Engine Sputtering -- Need Advice
 

I have a 2001 Boxster S, 46K miles, 6-speed.

This morning, I went for coffee (about two blocks away) and on the return home, while waiting to make a left turn, the idle suddenly got rough and the car was sputtering. As I made the left turn, the check engine light started flashing, and then it came on full when I entered my condo complex. I limped it around to my outside parking space and shut it down.

A few minutes later, I started it up again. The check engine light went out and it idled normally. However, I noticed that whenever I tapped the gas I could hear a sucking sound from the driver's side. Never paid attention to that before. Not sure if it's normal intake. The sucking air sound only lasts a second, when I first blip the throttle.

Any thoughts on what happened?

Okay, after letting the car sit for several hours, i took it around the block a few times. there was some smoke on start up but not nearly the "giant cloud" that signifies an oil separator problem (which I had previously). I got the car up to temperature and it seemed fine. no CEL, no rough idle.

Anyone have any idea what happened earlier? I've looked at some posts and it seems like it may be an O2 sensor or MAF. Or could it just be too short of a morning drive (just to get coffee) and something weird with the exhaust gases or something.

I'm supposed to drive to santa barbara tomorrow and would really appreciate some input into what might be going on and whether i should get it to a dealer first thing in the morning.

thanks.

You know, without getting it on an OBD reader it's a real guessing game. You might have just had some water in your fuel line that you pushed through.

Why not take it for another good long drive now to see if you're going to have problems before tomorrow?

A flashing CE light is bad news. The fact that it came on bright and then went off is actually a good sign to me... it's adjusting and trying to fix itself.

You may indeed have a failing MAF or an O2 Sensor going out. Do check to see that your radiator, oil and gas caps are screwed on nice and tight. Any one of these that are on loose can throw a CE light and possibly cause some sputtering, although that's more remote of a possibility.

Good luck, and let us know what it is when you can get the computer diagnostics.

Well, I took the Boxster by the dealership early this morning to have the codes checked.

They told me that there had been a misfire in cylinder #2, caused by a lack of fuel to that cylinder. There were no other codes and the dealer said it was good to go. (And they didn't charge me anything to check it out.)

Drove to Santa Barbara and back without incident.