camshaft actuator solenoid '97MY

Hi-and thanks for all those responsible for extending PPBB.CEL gives code that the above needs replacing;it was lit for months before I stored it for the winter.The thing is, the car runs fine,outside of a very slight hunting @ idle(no one who hadn't driven the car for eleven years would even notice it) I understand this to be a fairly expensive job(1k plus),so what is the deal with continuing to drive it?e.g. is there a downside?Keep in mind that in it's current status as a third car it will do maybe 4K per year. The car has 114K miles on her.

believe this let alone like it, my info is (and my experience --- more below) that is even if the error code points to the solenoid both the solenoid and the actuator should be replaced.

(I acquired my experience in a rather unusual manner: Not too many weeks ago I took my car to a dealer with the P1341 (iirc) error code and the engine idling a bit unevenly/lumpy -- considerably so to the point that I thought the engine was going to stall -- and the tech with some additional diagnostics confirmed the solenoid was bad (intermittently so but bad enough often enough to detect) and the solenoid was replaced. Now, I was never given the opportunity to accept or reject that the actuator be replaced. Why I do not know cause afterwards I was told it was SOP to replace both (unless the customer rejected the recommendation). Had the tech advised me that the actuator should be done I would have had it done. I trust the techs' advise in this area. Shortly after I got the car back the same error code came up and the engine exhibited the same symptoms as before. I took the car back and was told that while it might be the solenoid (even a new one can be bad) what it came down to is the actuator required replacing. Because I was not given the opportunity to accept or reject the recommendation and because the service department managers knows me well enough to know I would have accepted the recommendation (as I mentioned above I trust the techs and when it comes to something like this I would have accepted their recommendation to replace both items), the dealer absorbed the cost of the duplicate work and parts. While I was charged for the extra parts that the actuator R&R job required -- mainly the new actuator -- and the extra labor (approx. 5 hours) that is required to go beyond the solenoid to remove and replace the actuator (the cams have to come out and they have to be reinstalled and timed), the dealer/service department absorbed the cost of opening the engine up again and getting the engine disassembled (while in the car) to the where it had was previously when the solenoid was replaced. All told though the job came to over $3K. The solenoid was over $750 and the actuator was over $800 and labor and other parts accounted for the rest of the cost.)

I forget now if I was advised that I could continue to drive the car. I did drive it a bit over 30 miles (after clearing the error code) and the engine ran ok other than a bit rough at idle. However, I was afraid though that the condition was worsen and the camchain drive between the exhaust and intake cams would fail and if so would take out the engine.

Also, in my area the car is required to pass emissions (I think every two years) and while this year (as it turns out) it is not required to be 'smogged' there's next year. And as I drove the car I monitored the various engine sensor readings and derived values and noticed the engine controller was running the passenger side cylinders (the side the bad solenoid/actuator) was on) rich, trying to adapt to the non/misfunctioning solenoid/actuator. Thus not only would the engine not run smooth, it would suffer increased gas comsumption and the rich running cylinders may experience accelerated wear from the overly rich mixture washing oil from the cylinder walls and the oil thus suffering from accelerated contamination.

Additionally the car is my (nearly) daily driver, with the Turbo getting the call a few days a week. So the Boxster is my main form of transportation. I'm not yet ready to get rid of the car or even park it for the occasional use and switch to driving the Turbo full time. Also, I can't stand a car that doesn't run right. I spend alot of time in my cars and a rough idle, an idle that makes me think the engine is going to stall, or knowing that engine is consuming more gas or polluting more or just not running as good as it would otherwise, is unacceptable to me.

It is up to you -- of course -- but I believe that you should seriously consider having the problem attended to. Whether you decide to have just the solenoid replaced or have both the solenoid and actuator replaced is up to you. I know what I would have done and I know what it cost (thankfully not me) when both were not replaced.

Sincerely,

MarcW.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/01/2011 03:13PM by MarcW. (view changes)

yikes