2013 Porsche P000A – “A” Camshaft Position Slow Response

[thosem]

Make

Porche

Model

Boxster base

Year

2013

Miles

72,000

Engine

2.7 L

It seems to be sensitive to oil temperature and-or difficult to pinpoint the problem. Three visits to Porsche Service and it remains unresolved. First visit they dismissed it as old or cold oil (ridiculous; they changed it themselves; car is garaged) or a low battery (put it on a tender). Code recurred but then cleared itself, then recurred months later in cold weather on taking it in for an oil change. Second visit they swapped the two solenoids. Code came back. So they replaced one of the solenoids. Code came back but then cleared itself when it got warm. When it recurs, they will likely replace the second solenoid, but I wonder if the position sensor is at fault?

 

[nickb2]

Hello and welcome newbie.

Intermittent code like this can be frustrating, not only for client, but also for technician trying, hint TRYING to fix iit.

First visit they dismissed it as old or cold oil (ridiculous; they changed it themselves; car is garaged)

My first thing I would try? risolene.

Then try again with some mobil one oil or moly lube oil. works wonders for these codes. slash engines.

 

[nickb2]

(ridiculous; they changed it themselves; car is garaged

I would avoid using the word redonculous, as this tends to lean towards a difficult client.

 

[nickb2]

The tech working on you car is doing exactly what I would do. He or she is trying to determine if it is a electric issue, or if they need to tear into to it for cam actuators etc.

 

[nickb2]

 

[nickb2]

Note, it is recommended to change both

 

[nickb2]

but I wonder if the position sensor is at fault?

Only a scope will see this.

 

[nickb2]

Most likely not, as this is a known issue with porsche. Clean oil passages with a detergent, and replace oil with race oil as mentioned above.

 

[nickb2]

In x case you dont know what a risolene treatment is. Call your local napa dealer, it is for professional use and not widly sold to public, but it comes in a gallon jug. Hint, if your buying the yellow 1 litre thing, it is only an additif, NOT a treatment.
\

 

[nickb2]

ok, nuff said, here is a good morning tune for dear newbie. Plz be polite with tech.

 

[thosem]

I would avoid using the word redonculous, as this tends to lean towards a difficult client.

For those inclined to blame the messenger here, this is a Porsche CPO car with a 2 year bumper to bumper warranty. Porsche would never have put anything but Mobil 1 in the car; there is a sticker at the oil fill demanding that. And I would never put any kind of additive in the car, deferring to their judgement on that until two years expires. Frankly it's still up to Porsche to fix this. And I do recognize that this kind of intermittent code is frustrating for everyone involved, especially when we are going to a fourth service visit, two of which have been for over a week, just to switch and then replace one of the oil solenoids, probably less than a couple of hours of work, even if the top does have to be put in the service position.

I would be very interested in anecdotal data about the same problem as experienced by others with this car. Or I'd be even more interested to hear explanations of what most often goes wrong leading to this P000A code, and why it seems to be connected with *cool* weather. I should note again that the car is garaged, and the code always occurs about a mile or so from cold start after being in the garage overnight. The weather doesn't need to be frigid; we don't get that in Maryland. The coldest temp in the garage is likely a bit above freezing, which should not pose a problem for any car engine.

It seems to me that the camshaft timing shift must be sticky for some reason, whether because of oil flow or some other resistance in the mechanism, which is mechanical. I can report that the fiddling with the solenoids made a distinct difference in the low speed low gear launch. Whereas the car was "brittle" and prone to stall if RPM dropped low on launch, it now seems much more robust and I never feel at risk of a stall any more. So that's all good, and I hope the dumb code will stop popping up eventually, maybe after replacing the other solenoid as well, which wasn't done on the third pass for economy reasons, I'm sure. But now the car will come back again. Good that it's getting sorted in winter.

 

[grcauto]

For those inclined to blame the messenger here, this is a Porsche CPO car with a 2 year bumper to bumper warranty. Porsche would never have put anything but Mobil 1 in the car; there is a sticker at the oil fill demanding that. And I would never put any kind of additive in the car, deferring to their judgement on that until two years expires. Frankly it's still up to Porsche to fix this. And I do recognize that this kind of intermittent code is frustrating for everyone involved, especially when we are going to a fourth service visit, two of which have been for over a week, just to switch and then replace one of the oil solenoids, probably less than a couple of hours of work, even if the top does have to be put in the service position.

I would be very interested in anecdotal data about the same problem as experienced by others with this car. Or I'd be even more interested to hear explanations of what most often goes wrong leading to this P000A code, and why it seems to be connected with *cool* weather. I should note again that the car is garaged, and the code always occurs about a mile or so from cold start after being in the garage overnight. The weather doesn't need to be frigid; we don't get that in Maryland. The coldest temp in the garage is likely a bit above freezing, which should not pose a problem for any car engine.

It seems to me that the camshaft timing shift must be sticky for some reason, whether because of oil flow or some other resistance in the mechanism, which is mechanical. I can report that the fiddling with the solenoids made a distinct difference in the low speed low gear launch. Whereas the car was "brittle" and prone to stall if RPM dropped low on launch, it now seems much more robust and I never feel at risk of a stall any more. So that's all good, and I hope the dumb code will stop popping up eventually, maybe after replacing the other solenoid as well, which wasn't done on the third pass for economy reasons, I'm sure. But now the car will come back again. Good that it's getting sorted in winter.

Use a heater to keep the oil warm and you will likely not have the issue.

 

[thosem]

Use a heater to keep the oil warm and you will likely not have the issue.

Ha! That is a degree of coddling up with which I shall not put, even for a Porsche. The cure should not be worse than the disease!

 

[grcauto]

Ha! That is a degree of coddling up with which I shall not put, even for a Porsche. The cure should not be worse than the disease!

Well, You can live with it or trade it for a Ford.

 

[nickb2]

I really gotta ask, has anyone actually taken the time to see oil pressure.?

The risolene treatment I related to is NOT an additive. Maybe my french got in the way again. so I will write it again, in a different way as to not sound coddling. Yes, my french canadian arse actually knows that word. I am somewhat of a smart alek myself.

anywho, here goes a second attempt.

run a detergent through engine oiling system, and monitor oil pressure, does it increase, or decrease, after, use a new filter, and some good old moly or mobile, then run engine at full rpm cut off, map and record cam and crank and also oil pressure, what are your findings?

next step, is knowledge.

this is a B type code. which means after one full drive cycle, will not code, but on next drive cycle, if crank and cam are off, will code in new york minute.

So, as I like to quote sherlock holmes,

When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever...​

"You will not apply my precept," he said, shaking his head. "How often have I said to you that when you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth? We know that he did not come through the door, the window, or the chimney. We also know that he could not have been concealed in the room, as there is no concealment possible. When, then, did he come?"

The Sign of the Four, ch. 6 (1890)

Sherlock Holmes in The Sign of the Four (Doubleday p. 111)