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jorge61

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    PCA (Porsche Club of America)
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    Porche 911

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  1. Did you ever consider looking at Consumer Reports to see if you were buying a good production year? Service records are good to have but tell us very little about how the car is driven. If your car had a long service history prior to purchase perhaps it might be worth looking to see how Consumer Report rated your model year. You will see that 996 had some rough years in terms of reliability. Not all production years had the same reliability numbers. Model years 03 and 04 were particularly good overall in terms of reliability. The earlier years 99-01 had more reported problems per Consumer Reports. Consumer Reports ratings are general classifications like “transmission, electrical, etc...." and therefore tell us very little about issues like RMS. It is not perfect but useful information to some consumers. User abuse is very subjective…. Jorge
  2. These forums provide a lot of subjective information and if you are looking for an objective evaluation on the reliability of the 996 pickup (Consumer Reports Use Car Guide 2009). You will notice that not all years of the 996 have the same reliability record. Some years perform better that other and model year 2004 performs very well per the consumer reports criteria. I would have never thought at looking at Consumers Report for Porches but since the data is available and objective it certainly is worth reviewing. You will be surprised that model year 2004 is a consumer report “recommended” year based on its reliability. We sit around these forums and read countless tales of blown engines and bullet proof engineering yet no one mentions objective criteria when evaluating a used car. The Consumer Report Guide at least can orient you towards some model years that are less prone to “failure”. I personally feel a lot of the problems with the 996 are user abuse and neglect (not driving the car). So much for my subjective views….Consumer Reports are by no means the only criteria you should use but finding sound advice on the “reliability” of a Porche is like finding a reliable garage queen in an old farm. Let us know when you find your queen. They’re out there……..
  3. Loren, The Porche list dated Sep 25, 2008 has Valvoline SynPower HST SAE 5W-40 as approved oil for Porche. Unless this list has been updated my understanding is you can use Valvoline or Pennzoil or the others listed. It is interesting to note that most of the grades listed in the Porche list are 5W-40 not 0W-40. My owner’s manual for my 04 996 C4S has 10W-40 and 15W-50 as recommended grades. Neither of which are approved today. I am aware that Mobil One 15W/50 is not on the approved list yet 5W/50 is. I have not been able to find Mobil One 5W/50 anywhere including the Mobil One web site. For my environment (warm climate) Mobil One 5W/50 would be the “best” oil, I could not find it and settled for the 5W-40. Castrol 10W-40 is not on the approved list although it was referenced for warm climate use. Many would argue, but if the oil is not on the approved list I do not use it. I appreciate the Renntech site it has provided a lot of valuable information. Jorge
  4. My local Porche dealer in Tampa uses Valvoline 5W/40 or Pennzoil 5W/40. The service manager claims they have not been using Mobil OW/40 for a while. My ambient year round temperature is usually above 55 and the Pennzoil Platinum 5W/40 has worked well for me. No leaks and no consumption issues. Although Mobil One 15W/50 is not on the Porche approved list I have often debated using that oil because its viscosity properties in high temperatures. I asked a Porche tech (experienced 20 plus years) what oil he uses and he replied "20W/50" in Florida. Now if I could only get Porche to approve that oil!!! Tire pressures and oil discussions bring the best of us out. Jorge
  5. I recently refreshed my Porche center hub caps with the "new" larger Porche crest painted centers. The old ones for a 996 were $57 each at the dealer and the new ones were $35 each also at the same dealer. The parts manager claims they are the new Porche hub caps for the 997 and Panamera. Enjoy, Jorge
  6. What kind of injector cleaner do you use? I am afraid of using the none OEM (not Porsche approved) brand which may cause more damage than good. Thanks! I usually use STP or Chevron Techron. I am not aware Porche sell's approved fuel injector cleaner. It's an engine not silly putty.
  7. Old habits die hard, especially if you have good results. Twice a year I put injector cleaner in the engine and run the car the following way. After the car is warmed up (180 temp) I run the RPM's to 4000 and keep them at 4000 for two minutes, afterwards I run to 5000 RPM's for one minute and lastly I run to 6000 RPM's in every gear possible for the last part of the workout. This is not a track car so I do this to give the Porche a good workout. For those folks that track their Porches I see no benefit to this routine (they have other problems to deal with). Porches love to be driven continuously and methodically. I firmly believe if you take care of them they take care of you. ($$$) Jorge
  8. Interesting thread on the "reliability" of the 996 engine. I have owned several Porches in my days and currently drive daily a 04 996 C4S. We all desire reliability even though some of us drive the living hell out of these engines shamelessly. I too desire longevity and reliability and usually follow the following guidelines. Never drive the car below 2000 RPM's and shift at 3000 RPM's when cold (below 180 Temp) and 4000 RPM's once warm. This is for everyday driving in most conditions and I will open her up to 5000-6000 RPM's occasionally to get the lungs breathing properly. This has worked well for me since new and my 996 has performed flawlessly. In looking at objective data pick up the Consumer Report Used Car Guide and you will see some interesting data regarding the 04 996. It is a consumer report "recommended" model year for reliability based on all the parameters reviewed. Not bad for a Porche. Jorge
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