11 captured repliesDiscussion pagination complete · Source accounts, not a confirmed diagnosis
THIS DISCUSSION / SOURCE-DERIVED OVERVIEW
Discussion summary
YOUR RESEARCHNew to me 1998 C2 with Possible Variocam Solenoid issue.
Reported or suspected cause
variocam solenoid giving the issue
Suggestion or failed attempt
No successful repair reported for this finding.
0
Identified cause
1
Suspected cause
0
Reported fixes
Read evidence and context
Explicit resolution reports before identified causes, performed actions and suggestions. Within each level, matching component labels precede direct query mentions and inherited thread context; successful versus unsuccessful discussion counts, owner confirmations and independent discussion support determine order. This is not a probability of success.
Discussions that suspect a cause
1
0 original-poster resolution reports. Counts can overlap; they are not unique people or a success rate.
0 discussions have direct query context; 0 report a fix in that context. Other evidence may inherit the discussion’s subject.
Suspected cause · Original poster
My question having come to the conclusion it is likely the variocam solenoid giving the issue.
New to me 1998 C2 with Possible Variocam Solenoid issue.
Frequently discussed work
Run normally at normal driving speeds
No successful repair reported for this finding.
0
Reported fixes
0
Unsuccessful attempts
1
Discussions
Read evidence and context
Discussions that contain suggestions
1
0 original-poster resolution reports. Counts can overlap; they are not unique people or a success rate.
0 discussions have direct query context; 0 report a fix in that context. Other evidence may inherit the discussion’s subject.
Suggestion
If you're sure the plugs and coils are good, and this is confirmed by the engine running normally at normal driving speeds, then you're into the cam timining, which can only be a worn chain guide, duff tensioner, or duff solenoid.
New to me 1998 C2 with Possible Variocam Solenoid issue.
Read full discussion summary
Leading evidence: 'variocam solenoid giving the issue' (no explicit attributable resolution; this is a reported action or suggestion). Across 1 matching discussions, the most frequently mentioned possible cause is 'variocam solenoid giving the issue' (1 discussions; 0 report identifying it and 1 suggest it). The most frequently discussed action is 'Run normally at normal driving speeds' (1 discussions). For that action, 0 discussions report a resolution and 0 report an unsuccessful attempt. No action has an explicit, attributable resolution report under the current rules. These are forum reports and suggestions, not a confirmed diagnosis.
Source reports, not a diagnosis or a success probability. Counts refer to discussions and can overlap.
Explicit resolution reports before identified causes, performed actions and suggestions. Within each level, matching component labels precede direct query mentions and inherited thread context; successful versus unsuccessful discussion counts, owner confirmations and independent discussion support determine order. This is not a probability of success.
Discussions that contain suggestions
1
0 original-poster resolution reports. Counts can overlap; they are not unique people or a success rate.
0 discussions have direct query context; 0 report a fix in that context. Other evidence may inherit the discussion’s subject.
Suggestion
If you're sure the plugs and coils are good, and this is confirmed by the engine running normally at normal driving speeds, then you're into the cam timining, which can only be a worn chain guide, duff tensioner, or duff solenoid.
New to me 1998 C2 with Possible Variocam Solenoid issue.
Test then refit or
Suggestion or failed attempt
No successful repair reported for this finding.
0
Reported fixes
0
Unsuccessful attempts
1
Discussions
Read evidence and context
Explicit resolution reports before identified causes, performed actions and suggestions. Within each level, matching component labels precede direct query mentions and inherited thread context; successful versus unsuccessful discussion counts, owner confirmations and independent discussion support determine order. This is not a probability of success.
Discussions that contain suggestions
1
0 original-poster resolution reports. Counts can overlap; they are not unique people or a success rate.
0 discussions have direct query context; 0 report a fix in that context. Other evidence may inherit the discussion’s subject.
Suggestion · Original poster
DO I need to lock the cams to pull the solenoid as it looks simple enough to just pull it, give it a clean and functional test then refit or replace if bad.
New to me 1998 C2 with Possible Variocam Solenoid issue.
Frequently discussed actions (2)
These are separate views of the same evidence. Frequency alone does not establish a fix, and these counts must not be added together.
Run normally at normal driving speeds
No successful repair reported for this finding.
0
Reported fixes
0
Unsuccessful attempts
1
Discussions
Read evidence and context
Discussions that contain suggestions
1
0 original-poster resolution reports. Counts can overlap; they are not unique people or a success rate.
0 discussions have direct query context; 0 report a fix in that context. Other evidence may inherit the discussion’s subject.
Suggestion
If you're sure the plugs and coils are good, and this is confirmed by the engine running normally at normal driving speeds, then you're into the cam timining, which can only be a worn chain guide, duff tensioner, or duff solenoid.
New to me 1998 C2 with Possible Variocam Solenoid issue.
Test then refit or
No successful repair reported for this finding.
0
Reported fixes
0
Unsuccessful attempts
1
Discussions
Read evidence and context
Discussions that contain suggestions
1
0 original-poster resolution reports. Counts can overlap; they are not unique people or a success rate.
0 discussions have direct query context; 0 report a fix in that context. Other evidence may inherit the discussion’s subject.
Suggestion · Original poster
DO I need to lock the cams to pull the solenoid as it looks simple enough to just pull it, give it a clean and functional test then refit or replace if bad.
New to me 1998 C2 with Possible Variocam Solenoid issue.
Coverage and how to read this overview
Counts describe captured discussions, not unique people or a diagnosis. Author identities are not reliably stored. Exact duplicate evidence is counted once across matching discussions; one discussion counts at most once per action/state. Multiple repairs reported together remain a combination. Suggestions and failed attempts do not establish a fix. Matches cover whole discussions and can include related faults, model variants and incomplete threads.
11 eligible posts · 0 unverified posts · 1 discussions match the subject in their title or opening post.
911uk: 1 discussions
0 evidence records excluded for query context · 0 excluded by outcome qualification · 0 adjusted by outcome qualification.
0 acknowledgements have no verified action link; they do not establish a repair result.
Generation: 20261026T135432Z · outcome-qualification-6. Deterministic extraction; no AI model inference. How we use sources
Hi all,
I have just taken ownership of a 1998 996.1 C2 with 85k on the clock (picks to follow once cleaned and a sunny day), and its thrown a Flashing then solid CEL. downloaded the codes and it turns out to be miss fires et total on bank 2. I know the coils and spark plugs were done 2000 miles ago (albeit 3 years back) as I did them for a friend (who I subsequently bought the car from).
My question having come to the conclusion it is likely the variocam solenoid giving the issue. DO I need to lock the cams to pull the solenoid as it looks simple enough to just pull it, give it a clean and functional test then refit or replace if bad.
cheers
Al
Someone will be along sooner or later with a link to the procedure on how to do it, but it's not quite as simple as it looks. Yes, you need to lock the cams, but you also need to remove the cam cover on the affected side as the soilenoid cover that you can see is just that; a cover, not the solenoid itself, and removing it doesn't give access to remove the solenoid.
Once the cam cover is off, I gather it's reasonably straightforward if you're careful and methodical. It can be done with the engine in the car, but the exhaust manifold will need to be removed to give you room to work, as well as the engine needs to be dropped down a couple of inches on a jack to imrove access.
If the variocam solenoid is causing the misfire then you can verify it by having a specialist plug it into a diagnostic computer and activate the solenoids independently. If the idle note changes for one bank but not the other then you've confirmed the fault.
I have long suspected I have a duff solenoid on my bank 2, and recently did just this to verify it. Another indicator (though not conclusive) is whether you have a loping/pulsing exhaust on the opposite side from where the duff bank is.
The thing is, a misfire confined to just one bank has a limited number of causes. If you're sure the plugs and coils are good, and this is confirmed by the engine running normally at normal driving speeds, then you're into the cam timining, which can only be a worn chain guide, duff tensioner, or duff solenoid. There just isn't all that much stuff that's confined to all the cylinders on one side.
was thinking of doing this if the weather holds out tomorrow/Sunday and also give the maf a clean as i have heard they can cause all sorts of weird and wonderful snags.
So unplugged the MAF and cleared the codes, would you adam and eve it. the failt is cleared and it idles like a dream. now need some torx bits with a hole in the middle........ damn you porsche ...... making me buy more tools
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