Hey everyone!
987.2s. 45k miles. MOT was a few days ago.
I was driving yesterday and had the following symptoms, eventually leading to a breakdown on the motorway with an overheated engine smoking out the back.
These are the symptoms I experienced, mostly in order:
- Loud high pitched squeaking (like a belt issue)
- Kept driving and noticed when clutch was depressed the noise would stop
- Received a warning light about
battery
/
alternator
- Noise went down the lower my revs were on
- After 20 mins driving the noise had gone down a bit
- On motorway I got a coolant warning and engine overheating warning. Checked gauge and it was right on redline (100-110 degrees)
- Pulled over immediately and cut engine
- Saw white smoke coming out my side vents for 5 mins
- When being towed we needed to move it so started the engine fine and managed to drive 100 metres.
- Experienced loss of power steering
RAC said it must have been my engine belt.
My own research suggests Auxiliary (serpentine) belt failure.
Waiting on diagnostics from garage. They are not
Porsche
specialist but I had to take to a general mechanic I knew in the area.
I have ordered the following parts ahead of time:
1) PULLEY WITH FREE WHEEL LOCK 997
2) Drive Belt with Aircon, 6PK2115
3) Drive Belt Tensioner
4) Tension Roller
Is there anything I'm missing or should have checked? I'm really hoping there's no internal damage!
Thank you for your time!
If in the future you experience a noise or failure that obvious, stop and buy a tow, that will help prevent any internal damage and in the long run it might save your car or at the very least cost less in repairs.
Sure sounds like a belt related issue. White smoke is better than black smoke, in any case. Was most likely steam from coolant, black smoke would indicate something burning.
Get yourself an ofset 30MM wrench.
It is the easiest way to move the belt tensioner.
Once you do it with that wrench, you will curse yourself for ever trying any other way.
uxcell Offset Double Box End Wrench 27mm x 30mm Metric 12 Point High-carbon Steel Chrome Plated Box Wrenches - Amazon.com
Not a teriby hard job, but you might want to check all the pullies for damage and free spinning.
Most broken belts are just belt failures, but some are locked up Alt, Water Pump, AC Compressor, or other pully.
Hopefully - the belt failure which caused overheating didn't end up damaging the engine, but once it's fixed, I'd keep a very close eye on the coolant level.
A suggestion - when you experience "Loud high pitched squeaking (like a belt issue)" - pull off the road, get out the cellphone and call your towing service to come get you.
While you're replacing some of the obvious suspects on the drive belt, that ignores the water pump, the AC compressor, and the
power steering pump
. Any of those could also be the cause of the loud squeaking. I imagine the shop will let you know.
Can i ask why you kept driving for 20 minutes after hearing a loud squealing noise? Really rolling the dice there... hope the car is all okay.
Check coolant level and replace
cap
if its as old as the car.
Check the coolant level and condition, also replace the coolant res.
cap
if it's as old as the car. Mine leaked fluid and caused an overheated problem.
Hopefully you have the right parts coming in! Keep us updated! (I also have a
987.2
90K)
I didn't read the whole thread, so maybe this has been already commented upon my thoughts? My guess, the water pump bearing froze, or one of the tensioner belt bearings failed. I seem to recall these water pumps from
Porsche
in this vintage have plastic impellers that disintegrate and lock the pump, then quickly burn up the belt, which is a cascading failure on the accessory subsystems. Sorry, but likely BAD NEWS for you. STOP RUNNING THE ENGINE WHEN EVENTS LIKE THIS HAPPEN!!
Porsche
engines overheat quickly without coolant flow., even with just air pockets in the line. If you ran the engine 20 minutes after belt failure... the engine is likely 'toast', literally. The engine bores likely have scoring damage? Hopefully my guess is wrong?
Did you happen to check the power steering fluid? Lack of it can lead to melted lines, rack replacement, smoke fluid on the
headers
.
