porschedr

Unless you have the time, energy and facilities to rebuild these engines get a warranty. They are poorly designed, structurally compromised and hence prone to catastrophic failure. If Porsche had any decency they would of recalled all engines instead they made a series of modifications and denied any issues. I would very much like to quote engine failure statistics unfortunately Porsche will not release these figures. That is why the only evidence is anecdotal. It always ends up Porsche apologist v Porsche realist. What I can tell you is: My car has had 2 catastrophic engine failures in 3 years. Several companies exist purely to remedy the engines specific problems. There are very few early 996s with original unmodified engines. Most have had replacement units or rebuilds with upgraded components. If you bought the car secondhand you may not even know. Porsche unwittingly admitted to there being problems by modifying the crankshaft/chain/IMS mid-production. Porsche offer deals to customers whose cars have engine failures. Why, if there aren't inherent flaws? The great thing about being a realist is firstly you are prepared for the worst and secondly you know the apologist is going to have a very nasty realisation of just how wrong they are. I am getting rid of my car now while the going is good.

Dear Tekky, Sorry to hear of your troubles. I can empathise completely having suffered two water cooled Porsche Carrera engine failures in the last 2 years. I just spent the last ten months removing, stripping, rebuilding/correcting and refitting a 996 engine during my free time. To pay $60k for a four year old car with less than 30k miles and then suffer a catastrophic engine failure is unacceptable. Unfortunately most Porsche owners listen to the apologists and accept this nonsense. You need to inform the dealer that you are aware of this model year's engine reliability issues, that other unwarrantied MY05 owners have received new engines for free (get names if possible) and that should you not receive a better offer you will be seeking legal advice. Frankly, your dealer must be laughing all the way to the bank. They are attempting not only to avoid responsibility but actually profit from your misfortune. Don't stand for it!!!!!!!!

Porsche_911 good advice :) , Most fibreglass mouldings are poor quality and the labour charge to fit and finish to a decent standard will be thousands. You can get a 997 Carrera 2 for under £30,000. I have a 997 GT3 style front bumper cover in fibreglass designed to fit the 996 bonnet/lights/wings. It took a lot of time (20 hours+) and effort to look perfect and now gets a positive response from all. I can see the point, the 997 round lights are an aesthetic improvement but unless you or someone you know have the skills and time to do the work for free I would avoid. One thought; you could get a 996 with light front damage and then convert as part of a repair? Cheers

Hi kevinmac, did you mean to quote me? If you did I'm not sure if you are agreeing/disagreeing with me. I stated that the exhaust is too loud, reduces power at low rpm, is intolerable for extended use, not allowed on track days and attracts unwanted attention. Porsche_911 would you really recommend this modification? Could you clarify your points? Cheers

Hi Solihull, I had the bypass pipes on my 996, they are not loud they are V.LOUD! only really suitable for fun :D Aswell as annoying the neighbours they attract unwanted attention; boy racers and police are a particular problem. If you want to know what you car will sound like take the mufflers off. Sounds awesome but becomes intolerable for any length of time. I've returned to the stock mufflers and have ordered a PSE system, anyone who wants the bypass pipes let me know. One of the drawbacks I've noticed is a reduction in acceleration at low speeds. They are fine for racing as there is a little more top end power, problem is you won't be allowed to race as you will exceed the noise regulations at the track ;) Cheers.

No answer from FK automotive regarding plans to develop LED tail-lights for the 996 despite two e-mails. Guess I will have to look at other options for replacing the red/amber on my car. I like the clear and red style but I begrudge paying £600+ when the equivalent Boxter, 993 and 997 lamps are less than half this price. Why are the red/clear rear lights for the 996 so overpriced? I've seen custom all red lights on a white GT2, they looked v.good. I think I will go the along the same route and paint the existing amber lamps with a translucent red (leaving a few lines for the amber to shine through) followed by lacquer coats. I'll post a pic when they are done. Cheers. :renntech:

Hi Tom, I'm not sure the rear wings add a great deal to the aesthetic qualities of the 996. My own opinion is that they all, including the OEM GT3/GT2/Turbo wings, look like stuck on afterthoughts and ruin the classic teardrop profile. Fine if you want the added downforce :rolleyes: and I suppose they hark back to the classic 911 racers particularly in the case of the RUF 996 ducktail but they just compromise the lines of the car too much for me. After spending a good deal of time and expense I am now satisfied with my car's performance but keen to enhance the looks so I've just ordered some RUF and CSR styling parts. (no rear wing though!) I think it's perfectly reasonable to request styling advice on this forum. The fact is there are v.few whose motives for buying a Porsche are entirely technical and don't include the car's beauty. The proof is in the styling modifications on most members cars, the number of cabriolets and the number of postings related to interior and exterior styling. All the best. :renntech:

Thanks Kristian, I contacted FK automotive, the manufacturer of the LED boxter lamps and asked them if they had any plans to make 996 versions. I'll post a reply when I know more. All the best

Hi, Did you have any luck finding LED rear light units for the 996? Was going to change to all red or red/clear but I saw aftermarket LED types on an early boxter this week and they look really good. Anyone know of a supplier for the 996? Cheers

A friend suffered near identical damage to his 996 about 6 months ago, it appeared at first to be cosmetic requiring only a replacement bumper cover. However, the owner wisely insisted on further investigations that revealed bumper bar, rear light mount, sub-frame and exhaust damage :o I would suggest you take the car to a Porsche Approved Repairer to ensure a maximum worst case scenario quote for the insurance negotations. At this time insist the bumper cover be removed in order to inspect the structures beneath. In terms of peace of mind, the only way to be certain there is no structural damage is a full engineers report including a laser alignment check. For the repair work I would only trust a Porsche Approved Bodyshop or an independent Porsche specialist with plenty of recommendations and experience. Don't go to the insurance company's recommended repairer, chances are you will end up with a cheap and nasty repair. Whoever you go to try and see examples of their work first. All the best :)

It's tough to get a good result diy. You'll find that the Wurth silver, although one of the closest matches, is a slightly darker tone than most porsche wheel finishes. Also when you apply metallic paints from a can the reflective particles in the paint never look quite right and the finish tends to be flat. For small repairs in the past I've found using a thin mist coat of arctic silver over white primer finished with clear coat gives a better colour result. For a good paint finish try a few coats of clear coat lacquer, each rubbed down with fine grade wet sand paper (at least 800 grit) and then a final polish with 3M hand glaze. Unless it is for a small repair or you like a challenge I would just have them professionally refurbished. All the best :)

Hi, I'm not sure where you live but there is a car interior workshop in the Wirral UK that can remove the seat covers and embroider (sew in) the Porsche logo (full colour or monochrome) to the seat head rest. I've seen pictures of the work when I was in the shop, looks good quality. Not to my taste but it's an option. Fairly sure any custom interior trim shop could do this work for you and if you removed/installed the seat covers I'd imagine it would be quite affordable. Cheers

Hi Vman, Sorry to hear about your troubles. A supposedly prestigious car should not be suffering catastrophic engine failure at 47,000 miles. I would advise that you take this up with Porsche at both dealer and national level, don't take this lying down. When I purchased my 996, the independent dealer mentioned he gets a lot of 996s with strange invoices for replacement engines in the document history. Examples are invoices of a few hundred pounds for replacement engines on non-warranted cars. Apparently if a customer has one of these common engine failures and makes a fuss they can persuade Porsche to subsidise the replacement engine cost. It doesn't matter who serviced/maintained the vehicle as Porsche have no monopoly on this. I would write letters to anyone and everyone you can think of and threaten legal action; this is a known fault and Porsche are being irresponsible. BMW had similar problems with M3 engines and the customers, forums and owners clubs forced them to take responsibility in the form of a recall. I hope you get somewhere with this, there are too many Porsche apologists around letting the side down :soapbox: All the best.

As a relatively new owner of a Porsche 996 I would say be careful. I don't want to seem negative but I feel you have the right to be fully informed. During my first two months of ownership I had substantial problems with a vehicle that had been absolutely cherished by it's previous owner (luckily I was covered by a warranty). There are a number of Porsche 996 apologists around who just don't want to admit there pride and joy might have a major manufacturing defect. Don't get me wrong these cars are wonderful to drive, v.beautiful and the initial outlay is reasonable but the following points all need to be considered before purchase: -Porsche won't release statistics so we are forced to judge on the available information and anecdotes. -Due to supply and demand coupled with the perceived reliability problems the M96 engined vehicles depreciate at a greater rate than previous 911s. This needs calculating in to the cost of ownership. -Make sure you can and do get a warranty, Porsche have different car age limits in different countries. Your car will need to pass an inspection (more money) before qualifying for warranty. Porsche warranty plus the inspection cost plus the inevitable work they will imagine each year also needs calculating in to the cost of ownership. -Porsche have by action admitted faults with the M96 engine with their revisions (despite this 3.6s and 997 engines fail in the same ways though!) -The 996 turbo and GT models have different engine bottom ends and do not suffer the same perceived failure rates. -One workshop I visited while getting my car sorted had a couple of wrecked M96 engines on the floor. The owner said he gets them 'all the time', 'the cylinder walls crack'. -I know of one person with a late 996 that has had 3 replacement engines! -The demand for engines from salvage 996s is a great deal larger than for similar vehicles, hence the excessive prices. This is a new phenomenon according to people I know in the salvage trade (again they are making money on it). -Some businesses have developed specific fixes for these problems (such as Autofarm), they don't do this for fun; they do it because there is a demand. -Ignore talk of 'my 996 has done 100,000 miles with no problem', so it should! Oh and how many engines/seals/gearboxes did the earlier owners go through on the quiet? -Specialist warranty companies either won't touch these cars or the small print makes them worthless. -The independent dealer I purchased my vehicle from told me that many of the 996s he has come across have a record of replacement engines, to a far higher extent than other performance vehicles of this age. -Once again Porsche admit by default to a problem by often massively subsidising the cost of replacement engines, this tends to only happen if you make a fuss and threaten legal action though. -It doesn't matter how careful you are; you can lavish time and money on maintenance but if there is a fundamental engine or gearbox defect it will eventually fail. If I were to turn back the clock I would not get a 996 but it is too late for me! I like to think there is nothing more that can go wrong and I've now invested too much time, effort, and I admit it......... emotion in my car! They are like an expensive mistress, you know you shouldn't but............... My advice is if you feel the need to get a 996 budget in all the extra costs of ownership and see what the alternatives are. If the 996 still appeals then make sure you get the Porsche inspection done and that it qualifies for a warranty with Porsche prior to purchase, then GET THE WARRANTY! Those who have been lucky with their cars won't be helping when yours goes BANG! Good luck.

Hi Guys, My car is a 1998 996 Carrera 2 coupe, manual with full Porsche service history, low mileage, one previous owner from new and bills that demonstrate no expense spared. I inspected and test drove around 20 Carrera 2s over a two year period before this one (not counting the drivel that wasn't even worth looking at) and this was by far the best. The reason the original owner sold it was he lost his license for speeding so I don't think it has been spared the odd redline either! :D Well I've owned this car for nine weeks and it has been off the road for five. Various separate reasons including variocam solenoid failure (that was not recorded on the Porsche diagnostic and so led to a wild goose chase), faulty coil packs (suggested by Loren and Percymon but not by Porsche), exhaust corrosion (v.poor quality s.steel), electrical faults (alarm and key) and an unidentified oil leak (now stopped but not identified). These are known reliability issues that go beyond the usual wear and tear for a nine year old car :angry: This 996 was to some degree a trial run of Porsche and they failed me; despite record breaking profits they just don't stand by their products so they have no chance of getting £45,000 or more out of me for a 997! There are obviously two camps out there, those that believe these cars can be used hard everyday and those that feel reliability is questionable. The debate will remain anecdotal until someone collects data (sampling bias complicates matters but there were a known number of cars manufactured so it is possible) or Porsche issue figures. I just hope that I can join the 1st group of happy Porsche motorists soon. Of all the Porsches the Carrera 2 is the one I wanted; I love the subtle good looks (no GT/aero kit for me), value for money, comfort and performance. The Turbo is awesome but not subtle, I had one for the weekend and it was a police magnet! Despite the problems I don't want to sell the car as I adore it's performance and looks and I just wouldn't find one in as good a condition or as well specified. I think the solution to my problem is to go for the Autofarm Silsleeve cylinder-block with the 3.7l conversion so I can benefit from increased power in addition to reliability, I just need some recommendations on this; has anyone had this work done or a similar solution? Cheers, Chris

Thanks guys, nice to hear your views. It really annoys me that I need a Warranty or an emergency fund for this car. It's v.much a weekend car, I have an old man's Mercedes for commuting ;-) I'd considered selling the Merc and purchasing a new 997 as an all-rounder but the troubles I've had and the comments by 'those in the know' have well and truly put me off that idea. I've driven performance cars all my life and never suffered major mechanical problems before, generally if something went wrong it was easily fixable and not a catastrophe. One workshop I visited had a couple of wrecked M96 engines on the floor and the owner said he gets them all the time 'the cylinder walls crack', and he doesn't specialise in Porsche...... The demand for engines from salvage vehicles is huge too, hence the high prices. The only other modern performance car I've heard of with similar problems as to the 996 was the M3. It also had a run of catastrophic engine failures; the owners, clubs and forums kicked up such a fuss that BMW eventually owned up and took responsibility. The Hartech 'warranty' and the exchange Autofarm Silsleeve cylinder-blocks are both options, anyone got first hand experience of these? Sorry for being so critical but I haven't had a great experience as a Porsche owner so far, I just hope it improves. At the moment it's like having a high maintenance mistress, absolute pleasure when it's going well but you just know it's going to end in tears! All the best, Chris :)

Hi Everyone, I recently acquired a nine year old (turns ten in August :) ), low mileage Porsche 996 Carrera 2 with full Porsche service history. In the nine weeks I've owned the car, it has been off the road for five weeks due to engine problems, luckily this has been covered by the Independent Dealer Warranty. I have obviously spent a lot of time recently in Porsche workshops chatting to fellow owners and mechanics; I have to say they report unusually high numbers of catastrophic engine failures with this model. This has led me to the conclusion that unless Porsche own up and take responsibility for these well known faults a Warranty is essential. Unfortunately the Independent Dealer Warranty has now expired and I have been told Porsche do not cover cars over ten years of age. I have always wanted a 911 and adore driving this car but at the back of my mind is the fear of it all going horribly wrong! Has anyone got any Warranty alternatives so I don't have to sell my pride and joy? All the best, Chris :renntech:

Hi Percymon and Loren, sorry about the delay with the update. The variocam solenoid unit was the fault. Unfortunately, in the process of replacing the variocam actuator the exhaust manifold studs sheared and required an engineer to be called in. At the moment it is running perfectly, smooth idle, perfect power delivery and no warning lights or oil/coolant worries! I have now spoken to too many Porsche owners and mechanics who have experienced unusually high failure rates with the 996 engines to believe it is just an internet scare. As for the warranty, there appears to be no option other than Hartech and I don't feel their cover is as comprehensive as I would require. I don't like it but I think I'll have to sell the car. Before I do that I'll put a request on the board asking if anyone has any warranty suggestions. All the best, Chris

Cheers Loren, I'll let you know; just glad I have the dealer warranty. Once that expires if there are no further warranties available I'll just have to sell the car :( It's a shame because I always dreamed of owning a 911 and for the month it worked it was a joy! Maybe I'll just have to save up again and get a newer model or a GT version ;) Chris :) :renntech:

Dear Loren and Percymon, Well the car went back to the independent dealer under warranty; they cleaned connections, replaced the coil packs, plugs and sensors all with no success. At this stage they handed it over to OPC; after one and a half hours diagnostic time the suggestion is that a faulty variocam solenoid/actuator may be responsible for the miss-fire, I am not sure which bank is affected. OPC have quoted a large bill; I am told around £1000 for parts and labour although I have not seen the report or quote. The independent dealer and warranty provider has been v.honorable thus far so I'm keen to maintain good will and not have them sent on an expensive wild goose chase. Based on your knowledge of variocam systems is this a likely fault? Can this fault cause secondary damage to the engine/exhaust system? I hoped to get the car up and running by the 14th as I've planned a driving holiday, looks like I'll be using the Merc S-class; not quite the same! :D All the best, Chris :renntech:

My porsche 996 carrera 2 is currently back with an independent dealer as it has developed a fault. The dealer stated that on purchasing 996's from Porsche he quite often sees invoices as low as £250 for new engines in the car's records! Apparently Porsche are aware of the early 996 engine weaknesses and give huge subsidies if customers kick up a fuss and threaten legal action/loss of future custom. Maybe they offset these subsidies with the odd unfortunate customer paying £7,000! All the best, Chris. :renntech:

Once again, thanks for your advice :) Sounds like obtaining a warranty for a Porsche 996 is an expensive must. After some research, I have found no companies other than Porsche who are willing to offer such a service, though many will cover other Porsche models, Aston Martin, Ferrari and even Maserati cars! Hartech offer a Lifetime Maintenance Plan but this does not cover the cost of parts in the case of an engine failure. Although Hartech do appear to currently have confidence in the early 996 engines they also state that 'if the frequency of failures became to common, we may have to limit our contribution to a more fair proportion'. Is the lack of available warranties and the number of articles regarding 996 engine failures all indicative of a known and serious reliability issue? As an owner of a 9yr old 996 I believe the additional running cost of £895 for a Porsche Warranty makes the car a great deal less desirable and I would expect an acceleration in depreciation. The car is back at the dealers for repair under the warranty and I'll keep you informed of progress. All the best, Chris :renntech:

This site is great! :) Thanks Loren and Percymon; I'm sure the information you have provided will be extremely helpful. Once I cleared the original faults (PO300-306) the ECL light went off but then returned (the idle remains rough); a subsequent diagnostic recorded missfires in cylinders 5 and 6? Fortunately so far there has been no flashing ECL. I've always wanted a 911, but now I own one I'm starting to have regrets. The car has a beautiful appearance, is a pleasure to drive but I am starting to question the reliability of the early 996 models. My own personal experience coupled with some of the articles I have read raise serious concerns regarding the quality of the engine. Leaking engine seals and catastrophic cylinder head failures appear to be the order of the day. In my opinion it is unacceptable that owners who invest in a quality item and pay for expensive main dealer servicing should also have to purchase a warranty to insure against what appear to be design deficiencies. What options do I have once the independent dealer warranty expires? Will Porsche cover a 1998 car with FPSH and low mileage, are there any quality independent warranties available in the UK? All the best, Chris :renntech:

Hello everyone, my name is Chris. I'm new to the site and this is my first posting; just wish it could be on a more positive note. I managed to purchase my pride and joy; a 3.4L 996 (1998) with 49,000 miles from an independent dealer 2 months ago. Unfortunately, 2 days ago on starting the engine I noticed the CEL was on and the idle rough. I have had no problems with oil pressure, temperature and the oil level, fluid levels are all perfect. There is no evidence of oil/water contamination. I purchased a diagnostic scanner that is recording a miss-fire in all 6 cylinders (PO300-306) The car is still covered by the dealer warranty but I want to be armed with the likely underlying problem before I get into discussion with them. I would be grateful for any help on this matter. All the best, Chris Huston