I would be hesitant as it may throw a code that you would need a Durametric or PIWIS to reset. I don't know that it will, but would think it's a possibility.

I don't know that it matters for a few reasons. Whether the fuel ignites or not, the parts are still going to move the same amount before oil is picked up from the sump and dispersed. Also, I'm not sure that there is less oil on the moving parts after 5 months than after a couple of weeks sitting. Finally, most people do not do anything like this and get hundreds of thousands of miles out of their engines anyway.

The only precautionary thing I've ever heard of doing would be to spray fogging oil into the cylinders (take out the spark plugs and spray, then turn over a few times to coat all surfaces) prior to storage. It's a thick oily film that coats the cylinder walls and rings and won't drip to the sump with gravity. I think people do it more to prevent corrosion of the rings than to prepare for a cold start, but it would also make for less friction on the next start. I do it on my motors that the cylinders are easy to access before storing them, but it's probably pretty hard to access all of the cylinders in the Porsche. It also makes a lot of smoke the first time you start it in the spring.

 

For a new or rebuilt engine running the oil pump or in some way charging the oil passages with oil before the first start is important. (In some engines the oil pump can be driven with the engine not running.)

Even though the engine is assembled with the parts thoroughly oiled the oil passages are empty of oil.

For instance the procedure is to dunk the piston/rings and rod assembly in a bucket of clean engine oil to throughly oil the parts then install the assembly in the cylinder. The walls of the cylinder previously coated with oil or assembly lube.

In your car's case the engine has run and the oil passages have some oil in them.

There is residual oil on the critical sliding/rotating surfaces.

Whether you crank the engine with the fuel pump disabled or not the engine still has to turn to drive the pump.

While the starter doesn't spin the engine very fast, maybe 75 rpms, as soon as the crank rotates the oil pump rotates. They are connected by a chain. Gear pumps work right away. This is one reason why gear pumps have been used in engines since automobile time began.

(Some owners with an oil pressure gage mistake the slight delay the oil pressure gage takes to register oil pressure as a sign the engine is running with no oil pressure. The real fact of the matter is the oil pressure gage sensor is located about as far away from the oil pump as it can be, up above/past the cam. The mains and other critical components have oil pressure long before (in engine start time to run time context) the oil pressure gage registers oil pressure.)

Another factor is the bearings are hydrodynamic. The oil film develops and becomes something able to prevent metal to metal contact by the action of the parts rotating or moving past one another. In fact they benefit from the speed the engine gathers as it transitions from cranking to running. This what helps about a thousandths of an inch of hot oil preventing metal to metal contact when the engine is running at redline. Think of it... 1000ths of an engine oil film is all that is between the crank and main bearings. Hydrodynamic bearings are fantastic bearings.

Also note the engine when it runs after a cold start it does so at a higher rpm. This is on purpose for certainly Porsche could program the DME to run the engine at a lower cold idle rpm. A cold engine running at regular idle speed is at risk for damage from marginal lubrication. The higher speed helps improve the lubrication.

In fact even a hot start has the engine rpms momentarily elevated above the normal hot idle speed.

You have to consider while you are considering just one start albeit after a time of sitting unused these cars are started all the time. They do not seem to suffer any harm from this.

Also even though the fuel pump is disabled the injectors will still be triggered so raw gas will be injected into the already marginally lubed cylinders. This happens immediately even before the oil arrives. So the already thin coating of oil is washed away or thinned by the presence of the gasoline from the injectors.

In the new DFI engines I'm not sure if I'd want to run that high pressure fuel pump sans the proper supply of fuel from the pump in the tank.

Regardless of the above, it is up to you if you want to crank the with the fuel pump disabled.

Next time you park the car up for a long time you might want to consider using Swepco 502 oil additive. This adds a mineral lubricant (molybdenum, though in tiny particles (micronized I think the term is) that the techs tell me is good for engines that sit long times between uses.

I'm not a fan of oil additives in normal circumstances but storing a car with the engine unused for months at a time is not normal.

 

I had read somewhere, and have made part of my spring start up procedure since I first purchased the car, that as you are bringing out of storage, just before startup put the car in the highest gear and push the car forward, this should make the pistons and other bits turn over one time before locking the wheels again so you can not push further. Then let the car pause for a moment and then start up. Has worked great for the past four years for me. I suppose you can do multiple times by repeating just to get everything in the engine moving and well oiled before you actually crank the engine if you felt more than once was needed.

 

May I suggest in future winters starting the car up and letting it run in place once every week or so, allowing it to get up to temperature? This way you don't have to worry about this issue.


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Every week is too often but the general idea is sound. Just letting an engine sit months without any use is not healthy for the engine.

Starting and running the engine every 3 to 4 weeks letting it idle until warmed up -- though it won't be fully up to temperature -- coupled with then rev'ing the engine up to say 2K or thereabouts is better than letting the engine sit.

Sure there will be a bit of unburned gasoline in the oil and some moisture too from the combustion but not enough to matter. The oil was (should have been anyhow) changed just before the car was put away so the additive package can deal with the small amount of these contaminates.

Then once nice weather arrives and the car is used and the engine brought fully up to temp these contaminates are boiled away.

Might as well run the A/C too, run the compressor for a while then turn off the compressor while letting the cabin fan run to dry the A/C system.

This keeps the A/C seals "wet" with compressor oil and keeps them from drying out.

Last this running also "stirs" up the gas in the tank and flushes the stale gas from the fuel lines.

 

Well firstly I want to thank everyone. I am surprised that people had so much to say on the topic. I also thought of something else on my mind: tires. I parked the car in early December and it hasn't moved since. Not an inch or a centimeter up here in Canada. I was told by a few people that "flat spots" just don't happen on high performance low profile tires. Certainly not when the temp is well below zero and the rubber is hardened. Even if there were a slight indentation the first drive out on the highway gets the rubber compounds up to temperature. Then it is smooth sailing.

That and I may get a set of the new Pirelli Pzero Trofeo tires just to see if they are all that they are claimed to be. I have had four sets of Michelin PS2 tires in the past two years and I think they are great on and off a track.

Regardless, the last idea that rumbles around my head is that I have had some great summers with this car. Maybe time to trade in and get another. However the new 981 is an unproven entity to me and only time and these forums will tell the real truth. While I trust that Porsche builds great cars I also know, as a fact, that they de-tuned the Cayman to keep it slower than the 911. Little things like no rear end locking differential on the first models was a screaming loud example of "what the hell were they thinking?" Oh right, it is mid-engine, it must be slower than their rear engine 911 or they look foolish. So little things like that and the intermediate bearing failure and possibly internal chains or whatever else is in there. Makes me wonder what the design engineers were thinking when they say a bearing is for the life of the car.

So here is my thought. My safe and sane thinking says to put the cover back on the fuze panel. Don't mess with it. Put the whole car on a flatbed and ship it off to my dealer with a list of springtime things to do :

1. brake fluid flush
2. new spark plugs
3. the 90k ( kilometers not miles ) service is due
4. new air filter for both the engine and the cabin
5. install the little mesh grill on the rear of the car
6. tune up
7. also, some piece of annoying plastic is hanging funny near the front passenger side tire. rip that off and replace it

Don't know what else. Wash and wax.

Then trade in for something ....

 

If you are thinking of trading in the car my advice is to forgo having the above work done.

The dealer can do that work at a lower cost than you can have it done.

So you would not get the money back you spent for the servicing.

The dealer will of course try to beat you up claiming the car will cost a "fortune" to bring up to a salable condition blah blah blah. Point out the car is in good condition, garaged in the winter, and has no stories associated with it.

You will not get rich off the trade in but you will not spend a small fortune on having the car serviced at the dealer then turning around and making a gift of the servicing of the car to the dealer.

Oh, one of the UK published car mags (Evo, Car or Top Gear... I think Evo but don't quote me) has a write up of the new Cayman. You might try to find a copy of this mag and read up.

IIRC any 2009 and newer Boxster/Cayman has an IMS-less engine, has the new DFI engine.

 

For the tires, I just pump up the psi to about 45 on all 4 corners when I put the car away in the fall. Just remember to lower in the spring when it it's time to take the car out. I have not had any issues with flat spotting and my car does not move an inch either for about 5 months.

 

Well my patience for spring has worn thin. So I simply pulled back the blankets I had on top of the car, sat in it, gave a moment of prayer and worry and then turned the key. Engine started right up, a little rough idle for maybe 30 seconds and a rich smell. This was quickly replaced by regular idle, and then after a few minutes the car settled down into a low rumble ( Borla XR1 exhaust ). I then rolled with a push n neutral out onto my driveway and let the car idle for another five minutes. Then a very cautious drive to the nearby spray and wash location ... gave her a very careful scrub, then drove home with very early shifting. Never got over 2200 rpm. So that is all I can expect.

Next comes spring tune up.

I have a serious question on my mind but will post it in a new thread .. springtime startup has been achieved with zero drama.

 

You need to relax and stop worrying about your car so much. IMS bearings, cold starts after winter storage, and I'm not sure what else. Just drive it like you stole it, do your regular/required maintenance, keep it nice and clean and enjoy the heck out of it. These cars are hard to break and only worthwhile if you can enjoy them without the worry. Now if your going to track it that's a different story entirely and it needs a little more attention. If I worried as much as you I'd sell mine and buy a Honda and be done with it.:cheers:

 

ditto

As far as storage goes, I think pumping up tires to 45 or 50 psi does help prevent flat spotting although I think after some spirited driving that gets the tires a little hot, the flat spots go away anyway. Also, I've heard to cut some old carpets into 15" squares and put them under the tires because concrete can suck moisture out of the rubber and dry out the tires. I used to do those things until I got my 2 post lift. Now I lift it out of the way and park my snowmobiles under the car.