Hydraulic Cam Adjuster Problem

mikevv · #1 07-15-2004, 11:54 AM

I have a 97 Boxster with low miles. Last week the Check Engine light came on and the Dealer tells me it will cost $2500 to pull the engine and replace the hydraulic cam adjuster sensor.

The car runs a little rough at idle on occasion but other than that it runs fine.

Has anyone had this problem before? Any ideas on a cheaper fix?

busa_4 · #2 09-07-2004, 07:50 PM

do you mean the vario cam solenoid in the cylinder head?

mikevv · #3 09-08-2004, 08:56 AM

It is code P1530. Best I can tell it is either a bad solenoid or a wiring problem. The computer thinks that the sensor is shorted to ground but I don't know if it is the control wire or the sense wire.

busa_4 · #4 09-08-2004, 12:00 PM

the solenoid most likely failed. there is a 1% chance of the wiring being an issue. the only time i ever see a wiring issue is if the car sits too long and rats start eating the harness. happens more than you think. well at least here in florida. do you have an ohm meter? ohm out the solenoid via the connector. if you get an "OFL" reading the solenoid has an open circuit. if you get a "0.01 or 0.00" reading than the solenoid has a short. you will have to remove the cam cover to remove the solenoid. also change the solenoid seal while you are there. good luck!

mikevv · #5 09-08-2004, 03:40 PM

Thanks. This is the first real information anyone has provided. If I have to take the cam cover off then I assume the motor has to come out? I have done similar work in the past but am not a mechanic by trade and do not have a set of Porsche specialty tools. Can I get this done with common sense and normal shop tools?

busa_4 · #6 09-08-2004, 04:06 PM

you dont have to remove the motor but you will need to lift the rear of the car so you can get under there. you will need to remove the exhaust manifold, coils, spark plugs, solenoid seal, any wire or connector in the way and the spark plug tunnels (spark plug tunnels are the plastic sleeves that prevent oil from leaking into the spark plug and coil). you will have to remove each of these plastic tunnels with a hook tool. make one out of a hanger. that hook and allen wrenches is the only speacial tool you really need. allens are common you can get them anywhere. these cam covers have no gasket material. you will need to purchase silicone sealant from porsche parts and there are 2 seals each tunnel you will need to purchase from porsche. the sealant i believe is 10.00-15.00 and the o-ring seals are ~10.00 for 6 seals which you will need for one side of the engine.

mikevv · #7 09-09-2004, 12:43 PM

Great info. It doesn't sound bad at all. I don't have to reset cam timing or deal with any bearings or clearances. I will give it a try.

Any thoughts on how/where I might get a new solenoid cheap?

busa_4 · #8 09-09-2004, 02:14 PM

unfortunetly a porsche parts dealer is the only way your going to get that part.

mikevv · #9 10-31-2004, 03:06 PM

Busa_4

I started to dig into the problem this weekend and have a couple questions. The P1530 code is for bank 1. Is this the right side of the engine? The solenoid connector that I am checking is at the right rear of the motor and the DME is sending 12volts on pin 1 of the connetor.

If I am checking the correct point the solenoid has a 6 to 8 inch pigtail that ends in a 2 pin connector.

There are 2 bolts that seem to hold the solenoid to the side of the engine where the wires go in. From pictures that I have of the solenoid it looks like I can remove the electronics from the solenoid with just these two bolts. That would be way too easy. What am I missing?

Thanks for the help.

MikeV

busa_4 · #10 11-01-2004, 07:20 AM

bank 1 is the passenger side of the engine. the 2 bolts the appear to hold the solenoid is very deceiving. that is only the seal for the solenoid. the solenoid is bolted to the cylinder head under the cylinder head cover.

mikevv · #11 11-01-2004, 10:00 AM

I guess I am trying to find a shortcut that doesn't require removing the actuator but what I really want is to be absolutely sure it is an internal problem before I tear it apart.

When I tested the DME I only checked for 12v on pin 1 of the actuator connector. I assume that pin 2 is the return signal from the actuator that the DME thinks is shorted to ground creating the P1530? There is another test that checks the wiring continuity from the DME to the connector that I am going to do. Is there any other external test I should perform before I open it up?

busa_4 · #12 11-01-2004, 02:51 PM

did you ohm out the solenoid like i said in the first reply? if you get a 0.00 or a ofl reading you have a bad solenoid. if you get a good ohm reading such as 450kh then your solenoid is good. the dme sends the sensor 12v through 1 wire and the dme completes the circuit by controlling ground with the other wire. your first step is to ohm out the sensor, it will tell you if its bad or not.

mikevv · #13 11-02-2004, 09:38 AM

Busa_4
Sorry I missed that step. I checked the solenoid last night and have 13ohms across the two connector pins. Sounds like a bad solenoid and a winter project for me. How many hours would an experienced mechanic take to do the actuator swap?

busa_4 · #14 11-02-2004, 01:53 PM

IS THAT 13 ohms or 13 kohms?
i can do it in 2.5-3 hours.

mikevv · #15 11-02-2004, 04:36 PM

I checked it again with a better quality OHM meter and it still reads 13 OHMS between the 2 pins. I also checked each pin to ground and it reads OFL.

I noticed in this thread that I did not actually list all of the DME codes. besides the P1530 I also get P0300, P0301, P0302, P0303 which my chart calls misfire on cyl 1, 2, and 3. I assumed the misfires were coming from the faulty solenoid?

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