Possible RMS problem?

Hi, I just got a 02 Carrera. It has around 32000km on it. However, when I park the car for an extended period of time, there is some oil residue on the floor. Furthermore, when I was driving today, I got a check engine light. The dealer is very busy until the second week of June. What do you guys think about this? Thanks.

You should not be driving the car with a CEL on. Take it to the dealer ASAP.

You should verify this; but I think that driving with the check engine light on is OK, it means that there is something wrong with the emissions system, e.g. the gas cap was not tightened properly or some other faulty part (not serious). However, if the check engine light is flashing (serious) then you should not drive the car, and call the dealer immediately. Hope this helps.

From what I've read, the RMS leak will be from the rear center of the car. My '02 had a small spot on the garage floor from the right rear. It was not RMS.

Thanks for your replies. Yeah, the leak made a spot on the right rear of the car, not center. Kinda weird. BTW dertub, what was the problem with your car at that time? Thanks.

possibly seal of cam solenoid: CEL could be cats. Dealer will find it with the computer Leak club member: RMS x 2 Cam Seal: x 1 2002 C2

My car had a leak on right side only. Had dealer ck.Said it was RMS leak and replaced w/ new engine. New engine is fine.

I can't believe the dealer expects you to wait until the second week of June. You should take it in and have them at least plug the computer in to see what fault code shows up - takes them minutes. Then if its not serious you can take it back in a few weeks.

Thanks again! I will try to take it in the dealer on Tuesday (since Monday is a holiday in Canada). I must say that I love my Porsche. I had a M3 before and the Carrera is just simply so much better! A night a day difference!

If your CEL is flashing, you have a serious problem. If it is steady on, it could mean an emissions problem. Check your gas cap, if it went on tweaked, it will set your CEL light off. You can correct this by disconnecting your battery for five or so minutes. If it comes back on, you might have something else going on. If you have an RMS leak, it will not set off a CEL. If you don't wish to do the above, just take it in at your convenience (again, as long as the light is not flashing) and have them hook her up to the OBD and see what is up. If your light is flashing, don't mess around with is, have her flat bedded to your dealer.

Valve cover gasket was responsible for the leak. I had a CEL earlier this year. I bought a new gas cap at the dealer. It had a larger gasket than my stock cap. That took care of the CEL. I did not take it to the dealer. and fixed both problems myself.

I had both the RMS and the CE Light fixed just this past week. The CE Light, as long as it is not flashing at you, is not a major issue, usually just a fault O2 sensor, as mine was. I had similar drops of oil as you described and worried that I was becoming a member of the all too common Rear Main Seal club. Ugh. Thankfully, I am still under warranty, for about 30 more days Great timing on my part.

Thanks again for the additional comments and sharing your experiences.

CEL can be anything from minimal (bad gas) to serious. As pointed out, be especially cautious if it is flashing, or does not go out after a short while and a couple of restarts. It's always worth calling your dealer to mention it, in part just to cover yourself if it turns out to be serious and the dealer told you to keep driving it anyway. C.