Driving on the autobahn seems to have upset my 991.2 - Page 2 - 911/Carrera GT - PistonHeads UK

I’ve driven around lots of Europe in my car but until a couple of days ago I had never even visited Germany let alone drive on the Autobahn. I had modest ambitions of getting to 250kph if conditions were right but wanted to get the feel of it before having a go. I did a fair few miles at 180kph to 200kph (and was overtaken by all manner of vehicle) but - couple of things happened that curtailed my enthusiasm. First was a tyre pressure warning on my left rear. It loses about 6 psi and then stays at 36 indicated on the display. I pumping up a bit but a few hours later will drop again but doesn’t get any lower. I also got a ‘minimum all level’ information pop up and then a few miles later a warning for oil being below the minimum level. Never had this before but pulled over and added a quarter of a bottle without spilling an drop and set off again. I noticed quite a lot of white smoke coming out the rear as soon as I rejoined the autobahn so I sat at about 90kmp for a miles then resumed normal driving once the smoke had gone. It hasn’t returning. Problem or is this normal after topping up?

You don't say model, but I am assuming this is a twin turbo Carrera? I have seen a couple of these let got on track days. One of them was ahead of me on sigbting laps at Silverstone. It was smoking, more from one side than other, on overrun, particularly at the end ofHangar Straight and on the second lap there were bright orange flames. The owner would not have seen this, so I told him and he said there were some warnings on dash and he had to get the car recovered from the pits.

Digga said: You don't say model, but I am assuming this is a twin turbo Carrera? I have seen a couple of these let got on track days. One of them was ahead of me on sigbting laps at Silverstone. It was smoking, more from one side than other, on overrun, particularly at the end ofHangar Straight and on the second lap there were bright orange flames. The owner would not have seen this, so I told him and he said there were some warnings on dash and he had to get the car recovered from the pits. It’s a 991.2 GTS. I’ve not had any warning light other than for tire pressure and low oil. Being so far from home just makes it a bit more of a worry.

Not to be a total worry but that could potentially be a Turbo issue. Load of smoke but still useable sounds awfully similar to what happened to me. Only when stood for a while did I see a small impression of the Exxon Valdez on the concrete. Get it looked at before driving again would be my view.

Hi OP, I hope it is not this, but just in case have a look at this thread and see if it gives you any useful information to jump on a potential problem before it becomes a big issue. All the best. https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...

I was really hoping to hear that white smoke always happens when you top up with oil. I was aware of the turbo issues with the 991.2 when I got the car so have a Porsche warranty for mostly that reason. I’ve never had white smoke before, only when I topped up the oil, and then it stopped after a couple of miles. I tried all sorts of driving after the smoke had cleared to see if it would happen again but it didn’t. We’ll see what tomorrow brings… Innsbruck to Ljubljana.

200kph is likely going to be less than 200bhp to maintain, so it’s not going to have particularly stressed the engine.

Ken_Code said: 200kph is likely going to be less than 200bhp to maintain, so it’s not going to have particularly stressed the engine. No doubt. Revs weren’t high, car felt okay. I hadn’t driven in anger since last year so maybe that’s it. Or maybe I’m clutching at straws. I don’t know a great deal about engines & turbos but am I right to think that if there is no pressure showing on the turbo display then they’re not being used? For example, cruising at 100kph, wouldn’t use the turbos?

DeuceDeuce said: No doubt. Revs weren’t high, car felt okay. I hadn’t driven in anger since last year so maybe that’s it. Or maybe I’m clutching at straws. I don’t know a great deal about engines & turbos but am I right to think that if there is no pressure showing on the turbo display then they’re not being used? For example, cruising at 100kph, wouldn’t use the turbos? I don’t know if they are literally stationary at that speed, but you’ve used the car far less hard than a sharp overtake does. If something’s let go I don’t think it’s anything to do with the mid-speed cruise. I hope all it was was a glitchy warning followed by topping up with a bit too much oil.

Make sure to check the ground under the car first thing before setting off.

High oil usage and white smoke on a 991.2 usually means the oil line/turbo issue ( I speak from experience)

Does a blowout not go through your mind when at such speed on the autobahn? It seems so high risk to me.

Is it possible that you’ve actually got an electronic or sensor issue and there really was never a low oil level. So maybe you over filled it?

bosshog said: High oil usage and white smoke on a 991.2 usually means the oil line/turbo issue ( I speak from experience) I bet he’s right. Same for me. (991.2 gts). Porsche (inc UK HQ) were utterly rubbish for 18 months as it only happened once above 80/90mph and they couldn’t test/refused to drive over 70mph. The released oil then smoked badly on start up until burnt off. If this is the problem and if you have Porsche warranty, I wouldn’t worry. They’ll eventually replace both turbo. I wouldn’t worry too much about carrying on your trip but if you are worried, assume you have Porsche recovery with warranty? Pm me if you want to know 3x Porsche dealers who I wouldn’t go to for diagnosis.

KittyLitter said: Does a blowout not go through your mind when at such speed on the autobahn? It seems so high risk to me. At 120mph?

Operational range for turbos is circa 10,000 rpm. So even if not actually providing boost, they are spinning way faster than the engine. They need constant, high pressure oil feed to the axle. IMHO big turbos not suited to daily driving. If the car has had a good thrash, it should idle before shutoff. The most common issue is the oil seals wear and then feed oil into either or both the compressor and exhaust side of the turbines. I had an Isuzu Trooper let go with zero warning - just the white fog that suddenly appeared behind me on the M42. I managed, using foot brake, handbrake and dropping clutch with 5th gear, to shall the engine, as it wouldn’t switch off. Spoke to a customer who’d had the same with a Cat D6 dozer and they couldn’t do anything other than watch it spin until it threw a conrod out of the block.

If it’s lost quite a bit of oil quickly then probably not the normal air/oil issue. Can you see any leak underneath? Anyway, shame your fun was cut short this time. I hope you’re all sorted and good to go again soon. Get that wheel off and check the tyre on both sides.

Abtj said: Pm me if you want to know 3x Porsche dealers who I wouldn’t go to for diagnosis. Thanks , tried but your account doesn’t accept pms.

Early visit to Porsche Innsbruck has Identified the tyre pressure problem at least. Struggled enough with the language to explain what was happening with ture pressure so not getting into the oil/smokenissuee. Haven’t had any further smoke and have Porsche recovery so will continue my journey. Edit to add: There’s no a single electric car for sale at Porsche Innesbruck. Maybe they sold them all. Edited by DeuceDeuce on Tuesday 14th May 07:58

Ken_Code said: At 120mph? I think he means 120mph with a tyre losing 6psi...

Ken_Code said: At 120mph? I think he means 120mph with a tyre losing 6psi...

One new rear MPS4S… €540 I had 4 fitted less than a year ago in the UK for about £1k What can you do? I’m wondering if centre locks are more hassle than they’re worth.

DeuceDeuce said: One new rear MPS4S… €540 I had 4 fitted less than a year ago in the UK for about £1k Inflation?

DeuceDeuce said: One new rear MPS4S… €540 I had 4 fitted less than a year ago in the UK for about £1k What can you do? I’m wondering if centre locks are more hassle than they’re worth. Look at it on the bright side, OPC took you in at zero notice and you can enjoy your trip again now. Price becomes irrelevant in that occasion. Had similar a few years ag with OPC Nurenberg, broke down Fri pm and Sat am was on my way with 6 new coil packs. Cost me like 2x what it would have in UK, but it was more than worth it as they saved the day, excellent service, Some guy on the Merc club had a big fault with his newish Merc in Germany last month. Two main dealers turned him away (asked to come back in 2 weeks), imagine that situation for a laugh!

Digga said: DeuceDeuce said: One new rear MPS4S… €540 I had 4 fitted less than a year ago in the UK for about £1k Inflation? Don’t, he’s probably feeling a little deflated…

findtomdotcom said: Digga said: DeuceDeuce said: One new rear MPS4S… €540 I had 4 fitted less than a year ago in the UK for about £1k Inflation? Don’t, he’s probably feeling a little deflated… ...and now he's flat out

DeuceDeuce said: I’ve driven around lots of Europe in my car but until a couple of days ago I had never even visited Germany let alone drive on the Autobahn. I had modest ambitions of getting to 250kph if conditions were right but wanted to get the feel of it before having a go. I did a fair few miles at 180kph to 200kph (and was overtaken by all manner of vehicle) but - couple of things happened that curtailed my enthusiasm. First was a tyre pressure warning on my left rear. It loses about 6 psi and then stays at 36 indicated on the display. I pumping up a bit but a few hours later will drop again but doesn’t get any lower. I also got a ‘minimum all level’ information pop up and then a few miles later a warning for oil being below the minimum level. Never had this before but pulled over and added a quarter of a bottle without spilling an drop and set off again. I noticed quite a lot of white smoke coming out the rear as soon as I rejoined the autobahn so I sat at about 90kmp for a miles then resumed normal driving once the smoke had gone. It hasn’t returning. Problem or is this normal after topping up? Doesn't have to be anything serious, for example it could be because you never stepped on the gas so hard and deeply for so long (for a long time) and that you didn't/couldn't do that in the UK for example. As a result, for example, the oil/water separator can become clogged over time, with that white drip, so to speak, and can then suddenly come loose/be blown through and that can explain the white smoke that lasts for a while but then stops again. Also had the oil separator during a track day with a BMW V8, so to speak, came into the pits and started again and wow a lot of white smoke, I was shocked at first, but stopped after a while and did not come back and no further oil consumption.

Digga said: I had an Isuzu Trooper let go with zero warning - just the white fog that suddenly appeared behind me on the M42. I managed, using foot brake, handbrake and dropping clutch with 5th gear, to shall the engine, as it wouldn’t switch off. Spoke to a customer who’d had the same with a Cat D6 dozer and they couldn’t do anything other than watch it spin until it threw a conrod out of the block. Obviously shutting down a diesel engine which is burning its own engine oil is very difficult. You can of course try starving it of oxygen. But this won't or can't be an issue with a petrol engine.

ATM said: Digga said: I had an Isuzu Trooper let go with zero warning - just the white fog that suddenly appeared behind me on the M42. I managed, using foot brake, handbrake and dropping clutch with 5th gear, to shall the engine, as it wouldn’t switch off. Spoke to a customer who’d had the same with a Cat D6 dozer and they couldn’t do anything other than watch it spin until it threw a conrod out of the block. Obviously shutting down a diesel engine which is burning its own engine oil is very difficult. You can of course try starving it of oxygen. But this won't or can't be an issue with a petrol engine. No, it would not run on it's own oil, but the same seal failure mode can mean either or both banks of cylinders are running on a very rich, fuel, oil and air mix. Hence the bright orange flames on overrun. Some owners also notice smoke and sort of soot on bumper too. The issue can sometimes only manifest on overrun, when the oil is shoved into the hot exhaust. Depends how the sealing has failed.

DeuceDeuce said: Early visit to Porsche Innsbruck has Identified the tyre pressure problem at least. Struggled enough with the language to explain what was happening with ture pressure so not getting into the oil/smokenissuee. Haven’t had any further smoke and have Porsche recovery so will continue my journey. Edit to add: There’s no a single electric car for sale at Porsche Innesbruck. Maybe they sold them all. Edited by DeuceDeuce on Tuesday 14th May 07:58 Thats my local OPC! Really good service and very helpful, language barrier is a small blip (I'm a Brit living in Innsbruck) but the sales and service person I deal with speak English. They do sell alot of EV's new as company cars but second hand they dont normally stock any but they also dont have more than 5 cars in stock ever so its not a great yard stick. Online they have more but same as the UK, second hand market is dead. Did you look at the prices of the new cars in the showroom? Do they still have the 911 ST in the showroom?

skidskid said: Thats my local OPC! Really good service and very helpful, language barrier is a small blip (I'm a Brit living in Innsbruck) but the sales and service person I deal with speak English. They do sell alot of EV's new as company cars but second hand they dont normally stock any but they also dont have more than 5 cars in stock ever so its not a great yard stick. Online they have more but same as the UK, second hand market is dead. Did you look at the prices of the new cars in the showroom? Do they still have the 911 ST in the showroom? It’s a tiny showroom compared to what we usually see in the UK, but yes, I had a look around but wasn’t paying too much attention. They may have had a 911 St but the only 911 I remember was a black Targa GTS. I don;t recall much about prices bit it looked like they had the price of the car and then two additional hefty taxes on top. I would have paid more attention but I was mostly concerned about getting back on the road. I emailed the dealership my thanks (with the help of google translate) and got some nice replies from them.They were keen to see photos of my trip which is nice. So far, so good on the potential issues. No more smoke and Lord knows it’s been given every opportunity to tap out. Back In Germany tomorrow so we’ll see if 250kph is on the cards.

Yes its very small! The two taxes make cars cost approx double here, something I didnt know before I moved here. Good luck with the rest of your trip!