Anyone ever figure out the dead spot?

Just below 3000 RPM? Between 29xx and 3000? In a Gen I Cayman S ? It has always been there, and people have mentioned it before. The other day I happened to blip my cruise control to exactly that spot and it was a strange sensation. I was worried that I was about to be swallowed up in some sort of vortex, so I blipped it up 50 rpm or so. Usually you just drive through it on your way to the next gear. Is this a spot where the vario-cam makes a change?

Variocam is at 4000RPM.

Yes, Dave, have had the same issue for nearly 1.5 years. Glad you brought it up. Had it to dealer x's 2 with no problem found. Seems to come and go but only in 1st and 2nd. Worse in sport mode. It's almost like a glitch in the gas pedal very close to 2800 rpm. If I feather it just right in street driving, it will accelerate just fine. Full throttle it, no problem. Wish there was a cure but then I also wish I could win the lottery so I could buy a GT3 . :hilarious: that ain't gonna happen, either. Bob

It has alternatively been described as a "hesitation" spot. Usually I notice it when accelerating very gently. It has nothing to do with the torque curve flattening. It is a very specific rpm. Not a problem, just interesting.

I have certainly noticed it, but don't have an explanation. It does seem if you go past the point a full or near-full throttle before shifting there is no problem.

This is what I have noticed as well. To me, it feels like there is a very brief moment where I lose some power. By brief I mean .1 second or something, but I can feel it. You mention a very specific RPM, except for me, it doesn't seem to be the same RPM every time. My guess (and I stress guess) is that this is a computer mapping issue. Something in the map causes a brief interruption in fuel or something. I thought I remember hearing that those who remap their ECU get rid of this, is that incorrect? Or at least those who remap report the car is smoother? Is that correct? Once my warranty is up, I might consider the remap for this issue alone. Perhaps Scott from Softronic could pitch in here?

i noticed this as well. i suspect it has to do with the OEM plenum flap. when i swapped my plenum with the softronic one, the hesitation was gone. this was even before i flashed the ecu.

I also noticed this dead spot just before 3000RPM when I first got my 2010 base Cayman 6mt about 7 months ago. Since I was observing the break-in recommendation and taking it easy on acceleration, it really was noticable and bugged me. But I guess it went away after things loosened up. I can't remember the last time I noticed it. Or maybe I adjusted my driving style to eliminate it. I usually blow right through 3K on up to 4500-5000. Att, I have no performance mods, SB , or ECU flash. So maybe the 9000 miles I now have worked it out on it's own.

I've noticed not only a dead spot, but an increase in vibration at 3000 RPM which sets up certain harmonics. I generally drive right through it, but it's fairly objectionable if it's held at 3000. I thought that possibly cam timing was changing at that RPM, but somebody noted that it changes at 4000. I'm now wondering if it's the OEM plenum valves opening/closing at 3000 RPM.

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I complained about the vibration/harmonic and got a similar answer. The engine was run at 3000 RPM in 1st through 4th gears and a VAL? was created. Quoting the dealer: "The engine operation actual values were checked and no abnormality was found." I had no complaint with engine operation. The actual complaint I had regarding vibration was not addressed. Guess I need to have a further conversation with the service department.

There was an oil pump piston spring TSB for the early 2006-2007 cars. I had this spring replaced with a newer version on my car it solved the problem. I think of you search you will find the PDF for the TSB.

I wonder if I am feeling the same thing as everyone else. I don't feel a big dead spot at a consistent RPM. What I think I'm hearing from everyone else is that when they are accelerating at part throttle, in 1st and 2nd, as they pass ~3,000 RPM's, there is a significant drop in torque. Is this correct? Could someone say how long this drop in torque lasts, either in seconds or in RPM's (e.g. from 3,000 to 3,200)? I wonder if tiptronic's have this too? For me, what I feel seems different. At part throttle, I feel what seems to be a almost a complete cut-out of the engine, but it is only for a brief moment, like .1 seconds. It's enough to feel, you lurch forward in the seat, like if I suddenly got off the throttle or pushed in the clutch. It almost feels like I'm not smooth on the clutch, at least that's what a passenger might think, but I am completely off the clutch at this point. Come to think of it, it usually happens a moment or two right after I get completely off the clutch. The RPM it happens at varies. I cannot seem to reproduce it at will. And we're all talking Gen 1's with manual transmissions, right?

I have a Gen2 and checked this out last night and did not sense any dead spot in throttle. I actually do not spend much time below 3K anyway..normally running the motor between say 3K to 5.5K. I have noticed a bit of change in valve sound (slight bit of clatter is the best way to describe it) at 3800K under moderate acceleration in third gear...which I am assuming hoping is the variocam...any one else hear that in the DFI? Have not heard it lately now that I am beyond break in. Part of getting used to this car for me has been learning to run at higher RPMS...my last four cars have been big block V8s with lots of low end grunt...now I just love hearing the flat six sing...

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I discussed this further with my dealer and was told that this hesitation/vibration at 3000 RPM is considered normal and exists to some degree in all Caymans ; some very minimal, others more noticable. Porsche is well aware of it. The Porsche rep told my dealer that they had completely torn down a car to try to isolate the cause and were unable to do so.

I had an off throttle "cough" or hesitation that was really annoying; dealer said it was "normal". It was very unsports car like (is that a word?) and made me want to fix it or get another car. You cannot have fun driving with an unpredictable throttle. From reading this site I made the following mods, all at once: EVOM, SRP, Softronic and NHP headers. The power is still not as linear as my M3 and I don't know why. So while it could still be better, and I don't know which mod helped the most, my CS is a WHOLE lot more fun to drive now.

Am I right that this is not an issue with Gen2 cars? I did a test today while driving through the Lincoln Tunnel accelerating 2000 through 4000 rpms about 20 times at varying rates...had absolutely no hesitation...very smooth. So I guess this is one of the things they cleared up with the DFI motor.

If you have to search for it, I'd say you don't have it!:burnout:

Same here. I just assumed that since the OEM plenum flap was gone, it erased the deadzone.

This is why you feel that. It is a dead spot in the torque curve of the engine. I feel it especially when I'm in auto mode on my Tiptronic.

I understand the point you're making, and it makes sense, but it's not what I (and I think others) feel. I feel a very brief complete lack of power. It feels like this blue line, but even briefer than I can draw due to the width of the line.

Even with an IPD & GT3 tb, Sprint Booster , and Agency exhaust the problem continues. What I also noticed that the throttle doesn't like to be blipped at idle-sometimes it feels like it is going to stall. If I had to hazard a guess it sounds like from 750 to 2000rpm it is too lean, and 2000-3000 the engine lacks torque. My biggest problem is the 750-2000rpm range makes launches unpredictable. The so-called "clutch delay" mod does nothing, but makes stalling happen more often!

I had the dead spot at 2900 rpm, and your throttle issue as well. In my quest to resolve the 2 problems. I have replaced my spark plugs, ignition coils, MAF air flow sensor and the last thing I did is the gas pedal. Nothing helped the dead spot, but the gas pedal solved the unpredictable launches and "clutch delay" as you mentioned it. I guess my gas pedal was defective from factory with no codes at all, I have a Durametric Pro cable. Pick up a gas pedal from a newer Porsche off ebay for $40 and you will not believe what a difference it makes .. everyone who ever drove my car for the first time in the past stalled it while taking off several times. I also got a new throttle body coming in the mail .. let's see if that helps !!

I have installed the softronics software upgrade and my dead spot is not completely gone, but barely noticeable now around 2900-3000 rpm. I will be getting the IPD plenum next and reporting back.

Im having this problem as well and it's really annoying with the the throttle cut. It's very intermittent though so it's difficult to replicate. Same rev range between 2-3k. I cleaned my MAF yesterday and inspected the AOS and it looks like my AOS is failing again after almost 3 years and 25k miles with oil seeping in the hose/plastic tube coming off the top of the AOS to the throttle body in the engine bay. Hopefully that's it. I'll replace the AOS again here in a couple of weeks when I get back from Vaca.

Re: Anyone ever figure out the dead spot? I did I noticed both issues mentioned, the dead spot at 2900 RPM as well as the off idle lack of power; especially when easing out the clutch at a stop light. Both went away completely when I changed my exhaust. I posted a write up of the Schnell Exhaust last month and mentioned that the power curve was dramatically changed when I installed the new exhaust. My theory is that it is caused by the H pipe between the mufflers on the factory exhaust because the Schnell exhaust does not incorporate that crossover pipe in their exhaust system. The trade off is there is a reduction in the 6500+ RPM power band. I also noticed a minor increase in my fuel economy. I believe the H pipe design is there to enhance high RPM scavenging but it causes a negative pulse in the exhaust at lower RPM's.