is this teltale signs of engine failure???

ive read quite a few threads on here but can't seem to put the finger on the problem i have. i came back from a long drive this afternoon, and as i came up my drive, i noticed steam coming from the back passenger side. opened the engine lid and saw the coolant gushing out from the expansion cap or there abouts? i filled it back up and it seems to hold pressure fine, left it idling for a while, and took it for a short spin, however i noticed the oil pressure needle very high at 5 and flickering between 2-3 when i let go of the accelarator pedal. i also noticed a couple of tiny air bubbles on the dipstick. no misfire, no overheating! whats going on, has anyone else experienced this? Am i in for a proper porsche ride now? :dont know:

OK, this could be one of a few things, but highly unlikely to be anything to do with the engine and its imminent demise. The expansion tank is known to fatigue and crack (although you say it has not lost coolant since your inspection/refill). The cap may have been lose (or cap seal perished). The expansion tank cap has a relief valve - make sure this is shut (lying flat not vertical release position) I guess at the outside there could have been a blockage to cause the over pressure. Until it does it again I would assume the pressure relief valve was open. You have got Porsche paranoia now. The oil pressure needle bobs up and down all the time. At cold it is 5 at any revs At fully warmed operating temp and at 1k rpm (tick-over) it is 2 or less (sometimes less than 1 when really hot from racing etc) At fully warmed operating temp and at 3.5k+ rpm it is back to 5 Air bubbles are nothing (just means you've aerated the oil by running the engine). I you want to scare yourself look for water (or emulsion) on the dipstick and oil in your coolant. Note: "Mayo" emulsion in the oil-filler neck is nothing (it just means you are doing short runs in the cold, wipe it off and do longer runs).

just been out again was a good 20 minutes both normal and spirited driving, and it all seems fine, but i did notice water level dropped a little! Why's that there was no mayo any where, and no water leak, oil pressure is exactly as you described.... so only question is where has that water gone?

You need to find out where is is leaking from (ie where it is wet). This will either be the coolant tank, coolant lines or very commonly the front rads which can be corroded over time or punctured by stone chips. Alternatively nothing has happened to it (since you first corrected the escape). By that I mean the system has simple settled out since you resealed the expansion cap. If the cap was open and the coolant boiled it will have become aerated by boiling. Now all the air bubbles may have worked there way out into the expansion tank. You will have to fill it one more time to make sure. You are advised to fill with coolant NOT just water otherwise the ratio will be out. You should also only use distilled water to top up ideally (if you need more than 250 ml). Make sure you use the correct coolant (same colour).

The small water pipe that runs from from the n/s to the o/s underneath can rub on the plastic engine tray(top) and start a small leak(sometimes you don't even notice it) The clip fails and the rubbing starts so look there(engine warm). It gets worse then it will spew out. Other area to check for common/slight water level drops/leaks is the front rads and the rad pipe o-rings.

Errmmm! i topped it with normal water and the coolant a different colour? is that going to be a problem?

Adding large quantities of non-distilled water can increase the risk of corrosion or limescale precipitation. The non-distilled water minerals may neutralise the coolant. Adding different coloured coolants can react to either precipitate the chemicals designed to prevent corrosion and freezing (which firstly means they will cease to prevent corrosion and freezing and secondly may cause mechanical issues if solids are precipitated in the pump). The wrong coolant may perish certain seals. Mixing incorrect coolant may cause the coolant to gel or sludge (so it becomes viscous and less liquid) with expected mechanical/cooling issues. What colours did you mix (some combinations are OK)?

It had a yellowy colour in, and i added the blue one, Holts Im in trouble arent i?

No your not. the mixing of the certain antifreeze types will not damage your engine but may reduce effective lifetimes if done continually. Have a look on the Holts tin and it is probably a universal antifreeze that can be mixed with others. The colour of the antifreeze is no longer an indication of the type. The original porsche antifreeze was OAT and can be mixed with NOAT & HOAT types. If you are worried, then next time it goes in for a service get them to flush out the system and refill it. Look for a whitish residue on the left side engine bay near the coolant tank, indications of the Tank splitting [common on early 996's]. TB

Heh! another PP sufferer - I'm not alone!!! These fellas will sort you out - don't lose faith buddy! :thumb:

Not a good sign if it has now received its own acronyn. Porsche Paranoia = PP, I pressume.

Yeah...I wuz struggling to spel it...

Been out few times in it today, it all seems fine. Ive definately got the 'PP' each time i hear anything like a fan i start to panic! And constantly looking in the mirror for steam. I hate it! When i took the cap off when this in incident happened it was fairly tight. The expansion tank has no leaks, residue or cracks.... I cant stop thinking why this happened in the first place. Spmething must be wrong? No?

Is your car losing water?

The blue one from Holts probably contains silicates so technically it is not compatible with or should be mixed with the original Porsche coolant. If it is one of the later non-silicate based OAT or HOAT coolants then that is ok. Have a look on the Comma website under the different coolants for a bit more information about the different types. If you add enough blue silicate coolant to the OAT one you can get the lot turning into a brown sludge then you are in trouble. Interesting thing is that HOAT coolants containg a bit of OAT and silicates but I suspect the silicates they use in this case is a slightly composition to the one in pure old fashioned silacate coolants. The coolant tank caps commonly go especially if it is the original one ending 00. It is now ending 04 so they updated it 4 times. It is only £12 so consider changing it if it is the older one.