13 captured repliesPartial discussion capture · Source accounts, not a confirmed diagnosis
THIS DISCUSSION / SOURCE-DERIVED OVERVIEW
Discussion summary
YOUR RESEARCHVariocam Solenoid replacement
Leading reported evidence
Replace solenoids over
Performed · outcome unconfirmed
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 performed work without a confirmed outcome
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.
Performed · outcome unconfirmed · Original poster
Error codes basically came down to one bank, and it appears RP Tech swapped the solenoids over for a prior owner which temporarily cured (hid?) the problem.
Leading evidence: 'Replace solenoids over' (no explicit attributable resolution; this is a reported action or suggestion). Across 1 matching discussions, The most frequently discussed action is 'Clean oil' (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 · Original poster
The subsequent flush and oil change showed quite clean oil, so we thought we had got most of the sludge out before.
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
So, oil was changed (after only about 1500kms since last change) and the oil that came out looked as if it had done 15000kms according to my mechanic.
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
So, oil was changed (after only about 1500kms since last change) and the oil that came out looked as if it had done 15000kms according to my mechanic.
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
Their recommendation to our mechanic was to run an oil flush through, change the oil and for me to go out and drive it like I stole it!!
Discussions that performed work without a confirmed outcome
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.
Performed · outcome unconfirmed · Original poster
Error codes basically came down to one bank, and it appears RP Tech swapped the solenoids over for a prior owner which temporarily cured (hid?) the problem.
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.
13 eligible posts · 0 unverified posts · 1 discussions match the subject in their title or opening post.
Porsche Forum Australia: 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: 20261026T174436Z · outcome-qualification-6. Deterministic extraction; no AI model inference. How we use sources
Am considering replacement of one of my Variocam solenoids in my 3.6 due to an ongoing niggling problem. Question - would you normally replace both at once or only the problematic one? Looks to be a slightly expensive exercise...
Is this a DIY or a take-it-to-a-garage job? What do they recommend?
I'd just do one side - if its not broke, don't break it!
From memory the replacement in the 3.6 engine is relatively simple (compared with the 3.4 where the cam cover has to come off) so may not be much efficiency gain in doing them together,
@TwoHeadsTas
please don’t laugh at me but there was an episode I think it was in wheeler dealers that this exact job was undertaken. Time consuming but relatively simple. Give me a bit of time I’ll see if I can find the episode.
Dan, had lots of problems initially with the CEL light coming on fairly regularly, usually after a longer run when you slow down to 60km etc. Error codes basically came down to one bank, and it appears RP Tech swapped the solenoids over for a prior owner which temporarily cured (hid?) the problem. Basically for several years the car had been driven in Sydney traffic, and whilst the oil would have got hot enough, the engine was rarely revved above 3000rpm (car usually driven in full Tip mode). Autohaus reported that they have seen a trend in Tips experiencing similar problems which they tracked down to valves & solenoids being gummed up with oil sludge, of which not being revved hard was seen as large contributing factor (hot oil wasn't reaching all parts of the engine regularly). Their recommendation to our mechanic was to run an oil flush through, change the oil and for me to go out and drive it like I stole it!!
So, oil was changed (after only about 1500kms since last change) and the oil that came out looked as if it had done 15000kms according to my mechanic. I got out and drove it fairly hard for next 5000kms and did another oil change - same result, so there must have been a lot of sludge in there. CEL coming on much less regularly during that next phase. After another 5000kms did another flush and oil, just after we got back from Hunter Valley trip. Had basically no issues since the prior oil change, but after a good run up the Hume we hit Sydney Friday afternoon traffic, and as soon as we slowed to a crawl the CEL light came on again. It went off again soon after, but I attended the AH water-cooled night a few days later, and they reset the fault codes (same ones) and my experience was discussed at the night as being relatively common. CEL came on again coming into Melbourne before the trip back on the boat. The subsequent flush and oil change showed quite clean oil, so we thought we had got most of the sludge out before.
Since then the CEL has come on very intermittently, and always shows the same fault code on the same bank, so I'm thinking there may be a minor residual problem with the solenoid. Perhaps I could swap the 2 banks over to see if the fault then starts appearing on the other bank, but if I replace it then I'll know that there's one less cause for the CEL to come on that has been eliminated, and perhaps the next CEL might show another real problem. I must admit I've tended to ignore the CEL when it comes on now until I get a chance to check it with the code reader, and this is probably not the smartest of things to be doing.....
One of my favourite things about the 996!!
Looking into a 957 Cayenne and i'm hoping there is the same amount of technical info but I don't think there is.
