Help - engine light popped on - is my engine fried?
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 122
Likes: 0
Help - engine light popped on - is my engine fried?
Hey -
My engine light popped on my 996 C4S tonight and it started to run very rough. Enough so that I pulled over and parked it, and walked home.
Of course, the f*cking PPO ran out ..... 30 days ago. How do I know if the check engine light is a dead engine versus something else? The car was serviced a few months ago at a Porsche dealer.
I am now panicked that I have a dead engine; what do I do ?
thanks in advance
My engine light popped on my 996 C4S tonight and it started to run very rough. Enough so that I pulled over and parked it, and walked home.
Of course, the f*cking PPO ran out ..... 30 days ago. How do I know if the check engine light is a dead engine versus something else? The car was serviced a few months ago at a Porsche dealer.
I am now panicked that I have a dead engine; what do I do ?
thanks in advance
Race Director
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 11,801
Likes: 16
From: Kittery, Maine
Some auto parts places will read the code for free, or get your own code reader. As others have mentioned, could be 1 or more bad coil packs that would cause rough running. Don't despair, all is not lost.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 1,192
Likes: 81
From: 19454
If you have a smart phone...buy a obd2 bluetooth(12 bucks) and DL torque app(5 bucks).
You can check/clear codes and have the app running all the time while driving. You can monitor live temps(coolant, intake, etc etc), o2 sensor values etc etc
You can check/clear codes and have the app running all the time while driving. You can monitor live temps(coolant, intake, etc etc), o2 sensor values etc etc
Race Director
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 19,035
Likes: 269
From: Bentonville, AR
Hey -
My engine light popped on my 996 C4S tonight and it started to run very rough. Enough so that I pulled over and parked it, and walked home.
Of course, the f*cking PPO ran out ..... 30 days ago. How do I know if the check engine light is a dead engine versus something else? The car was serviced a few months ago at a Porsche dealer.
I am now panicked that I have a dead engine; what do I do ?
thanks in advance
My engine light popped on my 996 C4S tonight and it started to run very rough. Enough so that I pulled over and parked it, and walked home.
Of course, the f*cking PPO ran out ..... 30 days ago. How do I know if the check engine light is a dead engine versus something else? The car was serviced a few months ago at a Porsche dealer.
I am now panicked that I have a dead engine; what do I do ?
thanks in advance
My advice would be to get the car flat bedded to a qualified shop (dealer service or indy) and have the cause of the CEL id'd.
The code or codes associated with the CEL will go a ways to helping diagnose the problem.
Or if you want buy an OBD2 code reader and read the codes yourself. You can do this without starting the engine. Do not erase them just yet.
Post the codes here and someone will fill in the blanks.
But my first choice would be you get the car to a qualified shop.
Knowing the codes is not going to cure the problem. Someone's going to have to get his hands dirty to fix the problem, even if the cause is something relatively benign as one or more bad coils.
Added: Oh I do not think the engine is fried. If it is any consolation fried engines usually go out with more drama.
But the engine may be close to being fried. I do not mean to scare you but to impress upon you the importance of not running the engine again but instead to have it looked at by an expert.
Last edited by Macster; Apr 28, 2013 at 05:56 PM.
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Advanced
Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 89
Likes: 2
From: NoCal
Good luck -- similar thing happened on our 525i wagon last year. Running so rough I thought it had to be timing belt or something major. Luckily, just a faulty ignition coil -- $150 later back on the road. Cross fingers...!
Pro
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 555
Likes: 31
From: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
must be spring, mine went off today as well. Car runs fine though, most likely something minor, run the codes and take it from there I would not panic until you have something to panic about.
Rennlist Member
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 277
Likes: 0
From: North Dallas Suburbs
Got a CEL on the day I pulled it out from winter storage. P1531. Possible actuator failure. Had it reset just to see what would happen and it came back the next day. Code had come up before I stored it but after the 60k service it disappeared. Car runs fine. Will need to do some further investigating. Problem is that emissions is due in a month so need to get on it quick.
Best of luck.
Best of luck.
