western32

Gang, my "system fault - visit workshop" light came on yesterday. I know my brakes were very close to needing to be re-done. Could that be a reason for the "fault?"

Also, I did have the state inspection the other day for my tags. I wonder if the place that did it screwed something up.

Any thoughts? I'm hoping its the brakes/rotors as I was expecting this any day anyway.

Thanks!

Edgy01

How many miles on the car? How many months has it been in service? Sometimes they are triggered by a calendar function or mileage...

western32

Just hitting 40k. Had last major service done a few months ago.

Edgy01

That's seems to be about right (mileage for first brake job) but can't imagine what else is generating a code. How's the serpentine belt and idlers looking? Running good?

swajames

I threw a CEL on Monday which, true to form literally cleared itself today right as the car was going in to the dealership for the 2 year service... As I pulled on to the dealer's lot, the light went off!

The fault code was stored, it turned out that it was an O2 sensor that had triggered the CEL and it turned out I had a small intake leak and some oil fouling, both fixed under warranty and the car is running like a champ.

FI Flyer

More often than not, it seems to be nothing more than a loose fuel cap. It happened to me on my Cayman S (my first Porsche) during break-in. I was terrified that I had broken the car before I had even broken it in. I limped to the dealership where all was explained and set right.

western32

Car is running fine. looks like I will try to get it to the shop this week. Thanks for the replies.

tpenta

Take a look at the inside of the fuel cap where it makes the connection with the tank and see if it has any hairline cracks on the rubber.

That's what happened to mine around ~45k. I was told that the seals on the caps go bad.

Good luck.

-T

997_rich

I just got a "return to workshop" error yesterday after I washed the car. There's another thread that details the solenoid for the frunk latch getting wet and causing this error. You didn't just wash your car did you? 55k.

western32

Good suggestions. I will take look. Didn't get a chance to get it to the shop yet. Kids soccer dominated the day.

western32

So I finally get a chance to take the car in today and it won't start. Acting as if it has a dead battery. (btw, battery is only a few months old). I hav not driven the car much, maybe 20 miles since the system fault light first came on. I have not driven the car in about 4-5 days but I would think that would not be an issue.

Any suggestions?

Going to see if the battery can be jumped but not going to drive it until I can get it to the shop.

I'm guessing some electric issue? That's sucking energy out of the battery?

Yet anothercrisis

I have had a battery issue for a while that the dealer was "unable to duplicate" and today (after I forgot to plug in the trickle charger three days ago) the battery was so weak the engine barely turned over, but did start. I have had to keep the car constantly on a tender even over a weekend, but again the dealer could not duplicate.
After the car started today, I immediately got a System fault message. I am assuming that whatever is causing the fault has been pulling the battery down since the car was new last summer. (2012 997 C2). I have done some research and the fault message seems to come most of the time from a module controling the frunk.
Off to the dealer tomorrow. Wonder how long this might take.

Minok

There was an issue with the frunk release mechanism not working properly (running too long or some such thing), so if its drawing juice when the car isn't running, that would run the battery down prematurely. The dealer should be able to duplicate if they have the car long enough though.. like letting it sit for 3 days.

utkinpol

if you plan on using this car many years to come it is worth to buy a durametric software with cable to be able to see what CEL your car decided to throw.
they are very paranoid, those cars and they have a lot of possible CELs to show.

Yet anothercrisis

The dealer had the car for almost a week last fall trying to duplicate my problem. The battery died on Labor Day weekend after sitting locked for three days. I was temporarily stranded in a remote mountain cabin! (Not bad duty if you can get it.)
The dealer was unable to duplicate the battery drain at that time, so I have kept the car on the trickle charger almost constantly as the battery drain would not happen all the time. I purchased a cheap voltage meter that I could insert into the cig outlet to watch voltage and I was not able to duplicate the battery drain either, although a few times, I watched it drain fairly quickly but could not determine what I had done differently to get the reaction. I understand that they cannot repair what they cannot see, so I was living with it and hoping that whatever was happening would eventually fail. Maybe it now has failed as whatever was drawing down the battery was still drawing it down as the flatbed hauled it away. (I am in a rural area 75 miles from my, or any, dealer.)
I expect that this can be diagnosed and repaired now.

I have considered the durametric software, but actually did not think that I would need it just yet since the car is new. I guess I will rethink that idea.

Interesting to me is the fact that I have waited for years for my first new Porsche and must say that thus far this car has spent more time in the dealers garage than my previous THREE sports cars combined which were a Miata (3 years) , a Honda S2000 (2 years) and a C6 Corvette that I owned for six years.
I still love my 997S, the best of the aforementioned lot but I sure hope this nagging problem can be put away now.

Thanks for the input.