5 captured repliesPartial discussion capture · Source accounts, not a confirmed diagnosis
THIS DISCUSSION / SOURCE-DERIVED OVERVIEW
Discussion summary
YOUR RESEARCHOil smell - Page 1 - Boxster/Cayman - PistonHeads UK
Leading reported evidence
Use car (and new car -- still
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
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Performed · outcome unconfirmed
Typical used car (and new car -- still on the lot new car) behavior.
Oil smell - Page 1 - Boxster/Cayman - PistonHeads UK
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Leading evidence: 'Use car (and new car -- still' (no explicit attributable resolution; this is a reported action or suggestion). Across 1 matching discussions, The most frequently discussed action is 'Check engine oil level' (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
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0 discussions have direct query context; 0 report a fix in that context. Other evidence may inherit the discussion’s subject.
Oil smell - Page 1 - Boxster/Cayman - PistonHeads UK
Test drive
Suggestion or failed attempt
No successful repair reported for this finding.
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Unsuccessful attempts
1
Discussions
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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.
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Suggestion
The salesman and I took the car out for a nice test drive.
Oil smell - Page 1 - Boxster/Cayman - PistonHeads UK
Test ride/drive
Suggestion or failed attempt
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 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
The CEL comes on when the key is turned on but goes off when the engine starts and doesn't come on during the test ride/drive.
Oil smell - Page 1 - Boxster/Cayman - PistonHeads UK
Coverage and how to read this overview
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.
5 eligible posts · 0 unverified posts · 1 discussions match the subject in their title or opening post.
PistonHeads: 1 discussions
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Generation: 20261026T105141Z · outcome-qualification-6. Deterministic extraction; no AI model inference. How we use sources
Not noticed on start up but the puff of smoke from the exhaust ( which is very normal) is oil residue so may be you have a very sensitive sense of smell! After a decent drive a warm oil smell is common.
Could be. Did the engine emit a bit of oil smoke upon start? It doesn't have to be the end of the world cloud sized cloud of smoke just a puff.
Check the engine oil level.
You don't supply any details about the car but a new car or a used car can develop an oil leak at any time though thankfully this is a rather rare problem.
But just to be sure you should at least think about having the car checked out on a lift for any fluid leak sign. If there is a leak you want to know about sooner rather than later.
lj04 said:
Slight smoke on start up. Having a pre purchase inspection carried out by Autostrasse. no obvious bad noise from engine or oil leak.
Typical used car (and new car -- still on the lot new car) behavior. The engine gets started but the car doesn't get driven very much and this often leads to smoking upon the next engine start. It is normal and nothing to worry about, provided…
The CEL comes on when the key is turned on but goes off when the engine starts and doesn't come on during the test ride/drive. The smoking is short lived. Just a brief puff (or cloud) then that's it. If the car is driven enough to get the engine fully up to temperature then a subsequent start should not have any smoking.
The engine doesn't smoke at any other times, under hard acceleration, at upshift or downshifts. (You would have to be in a following car to see this).
Last but not least the smoking is not accompanied by any other signs of engine distress.
When I was shopping a new 2002 Boxster it smoked upon startup. The salesman and I took the car out for a nice test drive. After the drive we could not agree on a price so I left but away from the dealer I thought about what happened and came back a few hours later with an offer of more money (not much more, just the 2 months flooring cost the dealer had in the car). But I insisted on having the engine started again. The salesman obliged and the engine didn't smoke. We did the deal and the car has been mine now since Jan. 2002 and now has 285K miles on that same engine. It still smokes once in a while upon startup.
This is a source reference. Confirm exact model applicability in the original material.
