Kendall

I was talking to a fellow porsche enthusiast a few days ago about my leaking oil problem, and mentioned that it seemed to get much worse after i did an oil change with new Mobil 1 0w-40. This was the first oil change done with the car in my possession. My friend told me to take the oil out and use something different/heavier like castrol 15w-50 and see if that stops the leak. Apparently he had 3 friends with porsches do this exact thing and all of their leaking problems were gone??? has anyone ever heard of this before????

Also, he mentioned using an oil additive such as STP product that may beef up the seal a little bit?!?

Has anyone tried either of these remedys for our nasty leaky RMS's?!?!?

Not completely certain of my facts here, but didn't RMS/IMS problems manifest before the Porsche mandated switch to 0W40? Put another way, if going to 15W50 or other blend was the solution to a chronic problem, aren't the engineers at Porsche a bunch of dummies for spending millions replacing engines when they could have fixed the problem with an e-mail? True, seals and installation processes have evolved since early M96 motors came out, but wouldn't it be better to try the new 997 seal first before heading off the "reservation" with blends or additives not on the "list?" Lastly, doesn't the oil in an M96 motor serve a hydraulic as well as lubricating function? What is the effect of the more viscous oil (cold) on its performance as hydraulic fluid and what are implications for health of the motor. Afterall, all you have now is an oil leak.

The new RMS seal is for Boxster (986 and 987), Carrera (996 and 997).

I haven't seen a new tool yet but the new seal is: 997 101 212 00

More info as I get it.

Resurecting an old thread on the anniversary of the new seal to ask if anyone knows about the performance of the 997 seal?

I know it is not recomended to put the x74 on a 99 chasis but has anyone done it? I really want the ride height and feel of the x74 on my 99 C2.

What would happen if i installed it?

I think the objection has to do with placement of engine bolts which would make it more likely to bottom out the engine on the early 996's. I understand this was changed on later 996 models making it less likely to bottom out on those bolts and crack the block. Porsche makes a plate which covers the pan and is recommended on early 996 models when X74 is installed.

I think that the lighter weight 0W-40 oil is being recommended for gas mileage reasons only. I used 15W-50 through the winter (my car is garaged) and never heard any problems whatsoever from the lifters. Moreover, I really do get on my car sometimes and I want that protection for days when it gets warm on the road.

1999, this a recurring topic for you, eh? Why do you think they dropped back to 0W-40? Would my mileage guess make sense?

That's my guess along with heavy lobbying by Mobil. You get slightly more power using a thinner oil, but at a cost in the long run. It does not provide proper protection of these hot running engines as well as encourages seal leakage.

But weren't there RMS leaks prior to the shift in recommendation to 0W40?

This is a repeat issue.

First occurence was Jan. 3, '06. problem was diagnosed as a bad fuel pump. R and R fuel pump.

With less than 1,000 miles since repair, car again would crank but not start. April 17, '06.

Onboth occasions it was th day's FIRST start. The motor actually caught, just momentarily, then died. Afterwards it just cranked and would not fire.

I'm now concerned that the first diagnisis was incorrect. I'm thinking there is something in the fuel delivery system that is cutting off fuel...and then staying in that mode.

I think during the installation of the first fuel pump, the system was, for lack of a better word, reset. Thus it appeared to fix problem.

I have heard of no fuel pump issue in these cars and dealer agrees, they have no had any others go south.

What do you think ??

not horrible, but I'd rather get something with a few more miles on it and a lower price.

Based upon where they're trading in Southern California that's a fair but not great price. What do maintenance records show? While they can go at any time, preponderance of RMS problems seem to be in first 20K miles. Does this price include an extended 6 year 100,000 mile CPO warranty? You should get warranty coverage for that price.

Not to mention I have seen MANY being sold for mid to high 70's when many people were buying them NEW for low 70's since the sales were very slow on that car and many sat on the lot. Dealers were discounting them up $20K of factory holdbacks plus some of dealer profit.

I agree dealers were knocking $20k off sticker to move the 40 year car. I bought mine for 20 off. Interesting you've seen them trade used in the mid to high 70's, though. My own observation from reading the Mart and the LA Times is that while the ask may be mid-70's the bid is high 60's. When dealers ask mid-high 70's in the paper here I've seen them cut the advertised price time and again to low 70's before the ads disappear. In the Mart I've even seen the asks drop into the high 60's recently. This is odd given that a fully loaded used '04 C2 is about the same price suggesting you can get the X-51, LSD and suspension for little to no premium.

I've heard of no quality/performance related reason why this should be so. The car looks and performs great. It just seems that Porche made too many and priced them too high.

It sure seems like a buyer's market for this car.

Hi all,

I *think* I might have the RMS issue - had a little bit of oil on the ground after a 400 mile trip to LA - it took all night for it to happen, and haven't really seen it again...  So, basically, I have a couple of questions...

1)  How do I verify 100% that it's an RMS issue?  I assume if I look around the area where the engine meets the gearbox, there should be a good amount of oil?  When this problem occurs, how often does oil drip from it?  I've done over 1000 miles, and only seen it once...

2) If it is an RMS issue, I do have some basic warranty cover, but assuming they don't cover it, is there a DIY guide to it?  I plan to get VERY up-close-and-personal with the inner workings of the car (I'm very hands-on), and have quite of a lot of projects that I'm waiting to do - but I was just wondering if anyone on here has ever done this themselves...

Thanks!

Shash

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I've got 15,000 miles on a PSS9 suspension and I love it.  Much better ride than the stock US spec sport suspension and the option for custom tuning.

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I believe it!

By how much did the PSS9 lower your 40 year? Are you now about the height of a GT3? Did you add a plate to the bottom of the case? Any issues with bottom out or smacking the spoiler?

Many thanks,

I've put 16k on mine in the last 15 months and I really love the car. Looks are stunning and handling and performance excellent. They were overpriced given the supply and proximity to C4S when introduced. Porche screwed up and either should have lowered the price point or made something like 911 instead of 1963 as they did for the 30 year car. Further evidence is used 40 years are trading in the US$68-70k range. No premium relative to other loaded '04 C2 coupes. I bought it for $76k new because it seemed like a good deal relative to stock. Given large numbers, I didn't believe the collector's car hype. I have no illusions about it trading at a premium relative to other C2's for a long time to come, if ever.

Please let us know about the X74 decision. I've been thinking about that, too. ROW M030 doesn't sound like enough of an upgrade relative to existing ride height and stiffness to make the switch. 40 year car is actually lower than USA M030!

MadCow,

We have a 40th and love it.  The only issue I had with the car was the suspension.  Its harsh and its detached.  Tried messing with tire pressures which helped quite a bit but we finally ended up replacing it with X74 and the car now qualifies as a Porsche.  If ride height is a concern, ROW MO30 is also nice.

If you enjoy driving, I think swapping out the suspension is a must.  With X74, there's actually less harshness.  Tire pressures are 35F/40R.

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Well, I've had the car for about 2 weeks now and couldn't be happier. The extra power when you put your foot in it is exhilarating, brakes are great (duh, it's a Porsche :D ), the interior is very comfortable and gives me (6'4") lots of leg room, stereo is 1st rate, and the nav system is intuitive, accurate, and flexible. I wasn't really taken with the polished wheels when I first saw them but they perfectly compliment the GT silver paint and wouldn't trade them for a more traditional satin finish. I really think Porsche nailed the design, performance package and creature comforts for this car!

You may be right about the suspension - I think I'll give it some more time behind the wheel and then decide on whether to replace it with X74.

Cheers!

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