Signs Associated With Porsche Air-Oil Separator Failure

The failure of the air-oil separator in your Porsche is a common issue that can affect the performance and health of your vehicle. This little component acts like a special kind of filter for your Porsche. When you start your car’s engine, you expect combustion to kick in immediately. During this process, air and oil are mixed together to keep everything running smoothly. But, the same way you as an individual don’t want orange juice pulp in your teeth, your Porsche’s engine doesn’t also want all that oil mixing with the air it uses to burn fuel. That is where the air-oil separator becomes useful.

This separator is made from tough materials such as metal or hard plastic and it is designed to last for a long time. Its job is super important: which is to catch and separate the oil from the air before the air goes back into the engine to be used for burning fuel. This clean air helps your engine to run perfectly and the oil goes back to where it is needed for lubrication. When this component fails, it can lead to different kinds of problems in your Porsche engine, so it is a good idea to know how it works and how you can protect your car. Let us look at some reasons why it fails and how to know that this Porsche component has started failing.

What Makes It Fail?

Clogs: Sometimes, the separator can get clogged up with gunk. This can happen from the oil getting dirty or if other contaminants get into the system. When it’s clogged, it can’t do its job right.
Too Much Pressure: Your engine runs under a lot of pressure. Sometimes, there can be too much pressure for the air-oil separator to handle, especially if there’s a problem somewhere else in the engine that’s making the pressure go up. This can cause the separator to fail.
Old Age: Just like anything else, as your car gets older, parts start to wear out. The air-oil separator is no different. Over time, it can get worn or brittle, especially the seals, and then it doesn’t work as well.

Signs Of A Failing Air-Oil Separator

Too Much Exhaust Smoke: If your Porsche starts acting as if it is a smoke machine, pumping out white or blue smoke through the exhaust, it means there’s a problem. Normally, the air-oil separator is supposed to keep oil and air from mixing up too much. But if it starts to fail, the oil will get into places it shouldn’t be, start burning, and create that smoke show you see.
Rough Idling: Now, imagine you’re seated in your car and as you ignite the engine it starts to shake or feel rough even when you’re not moving the car yet. This is a sign that the air-oil separator might be broken.
Decreased Performance: If your Porsche feels like it’s lost its pep or doesn’t zoom as fast as it used to, it might again be because of the air-oil separator. With it not working right, your car’s engine isn’t getting the clean air it needs to burn fuel properly and run at its best. It’s like trying to run very fast when you cannot breathe well; you’ll not be able to perform at your best.
Oil in the Intake Manifold: Another sign that the air-oil separator is already failing is the presence of oil in the intake manifold or other parts of the air intake system. This means that oil is not being effectively separated and is instead being wrongly circulated through the engine.
Check Engine Light: While the check engine light can turn on for a myriad of reasons, a failing air-oil separator can trigger this warning. When you see this light, take your Porsche to a mechanic to check it out and find out exactly why the light is on.

Bring Your Porsche To Our Workshop For Professional Care

At Hayes European, we are ready to address any issues in your Porsche to ensure your vehicle performs at its best. Since 1995, we’ve dedicated ourselves to serving drivers throughout Santa Cruz, Aptos, Soquel, and Capitola, CA. If you suspect problems with your air-oil separator, call or stop by today to get started back on the road to a smooth and reliable drive.