going through this. I have healthy respect for BYprodriver (and his informative threads - I only wish I had those skills) as well as mikefocke's well done write-ups. I took all the free advise I was given and researched it all. I went down a few wrong paths but learned lots.

Since we seem to be doing closing statements I will make mine.

Bypro was not the point of the rant but he took it that way and got his nose bent out of shape, So whatever, my reading comprehension tested in the top percentile for 2nd graders and that is good enough for me.

Jake is one person who I place partial responsibility for the current hysteria on and I have told him so on this forum and would gladly tell him in person. His "Tick Tick Boom" ads were over the top, that combined with the candor of his threads like "just saved another one mere seconds from disaster" and "IMS's are failing all around me" (I am paraphrasing) posts have not helped. He has done some good work and is now profiting from it handsomely, which is fine with me, but dont tell me it is purely altruism because it is not. Yelling fire in a theater is my real beef with Raby.

and then there are the folks like you and me that are typical anal retentive porsche owners that allow ourselves to become obsessed with technical imperfections in our otherwise nearly perfect cars. Like a small flake of paint we insist on picking at it with our fingernail until the small blemish becomes far worse. We are allowing ourselves to be manipulated and paying big time bucks for the pleasure.

There does seem to be more reality checking going on with the issue and Pelican is offering a low cost option which is welcomed. With the LN bearing, the Guardian, the Pelican bearing and articles in every Porsche magazine in the world I would contend that it is time for us as a group to move past the IMS hysteria, move on to greener technical pastures and enjoy our cars.