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#1
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dead shocks? power steering loss?? help!! '06 C2S
ok, folks i desperately need your help for a problem i just cant narrow down. i have a 06 C2S, PASM bilstein damptronics/TPC sways (basically the PLUS pkg from TPC), the rest is stock. the issue has occurred since i had the shocks installed and as best as i can describe it:
there is a bump on my way home from work - a 55mph road, mind you - kind of like a "mini speed bump" that is on the seam where blacktop road pavement meets a brief concrete patch. i.e. the seam has sort of risen up, i guess from freezing/thawing many times, etc? anyway, with my firmed up suspension, hitting this bump at speeds over 50 is definitely enough to bottom the front end and send a thud thru the cabin. higher speeds would prob bend a rim. well, every so often but not every time, after hitting that bump, the shocks (and perhaps the power steering too?) go...dead. this is the best i can describe it. the shocks are suddenly without either damping, rebound or both. rough as hell at the bottom of travel yet bouncy when hitting other bumps, if that makes any sense. in other words, def not normal. i mention the power steering too because that also feels dead but unsure if that's simply because the shocks are dead and as a result, steering becomes difficult. usually this condition persists until i shut off the car for a few mins and restart. (as if some elec system is resetting or rebooting??) however, the last two times it has happened, 10 mins afterward and few miles down the road, i heard and felt a slight CLUNK coming from front end and suddenly all shocks and power steering were mysteriously returned to normal, as if "back on-line". FYI i have had no probs with power steering and it has plenty of fluid and tight belt. some other observations when this problem occurs: there is no difference betw PASM on/off. so again, as if the shocks are suddenly electronically dead. i receive no dash warning lights of any kind. all other elec systems seem to be just fine, incl ABS. as mentioned above this doesnt happen every time i hit that bump and i cannot recreate the issue at will. it has never happened anywhere else, even during plenty of track days - including the rough shenandoah carousel. could it be a "burp" in some kind of system? maybe the suspension is so firm, that the bump provokes some kind of auto-shutdown? i.e. the ECU reads some kind of failure and puts the suspension into limp mode? sorry for the thesis, but i really need help with this and i figured describing it in detail might spur some thoughts as to what it might be. thanks all...
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Chris M. |
#2
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have you asked TPC?
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Greg DuPertuis When in doubt, always mount a scratch monkey. Leesburg, VA |
#3
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x2. Ask Mike Levitas.
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88 911 00 Boxster S (wife's ride, becoming mine too) Even duct tape can't fix stupid... but it can muffle the sound! |
#4
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Have you checked the wheel wells for tire marks? Could be like you said, bottomed out hitting full travel.
Since it's a TPC setup have them check it out. btw, where is the bump, I want to avoid it!
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78 SC, the 'Red Car' |
#5
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yep, took it to TPC 2 wks ago. while tom was checking mechanically - bolts, connections, etc - mike walked by and immediately was sure it was the wire from the main distrib block, under/back of the battery tray. i.e. maybe it lost or had a brief break in the connection when jostled by a big bump. he says it's a known factory prob. ok, fine, i'm not doubting that yes that could have become an issue too, but $200 bucks in diagnostic/labor later and the issue sitll there.
the problem is that it's not easy to diagnose since the symptom cannot be produced on command. i know a lot of you all with older models have prob spent too many hrs and perhaps thousands of dollars chasing little gremlins of your own, so i thought i'd try to head that off as much as i can by gathering all the insight, ideas, and thoughts as to what it is before i take it back to TPC. i was hoping someone out there had experienced this before. cmartin - i think i have bump stops (?) that prevent the actual wheel-to-well bottoming. i meant more of the bottoming of the shock to the max of it's travel - quickly and roughly. and the bump is going east on 370, just as the lanes split to form the northbound ramp to 270 (as you go under 270/before the cloverleaf etc).
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Chris M. |
#6
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How about having them drive the same road, in the same manner with you? If hitting the bump cant replicate the problem, I don't know how one can be expected to fit it.
That said, since you know 50mph is TOO FAST.. then maybe you could slow down a bit more?
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Dave - 1970 914-6 Past - 2000 Boxster - 1987 944 - 1987 924S - 1978 911 Euro SC - 1976 914 2.0 - 1970 914 1.7 / 2056cc |
#7
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Quote:
and today i literally slowed to <20mph and it STILL happened. i mean, WTF??? i HATE it when i cant explain or account for something (i'm in finance, my numbers always have to tie out!!!). all last weekend, running at speed thru the bumpy carousel and...nothing. no problems. today, i slow to less than 20 and it happens.
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Chris M. |
#8
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Stability mode on or off? Sport mode on or off? My guess is you had all that stuff turned off at SC. But when driving around town?
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Greg DuPertuis When in doubt, always mount a scratch monkey. Leesburg, VA |
#9
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PASM always in sport mode when on track, most always off when on street. PSM always on. maybe i will try to hit that bump with PASM sport on...maybe that will deter the "shut down" or whatever it is.
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Chris M. |
#10
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Chris,
If it happens at 20 mph now, is there any possibility you could try replicating the bump and a piece of 2x4 or smaller piece of lumber. Maybe add some cross-pieces on the ends to keep it in place with driven over. If you can replicate the bump and results, then you can can figure out a way to bring it with you to TPC.
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- Tony P. Currently - 1984 944 SP2 racer - 1977 911 KM Special vintage racer - 2012 Cayman R (also the wife's) - 2000 Boxster S (now mine) - 1995 993 (garage queen) - 2007 Cayman S (wife's track beast) - 2017 F350 (tow monster) - 2018 Jeep Wrangler Gone but not forgotten - 1989 944S2 - 1979 RX7 - 1986 944 - 1991 944S2 (in car heaven...) - 2001 Chevy Suburban 2500 (FIL's beast now) |
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