BlackAddr

Ok, at first I thought it was the coolant issue that a few others here on the boards had suffered? So, I re filled the "overflow" tank to see if there was indeed a loss of fluid. At first I had a few drops, then nothing? So I drive it a few times and I have been keeping a very close eye on everything that I can! Nothing, no loss of fluid from the over-flow tank, everything seemed good?

Then today I decide to drive to where I keep my storage unit, about 2 miles away, and as I am pulling into the parking lot I notice the "Engine Service" light on. I shut it off and hope that it isn’t anything other then what I think it might be....I come out to take the car home as I still had a few more errands to run and decide that it would be best to just take it home. I get home and grab one of my other rides. (Thankfully I am in a position where I own a couple of cars.)

One think I should point out is that, the engine was running just like always, and there were no unusual sounds. I am one of those people that would prefer to just take out the Radio and the Air Conditioning. So I listen to the engine as a source of comfort.

I have a winter Ride, but since there is no Snow on the Roads, I wanted to take the P-Car.


So after I go and run my errands, I come back to check out the P-Car Status?
Well, the Coolant looked perfect, no loss from the last time I dbl chk'd and filled it. I Chk'd the Oil, looks good. However, there was a clump of grass and weed on the right hand side(Passenger Side) of the motor, about the size of a Silver Dollar made out of grasses and weeds, sort of like a little bed, but not fully finished or in a shell shape, (as if it was being used as a bed?)

I didn't even think about taking a picture of it till I have already thrown it away. I also noticed a spot on one of the wires, (I will post a pic tomorrow.) where it is appears that maybe a small animal could have been chewing on it? (The wires are located on the drivers side of the car makes me wonder if there was a small animal that had gotten in there and chewed on a few of the wires? (I did this at night, so the one wire was the only spot I could see?) I will be looking at it in more detail tomorrow. Does anyone think that this could cause the engine light to pop on all of a sudden? (As I said, pics tomorrow.)

Although, it has been very cold here lately, and it wouldn't be unusual for some kind of an small animal, mouse, Bird etc? to work its way into the engine compartment. 5 degrees is *** cold. The car usually has a winter tarp over it, but we had a warm from for a few days...

I know this is long, and I thank anyone who takes the time to read this and post a response.

I am sure like most of us here that I am not alone in finding something that bothers me at around 6:30 pm or so, and then regretting that I didn't take the pictures until like it is now 12:45 am. But I will take pics and post them tomorrow, and maybe someone will be able to help with my questions?

My questions thus far are, has anyone else experienced something similar to this, and is it feasible that a frayed wire might cause the engine light to come on? My intent is to have a professional look at it, and maybe I can fix it myself, if not then I will have to take it to the Repair Shop, as it may be more then I can handle?

(Also, just out of curiosity, for anyone who has had their overflow tank changed out along with their thermostat, would you be willing to share an approx cost for the work? Just so I can get an idea as to what I may be looking at?)

Any help on the cost on the question would help quite a bit as this is my first Porsche and I have no idea but to assume that the work will be very expensive?

(I have edited this about 6 times, and I hope I am making sense about this issue. I will re-write about this tomorrow as well as have pictures of the wire et al...But if anyone has any ideas, it would be greatly appreciated!)

Pac996

Maybe O2 sensors on that side were chewed on. Should be two per side. A long browse through the service manual can show a lot of things. If somedody brings up the error codes it might be figureable for which stuff possibly set the warning light off. I think the oil pressure sensors on the right also but a oil light is what I'd figure but I could be wrong.

C4CRNA

OK So get a code reader and read the codes.You need an OBD2 code reader buy or borrow one.

This is all just guessing if we don't have the codes.
All 996 owners should have one.
These cars throw codes all the time.
Is it MAF O2 sensor??

You need the code!!

Then we can help you.

Macster

Was at my local Porsche dealership a few months back and spotted a very nice Turbo Cab on a lift with the engine/transmission out.

Since I own a Turbo I asked what's up and was told the car was brought in cause of various electrical "gremlins" and the engine wasn't running right.

The cause proved to be rodent (rats) infestation.

Tech told me when he removed the under engine panel it was full of nesting trash.

The rodents had chewed the engine wiring harness wiring, vacuum and hydraulic hoses, and chewed through the engine compartment into the back seat area.

(I have some pics if you PM me I'll send you.)

A big big mess.

Car owner's comprehensive insurance was utilized to pay for the car's repairs. Not cheap. Engine/tranny out of the car. New engine wiring harness. New hoses and other lines chewed up. Considerable interior pieces required replacement. Cost was estimated to run into the 10s of thousands of dollars.

My advice is to take the car to a dealer and have the extent of the rodent damage estimated. If not bad the cost of having it fixed at the dealer not too bad and it could be claimed against your car (or homeowner) insurance.

If damage bad you'll not fix it by replacing a wire or two. If check engine light on almost certainly engine wiring harness damaged and to replace this is an engine out job.

If other wiring harnesses damage, the full interior of the car may have to be gutted right down the metal to get at the wiring in the cabin, or dash, etc.

Sincerely,

Macster.

buzztt

+10000000000000000000, you can pick them up for 50 bucks or go to autozone and they will read your codes for free

BlackAddr

Well, thanks to Mackster for the info, and ironically I just saw some Chipmuncks running around another one of my cars earlier today. Which of course makes me believe that this is indeed the case. As they were running up underneath one of my other cars under carriage. Which makes me believe that these little rodents are indeed the problem.

(On the upside my brother is a Mechanic, and has one of the OBDII machines and knows how to read the codes etc. So it is looking like it is as Macster said, Rodents.....Anyone have a big cat?)

Here is the pics of what I saw when I opened up my hood.

Yes, indeed it looks like the Chipmuncks have been at work, and time for me to buy a Pellet gun!!!

BlackAddr

Thanks for the input, I actually have access to the OBDII, and will be addressing this issue tomorrow. But I do agree with you 100%, everyone that owns a 996 should have one of these. Even if it is one that only cost a few hundred of Dollars, as at least it will give you a general idea as to what the problem may be?

Then if you have to take it to the P-Car Dealer, you at least have some reasonable knowledge as to what you are talking about.

BlackAddr

BTW, does anyone know what these wires are connected to, and if I am going to replace them myself, what do I ask for at the dealership?

BlackAddr

Thanks goes to Macster for all the great info. And he actually got me to think about something that I didn't even have on my Radar. In the house I recently sold, I had kept my cars in my Garage, thinking they were safe? However at the time I was working 12+ hours a day when one day my ex said that she thought there might be mice or Rats in the Garage.

What was going on was the City was digging up the streets to put in a new Sewer System, that house I lived in at the time was built in 1932. So anyways, I looked around and saw droppings.

My point on this was that I had never thought about them going up there and chewing on the lines, and nesting in "Empty" spots. And the problem besides the obvious wire chewing was something I hadn't thought about, Fires....This damn things leave nests in there and in these nests there could easily start a fire, and the last thing any of us needs is an engine fire.

So basically what I am saying, just because I am in a transitional stage and waiting to move and my cars are covered up outside, doesn't mean that I could be the only victim here. Look around from droppings and other signs for Rodents. Because all I know if that chewed wires could be one thing, but an engine fire is another story...

In my eyes, this was a well learned lesson, and in the future I will continue to keep my eyes open for stuff like this, and I really hope this doesn't happen to anyone else here!!!