Based off of the 2nd and 3rd generation Boxster roadster, Porsche’s Cayman 987 is a high-performance luxury sports car with powerful rear wheel drive that has been proven to be almost as fast and easy to handle as the Carrera 911, Porsche’s flagship. 987s were manufactured from 2005 until 2012, and almost immediately was given many highly coveted automotive awards. Some of the most common issues 987 owners complain about are valve lifter malfunctions that cause ticking noises.
The story goes like this: you are driving your 987 down the road when suddenly the engine misfires and the Check Engine Light begins to flash. Then it stops flashing. You drive for 100 yards or so and then it begins flashing again. When you pull the car to a complete stop, the engine’s idle sounds unnaturally rough, and there is a loud ticking sound coming from somewhere in the car. Unfortunately, these signs all indicate something rather serious occurring within the vehicle (don’t forget that a flashing CEL always means that you have an immediate emergency).
The potential culprits for this issue are rather numerous, leading this problem to be far away from the DIY category. You might be dealing with something simple, like dirty oil. Metal fragments and other grime can build up in the oil reservoir and wreak havoc inside your engine and elsewhere, so it is important to make sure you get your oil changed at regular intervals. More seriously, you might be dealing with the malfunctioning valve lifters due to a VarioCam Plus failure, or you might be looking at a faulty hydraulic actuator.
Like we mentioned above, these are not really issues that you can deal with in your garage after work. The safest option for you and your 987 is make an appointment with a trained Porsche service center and have your car towed there for a thorough going over and repair.
Search for a local, independent Porsche repair shop with Porsche mechanics that have dealer-level expertise at a fraction of the expense.