Dodgster1

As an update I managed to get time to fit the new spark plugs and coil packs this morning (They arrived the evening before I went abroad for a week of winter sun ) as I wasn’t about to have my missus nag me if I attempt to fit them on Christmas Day!

Easy enough to do the job as it’s not the most difficult task, took it for a test run and problem solved! I even went down to very low speed in 3rd gear to test whether the car would stall and not a chug or a kangaroo hoop in sight!

many thanks to all who have contributed to resolving this issue! 🥳🙏

19 hours ago, ½cwt said:

Trading Standards????

I took it to one of the organisations that garages sign up to… they turned out to be a complete waste of time as they were toothless… I complained to the garage 5 times in total and they only responded after I got this body involved…and even then they told a pack of lies.

Taking a car to a garage, and I include main Stealers is a lottery that’s why if you find a decent, honest one you need to foster good relations with them…

On 12/11/2022 at 10:37 PM, milner said:

I'd be interested to see what codes were logged before changing anything.

I can’t recall the exact codes (of the ones that keep occurring) however they related to the O2 sensors if memory serves…speaking to the garage today after getting my MOT done I’ve been advised that the O2 sensors are ridiculously temperamental and even new ones can play up…when I recently had the cats and O2’s changed (approximately 3.5-3months or so ago) the garage found that the receptor plug for one of the O2’s (left one-furthest back) was ridiculously damp to the point that it was wet….I blame the garage that has my car for 2 months last year leaving it in bits, (see my post about power steering issues) often outside and no matter of complaining made these swines admit their errors and resolve the many issues that they created…

20 hours ago, Paul P said:

Wd40 primary usage is water dispersal (wd).  It happens to be an “average” penetrating / release fluid and an ever age lubricant but it was originally designed to chase water out of stuff.  

Tried WD40… liberally covered all 6 coil packs and the surrounding area left it for half an hour free buttering up the car then took it for a drive… less kangaroo hopping but still there unfortunately…

32 minutes ago, Boxob said:

Have you tried liberally spraying the coil packs with WD40? If it lives up to its name it'll displace any water affecting the coil packs. Will also help with any seized coil pack bolts when you replace them.

Not tried WD40…the bolts are not seized as I changed all spark plugs & 1 coil pack approximately 6-7 weeks ago…I will give them a spray however I’ve already ordered new coil packs & spark plugs!😂 

10 minutes ago, ½cwt said:

Assuming you fitted something like Bosch, Beru or NGK plugs they should be absolutely fine as they are protected by the coil pack and a buried in the plug tubes..  It is water on the outside of the coil packs that causes the problems.  Try to get 5 of the same that you've fitted, just to avoid any doubts, or 6 of the ones suggested if it makes economic sense.

I’ve ordered 6 new coil packs and 6 new spark plug, all Beru from AUTODOC. Seemed like false economy to change the coil packs and not the plugs. I’ve ordered from Autodoc before and it generally takes a week.

Thank you all for your sage advice. I’m hopeful that this will solve the problem as the one intervening factor was the water.

1 hour ago, ½cwt said:

Location is helpful in your profile if someone local might be able to assist or recommend something local.

Coil packs start to deteriorate with hairline crack that can allow water in by capillary action that then degrades them faster, and they you see the cracks when they have opened up which also allow more water or moisture in.  If they are dry they are fine, but at my last service earlier this month they noted two cracked and two with hairline cracks, although it is running fine currently.  It is worth doing them in sets to keep them of the same age.  Not a bad DIY job as long as the bolts come out OK.  The bolts require an E10 female Torx socket or 5mm Allen key depending on their age.

I recently changed the spark plugs, inspected the coil packs (5 were fine, one wasn’t so was changed) this of course was before the possibility of water damage.

Would you suggest changing out the 2 month old spark plugs as well just to be on the safe side of things?

South Wales…do you think this will resolve the issue? In fairness I’m certain that the water must have hit them

Check Engine Light…yes since my car got butchered by a local garage I’ve repeatedly had two…I’ve taken the car to a variety of garages and no one seems to either find any fault with it. Last week I changed out the fuel filter (apparently it was still the one factory fitted 21 years ago) and took my back box back to stock and the garage said they couldn’t find any problems…indeed the car drove beautifully home however when I started it up and drove 2 days later same kangaroo hopping… would you suggest changing out all coil packs and/or the new spark plugs? 

Sorry guys excuse my ignorance …what is a CEL?

I’m sure someone has had this before however I’m perplexed.

I have a 2001 Boxster S

I’ll start at the beginning. A few weeks ago I had the misfortune to drive through a body of water for approximately 50 or so metres (it came half wheel high with nothing entering into the cabin. As soon as I cleared the water the car started to drive, then lurch, practically kangaroo hopping…then driving fine for a while, then more of the same.

I have checked the car over and can’t see no sign of any residual water.

prior to this I had recently swapped out the mass airflow sensor, changed all spark plugs and changed the one coil pack that seemed bad (bendy in the middle) and also engine mounts (sports version as the regular ones were sold out)(which altered the gear change somewhat as according to my mechanic they secured the engine from moving).

has anyone had this before? And if so how can it be resolved?

it’s been a few weeks now and I’ve also carried out an oil change and decided to use E5 petrol as E10 with its increased ethanol cannot be too clever for a 21 year old engine that’s done 110,500 miles.

Im at my wits end now so help me obi forum help me, so are my only hope…

13 hours ago, ½cwt said:

I understand your frustration.  Maybe ask who they are using to test the pump?

Genuinely there are all sorts of problem out in the world getting things done caused by COVID app pings, this has reduced a lot but there is a shortage of skilled labour too,  I had to shut down one of my projects for 4 week earlier this year due to not being able to get qualified installation crews and I;ve been getting delays on fabricated parts for suppliers who are historically spot on.  The issue might be genuine and hence they are giving times scales based on lies they have been give by a supplier?   I hasten to add I haven't been lying to my client but some would.

The issue is that the garage is “old school “ found a piece online about connectors/ washers that have to be placed on the joining of the pressure lines sending them diagrams etc and when I heard nothing further from the boss I called him… and he discounted it entirely.

Now I’ve been told that it’s unlikely that they will hear back regarding the pump until Tuesday meaning that they won’t actually get it back until Thursday/Friday….another week with them having my car… I’m struggling to understand how a garage cannot simply repair my car after having it since 26th of July! 
I’m more than frustrated!

8 hours ago, Elmer Fudd said:

In the short time I've had my 986 I've found it to be an easy car to work on compared to most, the Germans certainly have a way of making it accessible for repairs and mechanic/DIY friendly, it's just the parts that are over inflated. Saying that, I also got stung by a garage who claimed they'd repaired lots of Porsche's, I took mine in to have the exhaust replaced because I knew the manifold bolts were going to be a nightmare to remove, they 'had a go' and then farmed out the bolt removal to a specialist, without informing me, at a cost of £750 and with the 'work' they did they charged me £2,400 in total.  

The parts/repair are simply interchangeable so it shouldn’t have been an issue for a certified mechanic. They have confessed to blowing the pressure line AGAIN! They are now asking me to “bear with them” whilst they remove the power steering pump AGAIN and return it to the place where they had it reconditioned as they are now saying that this must be the reason why too much pressure is being generated…. They keep lying about timescales as now they expect me to believe that the pump will be back with the remanufactures by Friday with an answer of why it wasn’t bench tested properly…. Ive had enough now…. 

1 hour ago, mike597 said:

Surely given its been over a month they will simply say they have all been disposed of. 

No my friend… I’ve been to the garage on more occasions than needs be and the original lines etc are still there. 
I will insist on all the parts removed being made available so I can take them away and have them tested.

15 minutes ago, ½cwt said:

I suggested, if you are a member, contacting the AA or RAC legal advice department earlier in the thread (top of this page).  If not try your local trading standards.  I believe most like a good wrangle with a dodgy motor mechanic....

But it’s inevitable that I’ll have to pay what they demand first… it’s like a bloody hostage negotiation! 

On 8/12/2021 at 3:19 PM, ½cwt said:

Are you an AA or RAC (or similar) member, ask their legal advice team how to progress. As things stand unless the garage extends good will the only way out is the pay their bill in order to get the car out of there.  Mention you may be reviewing them in a less than favourable way in various places online in respect of their Porsche abilities at least.

I’m currently with Green Flag, on parts alone at their insistence I’m down approximately £1200 so I think they’ve decided from the outset to take me for a ride financially.

They we’re extremely reticent to provide a cost until I pushed them and all I’ve had as matters have dragged on we’re vague comments of “an extra hour” here and there.

When they removed the steering rack they also removed part of the fitment to the steering wheel…they turned up on my drive with the whole thing and I asked them why they had removed it and was told “ oh it’s only a pinch bolt… I haven’t got any tools on me so you’ll have to remove it!”

shocking attitude and I fear I’m going to have to go into more debt to get my car away from these guys who after 40 odd years in the trade should know what they are doing…

I now have another issue…these guys have had my car since the back end of July, ( one month and two days) to carry out work that shouldn’t have taken more than one day max.

in that time they have blown a brand new pressure line, claiming that it was either faulty or that there was “something else” wrong with the system, insisted that the steering rack (which was just reconditioned) was bad, refused to continue unless I provided a new one, insisted that I get a new power steering pump promising that the one that they would provide and guarantee would be cheaper than what I could obtain only to then send the second hand one I had provided to be reconditioned without my permission at a cost of £194.

I’d also asked them to fit a handbrake assembly.

All of this was done incrementally, first it took 5 days to diagnose that new lines were needed, then at great cost I had to order them which took another 4 days, then they took several days to fit them, then they blew the pressure line and insisted that it couldn’t have been fitter incompetence but something else….at this time they had had my car for 2.5 weeks, I’d spent north of £800 on parts and my car was still in bits!

Since then I’ve had to make a variety of trips to the garage to provide a further, replacement pressure line (Porsche thankfully exchanged the one they blew at no further cost) making several lengthy trips back and forth with a new rack (the previous nee rack is now being examined by the place where I purchased it so I had to shell out for another one and will have to argue further down the line about that!) then I was told that it would take a week for the pump to be returned reconditioned!

As they had everything but the pump my suggestion was to carry out the other work then fit the pump but they insisted on doing it “all at once” so my car lay in bits for another week.

No one ever calls to provide progress reports so I’m having to constantly ring to see what’s happening…I rang last Thursday to be told that the pump would arrive Friday AM and the car would be ready the next day, no phone call so I rang Friday at 4pm only to be told that the pump didn’t turn up until 3pm so it would be ready on Monday.

No phone call on Monday so I ring at 3pm only to be told that the fitter had been off so car would now be ready Tuesday!

I called yesterday lunchtime and no one picked up but got a call back at 4pm advising that car now had to be buttoned up, tracked and aligned so would be ready tomorrow (which is today)

Without doubt they will try to rip me off cost wise so my question is how much should I be looking to pay for this shyateshow?

The power steering lines were inevitable but I don’t believe that either the pump or the rack was necessary.

My only indication of cost was at the stage when it was only the power steering lines and the handbrake assembly where they were claiming 4 hours alone for the two lines with a total being £550! I asked for justification then they tried to charge for recovery to the garage which was not previously discussed so free in my assumption which they quickly dropped.

They have stretched this out for over a month and insisted on doing things which imho were not required. It is quite difficult to get a garage that can repair Porsches in South Wales and after my experience with one prior to this when they nearly wreaked my backbox taking it to their garage I didn’t want to risk moving it again.

What should I expect and where do I stand legally? I know I’m going to have to complain to the Motor Ombudsman at some stage but for now I just want to rescue my car and have it working….

There’s no way they will admit to putting that much fluid in…these guys were supposed to be Porsche specialists and if I attempted to get it towed somewhere else I’d have to pay by them for effectively ruining my car and then pay someone else who I also don’t know to rectify it….I’m not sure what an OPC is?

There’s no way they will admit to putting that much fluid in…these guys were supposed to be Porsche specialists and if I attempted to get it towed somewhere else I’d have to pay by them for effectively ruining my car and then pay someone else who I also don’t know to rectify it….I’m not sure what an OPC is?

8 minutes ago, Dodgster1 said:

15 minutes ago, Nobbie said:

Something doesn’t add up there. How would the return hose have enough pressure in it to burst the pipe? I’d be suspicious that they have damaged it during installation. Also I can’t see how you get 2 litres in. I burst a pipe, drove on for 200 mile and replaced the pipe and pump and didn’t need the whole 1 litre bottle I bought.

All I can think off is that for some reason the return pipe they fitted was blocked in some way (bung left in that prevents dirt ingress in transit) and that as they filled it with fluid the return pipe pressurised and ballooned allowing the extra fluid to go in until it failed.

Yes the whole thing seems too incredible to believe… I’ve spoken to Porsche who have opened a case for a return/replacement but this is a brand new line which was pristine when I left it with them. The line did have bungs on them but they were external ones which obviously has to be removed to fit them. 
the system was pressurised but I believe the fitter put too much fluid in then put the cap back on thus sealing the system. If the fluid then started to heat up and there was too much in it the obvious route would be to seek the path of least resistance which would be the only part that wasn’t metal ie the rubberised crimped join which is where the failure occurred.

The reason I used these pr*cks was because online they advertise that they are competent to repair Porsches ….I have learned over the last few weeks that they lie about contacting you leaving me in the dark and are trying to see how much they can get out of me as obviously they think I’m minted after having to pay tip dollar for those pipes…. It made my credit card cry but I rationalised it by telling myself that they would last another 20 years…not one afternoon!

Bow should I proceed? Can I accuse them of negligence? They know that in all probability the line was perfect so now they are deflecting claiming that “something else “ in the power steering system caused this but what could? It’s not the pressure line so it was merely routing the fluid back.

I have visions of these muppets wrecking the pump end of the return line when putting in the new pump (which I already had) then blaming something else.

At this time I just need my car back as I’m starting a new job with changing shift patterns so I have to have my car reliable.

this should have taken half a day tops and nearly 3 weeks in my car is still in bits.

I know that I’m going to have to refer this case to the Motor Ombudsman as this has been a comedy of errors on this indi’s part…

Sorry to resurrect this thread however I have a question…. Has anyone heard of brand new  power steering return line fail?

due to my ongoing issues I’ve had to replace both the pressure and return line on my 986 and has to pick myself off the floor when I got a call today saying that the line had literally burst.

I went to the garage to question the fitter and discovered that he had put nearly 2 litres of fluid into a sealed system, the system was retained pressure then suddenly the steering becomes heavy and there’s fluid all over the garage.

I believe the system should only hold 1 litre and he was negligent so now they want to replace my power steering pump which I originally thought was the issue but they told me that it was not!

they have had my car for nearly 3 weeks and all I’m getting from them are tales of woe, lack of phone calls, doom and gloom projections (such as your steering rack is gone…no mate it’s just been reconditioned) so that I’m supposed to be grateful when it’s not bad at all and all the while the labour costs are creeping up.

i’d appreciate any advice on this as I believe they are now taking the p*ss and have ruined a part that cost me near enough £400. If it were the pressure line then that would be near enough £600 so thank heavens for small mercies.

also how long does it take to fit these lines? They are claiming 4 hours for the pair which I think is ridiculous!

Ps I tried to upload a photo but apparently the file exceeds 1000kb…. 

This car continues to throw up issue after issue!

As a follow up I succeeded in obtaining the 997 lines, cutting them and attaching them to my existing lines. 
what a PITA!

But it’s done now and instead of paying the ludicrous price of upwards of £1000 for both 986 lines I got what I needed second hand from Teime in Germany for €237.

On 6/22/2021 at 1:26 PM, MrBen said:

Probably too late now, sorry not been on here lately, did you manage to get them out?   

I had the same with mine.  The two lines seemed completely seized in and I was trying to figure out what to do next, so left it for a bit.   I think I might have popped a bit of Plus Gas on.  When I came back to it I spent a good while just pushing and wiggling at them, and suddenly they simply popped out, much to my surprise.   I had about given up by this stage, so if you're still stuck might be worth just giving it another go.

Mine are literally welded in. They won’t be coming out. I’ve opted for a rather extreme solution as I’ve ordered second hand 997 hoses which I will join to my existing hoses when I put my new rack in. The cost of buying the fitment for a 986 new from either Porsche or Design 911 was eye watering. Hopefully they will turn up by the weekend (as they are en-route from Germany) and cost a fraction of the money that it would cost.

I got the idea from a guy called the Norwegian Car Guy on his YouTube channel who had the same issues as me on his 987….much more room under there than under a 986 thought!