rombo60

Well I'll keep my fingers crossed its a fix for you cause I like beer! : ) I'm in the same boat as you with the car and these threads have helped me on almost every one of my repairs or mods. Good luck with the fix and keep us posted!

Craigw1926

A quick reply to update this thread. My car's problem with Rough idle and bank 2 misfires turned out to be the variocam actuator (or Vanos actuator, VVS actuator) 9A1.105.308.02. My indy mechanic said Porsche has since updated the part to PN 9A1.105.308.03, which is an indication to him that they saw a need to change them for some reason. I just went ahead and had both sides replaced because my car has high miles.

It's a pretty strait forward job. Once you have access to the spark plug coils, you're there. The variocam actuators are right next to them.

The bummer is that he got a code for a bad actuator on bank 2 right after he plugged in his fancy PIWIS. But my cheap OBD2 only showed the generic codes for the misfires and nothing else. In this case, having a better diagnostic tool would have saved me from bringing it into a shop. On the plus side, he found an intake air leak that I had caused when I removed the intake plenum while troubleshooting. I didn't have one of the plenum clamps back on correctly. Who knows if I ever would have found that if I had done the actuators myself.

ensign83

Now, my '07 2.7 w/ 81k miles is doing all this. I've only had it a month, and replaced O2 downstreams on both banks iaw P0431, only got worse...

VVS Vanos, Variocam solenoid, Valve lifter solenoid all mentioned here; are they the same thing, that 9A1... part#?

Now get P0305, P0303, and P0300, and got blinking CEL as I got home and shut her down.

Gonna check plugs and coils even tho posters say it is rarely that;
Should I replace the 9A1... sensors, or punt and tow to the busy indie, missing Xmas at Mom's?

Thanks for any input! Otherwise I love this Cayman...

ensign83

Oil Estick is now up to the top line, and not over. It took draining ~2 qts to get there, and the oil is dark despite the dealer saying it had "a fresh oil change and brakes"! If there had been a physical dipstick, I could've just pulled it and seen for myself the color and level.

I took the intake with the MAF and the two across the engine top off, and there is no oil contamination there, nor cracks. Applied CRC MAF cleaner to the MAF. I could not spot any obvious vacuum leaks, but did not run the engine. I have done all I can do that I am aware off without test eqpt except pull a plug and coil, so that is next but I doubt that will solve the issue. Plug wires are shiny blue new looking and the assy belt looks fresh, so this lil' pup has had some maintenance. The AOS was dusty but seems intact. Air filter was filthy but not the worst I've seen. Am I correct in that the fuel filter is in the tank?
Only parts I've replaced so far are the back O2s. Last time I drove the car Friday after installing the O2, the CEL blinked as I got home, so i hope I am safe to disconnect the MAF wire and see if it runs better then, unless y'all think that is unwise.
Again, VVS Vanos, Variocam solenoid, Valve lifter solenoid all mentioned here; are they the same thing, that 9A1... part#?

Looks like 'over the river and through the woods to Grandmother's house' ain't happening in the 987 this year, but at least the local indy is well- regarded here in So. MD. Any tips you think of are welcomed, of course, and thanks.

Jaye Bass

Star Wars tribute?

ensign83

Maybe; this car is bringing out the Vader in me...

Put the Ctek battery tender on last night and it blinked red, and this morning it was green so it is charged up now. Could be part of the issues?

Craigw1926

Did you resolve it yet? I would be very surprised if it wasn't the variocam solenoid for that bank. I had exactly the same symptoms and that's what it turned out to be, after I replaced or checked everything else. $150 part and pretty easy to get to.

ensign83

Thanks, no still await new coils and plugs.
I thought like you did, but I have misfires on both banks but not a complete bank with P0305 and P0303, as well as P0300 overall.
Pulled the old coils and all 6 had cracks, while the plugs had decent color but worn out electrodes. If this tuneup does not work, will move on to variocam solenoids, or punt and take it to the local Indy...

ensign83

Tune up did it

wheeler

06 Cayman S...pulling my hair out! 67k miles, manual. Tubi exhaust. Owned it a few months.

CEL will show up ONLY on a cold start (sitting in the garage overnight) full warm up scenario. Car starts, high idle, kicks down, then kicks down again to the final low idle. It's on that last kick down to the lowest idle it throws the code...always #6 misfire. Idle gets rough, runs blubbery. Shut car off or clear code, runs perfect all day, no CEL. When monitoring Actual Values on the Durametric, driving the car, the "ignition counter misfire detection" value will show a constant stream of misfires BUT nothing logs in the individual cylinder values. Strangely the misfires rack up at idle and acceleration, but stop instantly on deceleration! (those are just notes as I try to understand what I'm seeing on the Durametric).

So far I've addressed the following....new coils & plugs, new injector in #6, new air filter (it was filthy), AOS done a while back as precaution. New battery. Checked all connections. I run 93 and recently adding Techron.

Since it's not doing this on the whole bank, could it still be a variocam issue? It is definitely related to something happening at on that idle cycle.

PS...something I just remembered, early on when I got the car I was messing with the Durametric, monitoring camshaft deviation, etc. messing around, both deviations in spec., both banks showed deviation values. I just checked it and the one of the banks is now showing 0.00 deviation value, when it definitely showed a normal value before (other bank shows a normal value)!

gpjli2

[QUOTE=wheeler;13024711]06 Cayman S...pulling my hair out! 67k miles, manual. Tubi exhaust. Owned it a few months.

CEL will show up ONLY on a cold start (sitting in the garage overnight) full warm up scenario. Car starts, high idle, kicks down, then kicks down again to the final low idle. It's on that last kick down to the lowest idle it throws the code...always #6 misfire. Idle gets rough, runs blubbery.

Don't mean to be alarmist here but when peeps talk about problems w #6 I start to get nervous. While I'm not sure how to explain an intermittent issue in that cylinder, if after you have exhausted all the normal fixes you still have a problem you could consider scoping cylinder or doing a leak down to make sure its ok. I'd worry more if you were reporting smoking or hear a ticking from that side. Probably just me being paranoid

wheeler

[QUOTE=gpjli2;13025547]No...I hear you! It's a real concern, but definitely not smoking or doing anything else weird.

Philster

You went from having a positive camshaft deviation that was within normal range but now you are suspicious because it's at perfect 0 ?


.

wheeler

Well...ya. I'm not sure you could hook up a brand new Porsche and not see some value in that box?? The fact it had a value and fluctuated a little as you drove, car warmed etc, normal...and now it's just ZERO? Seems like maybe it's not "sending" info now all of the sudden.

malahhaor

So, mine just started having CEL and misfires on cyl 4, 5 and 6.
For a couple of months i noticed that the engine almost chokes when coming off of high idle but clears up in a second or two and runs fine. Yesterday threw a CEL when coming off the high idle and running rough.
Scheduled a dealer visit for Thursday. lucky to have warranty till Nov.
A year ago/8k miles i got all new plugs and new coils. the car is DD, so we'll see.