Alan S

Hello,
I have recently purchased a 1990 C2 with the tiptronic trans. I have had several Porsches, one of them a 964 however I have never owned a Porsche with the tiptronic trans. My problem is this, the car shifts fine in drive and tip mode for the 1st 20 or so minutes then it goes into sort of a "limp home" mode and is stuck in 3rd. If the car is shut off & re started after 5 min. or so it works fine & the cycle repeats itself. Does anyone have any idea what the problem could be? I am hopeful it is a sensor of some sort as there are quite a few tied into the automatic trans. Any info will be greatly appreciated.
Thank You
Alan

Kahdmus

Hi Alan, I just got my first tip as well and am still learning about it so can't offer much in the way of real help. However, from your description it does not sound like something major, more like a faulty sensor as you suggest. Hopefully someone will chime in with some real suggestions as to where to investigate, in the meantime I wouldn't lose too much sleep as it sound like its probably minor!

nirich

Hi Alan, the problem is likely to be either your "kick down" switch at the accelerator pedal or the "throttle valve switch" located in the engine bay above the intake. Both of these switches get dirty or break down over a period of time and cause the ECU to detect incorrect throttle/speed/RPM settings and put the tip into limp home mode. Usually a clean of the switches is enough and is an easy thing to check and test first.

Alan S

Thank you very much for the replies. I think I am going to take it to the dealer. Hopefully the scan tool will produce a code or codes that will indicate what the problem is.

Kahdmus

Alan, please remember to let us know the outcome. Hope it gets sorted easily and painlessly!

Alan S

Got the report from the Porsche dealer today. No codes & the transmission works fine. I don't know, maybe it is just "one of those things" & it won't happen again, not likely but possible. Thanks again for the info.
Alan

Kahdmus

Thanks for the update. I'll keep my fingers crossed for you!

holy911

So, did the P dealer do anything at all? I mean, the problem doesn't just suddenly disappear w/o anything being done.

I'm thinking of picking up a Tip and want to make sure I'm getting something reliable. Aren't these supposed to be more reliable then the manuals?

Kahdmus

Hi Holy, welcome to Rennlist. Don't get too alarmed by one post; remember that people generally don't post when things are going well. Also that these cars are now 20 years old! Alan's problem is obviously NOT mechanical by the sound of it and is more likely a sensor or similiar issue, annoying but not the end-of-the-world.

Cheers,


--H

holy911

Thanks, khadmus.

Yeah, I hear ya about no posts when things are well. But it's like a cliffhanger. Something had to be done to correct the problem, sensor or whatever. I'm looking into getting a Tip and wanted to know the followup action.

Hey, you're in Pacifica. Not too far from me in San Jose. Hwy 92 must be a great place to cruise that 911, yeah?!

BTW, how do you like your Tip? Is it really a mush pump? I'm not looking to go fast and prefer the Tip. I'm not a big fan of shifting all the time myself. I'll need to test drive one soon to see for myself.

Your avatar is great too. Who drew that painting?

Kahdmus

Hwy 35 is the real treat!

The tip is not nearly as much fun as my 5-speed was to be honest. However its a trade off in many ways: I love the open-air cab roof, I can sit and relax in commute traffic without worrying, the wife can drive it (in emergencies of course!) and the car is simply beautiful! make sure you drive BOTH before making a decision. Oh,...and keep the tip in manual mode as the full auto is extremely tame.

For me, currently the tip suits my lifestyle, however if I had the choice it would always be the 5-speed..no question!

holy911

Hwy 35! Oh, yes. Just like a good women, a bit more curvy! Ha!

So, the Tip isn't bad. Sounds good to me.

Alan S

I do have some minor info that I did not post as I didn't think it would be of interest. Anyway, the PO told me that this car did this before after being detailed, the control unit was damp. I don't know if this matters, the control unit was not damp when it did it for me. The dealer told me that the control unit for the trans will not store codes so I am wondering if they need to get the car to act up & leave it running in order to get a code. Cliffhanger is right, I would also like a better answer as to why the car went into "limp". I searched this forum before I asked the question, there is not a whole lot of "Tip" problems posted on this forum. Either the tips don't break and don't create problems or not many here have them or a combo of both. Thanks again for your interest & replies.
Alan

RichieRoo

Hi Alan

I've just had the very same problem on my way to work today. Tip worked fine in manual mode for about 12 miles. Then Tip warning light came on and gearbox went into 'limp home' mode.

I pulled over, turned the ignition off and restarted. Everything was fine again... then a few miles later, the same thing happened and I had to limp the rest of the journey.

This has only just happened so I haven't been able to look into the problem, but please keep us posted. I'll let you know it I discover anything.

Rich

Uber 911

I had a similar problem with mine when I first got it, poor battery in the end.