ChicagoFX(993)

If eurosport doesn't help out, try CPT or VFC Engineering. I use VFC for the most part, but use CPT for my Supercharged Audi A4.

kkim

I agree. Without knowing what's tripping the CEL, you're getting upset over possibly nothing, as it may not be the clogged ports that's the source. Get a cheap OBD2 reader and live with peace of mind. After this experience, you obviously will be closely monitoring your car from now on with regard to CELs.

Scarabsport

I can understand the anguish you guys must have regarding this issue that apparently has nothing at all to do with performance or any mechanical issues per se. From what I can see it is not even an emission issue, more of a sensor/computer issue.
I am doubly forunate to have a '95 and live in Florida. We have absolutely no vehicle inspections of any type. Register the car and drive it forever. Take the cats off, do whatever you want to do to the car, just pay the $42 per year and Florida is happy., From what I can see you do not even have to have the car here to register it down here. Just a Florida address.
Were I facing the dreaded CEL issue I would be sorely tempted to disconnect the light, throw a Florida tag on the car and be done forever with these issues.
Food for thought.
Actually it could even be the basis of a great ebay scam, advertise a guaranteed life of the car CEL fix for Pcars for $4,000 each, take the $ and send the victim a Florida license plate for his $4,000. You could even send him the vanity plate "CEL FIX".
All kidding aside, I can appreciate the aggravation it must cause with what is otherwise a wonderful car.

Traffic53

you make a good point. the problem as i see it is resale. it will be very difficult to sell even an otherwise perfect car, if it won't pass smog.

i have a reader and it is indeed the same code. (p1411)

mborkow

in CA it wouldn't be difficult; it would be impossible. having gone through SAI hell (i ended up with a valve job) i completely understand your frustration. i can also tell you that you will again love your car after this problem is resolved (though the resolution may be a bit painfull). best of luck.

kkim

Yes, SAI blocked ports. Hope you didn't pay the shop for the flush as they obviously didn't clear out your passages. I'd give them a D for effort as they clearly didn't accomplish what you paid for.

TMc993

Traffic53,

You're absolutely correct in that this SAI crap is due to a stupid and flawed design and Porsche's absolute negligence of it's customers by not taking care of the problem in the beginning. To me it's reminiscent of the time when Saab 900 trannys started failing and Saab claimed that replacing the transmission was a "maintenance item."...Both situations were/are pure bulls**t.

Just MHO

David in Chicago

Mike:

You've got PM.

24FPS

what was going thru my mind check yer hose. ( mine worked loose: the one time i had a cel was after the stealer f' my **** up).

if not your guys failed... by chance did you get to look @ your cleared ports before they closed her up?

how many miles are you @? curious b/c i'm @ 47k w/ no cel as of yet...

how bout the 993's in europe? thought they did not have as many sai probs & did not have the (u.s.) check valve.............. is this true???

flaw in design, yes.
still find it weird that some of the 993's burn so much dirtier than others. porsche still claims that only a minority of the 993's have sai probs.

911TE

In Europe this problem just doesn`t exist. Only the turbo has OBDII and I never heard of anybody having problems.(I don`t know if the Euro TT has a smog pump at all)

On normally aspirated 993s there is no smog pump, no SAI ports or whatsover and they all have OBD I in every model year.
Not even worn out valve guides are discussed here. Maybe they wear out the same as in USA, but nobody notices because the cars run fine.
I just did a complete rebuild on my 993 after 250.000 km, inlet guides had zero! wear, exhaust guides were in tolerance (which is worth checking out!) but to loose for my opinion, I replaced them.

Traffic53

i have 70k on the car, though i've reset the CEL at various times between 40k-and present. not often, but a couple times.

Lorenfb

Read here ( www.systemsc.com/pictures.htm ) for info on the SAI problem.

98993c2s

Plugged SAI ports *could* be caused by excessive oil consumption which could be caused by valve guide wear; but since SAI can occur without either, plugged SAI ports should be considered an issue unto itself. Just IMHO, not trying to generate a debate thread.

Even in the case where an engine has worn valve guides that result in plugged ports, this doesn't mean that the engine needs a top end. Often there are tens of thousands of additional miles that can be put on such an engine. The valve guides ideally should be addressed at the appropriate time for their sake alone, not necessarily because SAI rears its ugly head.

There needs to be a solution that works around the plugged ports, while eliminating the CEL and OBDII codes so the cars can pass emissions, without requiring a top end or even a flush. That way the owner can do a top end when the engine really needs it, instead of having to address this 'secondary' issue.

Caveman

If I was ever so slightly dodgy I would find a way of removing the bulb, blowing it (big amps?) and putting it back in place. Fortunately we don't have this rubbish over here in the UK.

2ndof2

Agreed Robert, but what exactly is an appropriate solution? I know a while back someone here talked about doing something to their computer and I don't recall what the end result was. As I remember, last I read, he was still having issues trying to get the readiness codes to reset.

Anyone know what the outcome of that situation was?