2001996c4

Hello All!

Found out about Rennlist just over one year ago. For my 42nd Birthday my wife purchased a well maintained one owner 2001 996 c4. Dream of mine to own one. After the surprise, blue bow and all and my first drive the car was all I had ever dreamed. Only concern was 96,000 miles. Previous owner told my wife this is a quarter million mile car, just drive it. This is where these forum come in, I learned of RMS and LMS etc. took to heart the 90-95% of cars that do not have problems and proceeded to drive the car on weekends and sunny days "like I stole it". Only other sports car was mid sixties MGB of my youth so I would strongly defend abusing the car, that old MG taught me what a syncro was, drive it hard, like it seems to want... absolutely!

On the anniversary of my ownership the car was taken to the independent who had performed regular oil changes for the previous owner and the same shop who change the oil and filter 4,000 miles and 10 months before. New oil filler tube was fitted along with a new alternator mysteriously died after being moved for fitting of new oil filler tube. $1,400 bill not crazy as these forums had me prepared for at least $1,000 annually on good maintenance.

Hope I haven't lost too many of you!

So the day after I receive the gift with no family wanting to come I took the car by myself for a day long drive through the twisty corners of the Crooked River Hwy outside of Bend Oregon. What a drive! The memory stayed in my mind for the past 11 3/4 months and yesterday with a fresh service and a lot more experience behind the wheel of this incredible car my only concern was sliding her off the road with 1 year too much confidence. (Keep in mind the total engine failures are kept in the back of my mind but always there).

** Here's the meat of the story, running fairly hard around the corners of this beautify stretch of road, 2nd and 3rd gear 45 - 85 mph I was exiting a corner full throttle in second gear and pushed up to 3rd on exit as the road straightened I glanced in my rear view mirror and saw a large plume of blue smoke coming out of the exhaust. Immediately pull it into neutral and idled to the side of the road. No warning lights on, can't remember a loss of power, but I knew I had a problem, was it a blown engine? As I sat at the side of the road I blipped the throttle lightly hoping it was not for real... more blue smoke... off with the ignition. Called AAA had a flat bed deliver the car to the local Porsche dealer. I explained the blue smoke and concern I'd lost the engine and they put it on the hoist. I didn't speak the the mechanic first hand but the service advisor explained that he didn't see any visible oil leaking at first but after some careful examination saw oil leaking at the "heads". He explained the only way to know more was to tear it down and see. Thousands of dollars! Did I want to trade it in? A new engine would be between 12,000 to 15,000 installed.

No error lights, no oil on the ground, no marbles in washer sound, the dealer started it and idled it into the shop I started it and idled it out of the shop back on the flat bed to the independent. There was a good plume of blue smoke, I didn't rev it to see how much smoke but it was there!

What do you all think? I'm sick my wife is sick, she want's it gone said maybe a newer one in a couple years, I don't want to be without the joy of the drive at my disposal. I don't know what to do, the independent will call me on Monday.

Thanks all in advance!

2001996c4

Mother

Sorry to hear about your problem, however maybe taking a deep breathe then stepping back to calm down and wait for the Indy to diagnose and take it from there.

mikes_996

Could possibly be your aos. If there is no mixing of oil and water by checking the dip stick and coolant reservoir I would think that your aos might have gone south which will cause alot of smoke. This is only about a $120 part and is a diy but pain in the butt. Had it on my boxster and knew immediately the aos died but on the boxster the aos is much easier to get to. Best of luck and keep us posted.

fbgh2o

I would get another opinion. There are many things that it could be and I am not sure it needs as full tear down to figure it out.

2001996c4

Thanks Mom! Not one to take a deep breath. I sure like the sounds of the AOS, I'll share that with my Indy.

Any other thoughts are much appreciated, feels good to speculate! At least I'm doing something and the collective knowledge of Internet can't be under valued.

Thanks again.

pterfloth

As already suggested, look at the oil dipstick and the inside the coolant tank. If oil and coolant look clear, not milky, could be just the AOS or oil was overfilled during change.

Is the oil level too high? Happened to a friend of mine. Too much oil was added during oil change and he had blue smoke when driving hard. Freaked him out totally.

Search AOS on this forum. Lots of examples of smoking due to AOS.

Good luck!

ivangene

sounds like classic over fill of oil problem

have you checked the oil level...if up at the top and you are driving twisties it can do that.. I never ran my 996 any higher then the 1/2 way mark on the electronic meter or dipstick

nice story, no pics?????

Pac996

I'd hope the air oil seperator AOS is the problem. When going up and down in rpms with shifting that of course is going on the amount of vacume cycles betwen low and high probably exercising the diphram in the AOS which gives it more of a chance to fail in quick order instead of gradually. Doesn't take much oil to smoke things up anyway.

2001996c4

Would AOS be effected by very dusty driving comditions? Part of that road was gravel, car is perfect so I putted along but it was dry and very dusty! Does AOS inhale or vent? I'm starting to get a pulse back.

Pac996

AOS is at the front top of the engine hard to get at but some I think have done it themselves without removing the engine. The device generally doesn't care what the car is doing when it fails. It sure lets you know its failed by having the engine blowing smoke.

Check your intake. Disconnect the top of the plastic air filter box from the intake. I've heard if the AOS is the culprit that the intake will have abundant oil present.

mikes_996

Could also be oil cooler gone bad but lets hope fornthe aos. When mine went bad as I mentioned it was like smoking a blunt... Funny cause when the tow truck driver picked itnup and wanted to see the problem and i started it up and it was just smoking he immediately wanted me get it towed to his buddies shop to fix my blown head gasket. Oil was full and coolant clean so I knew it was the aos...

fpb111

https://rennlist.com/forums/996-foru...s-failure.html
or
the below is from th video poster after the car was repaired at a dealer.

"Definitely AOS failure, ~6 hours to replace, ~$840 total parts+labor. Dropped off the car at 10A, it's ready to pick up now."


+1 oil over fill
If it continues AOS
Air Oil Separator is a fancy $$ positive crankcase ventilation valve, PCV. When they go bad, they can leak:
antifreeze, oil, scream like a banshee, cause huge amounts of blue smoke.
Do a search for AOS on this 996 site.
Also on
Renntech.org
+
http://pedrosgarage.com/Site_3/Repla...Separator.html (mostly Boxster but same type of engine)

Jacks911

AOS (PVC Valve for the Millenium) - Read Excellence Magazine current issue - all is explained.

TRT41

+1, oil just changed, start problem solving with the most basic problem, overfill. Then move to the others (AOS, x 51 pan, etc.).

Zurichgnome

FWIW, I overfilled my oil in March -- next spirited drive days later had a huge plume of smoke while accelerating. No lights, CEL or anything and car continued run fine (I was a mile from home when it plumed). Scared S-less!

Took a quart of oil out of the system. The smoke persisted upon start up for the the next two days; that's key. Even after removing the oil, it took awhile to clear up. I just started it and let it idle 2-3 times a day. Then "upon the third day" all was fine. Not a single issue since.

I wouldn't tear anything down until you work through the low cost /effort options.

I know what you are feeling I went through the same thing. Not fun. I'm hoping that your situation is as "minor" as mine.

But You do want to check the coolant tank to ensure you don't have this issue. This is what it looks like if you have an oil/coolant mix.