Hey guys,

Been living with my 2006 997 C2S for a few weeks now and I can't get over the relatively high-pitched engine whine that increases with the revs. It's really stopping me from enjoying the drive.

I'm asking the dealer to look at the water pump and pulleys thanks to some research here, but I'm wondering if you guys can tell me if these engines and known to have a whine associated or if I really have an issue that can be fixed.

 

While people differ in their sensitivity to noises I'm guessing there's an issue with the car, probably the engine, probably an accessory drive.

Best advice is to be sure you can reproduce the noise and demo it to the tech and let him tell you what is going on.

I don't think he'll say this but if he says "they all do that" be sure to ask him to show you. Have him reproduce the noise using a different car.

 

I have an '06 C2S, and had another a few years ago. I haven't noticed any excessive whine on either.

FWIW on my current '06 the serpentine belt and pulley were in need of replacement when I acquired the car 2 months ago due to age (not mileage). It ran fine and I don't recall a whine, but I had them replaced as a preventative measure and the tech confirmed they were due for a change when the originals were removed.

 

What were you driving before? I had a 09 CTS-V, that was quiet as a tomb.....too quiet. My C4S really sings at 5K rpm and up, in comparing the two if I did not know better.....I would have thought something was wrong....but the belt, pulley, pump, and idler were all replaced. Its just a sports car with fat narrow profile tires low to the ground and the engine right behind your head. You are going to hear more "noise".....

 

I have 2 2005 997 C2S cars and neither has a "whine" that I'm aware of. Whines can be from a system that's part of the serpentine belt, like a power steering pump, bad bearing on a pulley, or possibly something improperly grounded that's creating interference back through the stereo.

• Any aftermarket electronics in the car?
• Does the whine go away when you turn off the PCM?
• Does it sound different when the A/C compressor is running or not (HVAC in ECO mode vs Auto Mode)?
• Is it a higher pitched whine or a lower pitched whine - wheel bearing can make noise as they're going bad, but that's more of a deeper rumble than a whine?
• Can you hear it in a video? If so, maybe post one and we can try to pin it down.

 

Thanks for the help guys. I'll get it into the shop this week as it's under warranty. One thing I forgot to mention is that when the car is moving and I take it out of gear, the whine goes down. But even at idle, it has a lower pitched whine.

I've had lots of sporty cars and never heard anything like this.

My answers to your questions @Petza914

Any aftermarket electronics in the car?.

-None. I'm pretty sure I've turned off the stereo but I will check again. It certainly sounds like it's coming from the engine.

Does the whine go away when you turn off the PCM?

-I'll try this.

Does it sound different when the A/C compressor is running or not (HVAC in ECO mode vs Auto Mode)?

-No change, tried this.

Is it a higher pitched whine or a lower pitched whine - wheel bearing can make noise as they're going bad, but that's more of a deeper rumble than a whine?

-More of a higher pitch, that gets higher with revs.

Can you hear it in a video? If so, maybe post one and we can try to pin it down.

-I'll try to get a video this week.

 

Maybe it is not a C2S and is really a Turbo and the whine that you are hearing is the turbos spooling up...

Sorry but I thought I would throw some humor into the situation...on a serious note I hope you get things figured out but it seems like the thread has covered all the possibilities???

 

When I first bought the car, I noticed a hum more than a whine. After a couple of weeks, I no longer notice it. I'm sure it's still there but I got used to it. I remember looking it up and a lot of people describe the same noise and say it is normal. It's more of a "hum" than a "whine" however and I used to only hear it at idle.

 

The head tech went for a ride with me. He says all 997s sound like this. It's just the way the pulley systems are designed. He suggested sport cats might help make the sound more pleasant.

I'll try to get a video done this week so you guys can hear. In the meantime, is anyone here located in Vancouver that would be up for going for a ride to give a listen?

 

are you in Vancouver BC or Vancouver WA?

 

I'm in Vancouver, BC.

 

There is an inherent whine that was designed into these engines with purpose. There is a signature sound of a 911 air cooled engine and when Porsche moved to water cooling they were purposeful in retaining as much of the original air cooled sound as possible. They don't sound identical, but they did a good job in keeping much of that unique 911 sound.

 

Bryan,

Have had my 2006 C2S for only about 4 months now, and over 4000 miles, and I can't say I have heard the "whine" you are describing, though my hearing is pretty much toast from 30 years of listening to jet engines... I especially don't hear many things in the higher frequencies..

I'll be interested to find out your resolution to this. My car has only 26,000 miles and I would bet I have the original serpentine belt..

Rob

 

I've only noticed it when belts needed replacement.

 

My car also makes somewhat of a 'humming' noise coming from the rear. I only notice it while the car is stationary and the radio/AC are off (otherwise there's too much other noise and it's covered up). I've had multiple Porsche guys listen and they all tell me it's perfectly normal.