PeterK

John,

Have you gotten your car back? You must have the patients of a saint. Have you found out what “upgrades” have been done to the replacement engines as compared to the original M96? I get no response from PCNA and the local service tech seems to be in the dark. I guess Porsche wants it that way!

Lee

Hi Lee,

To quote the old Canned Heat song "Back on the Road Again" :drive: :jump: .

Got the car back on Saturday but within 200 yards of leaving the specialist "CEL - Drive to Workshop" came on :cursing: . Went to my most local OPC today and they diagnosed a faulty Oxygen Sensor. So £233 more spent and everything now OK :clapping:

I also rang Porsche GB today and was told that they have put a letter in the post. The guy I spoke to couldn't/wouldn't tell me what it says, just "read it and make your decisions based on what is says" :unsure: So watch this space and fingers crossed for when the post drops through the letterbox.

Money spent: -

Engine - £7,325.25

Labor, new hoses, anti-freeze, rear gearbox mounting (old one had broken rubber shock absorber) etc - £3,119.02 (includes taking out old engine and re-building to return to Porsche GB)

New radiators - £400.00

Oxygen Sensor and diagnostics - £233.33

RAC Report - £94.00

Grand total - £11,171.60

Rgds

John

jesus!!! poor u, im flabergasted! (love that word) ... i paid just over 11,000 EUROS for my new engine, all inclusive...the only extra part i had to have installed was one new exhaust clamp for the end pipe, which they didnt charge me for because i moaned.

i was real upset about that because of the prices i saw qouted here for an engine change in the US where about the same in euros as in USD...no-one could tell me why an engine is cheaper in the US even considering it has to get there!! (or do they build them in mexico? that would explain some things :unsure: ) you obviously had to pay for the dismanteling/rebuilding of your old engine which makes it more costly, but it still looks like porsche just charge the same price irrespective of the currency or exchange rate!! :rolleyes: my tip: get it done in poland next time :lightbulb:

Actually, people from mexico take their cars to Texas porsche dealers because major parts are more expensive in Mexico.

I think it is just supply and demand. US lux car market is very competitive. Lexus, BMW, Merc are all fighting for the same segment. If porsche decides to charge $20K for a new engine, that will influence the used car market and introduce a major downside drift to resale. This in turn will drop the leasing residuals for the new cars and thus increase the costs of leasing, which will result in less cars being purchased.

UK car market is just generally quite krazy for some reason. I think comparable car models are selling for the same amount in $ vs. f.

With the exchange rate, you could have almost bought another 996 here in the States.

Thankfully, in US we would have to pay the same number for these repairs, but it would be in $

My 30K was about $900. I checked at a dealer in New Orleans and they quoted $1,200 for the 30K. I got the price down to $650 on the 60K by not have the oil changed, the air filter changed or the pollen filter changed.

I’m not sure the 30K and 60K services are a good value, other than oil, filters, spark plugs and top off fluids it’s basically an inspection.

Sure, but I fee like I have to get them done at a p-car dealer or lose the warranty.

Title says it all.

Local dealer quoted $850. Is that reasonable?

pk

Have a '99 C4 with a bit over 30,000 in Omaha, NE. I am expecting to bring it in for 30K service next month and was quoted from $600-$800 bucks from the local Porsche dealer.

Hmm, sounds like they are a bit high.

Title says it all.

Local dealer quoted $850. Is that reasonable?

pk

Nearly there!!!

Went to see new engine today. Hoping to be back on the road end of this week/early part of next week. Getting clued up on running in disciplines.

Porsche factory says no running in required. OPC says keep to 3,500-4,500 RPM tops for 1,000-2,000 miles. Oil change after 1,000 miles. I noticed a variance in the feedback from Lee's post re new engine. When you've paid for it out of your own pocket (so far), it gives you a different perpsective I guess.

Just waiting for official RAC report and then will forward to Porsche GB.

Rgds

John

That is a cool looking engine! Was there an option of getting a 3.8l instead?

Great idea!

Why don't you set up a paypal account and I'll forward you $25 toward the report costs!

New engine has arrived at the OPC ready for collection by the specialist early next week.

The RAC have offered to assist and have said they'd do some initial work with the photos I've sent to them to make sure they have the right level of expertise. Apparently one of their specialists is an ex-Porsche mechanic so I hope that will be an advantage. Porsche have also confirmed verbally that they will recognise and accept The RAC as a trusted report-provider. Whether they will take positive action on any resulting report will remain to be seen but at least it's a couple of steps further forward.

Have a good weekend.

Rgds

John

Keep us posted!

Sad, indeed. Sounds like porsche wants to move into the market of sports cars with disposable engines, too bad that ferrari already cornered it.

What really strikes me odd is how little aftermarket industry there is for rebuilding of 996 engines. In US, you're basically tied to the official dealers. 993 owners have a wide variety of options when presented with the need for engine rebuilding.

That way I think all of us can learn and understand the true value of extended warranty. I'm also going to seek some advice from any relevant Consumer Advice organisations and see what useful info I can obtain.

Any other suggestions?

Regards

John

That really sucks. Sounds like porsche is saying that their engines are not meant to last over 100K. Submitting this as a case to a consumer protection organization is a good idea that might have a long term payback. You would think that eventually there will be sufficient evidence to start a class-action law-suite. At that point, your case might be used for court proceedings.

The fact that it is attached with a double sided tape makes me think that this is not a good product.

There is a company in UK called autofarm.co.uk that sells porsche engines that have been rebuilt with properly strong sleeves. I don't think they have an US distrubutor.

The cylinder blocks/liners that Autofarm use are made by Perfect Bore in Andover, UK (http://www.perfectbore.com). It might be worth contacting them to see if they have a US distributor.

Yep.

I really like what they are doing. Like turning 3.6l blocks into properly strong 3.8l blocks for less money than porsche would charge you for a 3.6l replacement. Hopefully they will recognize that US could be a lucrative market for them and open a local distribution center.

I have a v1 and it's saved my keister plenty of times. The dang thing falses ALOT though, Driving through town it's pretty much useless...but for the expressway its awesome!

Indeed! To the point of me just switching it off!

Now, on deserted TX interstates, I can see LEOs driving with their radars on from about 15 miles away!!!

Sometimes it is even annoying, I have to drive for minutes, before I get visual

You didn't say if you really wanted to spend that much to repair the car, so have you considered an engine from a wrecker?

Just curious how this level of repair compares with other less expensive cars?

(you may have noticed that I am not used to this level of repair, read expensive)

I can only talk about corvettes. There a used engine in an excellent condition will set you up between $2 and $5K

You didn't say if you really wanted to spend that much to repair the car, so have you considered an engine from a wrecker?

Just curious how this level of repair compares with other less expensive cars?

(you may have noticed that I am not used to this level of repair, read expensive)

Al,

No I don’t want to spend $13,000 on a remanufactured engine but I also don’t think the option of getting an engine from a salvage operator would be any better. The remanufactured engine comes with just about everything expect the AC compressor whereas a salvage yard would likely sell just sell the block. That how it is done with domestic car I wouldn’t think it would be any different with a Porsche. Most likely there wouldn’t be any warranty whereas the Porsche rebuilt engine comes with a two year unlimited miles warranty. Then there is the uncertainty of the condition of the used engine i.e. RMS and intermediate shaft. I would also have to find a quality shop to remove the old engine and install the replacement engine. I’m sure I could save some money but I’m not sure how much and I wouldn’t have a warranty.

A found a company on the web, Motor Meister, out of California that sells rebuilt 3.4L engines for $6,000 with a rebuildable exchange. The remanufactured engine from Porsche with all the improvements cost $8,129 with the exchange plus a couple of hundred more for antifreeze, Freon and oil. The labor estimate comes in at 36 hours at $102.50 per hour.

There is a company in UK called autofarm.co.uk that sells porsche engines that have been rebuilt with properly strong sleeves. I don't think they have an US distrubutor.

According to this : http://www.autofarm.co.uk/new.php3/911PW_Apr06.pdf

You might have a cracked cylinder wall in either cylinder 2 or 5 (e.g. a middle cylinder).

Congrats on the new purchase. I just bought a '02 C2 coupe and wanted a warranty too. You can purchase one directly through www.warrantydirect.com. I did a lot of research and they seem to be the best one out there, not to mention the ONLY one available in California (only one cleared by the state). Go to the website for quotations. They have a few different options. I bought a 4 year 75,000 mile bumper to bumper EXclusionary for my car.

Good Luck.

Have you had a chance to try it out yet? I've heard some bad stories of people dealing with warranty direct and warranty gold.

If I am stopped on a hill on ice & the rear wheels spin constantly without the front wheels pulling, is something broken on my car or is this a normal response?

I think it is a "normal" responce. As I understand the 4S system is not anywhere as advanced as AWD on either WRX or EVO. It is also not designed for "heavy" slippery driving. It is good in the rain and adds some perfomance, but it doesn't make a car a good ice driver.

Good luck with Carmax. Colleague of mine had a time with them on his fiancee's car. They were fine about 'fixing' things but they never did the work they said they did. Though he did manage to get them to pay for an independent shop to do the work.

Yes, I actually called the local p-car dealer and they said that they work with carmax warranty terms and do bill carmax directly.

Well, that pretty much confirms my fears. It is indeed kind of sad that porsche won't do a CPO on a privatly owned car. Other car brands such as bmw offer this service.

Now, because of that I'm actually looking at carmax as a source of my car. Carmax will sell you an "exclusion" base warranty that will be honored in both carmax stores and private/dealer-based shops.

Also, it is usually the oil that gets into the water since it is under higher pressure and you see it floating on top of the radiator.

So, is this the sign of a blown head gasket? It could pertain to another vehicle I have...

It could be it, esp if it is a GM car. Or a cracked block. Either way it is not a good sign.

I think it would be prudent to drain the oil and actually see whether there is water there or not. The fact that the oil is "elevated" might not mean much.

Usually when water gets into oil you gonna see it first by clouds of white smoke from your exhaust. Also, it is usually the oil that gets into the water since it is under higher pressure and you see it floating on top of the radiator. Also, your hot engine oil will have "milky white" appearance due to vapor bubles.

I bet you just have a minor leak where water just hits something hot and evaporates!

Just bought my dream car--2003 996 c4 convertible--silver w black leather interior. Beautiful. 16,000 miles one owner lease. Having debate with some friends...buy or not buy extended warranty? from local dealership or elsewhere? Came through PPI w flying colors. Went out of warranty about 1 month before purchase. help?

Congrats on the new member of the family! I bought my 2003 C4 cab back in May. Mine's midnight blue/beige and I got it CPO @ HBL Porsche in the DC area. So far, I have had pretty good luck with the car. My one experience with Porsche service was pretty favorable but if I had been paying the bill it would have been over $2000 to fix an exhaust rattle and chase a ghost in one of the gauges. So, I guess it depends on how much the warranty is going to cost. I'm very happy that I have two more years...

Tim

You know, I've asked a local p-car dealer if they would do a CPO on a used, but still-under-the-warranty car and they assured me that it can't be done! They said that the only way a p-car dealer can issue a CPO status is by selling a used car. So I guess it was the usual dealer BS, then? How much did you pay to CPO a car?

Both are normal.

The clutch release may seem high compared to other cars - but the clutch is hydraulic so that is where it is.

The noise at startup is likely the hydraulic lifters. If the car hasn't been started for a few days this is normal. It should go away in the first 2-3 minutes.

Thanks

so both noises are normal and not indicative of any impeding problems?

I went to look at a 2001 M6 cab at the local carmax lot. I've noticed that clutch did not engage till the very top of the pedal travel. That isn't normal, right?

When I started the car, there was a pretty loud tapa-ti-tap sound to the engine, which continued to be present until the engine warmed up. Sounded like chevy piston slap or the car was low on oil (it wasn't)

The car had over 60K miles and three owners. It was sensible priced at $38K, but I think you get what you pay for, right?