Altitude problem in the Rockies

Wavey · 06-12-2010, 01:46 PM

Just arrived in Breckenridge, and started having serious running problems as soon as we left Denver. The car started missing, and tyhe higher the altitude got, the worse it got. Figured out it's running extremely rich - black smoke, hesitating, almost dying. Barely made it here.

I've got my Bentley's and some basic tools with me, so I'm going to check the altitude correction switch first. It's original and has never been much above sea level so it may not be functioning.

Two questions: any other ideas? Anyone know of a Porsche specialist or other shop in Breckenridge.

d.a.autry · d.a.autry's Garage

Not in Breck, if you don't mind a driving back down to Denver tomorrow try Mike and Bob at Storz garage. 303-333-1911. . .google that and double check it.

In fact, if you do a google search on "Storz garage", you'll find a PP forum post (2nd item down in search) that lists several of the Colorado shops and numbers.

Wavey · 06-12-2010, 02:48 PM

Thanks d.a. - but we barely made it up here so not heading back to Denver until we leave. I'll check that other thread - thanks for the lead!

Just tested the altitude switch and it's good - have continuity which is correct at this altitude, so the DME should be getting the signal to adjust leaner. I'm wondering if the recently installed Gekkatec MAP system is contributinbg to the problem?

We have another car here so we can get around. But there are 2 other couples with us and I brought the 911 too so my wife and I could take off on some separate day trips. Will be here for 2 weeks so it would be worth getting it fixed.

Grady Clay · 06-12-2010, 03:38 PM

I got your PM.

“Installed a Gekkatec MAP system a few weeks ago abnd it has been running better than ever in St. Louis, ran great til we got out of Denver.”

Is this adjustable?

Can you reverse the install and try your OE system?

There are a lot of very capable people down here – on Monday.

Best,
Grady

Wavey · 04:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Grady Clay

I got your PM.

“Installed a Gekkatec MAP system a few weeks ago abnd it has been running better than ever in St. Louis, ran great til we got out of Denver.”

Is this adjustable?

Can you reverse the install and try your OE system?

There are a lot of very capable people down here – on Monday.

Best,
Grady

Thanks for the speedy reply Grady!

It's loading up so bad, literally barely running, so I'm reluctant to try driving it back to Denver until we leave. Also guessing it will run fine once I'm down there. Nobody near Breckenridge?

The Gekkatec is only adjustable for base A/F ratio, just like the stock AFM. Already leaned that out as far as I can.

Stock AFM is back in St. Louis - no dice.

The altitude swith is OK so I'm flummoxed as to why it isn't leaning out.

kodioneill · kodioneill's Garage

I don't think I would use anything on my car called Gekkatec !

Sorry, hope everything works out.

Wavey · 06-13-2010, 05:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kodioneill

I don't think I would use anything on my car called Gekkatec !

Sorry, hope everything works out.

Ha the F#@% ha, real helpful.

Working with Chris at Gekkatec to reflash it. I don't think this is anything
that a local mechanic is going to understand, and driving back to Denver in
this state seems risky and would be very time-consuming, would need two
round trips with a second car. Not exactly how I want to spend my vacation,
and my wife is already about to kill me.

dicklague · dicklague's Garage

Gekkatec is pretty interesting......just scanned through the manual. I hope you get your problem solved, and you can have some fun in the Rockies. Good luck!!

Grady Clay · 06-13-2010, 07:07 AM

Dave,

Let me know if there is anything I can do from down here in Denver.
You have PM with my contact info.

Best,
Grady

Wavey · 06-13-2010, 08:08 AM

Dick - thanks, that was the whole purpose of driving it 1000 miles, in addition to our other car. The car has run the best it ever has in the 9 years I've had it, since I installed the Gekkatec. But that was at near-sealevel in St. Louis, and it's apparently not adjusting to the altitude.

Grady, thank you so much, and I will contact you for a Denver shop reference if I can't solve this with a reflash here. Not sure how far you are from Breckenridge, but I'd damn near be willing to pay you to come here and fix it!

zotman72 · 06-13-2010, 08:44 AM

I would offer another shop in the Denver area that has a premier German auto electronics tuning wizard. Ernie at Peak Eurosport could be your man. Ernie is simply amazing, humble and knows his craft.
Peak Eurosport

My post is not say that the other Porsche Denver shops mentioned can not help you.
I know most of them quite well, do business with them regularly (Storz especially) and I have been chased out of many of them!

tcar · 06-13-2010, 09:09 AM

Wavey,

Snowing up there?

What would you need to take it back to stock? Partswise? So that you could drive it up there?

Or is it practical to do that?

Tom (Storz fan)

Wavey · 06-13-2010, 09:25 AM

Bill - thanks for the lead! We may have this solved. Chris at Gekkatec is bending over backwards to fix it. He believes we have a faulty atmospheric pressure sensor within the Gekkatec control unit (extremely rare problem), so he's written new code to compensate, and emailed it to me with thorough directions. My son-in-law is here and he's a code writer so we'll do the reflash this afternoon. Luckily we can borrow the correct USB cable from a PC that's here at the house we're renting. Everyone keep their fingers crossed!

Tom, yes, about 3" up here this morning! Most of it melted now. The road from Breckenridge to the house is really bad, mainly packed dirt and rocks, very rutted, and it was raining when we arrived yesterday. The 911 is the filthiest it's ever been, but if I can get it running right, who cares? Might blow it off at a carwash when we head out on day trips.

I'd need a working stock AFM and some kind of air filter to swap this back to stock. My original AFM is at home and was so screwed up I decided to go with the Gekkatec system rather than messing with the antiquated AFM technology. Until this issue, the car has performed flawlessy; smoother, more power, very smooth and stable idle, very very happy with it otherwise.

What a great bunch of guys. Thanks! BTW, we're here for a nice relaxing 2-week family vacation; my wife just retired and our 30th anniversary is next week. If I spend much more time on the 911, I doubt we'll make 31; she's pretty fed up with me right now, but I'm sure you all know how that goes.

tcar · 06-13-2010, 10:08 AM

Sometimes I'm still amazed that someone in Cali can even try to fix a car in the Colo mountains without seeing or touching it.

Hope it works.

If you're still there on the 27th, a bunch of us are driving up there for brunch.

Wavey · 06-13-2010, 10:14 AM

Same here Tom - it's amazing that can sit here on the Continental Divide on my laptop and be connected via wireless to the vast resources of Pelican, and to the guy who built the MAF system on my car. Awesome.

Dang - we're heading back early Saturday the 26th! Would have been great to connect with you guys.

tobluforu · tobluforu's Garage

Quote:

Originally Posted by tcar

Sometimes I'm still amazed that someone in Cali can even try to fix a car in the Colo mountains without seeing or touching it.

Hope it works.

If you're still there on the 27th, a bunch of us are driving up there for brunch.

You would be surprised what is capable these days, I was at a dyno and another guy with an E55 that had over 600whp was having his car tuned on a dyno while the tech was dialed in from CA adjusting what was necessary.

Winter · 06-13-2010, 01:25 PM

If you have AAA+, they can flatbed your car from Breck to Denver, so a shop can check it out. Hopefully you don't have to do this, but it's really not that far once you hit 1-70 and Frisco. About an 1.5 hours max to most locations in Denver.

I'm going to be up there (Vail) later this week, and could get you down to the Front Range on my return trip if you go this route and the car is ready for pick up on Thursday afternoon.

Good luck!.

Tom

---

Tom '75 targa

MikeD930 · MikeD930's Garage

Sorry to hear about your troubles! If reflashing or other tricks doesn't work may I suggest to rent a car and continue with your trip to keep your wife happy? Then deal with your ailing 911 on the way home or until sea level ! Hope it all works out.

Wavey · 06-14-2010, 02:49 AM

Tom - thanks for the offer!

I think we have this fixed well enough after several reflashes of the software in the Gekkatec unit. We have it running at probably 90-95% of normal, just down on power a bit and slightly rough, which could be normal high-altitude problems. I think we're OK for the next 2 weeks until we return to lower altitude. Then the unit is going back to Gekkatec for evaluation; Chris is pretty sure it's a bad atmospheric pressure sensor.

MikeD - we have another car here now, and will have a 3rd when my other daughter arrives, so we can get around OK.

Really appreciate everyone's assistance, including the several PMs I received.

tcar · 06-14-2010, 06:13 AM

Wavey, It'll be noticably down on power anyway at 10,000 ft. ASL, like 40% below SL.

The running rough isn't normal.

Hate to bring this up, but, if it's permanantly set at that altitude, when you get down to Denver (5,300 ft) or lower, will it be way lean? Be you might ask Gekkatec that.

Enjoy the rest of your trip, supposed to be beautiful.