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x5rap

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Everything posted by x5rap

  1. In May-2011, I had the passenger-side window regulator replaced in my 1999 996 coupe at an independent mechanic for a total of $700. Then came the whistle. It took several trips back to my mechanic. We tried adjusting the door latch to snug-up the door's ft and then after using a high pressure air nozzle, he pin-pointed where the whistle emanated from. With the regulator's attachments points loosened and with the smallest nudge forward, the window finally sealed properly and the whistle stopped. The whistle happened only in the evenings and at speeds over 60...yes, only in the evening, not in the mornings. I have no idea on why that was, but the adjustments upon installation are critical. Even still, the window now rolls down only 95% of the way, not fully down like it does on the driver's side. It's important to check that before leaving the mechanic's shop to make sure the regulator is adjusted properly.
  2. Your car's a '99 so the shocks could be an issue. Even if low mileage, the seals dry out with age. Next, front lower control arms could also be worn. Mine's a '99 US 996 coupe tip. When I changed shocks and then later the lower control arms, the difference was remarkable. Congrat's on the car! They're a blast to drive.
  3. From Wikipedia - and we all know that if it's on Wikipedia...it must be true - Right?: VarioCam is an automobile variable valve timing technology developed by Porsche. VarioCam varies the timing of the intake valves by adjusting the tension on the timing chain connecting the intake and exhaust camshafts. VarioCam was first used on the 1992 3.0 L engine in the Porsche 968. Porsche's more recent VarioCam Plus combines variable valve timing with two-stage lift on the intake side. The two-stage valve-lift function is performed by electro-hydraulically operated switchable tappets. Each of these 12 tappets consists of concentric lifters which can be locked together by means of a pin. The inner lifter is actuated by a small cam lobe, while the outer ring element is moved by a pair of larger-profile lobes. The timing of each valve is seamlessly adjusted by means of an electro-hydraulically operated rotary vane adjuster at the head of each intake camshaft. Valve timing and the valve profile are continuously altered according to conditions and engine load. For improved responsiveness on cold starts, VarioCam Plus raises the amount of lift and retards valve timing. At medium revs with minimal loads, the valve lift is lowered and timing advanced to help minimize fuel consumption and emissions. For maximum power and torque, the lift is raised and the timing is advanced. This system debuted on the 1999 Porsche 996 Turbo.
  4. My early US '99 C2 996 tip (Feb-98 build date) lost its engine three years ago at 42K miles due to case going porous causing oil & coolant to intermix, a somewhat common early 996 problem. Lucky for me, I bought the car with an extended warranty. Otherwise, it would have cost me $US12K. Since then, 20K miles later, only routine maintenance except for sensors, lower control arms and minor interior stuff. It's great to see that some 996 engines go a long time with no RMS or catastrophic failures. My current problem appears to be a sticky Idle Control Valve. Not a big issue to sort out (fingers firmly crossed) thanks to this great site. :renntech:
  5. Warrantech covered the replacement of the engine in my US '99 tip coupe (Feb-98 build date). Oil and water inter-mixed at 42,700 miles. It took 35 days, partly since the dealer shipped a manual spec'd engine to the shop doing the swap and mine is a tip. The engine for a manual vs. a tip are different part numbers: blah, blah BX for a tip and blah, blah CX for a manual. Without that foul-up the change-out still would have taken a solid 25 days by the time Warrantech agreed to cover and everything got shipped and installed. 35 days was a drag and Warrantech gives you a whole three (3) days of credit toward a rental car. Advice to take or leave: Change every rubber hose in the coolant system you can since many will now be easily accessible. The hoses are not that expensive and labor will be minimal. FYI, some of the rigid piping for coolant also will be changed by necessity to adapt to the later engine case. Your car, probably built in '98, is now 8 years old. Change oil/ATF and filter in the trans. If that hasn't been done the oil/ATF is also 8 years old and it's now time. Change mufflers, they'll be just about the only thing old back there. Oxygen sensors may fail post-replacement. I've replaced all 4 now after fault codes came up within three months of the swap. I couldn't be happier with my new engine and the tip in my car shifts as smooth as silk. I love this car.
  6. For me and my risk aversion, a 90-day warranty would be insufficient. IMO, for a 1999 or 2000 996, you need an extended warranty. My extended warranty just bought me a new engine for my early-build US 1999 996 tip coupe. After 42,500 miles over eight years, there was an oil-water intermixing caused by an engine case that went porrous. The warranty saved me almost $10K. If the engine in the car you're considering has already been replaced, I would not be as concerned. But if it's still the original engine, I'd make sure I had an extended warranty. You may be lucky with this car and the engine will be fine. Some of the early 996s go a long time with no problem, but the rep at the extended warranty company knew all the part numbers for the engine replacement in '99 and 2000 996s by heart. :lightbulb: I have no data to back this up, but from what I can tell the '01's and beyond are not afflicted with this problem.
  7. Gator, I know it's off topic, but that's a great looking car you have! x5rap
  8. Additional information from Loren in months past: The LSD on a MY99 is only 40%. From the tech manual: QUOTE To get the engine’s power safely to the road in a standing start, slip is limited to 40 percent. Once under power, the slip factor changes to 60 percent because the engine no longer is operating at its maximum torque and also because this configuration helps minimize oversteer under load changes through a turn. Also from Loren: I do not know everything about the early options and TC was only around for the C2 in MY99. Traction Control (TC) is a combination of anti-slip control (ASR) and Automatic Brake Differential (ABD). TC prevents spinning of the drive wheels when moving off and accelerating. It does this through a series of sensors (also used by the ABS system) and controlling individual wheel braking. By doing so driving stability and traction are improved over the entire speed range. PSM includes the functions: ABS, Traction Control (TC), ABD, MSR (engine drag torque control). ABD is part of TC and to my knowledge was not sold separately - together they formed the early version of PSM. The official name (in the Porsche parts list) for option 224 is "Automatic Limited Slip Differential". There are no parts in the parts list that identify with a M 224 label - so what is it? ABD? maybe? Technically the option 220 "Locking Differential 40%" is also "automatic" since the multiple-disc limited-slip differential causes locking when one wheel begins to slip. This is the mechanical LSD we all know.
  9. In Mar-06, a new M96-BX 3.4 cost about $7,700US plus tax plus installation plus incidentals. It comes complete, with the exception of mufflers. You'll probably want to go with new mufflers, say $1,000. Everything else will be new back there. Cooling system connection points for a '99 manufactured engine are different from the '05 manufactured 3.4 engine. So you'll need a number of new coolant tubes. You'll want to change all rubber hoses in the coolant system. There aren't many, but they're there and they're eight years old. Oh, and you'll probably want to service the tranny. If it's the first time, regardless of the mileage, it's eight year old trans oil/fluid. (I don't know if yours is a tip or manual.) You'll need to align the rear end too. Mufflers, hoses, coolant, tranny service, rear alignment will cost about $1,800 - $2,000 total. Installation cost of the new motor with sales tax (at 7.75% in SoCal) plus all the incidentals is maybe $1,900. All-in with a new M96, new Fabspeed mufflers, a serviced trans and new hoses pretty much everywhere, except power steering and a/c...my estimate is $11,500, based upon Mar-06 cost when I had to do it. Thank God, I had an extended warranty. The problem in my early-build '99 US 996 tip coupe (Feb-98 build date) was an intermixing of oil and coolant caused by the thin cylinder wall going porous and allowing the intermixing. It happened after eight years at 42,100 miles. Mine didn't result in a catastrophic failure but this is not a rare problem. The adjuster at Warrantech new all about the problem and he knew all the part numbers by heart, yes by heart. With the installation finished, I have a car that drives like an absolute dream. (New shocks were installed in Apr-05.) Not all M96 engines have these problems, but the problems do occur. If you have a Camry, Mustang, Civic, Malibu, Sonata, Focus, Suburban, Exploder, etc., ad nauseum, you don't have these problems, but you also don't have a car that drives like a Porsche.
  10. Were any of chipped cars tiptronic? I'm pretty sure there's a massive difference in the chip in a manual vs. tip. I haven't looked hard but are there chips for '99 tips?
  11. I'll take a stab at this. I believe you can disable the ABD or TC in a 996 at speeds under 65. In Autox it does matter. Even with the pendulum effect of the engine way out back, having TC on will brake the rear wheel(s) and limit the rotation of the rear around a turn. I've seen the ABD described as a system that uses the brakes as an electronic version of a limited slip differential. I've felt it on the street and I've felt it both on and off in Autox at speeds certainly below 65 mph. I'm unfamiliar with the option code of P37. In my '99 US 996 tip coupe, option code 222 is for "Traction Control". Then there's an option code 224 for "Automatic Limited Slip Differential". I believe the Traction Control is the ABD. Exactly how the two work together I don't know and I'd love to have it explained.
  12. Others, more knowledgeable than me, may have a different view, but my belief is that the problem with cases going porous is limited to the early engines. My car had a Feb-98 build date. It is one of the very early 996's. I don't think the problem is common in '01 and beyond. Some may know of a change in metallurgy adopted by Porsche in 2000 or '01 or some other change in the manufacturing process to eliminate this problem. I'd drive it like you stole it :drive: and not worry. Check the coolant fill tank in bright light. If you see blobs of oil in the coolant, you'll want to have it inspected. That was the thing that tipped off my mechanic. It seemed pretty obvious when I looked in. I could see the blobs. Warrantech concluded the same thing and bought the new engine. Those who see a lot of these cars and engines will have a better perspective. I've read posts from owners with high-mileage '99's stating they've had no problems, not even "minor" ones like RMS. My original engine never had an RMS leak. I had the car for one year, essentially all of 2005, and I put 7,000 miles on it. At 42,100 miles, the intermixing was discovered. My belief/hope is that Porsche solved this problem early on in the life cycle of the M96 engine. I know a Boxster owner who had a bad failure of rings and bearings, probably from the intermixing of coolant in the oil, and that was an early, '98 Boxster after seven years. My bet is that a lot of catastrophic bearing and ring failures in the early engines were written off as "hard driving" or some other BS, not coolant in the oil. I'm sure there are other opinions out there and who knows what the real percentage of failures is for '99's vs '00's vs '01's vs '02, etc. Enjoy your '02!!
  13. Here's my month-long saga with happy ending: Day 1 - I took my US '99 tip coupe in for a routine oil change. Oil was found in the coolant and vice versa. Shop called Warrantech. About Day 4 or 5 - Warrantech sent a rep to the shop and confirmed the intermixing. About Day 7 - I called Warrantech. They said, "Be patient." About Day 10 - The guy from Warrantech said, "Would you believe me if I told you I know all the part numbers by heart? There are no good engines in the junk yards, so you'll get a new one. They go porous. Just be patient. This happens all the time. It has to go 'up the chain' to Iowa." About Day 20 - After the shop called and pushed a little, Warrantech issued the necessary claim number to allow the engine to be ordered. Warrantech was slow, about three weeks overall, but how bad can I complain...really. It would be like waiting a little while to go out with Teri Hatcher. Who really cares once she's ready to go. Day 25 - Porsche delivers a CX engine to the dealer. (Edmonton, to Ontario, CA to Newport Beach, CA) But, I have a tip which requires the BX engine. I'm not real happy at this point but again... Day 30 - BX delivered. Sep-05 build date. Day 31 - All coolant pipes in the back changed. There are different pick-up points from the Sep-05 engine compared to the Feb-98 engine it replaced. All rubber hoses in the coolant system were replaced. I paid for most of those. They're so easy to get at with everything out the labor was low. Day 32 - Tip gets serviced with new filter and ATF oil change. ATF was filthy after eight years. It now shifts slightly more smoothly. Day 33 - Engine installed and rear end aligned. Day 34 - Car's ready to go but...tip needs to be programmed so it can go into manual mode. I'm ready to eat the key by now. Day 35 - Shop gets the CD for the tip programming and I'm in the car at the end of the day. It is a beautiful thing. It took patience but I'm a lucky guy and it's better to be lucky than good. I upgraded to Fabspeeds because since everything else back there was new, I went for it. Thanks to the Warrantech extended warranty, thirty-five days of a rental car cost just about as much as the whole shebang including the Fabspeeds! I have nothing bad to say about Warrantech. and I love this car. :) __________________________________________________________ Seen on the back of a Ford Expedition: I'm changing the environment! Ask me how!!
  14. I have new Fabspeed mufflers with a stock intake system on a brand new engine in my '99 tip coupe. Thank you Warrantech! :) Still in break-in mode on the engine but at rpm around 4K, the Fabspeeds are quieter than the B&B's they replaced. Absolutely no vibration or rattling of any kind.
  15. I just had a new engine installed in my '99 tip coupe (Feb-98 build date). The new engine, bought in SoCal in Feb-06, cost just short of $7,800US. The engine was assembled by Porsche in Sep-05. Installation was additional of course. I got lucky with an extended warranty covering the cost of all of it, except a $200 deductible and incidentals. Plus I upgraded to FabSpeed Mufflers. Now I have a 3-year and 36K-mile factory warranty on a new M96 engine. Lucky me!! :jump: There is a problem with early cases going porrous. Not all of them went bad obviously but based upon what I have read, a lot have failed. The guy at the extended warranty company knew all about the problem and he knew all the part numbers by heart. The original engine in my car ended up with oil and water intermixing. That was what caused the replacement of my engine. Bearings and rings really don't like coolant where they're expecting oil: stuck valves, ring failure, bearing failure... There was no catastrophic failure in my old engine but Warrantech, the extended warranty insurance company, decided they'd be chasing the problem if they didn't replace the whole unit. I have read a number of posters stating they've enjoyed 110K miles or more with no trouble, so it's not a certainty that buying a used engine is a bad idea, but the failure of the early M96 engines is by no means a rarity. My two cents, if you can afford it, I suggest that you buy a new one.
  16. I just hit the Porsche lottery and got Warrantech to replace the engine in my '99 tip coupe (an early Feb-98 build date). The guy at Warrantech knew all the part numbers by heart and he knew the difference between the BX (tip) and CX (manual) M96 engines. He had seen this too many times. These engines have a history by now and that's why I found a '99 with an extended warranty. I bought the car in Jan-05. My lovely car has 42,100 and the case "went porrous": water and oil mixed probably from a weakened cylinder wall. There were no symptoms. The car ran great and the intermixing was discovered during an annual (7,000) mile oil change. Don't take this as a jinx because your car may be a great one, but if you're at 99K miles on a '99 996 engine, by all accounts, probabilities say you're definitely on borrowed time.
  17. dj, Thanks a bunch! I really appreciate the info and posting pics on the install would be perfect. :notworthy: In the meantime, I'll see what else I can dig up on the modification from Brey-Krause. Thanks again! Ray
  18. I was told by a knowledgable person that some early 996's, when run on the track encountered an engine oiling problem and kabooom. I don't know if it was an engine oil pick-up problem encountered under sustained hard cornering or just what. As I understand it, when the car is subjected only to the stresses of the street, it's not an issue. There was either a TSB issued or it was a Porsche Motorsports recommendation for early 996's being run on the track. I have just started running my early-build 996 in an occassional autocross. In my limited autocross experience, there are periods of sustained cornering. RPM's are generally elevated. The g's are there and, in the future I will upgrade the suspension to something like the ROW M030 option. Better handling is a plus, but not at the expense of engine longevity. :lightbulb: I am seeking more information about an engine oiling system upgrade that was recommended for early 996's being run on the track. Can anyone corroberate this and provide more information on this engine oiling system upgrade? Name or part # or TSB #? What's involved? Thanks to the board in advance for your help. ____________________________________________ '99 US 996 coupe tip, (Feb-98)
  19. Sorry, I have no knowledge of JRZ shocks but I too have a stock, daily driver US '99 996 coupe tip, 38K miles, non-M030, with 500-miles-new OEM Bilstein shocks. I have Dunlop SP9090s on factory 18's - 265/35 and 225/40. I recently took part in two Cal Club autocross events. Checked the ego at the gate luckily, since I got my clock cleaned. The inherent weaknesses of my driving and the car were noticeable with standard suspension. :drive: I am searching for information about potential suspension system upgrades that will keep the car in SK1 (Street tire with only factory suspension mod's). If I went with the ROW M030 option, I'd stay in SK1 and I'd change shocks, springs, sway bars. What was the cost difference between the JRZ shocks and the M030 option? I believe the JRZ shocks like the PSS9 set-up would kick the car into A Stock, and I may end up there if the PSS9 or JRZ results in a better handling car without a huge penalty in terms of harshness or dollars. Does the ROW M030 option you priced include shocks, springs, bars? It sounds like the JRZ system includes shocks and mounting hardware only. Does the PSS9 system include springs, bars, and shocks? Any one of the above options will improve the handling. Hopefully, time behind the wheel will help the driving skills.
  20. I doubt it and I hope not. But with new mounts on my '99 US coupe tip, the difference from the before to the after is a huge, welcome change. Now when I'm at a stop, even for just a few sec's and grab first, the car rocks, but just slightly. Before the change of motor mounts, there was a noticeable clunk unless the car was rolling. Now, while at a dead stop there's no clunk but you still can feel when 1st engages.
  21. With Tip, unless you jump on the gas, it'll start off in 2nd, unless it's cold as described above. To avoid the 2nd gear start you gotta grab 1st via the buttons. There's no way around it that I know of. The way I look at it, it saves wear-and-tear. I don't think you could lug the motor with a Tip if you tried. The motor's got a lot of torque and you won't hurt it, regardless. As far as the clunk into first when you're at a dead stop, I determined that it was motor mounts. The mounts are a hard, nitrogen-filled rubber arrangement. If/When the rubber cracks, the nitrogen leaks out and they soften up. Motor and trans then flop around and that's the clunk you feel. With the motor mounts replaced ($300 incl labor), the clunk is almost all gone. It's there a little bit, but it's a massive improvement. ____________________________________________ '99 996 US Tip coupe (Feb-98 build date) Arctic Silver w/ 18's bought in Jan-'05 w/ 35K miles, no M030, new shocks - I love driving this car!
  22. Power-to-weight is in the favor of the TT but torque is in the Bentley's favor. The cars are different, one's not better than the other, just different. Vive la difference! On a sweeping winding road or on a track or just for the sheer joy of driving and not posing, I'll take the 996TT. Cruising around town, on the freeway or even on the open American road the Bentley would blow off most anything, at any time, except in the twisties. Top end, cornering and braking go to the TT, no question, but on public roads, it's nuts to try and find the limit of either car. It would be fun to have to choose which one to drive and when. I'm in LA, so...LA to Palm Springs at any time - Bentley. LA to Monterey at sunrise on 101 or 1 - 996TT.
  23. Please excuse the ignorance, but does the sway bar change alone take a US M030 to an ROW? Does your coupe already have the US M030 option? Mine is a '99 tip coupe (Feb '98 build date) with 18's and I've no M030 option. Just a plain US coupe tip. I thought that to go from a non-M030 to an M030, US or ROW you had to change shocks and springs along with the sway bar. Am I right?
  24. Porsche sought engineering help from the Japanese when they designed the 996. I have an early build (2/98) '99 996 coupe tip with 37500 mi. They sought ways to cut cost and get the cars more reliable. Still, RMS problems and others happen and they only beat Range Rover, Mazda and Suzuki. Staggeringly sad, but true. What a shame...but what a great car. For prior owners of my 996, there were oil separator and cam cover leaks and other common ones, not RMS though. Not a terrible history at all. These are great cars and stat's be damned. Disraeli said, "There are three kinds of lies: lies, damnable lies and statistics." If I could've afforded a new 997, I'd have bought one in a heartbeat--118 defects per 100 cars or not...
  25. $76K for a 2004 C4S sounds pretty good to me. Drive the heck out of it and enjoy.
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