2000 Carerra Check Engine Light

[Joe K]

I just bought a 2000 Porsche Carrera. After the first day in my possession the check engine light came on steady while driving. I took it to a factory trained tech in a Porsche dealership and he diagnosed it to be from the fuel/air mixture. The Porsche tech took forever to determine that the check engine light was supposedly being caused by a bad mass air flow sensor. So, $1100 later I got my car back from the shop with a new mass air flow sensor. The next day home, after driving it for 50 miles, the check engine light came back on steady again with no noticeable change in performance, just like before. What on earth could be causing this? I'm starting to think that the previous owner got rid of this car because of this recurring problem that maybe no one could fix. The car has only 58,000 miles from one previous owner. I got the car thru an auction so I don't have access to the previous owner or any of the car's maintenance records.

[jwetering]

right

step 1 is to go back to that dealership and get them to read the codes again. If the cause of the CEL is the same as before then that means they misdiagnosed the MAF and they owe you $1100.

step 2 is to find a good independent shop who won't fnck you like the dealership. Unless a car is under warranty it's generally good advice to stay the hell away from them. They are not that good (as you have learned) and they charge outrageous rates.

step 3 is to figure out how these car forums work. You've posted in an air cooled board and Porsche stopped making air cooled cars in 1998. You own what is known as a 996 model and it is distinctly liquid cooled. Pelican does have a 996 forum but there's not a lot going on there at the moment. You're better off at Rennlist, or at Renntech for now.

Good luck with your car - it sounds like it runs fine so you will be ok - but heads up because the wrong people will squander your money.

[Eagledriver]

I have a Boxster. When my CEL came on I bought a code reader from Auto zone. Then I googled Boxster check engine light and found a forum that specialized in Boxsters. Found out it was the Mass Air Flow sensor (the same one you had replaced). Ordered it from Pelican and changed it out in 30 minutes. This same process may work for you. Usually car failures are not singular events. Many other 996's have probably had the same problem. This is one of the great uses of the internet.

-Andy