KevinMac

here is my stance on the situation i think 19inch wheels and tires were never listed as a recommended size by porsche, but porsche has never oficially said that they DONT recommend putting on 19" wheels/tires. think about it, 10+ years ago who was thinking about 19inch wheels? not that many people so porsche never R+D the possibilities. this car is mainly a daily driver, i'm well aware of matching the overall rolling diameter if i decide to change sizes, actually the 305-25-19 on there now has a smaller rolling diameter effectively lowering my gearing. not good for cruising at all. my original question is this. Looking at the width of my rear wheel, would a narrower tire fit? 10 years ago 19's were around on many cars in this performance range. There has to be a reason why the 18's were an option and not 19's. Here is an explaination from European Car as it relates to 996 wheel size! In essence Porsche has made a statement. "Consulted Michelin and Porsche engineers along with some seasoned Porsche racers about this. Porsche's engineers did not find our problem surprising and said, "All the fuel and chassis control systems on the 996 Turbo are built and tested around the wheel and tire size and their corresponding rolling radius. Altering the standard size not only has adverse effects on the performance and handling but most likely could end in damaged drivetrain parts such as a broken front differential or viscous clutch damage (not a warranty matter). The weight of the wheels and tires is not a major factor." This just goes to show how dialed in Porsche's cars are out of the box."

You may want to buy a 90 weight gear oil that does not have the limited slip properties in it, LS friction modifiers act as a lubricant and can hamper synchro's to some extent. Currently Mobil 1 , Lucas, Ryal Purple and a like have LS friction modifiers already in it. The only one I have found is Redline 90 NS that does not. Of course if you have a LS differential then you have to use friction modifiers and have no choice.

The only problem Red Line is not on the Porsche approved list and not sure it meets the Europeon spec.

So does it run consistanly @180. Because everything I have read in PCA is the variation between 180 and 190 is not a problem. From PCA "I have a 2001 C4 Cab with 17000 mi. In ambient temperatures above 80 temp needle reads about 200-215 degrees, or about 1:00-1:30 on the gauge. Cooler ambient temps result in cooler running, although it is always above 180. Cooling fans are operative. Dealer says this is normal for the 996. Is it?? Your dealer is correct, this is normal. I checked with Bruce Anderson on this one. Here is what he had to offer; "Water temperature is not as critical as oil temperature... as long as it isn't boiling it is still doing it's job. Higher ambient temperature equals higher engine temperature. Too hot will have an engine temperature light blinking. I have seen coolant belch out the breather overflow without turning the light on. The non tiptronic cars have two radiators and the Tiptronic cars have three. If it's a track car you might want to add the third cooler."

There is a TSB available that documents the Porsche approved oils. ( Dated 7-28-05 1701 The only oils on the list that I am able to get easily is the Castrol Syntec 5W-40, or Mobil 1 0w-40Havoline Ultra 5W-40, Kendall GT1 Pure Synthetic 5w-40. All are Synthetic and are Porsche approved. Most of the ones on the list are 5w-40 with the exception of one, Mobil 1 5w-50 ( have never seen this) Theese oils contain the European certification.

Not trying to disrupt your purchase, but I have never been a fan of Blaupunkt. Just don't think they have the quality of sound some others do.

Try Tirerack.com....good selection and feedback on tires. I ended up getting the Bridgestone Potenza's as well. Some may complain about the noise versus other models, but the Bridgestone's are a great value from a good tire company. Besides, mine are all seasons which will probably make more noise than others. Found a place that is cheaper than Tire Rack, www.roadwaywholesaletire.com. Even though the price is cheaper, they are 10 miles from me so I save on the shipping costs too!

Was finally able to get your video going, it's not the EGR!

Brimwin, Whats your take on a grip comparison? One other thing I forgot to mention on the 960's, Bridgestone gives a 40,000 mile wear out warranty. Pretty unusual for a high performance tire.

Brimwin, Whats your take on a grip comparison? If you don't care about the Porsche "N" designation take a look at the Bridgestone Potenza 960/AS Pole postion. Looks like a phenominal tire based on the TireRack feedback as it deals with noise ride handling, wet handling and wear!

If the tick is located by the alternator, it's the EGR valve perfectly normal.

My model year 1999 Carrerra came with 18" wheels. There was no restriction mentioned in any TSB. Carrera's before MY02 were not recommended to have the X74 suspension upgrade because the chassis was not strengthened like the MY02 and newer cars. Perhaps that is what you were thinking of. Loren, actually two Porsche dealerships down here said Porsche does not recommend anything past 18" wheels prior to 02. They may have been refering to the X74 suspension or the lower sidewall but never elaborated. My 2000 also came with 18 inch wheels, which was an option at the time.

I would bet your insurance coverage is looking for a used engine. I have never had good luck with aftermarket mechanical coverage. They always seem to try and wiggle out when there is a major claim. I have learned never to buy them.

I agree at the price of the mods, and the price of gasoline, even at 4 mpg savings, it will take you some time to recoup your outlay of the mods! Need to look at the whole picture and not just the cost of gasoline.

It is my understanding that 996 prior to 2002 were not recommended to have over 18 inch wheels. The 18 inch package had the rear tire size of 265/35/18. So if you really want to keep with the design of the car, you may want to go back to an 18. This will give you a higher sidewall, the height of the tire wil be about the same. By using the exisitng 19 inch wheel you have now, and going to a taller sidewall, the handling will change. The 19 you have on there now, pretty much map to the same circumfrance and tread width as the optional 18 recommended by Porsche. If you narrow the footprint, you may have some rear end moving out from under you. These cars have rear engines, and from 99 on up Porsche has overcome the death rear end in earlier Porsche cars. One can only summize that the footprint used in these cars is one of the engineering design to improve the handling capability and over come the death rear end. The 18 inch has a 3.7 inch sidewall and the current 305 you have a 3 inch side wall but the overall circumframce and diameter and foot print pretty much match the 18 inch wheel and tire size. So in a nut shell leave it as is! BTW take a look at the 19 inch wheel post. The guy who changed from 18 to 19 says the handling is better with the 18's.

Before replacing the condensor, look at all the connections to the condensor. Referigerent oil is a thin viscosity oil, much like mineral oil, and it migrates pretty well.

I assume you are aware that you have two condensers. If the system is empty, once you fix the leak, the drier needs to be changed and it also recommended to change the expansion valve. You need to flush the system, and pull a vacuum before filling to dry the system out.

A bad transmission input shaft bearing will cause a squeal or sound like a squeal.

After car is warmed up AC off, leave it idle and take a strip of paper and put infront of the radiator, to see if there is airflow.

I don't suggest it! Try: http://e-partssales.com/Merchant2/merchant...ry_Code=POTE996

Sounds to me the pressure plate fingers may have broken.

Really?? I swore I saw 5W-40 with the Euro car symbol, I know the 15-50 isn't, & I'd never use that with a Variocam car, anyway...I know Valvoline makes one for the VW's that the dealer stocks and I use for my Passat, I think it is also 5W-40...I haven't checked to see if it is on the Porsche approved oil list, though, I'd assume it is. Not sure I've seen 5W-50 anywhere.. Last I saw Mobil 1 5w-40 is for Diesels and only specifies diesel compliance nothing about European compliance.

Try mineral spirts.

The only problems I have with 5w-50 or 15W-50 LL, they do not carry the European car formula and protection formula of which Porsche recommends. 0w-40 is the only Mobil 1 that does. So I am on the fence. Man if it were only easy!

That is the problem and why Porsche continues to screw over the customer...no one will go to war with them. Until that changes, expect lower standards of quality. I would have already written the EPA as well as Porsche. I would have requested a letter from Porsche stating that it is ok for my car to burn 1 quart of oil every 600 miles. If you set your mind to it, you can make a company become quite eager to find a way to make you go away. It is both entertaining for you as well as satisfying. You don't need a lawyer to get satisfaction, just your imagination. As I stated earlier, if you to not want a battle with Porsche, get rid of the Mobil 0W40 in your engine and you will find that your oil consumptions drops substantially. So what oil do you recommend!