3.4 DFI observations & questions
Discussion
Hey all, I bought a low mileage 2009 Cayman S the other day so thank you for all your input, I’ll chuck some thoughts up at a later date but for now I just have some observations and subsequent queries.
1. How reliable/accurate is the electronic oil reader? When I picked the car up it read full, I then drove about 600 miles and it read 1/4, I s
t myself thinking I’d bought an oil burning lemon. I gave it 10 minutes and performed the 60 second test again and it came back full, thank fk for that, but why did it read 1/4 previously?
2. I have noticed a very small fluctuation at idle (maybe about 20rpm), it’s not rough but I notice it when sat in traffic. Normal or a sign of something breaking down?
3. I noticed a flat spot / hesitation / electronic pause that so far has only appeared in 3rd gear at about 30mph with some steering angle applied, e.g. coming off a roundabout. If I ask for full throttle I get no response from the engine for a moment or two, this sounds terrible but I take comfort in the fact that an identical OPC car I drove also did the same thing.
4. I checked the coolant when the car was stone cold and there was none on the dipstick, it took 310ml of distilled water to bring it up between the min and the max. Has anyone experienced anything similar? I know cars don’t use coolant they lose it, but if it’s the only top up it has had in 5 years then no worries – I’ll keep an eye on it.
5. These cars seem to belt out heat even when being driven sensibly and despite the coolant reading only 80*C. From time to time I hear a fan kick in, how many are there and when should they come on? The electrical/ignition system must have a hard time.
6. Where does the aircon drip from so that I don’t need to worry?
7. I was told when I renew the warranty the car will need the 111 point check again at my cost, surely this is not the case because if there were any problems they would be covered by the existing warranty?
8. After a 12 hour drive home sat in the Sport Seats I'll admit my lower back wasn't perfect, I see these seats have no lumbar support so I hope my back 'adjusts' to suit
9. My car has had the rear stone chip plastic guards removed, has anyone done this and regretted it? Obviously I like the look of the car without them but I whimper everytime I hear a stone hit the rear arch.
Anyway awesome car, I’m so glad I bought the S with a manual gearbox, oh the xenons are god like!
Cheers
1. How reliable/accurate is the electronic oil reader? When I picked the car up it read full, I then drove about 600 miles and it read 1/4, I s
t myself thinking I’d bought an oil burning lemon. I gave it 10 minutes and performed the 60 second test again and it came back full, thank fk for that, but why did it read 1/4 previously?2. I have noticed a very small fluctuation at idle (maybe about 20rpm), it’s not rough but I notice it when sat in traffic. Normal or a sign of something breaking down?
3. I noticed a flat spot / hesitation / electronic pause that so far has only appeared in 3rd gear at about 30mph with some steering angle applied, e.g. coming off a roundabout. If I ask for full throttle I get no response from the engine for a moment or two, this sounds terrible but I take comfort in the fact that an identical OPC car I drove also did the same thing.
4. I checked the coolant when the car was stone cold and there was none on the dipstick, it took 310ml of distilled water to bring it up between the min and the max. Has anyone experienced anything similar? I know cars don’t use coolant they lose it, but if it’s the only top up it has had in 5 years then no worries – I’ll keep an eye on it.
5. These cars seem to belt out heat even when being driven sensibly and despite the coolant reading only 80*C. From time to time I hear a fan kick in, how many are there and when should they come on? The electrical/ignition system must have a hard time.
6. Where does the aircon drip from so that I don’t need to worry?
7. I was told when I renew the warranty the car will need the 111 point check again at my cost, surely this is not the case because if there were any problems they would be covered by the existing warranty?
8. After a 12 hour drive home sat in the Sport Seats I'll admit my lower back wasn't perfect, I see these seats have no lumbar support so I hope my back 'adjusts' to suit
9. My car has had the rear stone chip plastic guards removed, has anyone done this and regretted it? Obviously I like the look of the car without them but I whimper everytime I hear a stone hit the rear arch.
Anyway awesome car, I’m so glad I bought the S with a manual gearbox, oh the xenons are god like!
Cheers
Edited by SkinnyP on Saturday 26th July 18:24
Thanks all, some interesting info there.
The two different oil levels were taken with the car in the exact same spot, only ten minutes apart.
Do we know what causes the hesitation in 3rd at 30 then?
Another thing, do we know whats the biggest size USB stick we can use? I have an 8GB unit which is works but was thinking about buying a 32GB, I know some systems have limitations.
Cheers
The two different oil levels were taken with the car in the exact same spot, only ten minutes apart.
Do we know what causes the hesitation in 3rd at 30 then?
Another thing, do we know whats the biggest size USB stick we can use? I have an 8GB unit which is works but was thinking about buying a 32GB, I know some systems have limitations.
Cheers
Back to the coolant if I may, I topped mine up so it was just over the minimum marker on the dipstick - the engine was stone cold at this point.
I then ran the engine for quite literally 2 minutes until the temperature gauge read just over 40 degrees before switching the engine off. I then unscrewed the coolant top up cap and the level now reads max, but as I did I heard a pop and a splosh and looked under the car to find a tiny pool of coolant on the floor.
What happened or what did I do wrong? Did the dipstick giving me a false reading in some way, have I overfilled it or did simply removing the cap cause something to pressurize? Iirc the expansion tank cap has a valve in it, so I suspect it’s from there. I really hope I haven’t broken something.
I then ran the engine for quite literally 2 minutes until the temperature gauge read just over 40 degrees before switching the engine off. I then unscrewed the coolant top up cap and the level now reads max, but as I did I heard a pop and a splosh and looked under the car to find a tiny pool of coolant on the floor.
What happened or what did I do wrong? Did the dipstick giving me a false reading in some way, have I overfilled it or did simply removing the cap cause something to pressurize? Iirc the expansion tank cap has a valve in it, so I suspect it’s from there. I really hope I haven’t broken something.
R26Andy said:
The low oil reading is lower after a run because the oil has been distributed around the engine. It will be higher the second time because it's had more time for the oil to drain back down into the sump.
That makes sense, or it would do if the car didn’t make you have to wait 60 seconds to give you a reading. Infact in 60 seconds I’m pretty sure the entire contents of the sump would have been recirculated.mrdemon said:
its nothing to do with that it's all to do with Co2 regs, use 2nd gear at 30 mph off a round about and it wont do it.
I Never see the issue as I am always in the correct gear :-)
some one made a vid showing the lag , is it this you are getting
http://youtu.be/3ka4OsAQ_Wo
other thing might be you have PSM on and when your floor it off a round about the PSM cuts in
you need to work out which issue you are having.
I have PSM off and use the correct gears, so as I say never see any issues.
It’s not PSM, not at that speed / gear / rev etc. I think that video is an accurate reflection of what I’m experiencing. It's not the end of the world, I can drive round it.I Never see the issue as I am always in the correct gear :-)
some one made a vid showing the lag , is it this you are getting
http://youtu.be/3ka4OsAQ_Wo
other thing might be you have PSM on and when your floor it off a round about the PSM cuts in
you need to work out which issue you are having.
I have PSM off and use the correct gears, so as I say never see any issues.
Edited by mrdemon on Monday 28th July 11:34
Trev450 said:
My CS water level is always just below the minimum when cold and I've had the car for 4 years now. If I fill it over this mark it blows it out as soon as things warm up, which is what may have happened to yours. If you are not getting a 'low coolant level' warning on the instrument read out, then things are probably ok.
That would explain a lot. Do you know which orifice it blows out from? Mine squirted the floor directly inline with the drivers side rear wheel.I had another look at the coolant topup, it looks like there is a return outlet of some sort near the cap so that explains it - panic over!
Not driven the car since Friday so I went on a 20 mile drive for some fresh orange, jesus what a car. Seriously, I'm flabbergasted by this cars performance. I am absolutely speechless by how competent it is, I can't put it into words.
I've owned 400+ bhp cars and been in all sorts of st over the years (all with better on paper figures than the Cayman) but in the real world this thing is immense. The traction is limitless for a start, who needs 4 wheel drive!
I keep finding myself prodding the throttle only to find the cars accelerating waaay more than is needed and before you know it I'm exceeding the speed limit and having to back off. Oh and that noise, what a noise!!!! 7,500RPM!!
So glad I didn't buy the 2.9, S all the way!
P.S. Oil reading now showing half full, but it's yet to earn my trust.
P.S again, 23mpg urban average for a car with this performance and character is fantastic. So glad I didnt end up with the generic BMW m3 option.
Not driven the car since Friday so I went on a 20 mile drive for some fresh orange, jesus what a car. Seriously, I'm flabbergasted by this cars performance. I am absolutely speechless by how competent it is, I can't put it into words.
I've owned 400+ bhp cars and been in all sorts of s
t over the years (all with better on paper figures than the Cayman) but in the real world this thing is immense. The traction is limitless for a start, who needs 4 wheel drive! I keep finding myself prodding the throttle only to find the cars accelerating waaay more than is needed and before you know it I'm exceeding the speed limit and having to back off. Oh and that noise, what a noise!!!! 7,500RPM!!
So glad I didn't buy the 2.9, S all the way!
P.S. Oil reading now showing half full, but it's yet to earn my trust.
P.S again, 23mpg urban average for a car with this performance and character is fantastic. So glad I didnt end up with the generic BMW m3 option.
Edited by SkinnyP on Tuesday 29th July 21:55
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