So, here is my story.
I was getting ready for my 10th wedding anniversary drive to Niagara falls for the weekend. First time away from the kids (in 3 years)
Got the car clean, packed the night before, couldn't wait.

The day of. We get in, I turn the key, and then it happened, smoke all over, and running very rough, with a knocking noise. WTF!

I was so bummed, I had to pack my Tundra, and off we were. I tried for this not to ruin my weekend, but it was on my mind.

I am having it towed today, any ideas?

I just noticed it's my 100th post, is it last?

I will keep posted

 

Did check engine light come on? If so, I have seen other folks mention something about the AOS. Seems like the symptoms you suggest.

 

It sounds like an engine timing problem. Was the smoke white, like exhaust or black like a building on fire? I think the timing chain has failed causing the engine not to fire the plugs in time

 

but is there a knocking noise too associated with AOS issues? i thought it was just white smoke (and, over time, increased damage to components, etc). so at the outset of an AOS issue, what are symptoms besides white smoke...?

 

I just pulled this up.....A bad Air Oil Separator (AOS) can make your car look like this because oil is being sucked from the crankcase into the throttle body and then into the engine in amounts the engine can't burn off in its normal combustion process. The normal cause for this is a hole in the Air Oil Separator which is an external to the engine plastic part part of the pollution control equipment. The AOS is intended to reduce the pressure in the crankcase in an acceptable way by allowing some pressure created by piston ring blow-by to be vented into the engine air intake for disposal through the normal combustion process. When there is a hole IN the AOS, the airflow increases and more oil is sucked out of the crankcase in amounts that overwhelm the AOS's ability to separate the air/vapors from the oil droplets. The result is more oil through the AOS into the air intake, through the throttle body and into the combustion chambers. Of course while this is going on the Mass Air Flow Sensor (MAF) is totally confused because there is a source of air that is entering the airstream after the MAF has measured the airflow so the ECU (computer that controls the air-fuel mixture) is now totally confused. The result is a bad running engine

 

Why is the AOS a "accepted" problem in the 911?? Just doesn't seem to be an issue I have heard of before with other mfr.

 

sorry to hear.

but congrats on 10years of marriage !

and don't let this ruin the wknd for u and ur wife.. she will never forgive u. lol.

maybe u r suppose to drive the Tundra this wknd to Niagara.. things have a funny way of working out.

let the dealership take a look at ur Pcar.. maybe its a simple fix.

if not, upgrade time ! j/k

anyways, in the big picture, its just a car.

btw, did u park ur car on an incline ?

 

I did not know about this issue till I read this fellows plight. I have been around cars for years and I think like the 57 yr old that I am. I usually think mechanically before I think extreme. I would think that the timing has been compromised by a slipped or broken chain. I never heard of an AOS causing a problem, till today. I have heard too many stories. One of my other cars was having a vacuum leak and I heard all sorts of theories from dealers and mechanics. I kept my head and found a hose that was split. Didn't cost anything to fix it. So my point is,,,, think the obvious first

 

yes. when transmission goes down (for clutch or RMS work) AOS must be replaced too, it is good thing to do at each 30k miles or so. if you want a bit more protection - order motorsports AOS version, it costs close to $800 but seems to be better than stock version.

 

m97 and m96 997.1 engines are known to die due to those main reasons:

1. ims failure - bearing gets no lubrication, falls apart, engine is gone
2. timing chain stretches, tensioner is not working well when you start your motor as it got not enough oil yet - first symptom will be a very specific chain rattle at engine startup that goes away in 10-15 sec. when it stops going away - consult with mechanic.
3. overheating of 6th cylinder - some say 160deg thermostat helps to prevent this, or 3rd radiator helps, imho it is if engine is destined to die due to this - it will die no matter what.
4. sometimes as result of #3 cylinder sleeve comes apart.
5. rod bolts in m97/m96 are not made from forged steel - they are cast and stretched when installed - so they fall apart at max load, engine gets totalled with no core
6. AOS issue - oil gets into cylinder and destroys it due to hydraulic shock. may happen very fast on a track, may progress slowly. 996 cars used to produce a lot of smoke with AOS starting to fail, 997 cars somehow do not smoke so it usually a sudden death.

there was something else to add, but those above are most important ones. you can and should keep your ears open for chain rattle, and at 40k miles it is worth to drop off gearbox to inspect condition of RMS and other stuff down there. or just ditch m97 motor for newer version with yet unknown death simptoms.

plus newer is always better, especially while on warranty.

ps. i forgot crankshaft coming apart from uncompensated harmonic vibrations. 997 cars have heavy dual-mass flywheel to partially compensate those vibrations but due to how well engine was balanced at factory it may also happen. especially on those cars where stock clutch is combined with lightweight flywheel. usual workaround is to use clutch that has sprung-suspended disk that partially buffers those vibrations.

 

Holy crap...mine is now up for sale!!

 

What the hell did i go buy sounds like Pcars have lot of issues , anyone want to buy a 07 C4S .

 

Thanks guys for the input, the car is towed away, my mechanic says it sounds like AOS. I, on the other hand always fear the worst first (ims)
Hoping for the best, expecting the worst.
I should know something by Monday.

 

The 20 most problematic cars..... no where on the list is Porsche..
The Porsche like any other is just a car... the joy and satisfaction of owning and polishing and driving outweighs the problems...having said this, these cars are not without problems. Remember when you are reading these forums you are only reading a very small percentage of all the people with Porsches. Most of us have no problems with the Porsche than any other car we own

 

The only problem my car had so far is a side marker bulb going out. Most reliable car to date compared to my GM, BMW, Audi, and MB. Hopefully this post doesn't end up biting me in the as*.