2006 Cayman S Check Engine Light

I just picked up my new/used 2006 Cayman S two days ago. I filled it up with gas today (did two days ago as well) and about 7-10 miles later the Check Engine Light came on. Shortly after that the Central Warning Light (red exclamation mark next to the CEL light) came on, and the info message said "Check Engine". Guess that was obvious. I went to two AutoZone stores and they hooked up the CS to their OBD2 (pardon me, but I am new to Porsche and all this stuff) scanner. Both times they thought the device registered something, but when they connected the device to their computer in the store there were No Fault Codes found. I drove by the Porsche dealer to see if they could find a code, but being Christmas eve they were already closed. The car had a pre-purchase inspection done at a Porsche dealer, and they did find and repair a fault code, having to do with some charcoal gas vent / canister (evap). That was repaired and the car checked out with no codes. Can anybody comment on this? Would it be possible to trigger the CEL without the car registering and storing a code? Do the AutoZone OBD2 scanners (Innova was the brand) work on a Porsche (I heard there are primary and extended codes (car specific))? Could the car be issuing a special Porsche code that is not even able to be recorded by the OBD2 scanner ? I appreciate any help and suggestions you can provide. So far my Christmas present is not feeling like a good one. Thanks!

Make sure your gas cap is snug. If not it will trigger a check engine light.

Thanks. I did just that when getting gas - I turned it till it clicked 3-4 times. When I got home I thought that maybe it didn't seat correctly, so I took off the cap , inspected the rubber seal (looks good / no cracking), and dried the rim of the gas intake and the gas cap just to ensure there was no grease or anything that could impact the seal. I've driven it since, but the CEL light remains on. I guess that will have to be reset by the dealer as I don't have a diagnostic tool to do it and AutoZone said they will not reset codes.

The off-the-shelf OBD2 readers will not get the Porsche -specific codes. You'll need a dealer/indy with the correct Porsche scanner ( PIWIS ) or a Durametric.

I had the exact same issue 3 times this year. Each time it was after trying a different brand of gas. Chevron gas caused it the first time. (Thought their gas was supposed to be a better brand) Fry's food stores gas did it the second time. Costco gas the third time. (Just this week even) The solution is to run your tank down 2/3's empty and then fill with Shell premium. Your CEL will go away after 40 to 90 miles. This is actually mentioned in your owner's manual. It specifically states that various US gas blends will cause this and to stick with whichever brand does not caused the emission sensor to give a fault code. There is no danger of damage to your engine or emissions as long as you clean up with your next tank and avoid the offending brands. So far, I have had no issues with Quick Trip and Shell. I do notice that the engine has more power with the Shell brand than with Q.T......

Thanks Brian. We've had a lot of wet weather here in Atlanta, and either the gas I got at BP was damp or BP just doesn't work well in the Cayman . I got some gas dryer at Autozone and in less than 10 miles the CEL light went out. I'll take your advice on finding the right brand and sticking with it. Much appreciated!

It was probably damp. BP is one of the top tier retailers and I used it all the time in my 987 and other cars before that. Currently I am using Costco because it is lot cheaper and they are top tier as well. I also tried Superamerica and Shell and they all work great. Top Tier Gasoline Never had engine light on my Porsche , but I had it multiple times on my Lancer. Not only that but it killed CO2 sensor twice! because I was filling up with Thortons and for the life of me could not figure out why, until my mechanic told me not to fill it up with that crap anymore. That cured it. Now, I know that Correlation does not imply causation, but it worked.

I think some gas stations do not put in the additive they are supposed to, Shell used to be great where I live, new owner something changed, BP in my area is Amoco it works great.My car does not fire up as well when starting with cheap gas.

I use BP gas 90% of the time (93 octane) and never had an issue with a CEL light.

ive used Shell and Texeco premium, never had a CEL in my 08.