The honeymoon is over!!!!! It rained all day and on the way home from work the CEL came on and off for a few minutes. Then it just stayed on. Jumped on Rennlist as soon as I got home to do some searching. I'm betting coils so I just ordered six coils and six plugs from Pelican with two day shipping. The engine was a bit "lumpy" but not too bad. I didn't rev it past about 4000RPM - does it matter? Just seemed like the prudent thing to do.

 

It's highly possible. Coils are known to crack and have issues when they get wet. May want to have the computer scanned to confirm it is a missfire code before pull the trigger on some expensive parts. Was the check enging light flashing/blinking?

 

It went on and off a few times and then just stayed on.

 

I would pull the code before assuming. Much cheaper then throwing parts at it until it goes out.

 

Wait till it dries out. Go for a drive again and see if the CEL stays on. If it doesn't, well.......... Also invest in a Durametric. Will pay for itself after 2-3 uses.

 

I'd do the coils, all 6 of mine were the originals and all 6 had hairline cracks.

You could remove the coils and repair the cracks - not sure if that's overly sound advice though

 

 

Autozone could probably pull the code for free. Definitely, definitely, definitely pull codes before you start ordering parts. These parts will add up VERY fast. As others have mentioned, if you're going to be doing the work yourself it is probably worth purchasing a Durametric so that you can pull your own codes and do other useful things.

 

Thanks for the tips!! Good news, the car ran like a top this morning and no CEL. I do have decent code reader, just not with me right now. I've been thinking about getting a Durametric. For my old 04 S500, I had an icarsoft reader. It worked really well for the Mercedes. From what I've read, their 996 version is of limited value. I was hoping I could keep the old hardware and just download the Porsche software but no dice.

 

I have not tried Autozone with my 996 but I happened to be there when a Cayenne came in wanting codes read but they couldn't read any custom codes...only the generic ones, which might not contain all the actual codes thrown.

 

I have a Vgate iCar 3 Wi-Fi OBD2 Scanner which I keep plugged in (less than $30). It turns itself on and off with the car and has a very low profile. I use it with the DashCommand app on my iPhone. It's great for generic codes (like misfires, etc.) and it's nice to always have it available when needed. It also provides some nice real-time displays. A Durametric is a completely different tool and is great to have if you plan on doing more extensive work/troubleshooting on your 996.

I agree that if you don't know the age of your plugs and coils it's a good idea to start out with new ones.

 

I haven't taken my 996 there either. But a few years ago I had an 03 Z4 that was running rough and threw a CEL. Autozone's scanner told me it was a bad coil and even what cylinder it was.

 

Any ODB II reader will give you that information - even the $10 WiFi ELM 327 units. They're good to keep in the car.

 

I did my spark plug tubes and found cracked coils so I repaired the cracks, no problems at all.

 

Definitely get a Durametric and dump the code before you start swapping parts. Believe me, although swapping coils is not a major effort, but you don;t want to second guess yourself when it comes to working on cars. Be specific and know exactly where the source of the problem lies.