mdragon

Condition: no dust, oil or dirt. The head is painted gloss black ~1/4 of the way from the top and is in perfect condition.

Excellent, thank you. You belief me decipher my engine serial number a couple of years ago and I remember now that you told me that my engines was made in 2005. I don’t think they put it into the car until 2010. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

How? What is the key to each of the numbers? Thx! Julie Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Hi there, A few questions: - What year is your 996? - Is it a Carrera 4? - Convertible? - Where are you smelling the fuel odor? - Is the dealership Porsche or...? - Do do you have a Bentley Service Manual? - Curious if you checked out what ‘356to996’ had to say... “Hairline cracks in the nylon top of the Fuel Sending Unit are often the source. The unit is located under the battery (easy to access) and when mine cracked I had strong odor both inside the trunk and outside at the fuel filler.” Check out your local Porsche Club of America Chapter and/or word of mouth for excellent Indie shops in your area. I have had excellent luck here in the Pacific Northwest with Chris’ German Auto. They are awesome! Chris Powell is the owner and a superb technician. You can’t go wrong by hooking up with a local shop. This site is also is a great resource and has helped me numerous times. Definitely check out suggestions from the 996 owners as they won’t steer you wrong. I just did a quick search online and there are quite a few threads regarding fuel odor issues that might help you out. Maybe you have already checked them out, don’t know. I think we need more info. What I do know is that when you buy your first 996, it sometimes feels somewhat daunting... Please let us know what find you out. Julie

Hi there, where is the odor coming from? Do you smell it inside the cab? I have owned a 2003 911 Carrera 4 for four years. I have never had a gas odor. There is sometimes a vacuum problem and I can’t get a full tank of gas dispensed, but never an odor of gasoline. Do you have a local Indie you can go to? They might be able to help you better than the dealership. I have always found dealerships difficult to deal with especially because my car is getting on in years. Good Luck! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Maybe a silly question, but has it ever worked? Did it display before the battery work was done?

JFP, if my engine is an 'AT' engine, which it is and we (my indy) suspect it was done in 2005 based on the low numbers (M096/03AT66566540) (M96.03 /hp 320/2005 665 501 > 60000 from the table that Loren supplied). How long is the Porsche warranty? I am guessing the warranty is over, I am just curious who did the work... And, I actually tried to find the warranty through Porsche and could not nail it down. It definitely is an 'AT' engine so, it should be catalogued somewhere. If not with Porsche of NA, where/who? Any ideas? Sorry if this is off topic. I wasn't sure. Thank you, Julie

Hi there, I have a simple little question. Have you looked at your engine serial number yet? You might be surprised at what you find, I know I was. I found out that the engine in MY 2003 911 Carrera 4 Cab had a ~2005 new engine installed with the larger bearing. I found this out when I took my car in to have my bearing replaced. Just a little more information in your back pocket as you start your project. You won't be able to know about the bearing per se, just whether or not you have the original engine. When I was shopping for my Porsche, I did a PPI on every single car I was interested in other than on the one I actually bought. I lucked out and it ended up being a really good car. Everything about it is almost perfect. I was a little stunned about the new engine when I found out, but I think it is okay. There are a couple other things you can do to put your mind at ease before you change out the bearing, but flipping it out and actually knowing what you have and using the LN Engineering solution should put your mind at ease so you can finally enjoy your car. I completely understand the angst and worry that you are going through and I think it is valid. Best of luck to you on your project! You should start enjoying your car soon because it is meant to be driven and enjoyed! Julie

dporto, you are right about that. It was $140.00 when I bought mine...sorry about the typo. They are now at $165.00 to $219.00. Worth the money, though...

Do you have access to the Bentley Porsche 911 Carrera Service Manual? Pages 50-4 through 50-7 cover the drains and how to access them. You can pick one of these books up for about $14.00 bucks on Amazon.

Someone sent me a schematic in PM and I have to look for it. Maybe someone else has it at their finger tips from the factory manual. In the meanwhile, here is a link that provides a picture (albeit, crappy): http://rennlist.com/forums/996-forum/542352-cabrio-water-drains.html Julie

There is a schematic. Let me look for it.

There is a drain system and there are drainage channels and reservoir which takes water from the roof and windows down through the body and into the valve under the wheel arches. You need to especially be careful on the driver's side because there could be a security/ignition module under the driver's seat (depending on the year of your car). Clear the drains, replace those that are broken. Take the back seat out, take the carpet out and dry your car out with a de-humidifier. Let your car dry out. Clean the carpets with an anti-bacterial/fungus type cleaner and you should be good to go. Julie

Thanks Loren! You are awesome. I have wanted to know the answer to the same question for quite some time. Thank you for everything you do for RennTech. Seriously, you are such a valuable asset to this forum, no matter what year/make/model and, you take the time to give to others which is especially kind and generous. Julie

Hello all, Thank you so much for the replies and the advice. I appreciate it as it gave me some great talking points when I met with the guys that are doing the work. There are a couple of reasons I am going for a simple IMS bearing replacement solution. I will never drive my car on the track. I drive my car in the city and haven't and don't plan on any long road trips in the near future. The Jake Raby LN Solution with DOF is over kill for me. My understanding is that I am getting a replacement with ceramic bearings and it will take the high temperatures and lack of lubrication much better than the existing bearing. The other of course is money. If I had $3 or $4,000 dollars, I would buy myself a different car (see below). The thought that my beautiful Porsche could potentially become a lawn ornament has haunted me for over a year now. The guys that are doing the work told me they consider the bearing a 'replaceable' part and the replacement will last for about 50,000 miles. This is for 'normal' wear and tear of my Porsche. I think it will be sufficient. If any of you think I am making a horrible mistake, please let me know. I think it will be okay. I had the AOS flipped out last year, but they are going to replace it again with this job. They will also look for any leakage/issues with my water pump, they will look at the flywheel and clutch which was replaced last year and has ~11,000 miles on it. It seems to be working fine, but we will see. I don't hear any whining from my transmission and it doesn't pop out of gear. It shifts smoothly with no issues. I am curious about the intake and the throttle body work. I don't have any issues now, but will be looking for the types of things that may be indicators of trouble ahead. And, I trust they will let me know if anything else on my car needs attention. As far as all of the other items noted in your replies, the car was very well maintained when I bought it and I have continued to have it checked out and have updated parts as necessary. I don't feel like I need to do a major over haul at this time. I do appreciate the note about the radiators, I will keep it on my wish list as well as my exhaust system (I do have a small problem there...). I try to stay ahead of everything that should be replaced and taken care of. I have never had a CEL and for that I am thankful...knock on wood. I am only doing the IMS for preventative reasons and for peace of mind. I love this forum and I appreciate being able to ask what might have seemed like a silly question. It wasn't. Your feedback was quite helpful. btw...when I was at the shop, I saw a beautiful early 2000 CarreraS Turbo, midnight blue/grey. The curves on that car were absolutely stunning. If I decide to trade in my car, I definitely know the direction I would go. Not only is it fast, it is exquisite. Thanks all! Julie

Hello all, I am now ready to take the jump and have my IMS replaced on my 2003 996 C4 Cab. MY2003 has 80K miles on the clock. I am the 2nd owner and do not have all of the records from the previous owner. All I know is the car was maintained by what used to be Barrier Porsche (now AutoNation) in Bellevue, WA. There is no record of an IMS replacement in any of the records that came with the car. I would assume there would be, if it had been done. I am going to have the work done at a local very reputable indie dealer here in Bellevue, WA. The attached file is the Quote. I have done extensive reading about the IMS and its replacement, but now that I am getting ready to pull the trigger, I have some questions for the forum. As a side note, my AOS was replaced last year. When I look at the quote, it looks fairly straight forward. What am I missing? What can I expect after the work has been completed? What other items/parts/procedures need to be looked at or changed out while this work is being done (other than what they have noted on the work order)? I would assume they will look at my clutch/flywheel assembly, water pump, my transmission and ??? I realize this is a fairly broad question, but thought I would ask to see what else might be addressed while they are doing this work and what I can expect after the work is completed. What type of driving can I do after the work is completed? Do I need to break it in, for example? I trust these guys as they have always done excellent work. Any additional thoughts? Any insight? I appreciate your help. Thank you, Julie

I have spent about $15,000 on my car and when I get into it in the morning and fire it up, it all comes back to me...it is the most incredible motor vehicle experience I have ever had in my life! Amazing performance, speed, agility, cornering and engineering. I love it and I don't have a lot of money, but it is still worth every penny. You might try another Porsche again. Do your research before you buy it and then, enjoy it for what it is.

My heart goes out to you...that is a bummer, indeed. You are in my neck of the woods, I know the 405 southbound corridor out of Bellevue quite well and I don't know of a worse place to have your car break down... I would be curious to know how this story ends. Best of luck to you. Julie

what have you found so far and how does it work?

Okay, you got me...

j_beede, can you find out which bearing you have from your VIN? I found out that mine is a single row bearing on the class action lawsuit list.

I keep seeing posts with the use of 'frunk' for the trunk in the front of the Porsche...the term is not a 'frunk', it is called a bonnet.

Hi there, I have a different car, but maybe not a totally different experience? When I bought my 2003 Porsche 911 C4 Cab in Seattle, WA on 02-08-2014, the clutch/flywheel had just been replaced on 01-26-2014 and I don't know why. The car had 67,168 miles. It was done at a relatively reputable, independent Porsche fix-it shop and was done with OE parts, I looked up all of the part numbers and they checked out. This is directly from the invoice. Flywheel $850.55 Clutch Kit $777.79 Flywheel Bolt $15.36 Labor $863.12 You could always look up the OE parts online and price them. That might give you a ballpark? Hope this helps! Julie

2003 911 C4 Cabriolet, 77,000. New shocks, struts, brakes, rear light assembly, brake light switch, front driver's side heat seater (something to watch...it actually can burn through the padding and the leather...not on mine fortunately, but heard horror stories). New clutch/flywheel assembly at 69,000. The engine runs like a dream. Fires up every day. No oil leaks, or any other leaks, nothing wrong with the engine. I am in disbelief how well this car runs...amazing! Check your fluids often, check your tire wear often, check your brakes, etc. All is good! Julie

Hi there, do a search here in RennTech on '996 hardtop' in 'Forums'. There are many items out there that address noise issues and replacement options. Take a look specifically at the item from 987_RDC, within the post, Dominic provides a couple links that might be helpful. Sometimes, I think we hear things because the car is so small and the ride is stiff on city streets and highways. It is not going to be super quiet. Maybe in your case the noise is a deal breaker...don't know. Good luck to you! Julie