How much would it cost for a mechanic to fix these codes

[noahroof]

Hi,

I am in the market looking for a Porsche Boxster 986 for under 8k with less than 100l miles. I found this great deal on a car but it had a CEL. I scanned the codes and found that it had 4: P1126, P1124, P0410, P1411

If I were to take this car to a local mechanic, how much would it cost to repair all of those problems listed?

[Jeff Alton]

Take it to a local mechanic and ask...

[mikefocke]

Some codes are very simple and specific, others have a multi-page diagnostic tree and what the parts are and fix turns out to be is not something you know just from codes.

You can use a search here using each code and see what others have experienced with each of the codes. Not like the cars are new.

[tonythetarga]

Unless you are somewhat skilled as a DIY’er, this car may not be for you. Buy one in good running order. It might look too good to be true…and there is likely a reason for it.
Before the prices on Porsche took off, we used to say, they’re all $20,000 cars, buy one for 10 and you’ll put another 10 in before it’s totally right and reliable. The numbers have changed, but the lesson has not.

[jluetjen]

I agree with Tony. Try to find the best that you can for the money. Unfortunately with the steadily devaluing dollar, $8000 986's are kind of rare nowadays. What I spent $8000 on a few years ago is now selling for closer to $12,000, which tracks the increase in gas prices pretty closely. So it's not a Boxster market issue, but rather a dollar issue.

That being said -- let's take a look at your codes. Unfortunately you didn't mention the year of the car, so the meanings may change depending on the year.

P1126 - Oxygen sensing adaptation, lower load range, bank 1- Below Limit (For some versions this code is less specific, and just points to an oxygen sensor issue)
P1124 - Depending on the engine management version this could be either "Oxygen sensing system" or "Fuel pump relay output stage"
P0410 - Secondary air injection system, (bank 1 depending on the version)
P1411 - Secondary air injection system, (bank 2 depending on the version)

So it looks like your issues could be the result of a lack of a tune-up, or else some emissions related issues. One clue is that it appears to be effecting both banks, so that would lead you to start with those parts of the system which are common to both.

As far as these codes and the car -- my observation is that unless you're buying a lease return (aka. Certified Pre-owned) car, every car out there has issues. Very few people sell their cars when they're running perfectly. It's just a question of finding the issues and getting them fixed. Often it's just a case of driving the car for a month to bring back any codes that were wiped by the seller. So since you are like me and like to play in the "bottom feeder" portion of the used car market, there are a couple of strategies that might be helpful. These are not as meaningful if you're willing and able to pay a premium for a used car.

1) Look at the overall condition of the car. Is there any rust -- under the car, strut towers, in the drain areas up front? If so, my opinion is to walk away. Porsches have been galvanized since 1974. If you see any rust, there are most likely far worse areas that you can't see.
2) Creaks? Rattles? thumps, Hums or roars? These often suggest more expensive issues to fix, such as suspension rebuilds or diff problems. It could be as easy as bearings, or as expensive as a replacement gearbox. I posted a thread last year where I tried to track down a thump that occurred in the right-rear over bumps. Long story short, I ended up completely rebuilding my suspension because of the issues that I found. But I was prepared and equipped to do it, and even then it took a couple of months because of disassembly issues.
3) Any signs of a crash such as panel gaps which are off? (Checking the Carfax will also help in this area) Once again walk away.

4) Whether you're planning to do the work yourself or not, it mostly likely is a good idea to be prepared to kick in a few thousand more dollars to sort out things like deferred maintenance (water pumps, belts, etc.) and wiped error codes.

Hopefully this helps. Good luck in your search!

[mikefocke]

the diagnosis and resolution of the Secondary Air Injection System took months of a person's time and lots of help from the forums.

The codes you are seeing all deal with emissions and emissions involve the MAF, the O2 sensors, the SAIS and lots of hoses, wires and connections. All in a system designed to get the air-fuel ratio correct both at startup and when all warmed up. Not a task for a shade tree mechanic without tools specific to a Porsche and lots of experience using those tools on a P-car. You could end up throwing lots of parts at the problem.

And if these systems have been fouled up for a while, you could have clogged catalytic converters too.

[2.7RS]

If you are not ready for the ride.

Sell it and buy a Miata