rihaa

My car for the last month or two has had an intermitant check engine light coming on. It normally does not stay on for more than 5 minutes at a time and sometimes will only stay on for about 10 seconds. The car doesn't run any differently with it on but I would still like to find out what it is coming on for.

My question is how much does an error code reader cost? Is there any place to get them other than through porsche i.e. generic readers that work with our cars? Are there any Listers in Southern California that have one I could come by and use?

Thanks in advance.

HY M8NC

I may be stupid here...just don't ask my wife'

I think you guy's have Autozone out there..and they just started a code reading program. I think Porsche uses an OBDII reader...but I am not positive. Actron (Kal-Equip/SunPro) makes a code reader that will allow you to see the problem, and erase the code.

I would go to a shop and ask them nicely if they can read the code...

Deepice

How much to actually buy a reader even used?

Danno

OBD-II on an S2? I didn't think OBD-II was required until '95-96?

HY M8NC

I think the generic Actron piece is $400-$600 for the nice one. They make others-I'm just going on what I heard at a shop.

jim968

I dunno for sure that this applies to the S2, but ISTR that I got the procedure from the 944S2 volume of the factory manuals... you can do a fancy tap dance with the ignition key & gas pedal and get the check engine light to flash out a numeric trouble code. Also not sure it will work on an intermittent light; the only time I've used it I had a continuous light. Turned out to be a knock sensor code; there was coolant from bleeding in the connector plug for the front knock sensor.

Anyway, it'll be Tuesday AM before I have time to dig in the manuals to find the procedure or codes (my Monday schedule sucks). But if anybody wants it, post back here & I'll dig it out.

Jim, is it afternoon yet?

rihaa

Due to the fact that it is an intermittant light does this even signal that anything is wrong? I know that on a lot of new cars when the check engine light goes on it cannot be reset until you take it in to get it checked out. Are our cars like that?

Also doesn't the DME create an error log which would catalog all of the error codes that have accumulated until cleared?

Thanks for any help.

Dave H.

it should. even if the light goes out, the fault should still be in the brain.

it's not OBD II.

ribs

On my toyota, you could jump 2 connectors (E2 and TE2 I think, not that it matters) on the diagnostic port and the check engine light would flash out any stored error codes...you would just have to find what the #'s it flashed out meant...is there anything like this on our porsches?

Also, on a couple of cars where the check engine light came on it was from a past stored error code and went away after I pulled the negative battery terminal for a few minutes...you could do this if it is annoying you to see that, and maybe it will go away.

944Fest (aka Dan P)

A friend I once new had a code reader for the 951. It looks a lot like a round flasher relay, with about 5 pins in the bottom. It plugs in under the hood near the master cylinder, look around and you'll see the socket where it plugs in..It has a cap over it that "flips" open, about 1.5" around and recessed down 3 or 4 inches below hood level. As for a pic of the socket and I'll take one for you) The tester itself was quite simple, it had a micro toggle switch on it and red and green LED's.
I think I asked one of the Porsche suppliers if the had them and didn't get much of a reply.
This guy who had it used to work for a Porsche dealer, so that may be where he got it, but it sure looked homeade. Sorry I can't research it further, he likes to keep these sort of things to himself.


<img src="graemlins/beerchug.gif" border="0" alt="[cheers]" />

Deepice

[quote]Originally posted by Dan P:
<strong>A friend I once new had a code reader for the 951. It looks a lot like a round flasher relay, with about 5 pins in the bottom. It plugs in under the hood near the master cylinder, look around and you'll see the socket where it plugs in..It has a cap over it that "flips" open, about 1.5" around and recessed down 3 or 4 inches below hood level. As for a pic of the socket and I'll take one for you) The tester itself was quite simple, it had a micro toggle switch on it and red and green LED's.
I think I asked one of the Porsche suppliers if the had them and didn't get much of a reply.
This guy who had it used to work for a Porsche dealer, so that may be where he got it, but it sure looked homeade. Sorry I can't research it further, he likes to keep these sort of things to himself.


<img src="graemlins/beerchug.gif" border="0" alt="[cheers]" /> </strong><hr></blockquote>

that plug by the master cylinder is only on 951's

Deepice

I have looked at the Actron (Kal-Equip/SunPro) web site and I see nothing that will fit our 1980-1994 cars.... who makes a aftermarket code reader for our cars ?

I know its not a hightech part it just reads blink codes and displays a 4 digit number....

jim968

OK, not much help here for most of y'all.. I just looked in the 944 Vol. 1-A 16 valve engine manual. Only model year '91 & newer will read out fault codes by blinking the check engine light. (section 24/28, p. 33)

Procedure is to "fully depress the accelerator pedal with the engine off & ignition on for 3 seconds until the Malfunction Indicator Lamp flashes. Then remove foot from accelerator." This will cause the Check Engine light to flash the stored code.

Long pulse, pause, one short pulse, pause, five short pulses is code 1500.. no fault stored.

This also says that you have to use the "System Tester" to clear the fault memory. I'm 99% sure that I cleared the knock sensor code I had by disconecting the battery; I know I didn't take it to the dealer.

Jim, enuff Rennlist for now...

944S2NUT

Sometimes when you disengage the ebrake the light will stayon for shortwhile. Also if you park on a hill Your oil light will comeon aswell, and shortly go away.

Deepice

My car has the pinout for a tester... I 'm just going to talk to my Mechanic to find out what we can get