CamoRR

Dear Porsche fanatics:
I will start form the beginning. I have always loved Porsches, but for any reason I never bought one, till this year. I wanted to get a Turbo 997, but finally decided to go with a 997 s MT, 2008 and 56.000 Kms on the clock.
First, when I looked the car, I felt in loved, not too many kms, it sound like a good deal. The next days was mine.
After 200 kms I started listening some tickling when cold start, but after a time it went worst and 100% of the time, mostly in 1000-2000 RPM range and on the right side (passenger side LHD). I didn't pay too much attention to it, but I start my internet search about the problem. I also got a lot of smoke when starting the car (left hand side). I can see left pipe with a lot of black dust, but the right one I could lick them and won’t feel the combustion taste.
After 1000 kms, I felt a bit smell of coolant. I didn’t worry too much. Next day water pump just broke and pour all the water, I stopped the car and have it flatbed to my local garage. Change water pump, belt, spark plugs, filters and oil.
So, I decide to prepare a lifter replacement. I Call Porsche dealer and got horrified for a quote of 330 usd per lifter (non in the USA). Definitely I decide to go with Pelican and my local shop, but...
The day after I got the check engine light, and I thought this is it!... I read the codes with launch pro (not durametrics or piwis) and got P0300, P0301, P0302, P0304, P0306... Cars felt like loose a bit of power, hesitation when reving up and reving down, a bit of vibration on low RPM. What got me totally confused was not more tickling…
So first of all, I have a kind of disappointment with Porsche, I have always heard about IMS, but when I started to look for answers I only got more questions. I’m not a mechanic, but I have been used to have a clear direction when something broke down or not proper working condition. When I was reading the common problems, like mine, a lot of people try this try that, works for someone or not for others.
1.- Tickling or tapering of lifter can be a coil problem? When got the P030X codes tapering was gone and got hesitation.
2.- Can coil fails all togheter?
3.- Usualy I use premium gas (97 oct) but gasoline station was out of 97 the I put full tank of 95. Can be as well?
4.- If I have a lot smoke from left pipe (dirver side LHD) at cold start mean anything ?
5.- Can lifter problem lead to coil problem or viceversa?
6.- 7.4 km/lt (17,4 miles/gallon) is a normal?
7.- Seriously, how much oil consumption is still normal.
8.- Lifter problem needs to be solved asap?

Please any thought will help me a lot. My heart is kind of broken, dream car had been more pain than joy. I hope after all she got me again..

mpath

Sorry to hear about your troubles. What country are you in? You joined in 2010 and this is your first post six years later?

ChicagoSpeed996

Post up a video of the ticking sound (if you want to continue running the car, or have it towed to a professional/dealer). There may be a lot of information in the video. You can correlate the ticking sound timing frequency with the timing of valve train or crank/piston components.
Sounds like the smoke and ticking sound was prior to you having the lifters replaced at your local shop.

Speculation here: there is the primary issue (smoke from the left pipe and ticking sound). Secondary, the local shop replaced your lifters. When they did that, they had to time the engine again, sounds like they didn't time it correctly due to all of the cylinders misfiring.

CamoRR

From where the food is not spicy, but is
Chile..
Touche, I have been around for somemany years, I was close to buy my first Porsche in 2010, then I got moved (job) to Colombia (2011), and didnt want to call attention over there. Then I came back and got my 911s ....

mattyf

#4 check for bore scoring on 4,5,6 cylinders. Also read up on those threads. Your symptoms sounds suspiciously like this. Really bad scoring on bank 2 can make a tapping sound and cause smoke from drivers side.

CamoRR

Here is a Video https://*******/JCQm
Lifter havent been change.

CamoRR

Thanks, I will check

CamoRR

Regarding bore scoring, the test is by doing a conpress test?

Philster

^^this

and... only having an expert put a scope into the cylinders will officially confirm scoring. It is confirmed visually via pictures/video/live observation via a camera or a tear down.

Don't run the engine again until this is sorted out.

If dealer knew what you posted, I'd label them idiots.
.

Petza914

The variocam plus intake lifters are really expensive, but rarely fail. Intake valve guides do though. Unfortunately, as others have said, it sounds like you have symptoms of bore scoring, though that would be a bit unusual in a warm climate like Chile. Was the car always a warm weather car before you purchased it?

ChicagoSpeed996

As others have said, the frequency of the tapping is slow, unlike lifters, and more like the timing of a piston. Get it to a professional.

CamoRR

Thanks you guys for taking a time of droping lines...
The car is at the shop, coil cilinder N°4 had conector cracked, then the cilinder was not working. Just to have a clear picture, I asked them to check/test all the coils and do bore scoring camera, I will have a result next week.

Comments.

kenza

CamoRR, where did you take your car for review? I am also in Chile (Santiago) and can recommend you a good shop. Take care.

ATSR

I wouldn't call Chile a warm weather country. They have the full 4 seasons and temperatures drop below freezing in the winter.

CamoRR

Well, yes.. 4 seasons, not too cold not to hot..