996 electronics problems?
Discussion
Hi all,
I've been reading this forum for ages and always found you lot helpful as well as highly amusing. Sadly, my first posting is for advice on what may be an expensive problem.
Background: I have a 1998 996 C2. During a trip across the Continent last year the car started cutting out without warning...
- engine running perfectly then just died instantly
- no warning lights came on
- car was totally dead when I tried to restart but had plently of juice in the battery
- gears went haywire on one instance (it's a Tip)
Each time, I gave it 15 minutes and the car started fine. I'd had enough of it by the time I got to Lake Como and had it towed to the Porsche dealership there. They diagnosed a fauly CPU so a new EMS was fitted. £1,200 later, the problem seemed to be resolved as I travelled home without incident.
On Saturday, was pottering along in London and it cut out, again without warning. This time the engine warning light came on and stayed on. I took the car straight home and am getting it towed to Chiswick Porsche tomorrow. This seems like the EMS again but the warning light is causing concern.
So, could I just be very unlucky and gone through another EMS in 1,000 miles and 5 months? Could the original diagnosis have been wrong and I paid £1,200 to replace a part that was not faulty? Could something be damaging the EMS?
I would greatly appreciate any advice you can offer.
I've been reading this forum for ages and always found you lot helpful as well as highly amusing. Sadly, my first posting is for advice on what may be an expensive problem.
Background: I have a 1998 996 C2. During a trip across the Continent last year the car started cutting out without warning...
- engine running perfectly then just died instantly
- no warning lights came on
- car was totally dead when I tried to restart but had plently of juice in the battery
- gears went haywire on one instance (it's a Tip)
Each time, I gave it 15 minutes and the car started fine. I'd had enough of it by the time I got to Lake Como and had it towed to the Porsche dealership there. They diagnosed a fauly CPU so a new EMS was fitted. £1,200 later, the problem seemed to be resolved as I travelled home without incident.
On Saturday, was pottering along in London and it cut out, again without warning. This time the engine warning light came on and stayed on. I took the car straight home and am getting it towed to Chiswick Porsche tomorrow. This seems like the EMS again but the warning light is causing concern.
So, could I just be very unlucky and gone through another EMS in 1,000 miles and 5 months? Could the original diagnosis have been wrong and I paid £1,200 to replace a part that was not faulty? Could something be damaging the EMS?
I would greatly appreciate any advice you can offer.
Got a call from Chiswick. Faulty MAF sensor. £390 to replace. Reading the forum this seems like a common problem, but I'm now wondering whether the Porsche dealership in Como diagnosed the wrong fault and charged me £1,200 for a new EMS when it was really the MAF as the symptoms were identical. Guess there's not much I can do about that now?
£390 to replace a MAF sensor
WTF.
Buy a Bosch one from Eurocarparts at about £110 and fit it yourself in about 5 minutes. You will need a security Torx bit but I don't think they will cost much. Certainly not £280.
After I had mine changed.......yes I bought a Porsche one for £240 and had my indy fit it for free.......I was told on PH that the Bosch one is the same without Porsche on the box.
WTF. Buy a Bosch one from Eurocarparts at about £110 and fit it yourself in about 5 minutes. You will need a security Torx bit but I don't think they will cost much. Certainly not £280.
After I had mine changed.......yes I bought a Porsche one for £240 and had my indy fit it for free.......I was told on PH that the Bosch one is the same without Porsche on the box.
OK - update. MAF replaced and picked up the car on Thursday. However, it cut out again this afternoon this time losing all power to steering and brakes. So, back into Chiswick on Monday. It does feel that Porsche are replacing parts that might be causing the problem (at my expense) rather than actually diagnosing it properly. Any advice, other than just continuing to sink money into the problem, appreciated.
colin996 said:
... However, it cut out again this afternoon this time losing all power to steering and brakes. So, back into Chiswick on Monday. It does feel that Porsche are replacing parts that might be causing the problem (at my expense) rather than actually diagnosing it properly. Any advice, other than just continuing to sink money into the problem, appreciated.
Those symptoms are exactly what I experienced when the alternator failed on my car - might be worth considering...
HTH,
M
This may be a bit premature, but Chiswick have provisionally diagnosed the problem as a faulty crank angle sensor.....after having the car in their possession for 4 weeks.
So congrats to Mike for diagnosing the problem in a few minutes based purely on a description on this forum.
A couple more questions to keep me on the front foot with the OPC...
1) Anyone any idea how much the crank angle sensor should cost to replace with them?
2) What would be a reasonable time to have spent diagnosing the problem? Given the length of time they have had the car and the amount of hours they may have spent on it I'm a bit concerned.
Oh, and the cost of the MAF they mistakenly replaced (£460, yes £460!) will be deducted from whatever price they charge.
I'm hoping I can come to a gentlemens agreement with them as, time taken and false diagnosis aside, they have been a nice bunch to deal with, sorting me out with loan cars when required.
So congrats to Mike for diagnosing the problem in a few minutes based purely on a description on this forum.
A couple more questions to keep me on the front foot with the OPC...
1) Anyone any idea how much the crank angle sensor should cost to replace with them?
2) What would be a reasonable time to have spent diagnosing the problem? Given the length of time they have had the car and the amount of hours they may have spent on it I'm a bit concerned.
Oh, and the cost of the MAF they mistakenly replaced (£460, yes £460!) will be deducted from whatever price they charge.
I'm hoping I can come to a gentlemens agreement with them as, time taken and false diagnosis aside, they have been a nice bunch to deal with, sorting me out with loan cars when required.
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