Carrera GT

I didn't mean anything disparaging. There are rats and mice everywhere on this planet. You park at a race track and there's rats and mice. It didn't have to be caused while it was parked in your apartment building. I think it's an unlikely cause, but I'm at a loss to think of an electrical part of component that could cause all the gremlins you describe. It will be interesting to hear their diagnosis.

996FLT6

Here's another crazy theory. Still burning cigarette butt being thrown out from car in front of u and went thru front intake and lodged inside. I was at a dealership and saw a fried up boxster which service adviser a cigarette butt went thru the driver side intake. Driver was a smoker. Mike

911SLOW

It's a long shot but is there a chance that the main power supply switch (fitted in the time period between vehicle delivery to the dealer and vehicle handover to the customer) was still on your car?
This unit can cause issues when on the car if it is handled incorrectly while the key is in the ignition..


Also I found a TSB for early 7 GT3's that required a new DME programming and a new 10A fuse installed for the engine blower, to replace the 7.5A one.

Another possibility is that all the major electronic issues are caused by a loose battery ground strap, if the fastening nut securing the battery ground strap to the body is not tightened to the specified tightening torque of 15 Nm (11 ftlb.).

I am very curious about this one..



ps. Adam I like the mouse idea as well but cannot back it up with a tech note..

Larry Cable

yes

Larry Cable

spontaneously self combusting rodents! - what next!

BBMGT3

I hadn't thought about any of this at all. I don't think there is something on the car from the original delivery... but I can't be sure. Regarding the fuse, that would be the case but the unit is not the engine fan blower, its the radiator fan unit (rear vs front of the car). I'd put up the part number, but the roadatlanta porsche site just says "see illustration".

As for the loose wiring, thats all fine but that would explain the moody electronics, but not a massive overload of the circuitry resulting in combustion of the wiring and the control unit!

Managed to get a hold of the dealer again today, latest is "don't worry about it, Porsche will cover it". Frankly the cost isn't the issue, it would be several hundred $ at most. What I am dreading is that the car will wind up sitting @ the dealer for weeks if not months while they ponder what they want to do... life without GT3 ain't good!!!

Larry Cable

See section 09-02 illustration 902-05

http://www.porsche.com/all/media/pdf...SA_KATALOG.pdf

although I would want to check this against the ROW p/n# ...

I cant find the ROW .pdf for PET ... 911SLOW???

911SLOW

Pavlov's lost child experiment gone wrong is unavailable at the moment. Please leave a message and he will get back to you.

OP you are right about the blower's location but I had to include it as a wrong factory fuse causing a fire is always catchy.

BBMGT3

911SLOW

I am back;
emergency switch for 2010 GT3RS same as 07 but you also need the "green" part and depending on the battery used a bracket and some washers.
And I don't think that it is compatible with the Li-ion battery.
Mine wasn't..

Larry Cable

^ yup!

BBMGT3

So a quick update on this story. Porsche have opted NOT to replace anything under warranty since the front wiring harness was replaced in the past. So they are saying that it must be a local error. I don't blame them - but a short of that magnitude shouldn't happen!

$2,000 worth of work, all in. I guess it could have been much worse. I will likely install a battery isolator switch.. anyone know if it is possible in a 997.1 Gt3?

Carrera GT

Porsche seems to have a season pass to ride on the fail boat.

By "replaced in the past" does this mean there is a history of accident damage repair? And the work was done by someone other than a Porsche tech at a dealer? And used non-Porsche parts in any way? And Porsche identified the way in which the car is no longer assembled to factory specifications?

By "local error" the PCNA service person (regional inspector?) has identified the root cause of the fire a determined it to be unrelated to Porsche?

The $2000 ticket on the service work suggests a lot of damage. Porsche has apparently decided that your car will no longer be assured of factory warranty coverage. The car is well inside warranty ('08, 20K miles.) I'd dig in on this dispute and not allow them to set the precedent -- any future electrical gremlins could be attributed to this incident. From a headlight assembly to the nav system or the entire engine electronics, Porsche could just decline any future warranty coverage.

Larry Cable

Yes it is, it is an RoW Clubsport no cost options; parts are listed in PET

BBMGT3

There was some repair in the past from a headlight assemply replacement (small fender-bender), and the harness was replaced as a precaution.

All original parts. Car was re-warrantied AFTER the work, so they clearly didn't have a problem with it.

Not sure what to do. Porsche's position is that the unit is "sealed" at the factory so opening it in any way voids warranty. Sounds like BS, but I can see why they wouldn't want to set a precedent by addressing my car because if it was to happen again - and much more seriously - they could be in a world of trouble if it gets out that they accepted responsibility in the past. Better to just lay it on the "client".

At least I get my car back next week!