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Coupes & Convertibles Porsche 911 Porsche 911
2048 messages, Last post on Aug 31, 2009 at 9:15 AM
You are in the Porsche 911 Forum. Your Host is claires
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I'm looking at 2004-2006 Porsche 911 Cabs and my mechanic warned me that there have been several issues with the water cooled engines in the 996s (1999-2003). Has anyone else heard of those issues? Have they been addressed in the 2004 (and newer) models? He thinks the the '95-98's have excellent engines but ideally I'd like the newer body style. This is my first Porsche purchase and any advice is appreciated. I think getting an extended warranty would be a good call but again I'm looking for any advice you experts can give. Thanks for sharing...
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I believe what your mechanic is talking about is that certain 996 models developed a leak in the Rear Main Seal (correct me if I'm wrong here guys). The main cause of this is cars that didn't adhere to Porsche's strict break-in procedures or cars that were used for short trips that didn't allow the engine to fully warm up before shutting down. This would be a problem to look for in low mileage cars that are "only driven to the golf course on weekends" Porsches. Definitely have your mechanic (hopefully he's knowledgeable about Porsches) look at any car you're going to buy.
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Replying to: nyccarguy (May 05, 2008 5:17 pm) visiting host |
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Replying to: porsche4me2 (May 04, 2008 6:48 pm) First, you should be aware that 2004 was the last year of the 996 design, not 2003. Supposedly, Porsche revised the rear main seal / crankcase design for the 997 model (2005+) but there have still been a few isolated reports of leaks. According to my dealer (former factory engineer) nyccarguy is correct in that improper break in was often, but not always, the culpret relative to cars that developed RMS leaks. Any used 911 purchase should involve a pre-purchase full mechanical inspection. The previous air cooled model (993) is considered by many enthusaists a classic, and it is often worth more than a newer, lower mileage 996 in the used car market. The 996 is considered a bit of a hiccup in the design evolution, with the "fried egg" headlights and more streamlined (less aggressive) looking rear end. The downside to the 993's is that they will be 9+ years old, require more maintenance, and I don't think you can get an extended warranty, The 997 model was designed to be a low maintenance car, with the first regular service at 20k miles or 2 years. I had my oil changed at 10k miles out of anxiety, but was told it wasn't necessary by two factory reps. |
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Replying to: porsche4me2 (May 04, 2008 6:48 pm)
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With pasm in normal mode, is the ride on a bumpy road more comfortable than in a base 911 (without pasm as an option)? I read a thread somewhere on this forum with conflicting answers. Some said pasm in normal is just like the ride of a base 911. Some said it was different. What is the real deal? I don't think I could ever part with my 2006 911, but if I did, would there be a benefit of getting pasm for people like me who do not go to the race track?
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Replying to: buylow (May 06, 2008 10:29 pm) From my experience, the PASM option set to "normal" results in a slightly less harsh, more comfortable ride than a base 911 with no PASM. The difference is not huge if the base 911 has 18" wheels, but becomes more noticable if it has the optional 19" wheels. Also, because PASM lowers the ride height and provides some other suspension tweaks, the handling/cornering on the S models with PASM set to normal mode still seems a bit better than the non-PASM base model. When you switch the PASM to "sport", handling is noticably firmer with zero body sway, but the comfort level over rough roads goes down noticably. When I activate my sport chrono/sport exhaust button, the PASM automatically toggles to sport and, unless I'm on very smooth roads, I usually toggle it back to normal. PASM is an expensive option to add to a base 911 and, IMO, is one of the reasons prospective buyers might want to consider and S model, especially if they are also going to add 19" wheels and xenon lights. By that point, you are only paying about $5,500 for the engine upgrade and a couple of other upgrades not available on the base car.
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Replying to: buylow (May 06, 2008 10:04 pm) There are two schools of thought. Yes, the Porsche CPO program has an extended warranty and, one would hope, the dealer will stand behind the car. It's a good program. However, also depending upon the dealer, CPO prices can be grossly inflated. I've seen 1 year old CPO cars being attempted to be sold for darn near what a savvy buyer could get a new car for. My dealer readily admits that they make 2-3 times the mark-up on a used CPO trade than they do on a new car. Also, as has been pointed out, proper break in is absolutely critical for high performance sports cars in general, the 911 in particular. Looking eye to eye with a private owner and asking them what they did regarding break in and how they drove the car would be one way to assess this. Lastly, there are good independent extended warranties available - even a Porsche customer service rep told me that some privately available extended warranties cover certain "cosmetic" items that the CPO warranty does not. My own experience opened my eyes to the other side of CPO. When my dealer asked me in March if I was interested in trading for a 2008, the trade in value they placed on my car was $18k less than what they were asking for a similar vintage, less well optioned C2S on the lot at the time. When I pointed out the discrepency, that's when they admitted to making a lot more on a used car than new one. The new car sales manager even went so far as to recommend that I sell mine privately, if I had the time. As he explained, many of their trade ins are from "desparate" sellers that got in over their head or had other circumstances that required they get rid of the car quickly. And, unfortunately, some of these desparate sellers were probably not careful about break in, proper warm up and responsible driving. Accidents repairs are not allowed, but improper break in and abuse is hard to detect until it's too late. CPO or private-party, it pays to do your research and shop around. |
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| My 2002 996 C4 conv. had it's rear main seal replaced 2x, the first I pain and the second the dealer covered the cost, mileage is 41,000. Prior to the main seal replacement the 996 required 1 qt of oil every 600 miles. Post rear main seal, it consumes 1.25 qts every 300 miles. To say the least, this has me very concerned. The dealer has always maintained that the 600 mile consumption is with spec. I have not spoken to the dealer regarding this concern I am hoping to get some feedback before I approach this subject. Originally I had purchased this car with 24k miles. My 2007 997S with 4K miles has not consumed a single drop, even though I track it on a monthly basis. What's up with this? I really love the 996 and don't even consider selling it. | |
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Replying to: 911nut (May 07, 2008 7:53 pm) If it wasn't a TYPO and you are using a quart every 300 miles, you have a serious problem that may require a new short block.
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