Porsche Enthusiasts Club Forum

Hi all,
New member/new owner. Just bought a 1990 944 S2 cab (that’s the good bit ) got a rather puzzling problem, have got smoke coming from on under the transmission tunnel centre console removed it and the gear lever rubber under the gear stick cover has melted stuck to the gear lever, are there any electrical wires that pass along there would have thought if electrical a fuse would have blown, metal part of gear lever was warm/hot to the touch and there seems to be a sponge packing on top of where the gear lever sits that felt like it had oil on it, or other possible causes. Thanks in advance.

Think I may have solved the mystery oil filled foam has dropped down onto exhaust and been smouldering away hence the smoke and fumes, next question do I remove the remaining foam or does it serve a purpose.

Sounds like a fire hazard. Rip it out. It's purpose is mainly sound deadning and draught excluder

Thanks for the reply, have managed to get all the foam from behind the gear lever, hope to get the rest out tomorrow, it surprised me how much heat comes up under the transmission tunnel it’s actually melted the rubber gaiter. Would imagine that it’s non flammable but with it being contaminated with oil it was the smoke that it generated that was the problem.

Quick update!! It appears that the cause of the heat is unburnt fuel caused by a misfire is entering the cat and igniting there. Where do I start to cure this will it need to go to an Porsche specialist and will it need a new cat??

You might get away with the cat, just start with the normal suspects, leads, plugs, rotor, distributor cap,
Blue temp sensor, make sure the air filter has not ingested a mountain of leaves or something

Thanks again waylander thinking it may have melted inside as it was glowing red. Design 911 do one for £145, small price compared to cost of losing the car. Will update the post on how it turns out.

Bear in mind it doesn't need a cat, pre 1992 cars don't, it was only for Europe, mainly Germany they were fitted.

Thanks tr7v8, I was wondering about this last night. Will have a look if there’s a cat delete pipe available, see what the local exhaust companies have to offer.

Need to fix that over fuelling first

Think you need to check the FPR, if there is fuel in the vac pipe it’s toast

Thanks once again for the replies, think I may have got away lightly, there was water sat around the base of two plugs, don’t know if it’s a common fault but one had about 4mm around the base, so removed all plugs dried and cleaned the leads and plugs and sprayed them with wd40 and all seems good. Running really smoothly with no miss. Happy days!! (For now)