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PSM and Check engine light - need diagnosis, Vari cam?
At 61000 miles (August) I had sudden engine failure. Towed to dealer, diagnosed as vacuum pump seizure which caused the bolts on vario cam pulley to shear. See pictures. Porsche fixed but I was told not part of recall but repaired per recall, ie vario cam bolt was replaced too.
Today, at 71000 miles, driving along in stop and go traffic, suddenly PSM light litt followed by blinking check engine before check engine turned solid.
I changed oil in transfer case at around 63000 miles.
Have not felt the transfer case symptoms listed here so not sure if transfer case is the problem. Car is idling with no valve noise or other bad noise lugging/vibration every 2 seconds. Best way to describe it. I was able to drive 3 miles home after light came on (did this since no noise and yellow light, not red)
Can't really answer that.. and you didn't mention when your engine failure occurred. If it was more than a year ago - your VIN# likely wasn't part of the small number that were covered by WC-22 (Workshop-Campaign) - which wasn't actually a recall (there is a difference.) I bet if you check your VIN# at Porsche's website or the NHTSA website that you'll find now that your vehicle is covered by AH08 - the Federal recall that covers about all 2011 V8's, and some 2010 and 2012 vehicles.
As far as what now? Dunno - you haven't really provided a lot of detail to go on. It might well be something like a simple failed ignition coil. Without getting a Porsche specific code reader on it - anything we way is random guesswork.
Started car 4 hrs later. No more lights. Car idle good. Drove around block, all clear, no codes. Engaged locking diffs.
Tire pressure is good.
i am very baffled by this, I do some repairs and diagnosis myself and my good friend is a very good hobby mechanic. We are lost. Trip to dealer tomorrow I guess.
Engine failure occurred in August, and my car was part of recall.
I read about problem here regarding vario cam, asked dealer. Told too wait.
Received letter from Porsche, went too dealer, told no parts yet.
1-2 months after i received letter from Porsche, engine failed per above. During failure, dash lit up like Christmas tree, including PSM, check engine, etc. Car ran rough immediately and I coasted about 2000ft to get off freeway,.
Could you tell us part number of your old vario cam ...
I think myabe it had old bolts ?, Or should we all be worried about seized air pumps ?
You should read out codes from car, even that your engine light is off codes will be stored
Please post them here so we can help you
Thx
I will look at my invoice from engine failure and see if part number is listed. I was very surprised by the failure (seized bearing) air/vacuum pump as well and very concerned. I change my oil every 5000 miles and I take good care of past cars and current cars. I have never had problems like these with any other car I have owned. Disappointing
It almost sounds to me like you lost voltage momentarily. When you disconnect the battery in a Porsche, the PSM light always comes on until the car is driven next and then if everything with the system is fine, the light self clears.
If your battery is original, I'd replace that for starters - it's 7 years old now. I'd also check the battery connections (+ and Ground) and also the main engine ground wires and connection points.
It almost sounds to me like you lost voltage momentarily. When you disconnect the battery in a Porsche, the PSM light always comes on until the car is driven next and then if everything with the system is fine, the light self clears.
If your battery is original, I'd replace that for starters - it's 7 years old now. I'd also check the battery connections (+ and Ground) and also the main engine ground wires and connection points.
Thank you, I thought of that too, but I changed the battery 1 year ago, March 2017. Since the battery is under seat and I live in Houston (very hot), I figured I change battery on the 5 year anniversary for the in service date which was Feb 2012 too avoid any problems. I get the voltage reading in the dash so I can see I normally start out around 13.3-5 and after about 15-20min ride, I am over 14 V so I think that is ok. Will go to dealer to delaer today though, towing my GT3 to Austin in one week. Need reliable transportation.
Drove to dealer and they checked PIWIS. They saw the fault but currently everything showed normal.
Left dealer, voltage reads 14.6 for about 10 miles, then dropping and fluctuating in high 13’s.
Left work early to check battery attachments. Looked great and I opened up the rings and pushed lower on the battery poles and secured.
Attached everything, started car. 14.4V and steady. Checked poles in engine bay. Same voltage. After 5 min of idle, voltage dropped to 13.4. Check poles in engine bay. Same voltage.
Checked serpentine belt, looks good but it has about 1/4 inch play.
So so either a cell in battery is bad or charging system. Can’t load test battery until monday as I am going out of town.
Suggestion: You got a check engine light. So get any code reader, and read the stored engine code. Otherwise you're wasting time playing this guessing game on the internet.
The fluctuations are perfectly normal for these vehicles. I'm pretty sure this is why the new cars dont have a volt meter as part of the dash anymore (people would freak out if they saw it moving constantly). The car only charges the battery when it wants to, this is to avoid unnecessary drag/load on the engine. These cars are much smarter now than they were 10 years ago.
The battery voltage fluctuations are normal. When you start the car, the battery charges fully (I've seen as high as 14.9v), as AGM batteries have a higher battery charge voltage, so that's ok.. Once fully charged,the alternator backs off on the charging - It saves fuel.
02-14-2018, 10:22 PM
PSM and Check engine light - need diagnosis, Vari cam?
