Stress free Porsche ownership.
11-07-2012, 07:52 PM
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Stress free Porsche ownership.
It occurred to me that since my family is on our third Porsche I am in a reasonably good position to provide some amateur guidance on the maintenance and repair of these vehicles, professional advice is to be made by real automotive technicians which I am not!
First, don’t fix what is not broken;
This is the golden rule of owning a Porsche especially a 911 of the air cooled variety.
If the car starts easily and runs reliably do not consider any actions that involve internal engine repairs. A slight cycling of the RPM on cold days, a small stumble on acceleration when the engine is cold or in very hot weather, an engine that uses some oil between oil changes, this is normal stuff.
It is an error to invert the basic rule of controlling the cost of having your car repaired by going for the most invasive work first suggested to you by a Service Advisor or Technician. If your father’s vintage hips ache on cold damp mornings does he go for a hip replacement first thing? I think not! Start with the cheap obvious things. If the car starts easily and runs reliably but you feel it idles a little rough do the simple stuff. Replace the rotor and distributor cap and make sure your air filter is clean. If this does not solve your problem you may just want to let it go. On the later 911 you even have an on-board diagnostic check engine light on the dash that tells you if something really should be investigated.
At times I feel there should be a twelve step program for Porsche owners. You know the line “accept the things I should not fix, have courage to fix the things I must and have the wisdom to know the difference”
Be very cautious when considering repair or maintenance procedures suggested to you that involve removing the engine from the car;
In the case of a 911 removing the engine involves a lot of additional labor hours and disturbing a large number of fasteners, mounts, electrical, fuel, other interfaces and items that by the time a car is ten+ years old are best not disturbed any more times than necessary. Putting it all back together in a local service shop does not approach the level of control in place at the factory when it was put together in the first place. I like to think it is reasonable to drive a Porsche 150K mile with only having the engine out once.
Outside of oil changes I tend to let any significant elective engine maintenance go until a new clutch is needed which is in the 60K to 100K point in the car’s life. During these once or maybe twice in the car’s life activities consider other stuff while improved access to the engine reduces the amount of labor to do them. Things like replacing the spark plugs, ignition wires, sound insulation mat and the harder to get at stuff like the power steering belt (993), 1st & 2nd gear synchros and the hydraulic cartridges (993) and don’t forget factory updates if needed or desired.
On the 993 it is no longer necessary to remove the engine to service the transmission or clutch however if you are considering the other items above it may simply end up resulting in fewer labor hours and a better job to have the engine out to do them all at once.
Fight the urge to do performance upgrades to the suspension, engine or drive-train:
My background includes automotive related engineered products. One thing I have learned working with engineers in manufacturing is that “Quality” is defined differently in the manufacturing community than it is for the car buying public.
For a manufacturing engineer “Quality” is meeting the minimum standards of service life and performance expected by the market at the lowest possible manufactured cost. In many cases “Quality” projects are sometimes called “cost out” projects. For example replacing a bearing with a lower cost bushing in a design and testing to see if it still meets minimum service life standards.
I am sure Porsche has mastered this approach over the years enabling it to provide cars that generally meet customer durability and performance expectations at reasonable prices while generally being profitable as an operation. In the case of engines and drive-train components this involves constant cycles of redesign where cost is removed from manufacturing while massive and expensive testing takes place to ensure that minimum service life expectations are met. In manufacturing it is ok to reduce a product’s service life if one can lower cost and still meet the minimum expectations of the customer.
The outgrowth of this approach is that a manufacturer of high reputation such as Porsche has likely designed an engine and transmission with a minimum target service life of 100K miles without internal component failure. It also suggests that any aftermarket changes such as replacing the ignition system chip or upping the engine’s performance in any way will likely significantly reduce engine and drive train service life. Even after market upgrades such as stiffer struts creates all sorts stresses on car components that were never envisioned in OE testing. For example why do windshields spontaneously shatter on certain 911s? I bet unintended twisting forces and vibration encountered with those spiffy aftermarket “upgraded” extra stiff shocks/coilovers in combination with those sweet 18” wheels has something to do with it.
Take some time to understand the machine you now own:
Do some of the simpler maintenance items on the car yourself to help you become familiar with your Porsche’s workings. Porsche vehicles are heavily engineered machines that in many cases are mechanically unlike other cars you own. Spending some time learning how to replace wheel-end brake components is time well spent in understanding the layout, form and function of the brakes and suspension system. Changing the oil will provide the opportunity to observe the engine and its layout. These are useful experiences helping you develop an understanding of your Porsche so you can evaluate the reasonableness of quotes you receive for service work when more complex procedures such as replacing struts or a clutch is suggested.
Search out alternate methods to having work done. For example if you have a 993 with a leaking steering rack you can have it swapped out for anywhere from $1200 to $4000 depending on the source of the rebuilt rack and who does the work. If you are adventurous you can make it a DIY project sending out your own rack to have it rebuilt and complete the job for as little as $350.
Do not fear a little blue smoke. At some point in a 911’s life they will all blow a little smoke. If the car starts and idles easily the oil seepage past the rings is not enough to foul the plugs the smoke is likely not an indication of the need for an engine-out complete top end or engine rebuild. I wonder how much internal engine wear really happens in 911 engines using modern synthetic oil seeing that many of them were born before synthetic oil existed and they lasted a very long time even before the newer lubricants were available.
Have fun personalizing you car in small ways that can be done at the kitchen table:
Stapling alternate color leather to the inside door panels, Putting spray painted rings around your dashboard gauges, painting the ignition lock cover plate to match the exterior of your car, adding remote entry to an older car with electric door locks – all worthy, fun and easy things to make your car your own.
Do not fear minor accidents! – Look at minor body or collision damage as an opportunity.
Did you bump a pole in a parking lot while pulling into a parking space at Target? Fixing it is an opportunity to also fix all those annoying hood paint chips that have been accumulating over the years. Come to think of it if you are involved in an accident involving another car you will only pay for the badly needed bumper repaint you wanted to do anyway if you are handed a ticket by the officer, statistically half the time the other driver will pay for the work– kind of like getting a 50% discount.
I hope you find this amateur’s guidance valuable or at least humorous as you expand you understanding of these great road going machines. Accept it at your own risk.
Best regards,
Andy Hess
First, don’t fix what is not broken;
This is the golden rule of owning a Porsche especially a 911 of the air cooled variety.
If the car starts easily and runs reliably do not consider any actions that involve internal engine repairs. A slight cycling of the RPM on cold days, a small stumble on acceleration when the engine is cold or in very hot weather, an engine that uses some oil between oil changes, this is normal stuff.
It is an error to invert the basic rule of controlling the cost of having your car repaired by going for the most invasive work first suggested to you by a Service Advisor or Technician. If your father’s vintage hips ache on cold damp mornings does he go for a hip replacement first thing? I think not! Start with the cheap obvious things. If the car starts easily and runs reliably but you feel it idles a little rough do the simple stuff. Replace the rotor and distributor cap and make sure your air filter is clean. If this does not solve your problem you may just want to let it go. On the later 911 you even have an on-board diagnostic check engine light on the dash that tells you if something really should be investigated.
At times I feel there should be a twelve step program for Porsche owners. You know the line “accept the things I should not fix, have courage to fix the things I must and have the wisdom to know the difference”
Be very cautious when considering repair or maintenance procedures suggested to you that involve removing the engine from the car;
In the case of a 911 removing the engine involves a lot of additional labor hours and disturbing a large number of fasteners, mounts, electrical, fuel, other interfaces and items that by the time a car is ten+ years old are best not disturbed any more times than necessary. Putting it all back together in a local service shop does not approach the level of control in place at the factory when it was put together in the first place. I like to think it is reasonable to drive a Porsche 150K mile with only having the engine out once.
Outside of oil changes I tend to let any significant elective engine maintenance go until a new clutch is needed which is in the 60K to 100K point in the car’s life. During these once or maybe twice in the car’s life activities consider other stuff while improved access to the engine reduces the amount of labor to do them. Things like replacing the spark plugs, ignition wires, sound insulation mat and the harder to get at stuff like the power steering belt (993), 1st & 2nd gear synchros and the hydraulic cartridges (993) and don’t forget factory updates if needed or desired.
On the 993 it is no longer necessary to remove the engine to service the transmission or clutch however if you are considering the other items above it may simply end up resulting in fewer labor hours and a better job to have the engine out to do them all at once.
Fight the urge to do performance upgrades to the suspension, engine or drive-train:
My background includes automotive related engineered products. One thing I have learned working with engineers in manufacturing is that “Quality” is defined differently in the manufacturing community than it is for the car buying public.
For a manufacturing engineer “Quality” is meeting the minimum standards of service life and performance expected by the market at the lowest possible manufactured cost. In many cases “Quality” projects are sometimes called “cost out” projects. For example replacing a bearing with a lower cost bushing in a design and testing to see if it still meets minimum service life standards.
I am sure Porsche has mastered this approach over the years enabling it to provide cars that generally meet customer durability and performance expectations at reasonable prices while generally being profitable as an operation. In the case of engines and drive-train components this involves constant cycles of redesign where cost is removed from manufacturing while massive and expensive testing takes place to ensure that minimum service life expectations are met. In manufacturing it is ok to reduce a product’s service life if one can lower cost and still meet the minimum expectations of the customer.
The outgrowth of this approach is that a manufacturer of high reputation such as Porsche has likely designed an engine and transmission with a minimum target service life of 100K miles without internal component failure. It also suggests that any aftermarket changes such as replacing the ignition system chip or upping the engine’s performance in any way will likely significantly reduce engine and drive train service life. Even after market upgrades such as stiffer struts creates all sorts stresses on car components that were never envisioned in OE testing. For example why do windshields spontaneously shatter on certain 911s? I bet unintended twisting forces and vibration encountered with those spiffy aftermarket “upgraded” extra stiff shocks/coilovers in combination with those sweet 18” wheels has something to do with it.
Take some time to understand the machine you now own:
Do some of the simpler maintenance items on the car yourself to help you become familiar with your Porsche’s workings. Porsche vehicles are heavily engineered machines that in many cases are mechanically unlike other cars you own. Spending some time learning how to replace wheel-end brake components is time well spent in understanding the layout, form and function of the brakes and suspension system. Changing the oil will provide the opportunity to observe the engine and its layout. These are useful experiences helping you develop an understanding of your Porsche so you can evaluate the reasonableness of quotes you receive for service work when more complex procedures such as replacing struts or a clutch is suggested.
Search out alternate methods to having work done. For example if you have a 993 with a leaking steering rack you can have it swapped out for anywhere from $1200 to $4000 depending on the source of the rebuilt rack and who does the work. If you are adventurous you can make it a DIY project sending out your own rack to have it rebuilt and complete the job for as little as $350.
Do not fear a little blue smoke. At some point in a 911’s life they will all blow a little smoke. If the car starts and idles easily the oil seepage past the rings is not enough to foul the plugs the smoke is likely not an indication of the need for an engine-out complete top end or engine rebuild. I wonder how much internal engine wear really happens in 911 engines using modern synthetic oil seeing that many of them were born before synthetic oil existed and they lasted a very long time even before the newer lubricants were available.
Have fun personalizing you car in small ways that can be done at the kitchen table:
Stapling alternate color leather to the inside door panels, Putting spray painted rings around your dashboard gauges, painting the ignition lock cover plate to match the exterior of your car, adding remote entry to an older car with electric door locks – all worthy, fun and easy things to make your car your own.
Do not fear minor accidents! – Look at minor body or collision damage as an opportunity.
Did you bump a pole in a parking lot while pulling into a parking space at Target? Fixing it is an opportunity to also fix all those annoying hood paint chips that have been accumulating over the years. Come to think of it if you are involved in an accident involving another car you will only pay for the badly needed bumper repaint you wanted to do anyway if you are handed a ticket by the officer, statistically half the time the other driver will pay for the work– kind of like getting a 50% discount.
I hope you find this amateur’s guidance valuable or at least humorous as you expand you understanding of these great road going machines. Accept it at your own risk.
Best regards,
Andy Hess
Last edited by pp000830; 11-07-2012 at 08:02 PM. Reason: edits
11-07-2012, 09:24 PM
#3
great write-up and agree that living with the quirks\personality of this living machine is the key to ownership, sanity and financial responsibility. maintenance is key and with the simplicity of the cars design you don't need to do very much to keep it humming.
one area that surprised me is performance upgrades to suspension - I think replacing and moving over to an upgraded coilover setup is justified and it doesn't move the setup out of the designed spec.. maybe you were referring to major upgrades. All upgrades to add additional stress is a domino effect and will cause other things to wear - totally agree here!
There are a lot of things that you can simply do to tighten up our old beasts and keep it in the modern supercar class - many of these are wear parts which suffer rubbers shelf life
- engine\transmission mounts
- control arm bushings
- SSK\golden rod shifter - delete the rubber bushing!!!
- Suspension
- New tires - this is a BIG one I saw when shopping for mine.. thread levels were mostly good, but age was ALWAYS bad! I think every new used car purchase should include new tires (possibly alignment) as its the most critical\only thing touching the ground
keep driving the hard!!
phil.
one area that surprised me is performance upgrades to suspension - I think replacing and moving over to an upgraded coilover setup is justified and it doesn't move the setup out of the designed spec.. maybe you were referring to major upgrades. All upgrades to add additional stress is a domino effect and will cause other things to wear - totally agree here!
There are a lot of things that you can simply do to tighten up our old beasts and keep it in the modern supercar class - many of these are wear parts which suffer rubbers shelf life
- engine\transmission mounts
- control arm bushings
- SSK\golden rod shifter - delete the rubber bushing!!!
- Suspension
- New tires - this is a BIG one I saw when shopping for mine.. thread levels were mostly good, but age was ALWAYS bad! I think every new used car purchase should include new tires (possibly alignment) as its the most critical\only thing touching the ground
keep driving the hard!!
phil.
11-07-2012, 09:27 PM
#4
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While I generally agree with most points here... the suspension is a different story. i'd rather introduce (minute) stresses to the car than kill myself spinning in a turn because of dead Monroes (which are, like most parts of a street car are a compromise and a wrong compromise in case of a 993).
Also, don't forget that every engineering culture is different. German engineering culture tends to value performance and durability instead of reliability. That is obvious in a number of places in a 993 and much more obvious in any given BMW for those of us who owned a few. For those of us for whom reliability is paramount... we should own Toyotas, an I'm saying it in all seriousness. it tends to be therapeutic too.
Also, don't forget that every engineering culture is different. German engineering culture tends to value performance and durability instead of reliability. That is obvious in a number of places in a 993 and much more obvious in any given BMW for those of us who owned a few. For those of us for whom reliability is paramount... we should own Toyotas, an I'm saying it in all seriousness. it tends to be therapeutic too.
11-07-2012, 10:37 PM
#5
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Realistically, removing the drivetrain is pretty much a slam-dunk. Sure, there is more weight/balance to deal with on a 3.6/6-speed than a 2.0 carb/901, but it's all pretty modular. Look at any of the race cars (factory or home-built)--most have the drivetrain removed between events. I'll wager a 993 Cup or GT2 that had a full life back in the day has had the drivetrain R&R'd 30-50 times by now, if it's not a museum piece.
11-07-2012, 10:43 PM
#6
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Keep it simple. keep it stock. (or as close to stock as one can)
Live with wear and tear, dings and dangs.
Preventitive and routine maintenance are the most important expenses.
This is how i live with my 993 as a street car.
Live with wear and tear, dings and dangs.
Preventitive and routine maintenance are the most important expenses.
This is how i live with my 993 as a street car.
Last edited by tcsracing1; 11-08-2012 at 10:00 AM.
11-07-2012, 11:29 PM
#7
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Good post! Agree with most items, and I am definitely taking a different approach with the Turbo vs. my old Targa.
On the Targa, I upgraded everything I could think of : shocks/ clutch/ wheels/ tires/ seats/ bumpers/ radio/ fenders/ lights/ foglights/ brakes/ mufflers/ exhaust tips/ speakers/ steering wheel /paint /trim and on and on. Lost my shirt when I sold it because you do not get much back for the mods you paid dearly for. I did learn what mods I liked and was willing to pay for vs. others that ended up being a waste of $$$.
On the Turbo, I now am much more careful to a)do mods that have value to me b)mods that can be removed from the car if and when its sold. When I sold the Targa, I should have stripped the car more, but I was so tired of the car that I did not have the energy to removed stuff... in retrospect that was a mistake.
Self-control and avoidance of the slippery slope is hard and it also sucks ... which is why many people just fall off the cliff..... weee!
Cheers,
Mike
On the Targa, I upgraded everything I could think of : shocks/ clutch/ wheels/ tires/ seats/ bumpers/ radio/ fenders/ lights/ foglights/ brakes/ mufflers/ exhaust tips/ speakers/ steering wheel /paint /trim and on and on. Lost my shirt when I sold it because you do not get much back for the mods you paid dearly for. I did learn what mods I liked and was willing to pay for vs. others that ended up being a waste of $$$.
On the Turbo, I now am much more careful to a)do mods that have value to me b)mods that can be removed from the car if and when its sold. When I sold the Targa, I should have stripped the car more, but I was so tired of the car that I did not have the energy to removed stuff... in retrospect that was a mistake.
Self-control and avoidance of the slippery slope is hard and it also sucks ... which is why many people just fall off the cliff..... weee!
Cheers,
Mike
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11-08-2012, 01:41 AM
#8
I'll be the one who disagrees with 2 of the points made above. I've owned my first 993 since 1998 (the 95) and added the second (the 97) this year. For all those years the cars have only been touched by one person (me):
1. If something on the car is broken or needs attention, it gets fixed. Period. As Ken states above, removal of the engine is time consuming but it's not that hard (especially with a lift) One of the best things about these cars is that they are complex enough to be challenging to work on, but not so complex that it's impossible. It's extremely rewarding for me to maintain my cars to a high level. No way I'm deferring repair/maintenance because I'm afraid of taking the car apart.
2. Having both a relatively stock 993 (the 97) and a modified 993 (the 95), I can unequivocally state that the 95 is far superior to the 97 in current form. In other words, Porsche left something on the table for those of us who have the motivation to improve the cars. The trick is to carefully pick your spots. If you look at my sig you'll see that the majority of the upgrades are factory Porsche parts. These have not and will not adversely affect the reliability of the car. Also remember that these cars were designed with the racetrack in mind and are certainly overbuilt in many regards. The set of coilovers like the KW on the 95 will hardly result in unreasonable strss on the car or broken windshields.
1. If something on the car is broken or needs attention, it gets fixed. Period. As Ken states above, removal of the engine is time consuming but it's not that hard (especially with a lift)
One of the best things about these cars is that they are complex enough to be challenging to work on, but not so complex that it's impossible. It's extremely rewarding for me to maintain my cars to a high level. No way I'm deferring repair/maintenance because I'm afraid of taking the car apart.2. Having both a relatively stock 993 (the 97) and a modified 993 (the 95), I can unequivocally state that the 95 is far superior to the 97 in current form. In other words, Porsche left something on the table for those of us who have the motivation to improve the cars. The trick is to carefully pick your spots. If you look at my sig you'll see that the majority of the upgrades are factory Porsche parts. These have not and will not adversely affect the reliability of the car. Also remember that these cars were designed with the racetrack in mind and are certainly overbuilt in many regards. The set of coilovers like the KW on the 95 will hardly result in unreasonable strss on the car or broken windshields.
11-08-2012, 01:55 AM
#9
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I went back and re-read this as I didn't get where a couple of posts were coming from re: suspension "upgrades". Silly me for missing a pertinent paragraph.
Anyway, when have we ever had a broken windshield from shock valving? Know how many hard offs I've had with 911s over the past 30 years? (Thankfully, only two have resulted in any kind of body damage.) Oddest one was the whole windshield popping out when I tried to do T2 at Willow Springs flat in the RS America. Went so far off I nearly ended up back at I-5......... (Yes, it's 30 miles away.) Safety crew brought the whole undamaged thing back to me in the paddock.
I agree most modifications are less than the sum of the parts. But few cause excessive strain on the chassis.
Anyway, when have we ever had a broken windshield from shock valving? Know how many hard offs I've had with 911s over the past 30 years? (Thankfully, only two have resulted in any kind of body damage.) Oddest one was the whole windshield popping out when I tried to do T2 at Willow Springs flat in the RS America. Went so far off I nearly ended up back at I-5......... (Yes, it's 30 miles away.) Safety crew brought the whole undamaged thing back to me in the paddock.
I agree most modifications are less than the sum of the parts. But few cause excessive strain on the chassis.
11-08-2012, 02:25 AM
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I am not sure which two points you are disagreeing with, but the point I was trying to make is that I am trying to be careful on which mods to put on the car rather than do it all like I did on the Targa - I would still do a complete shock/coilover replacement since the net benefit is so large - but do a high-end stereo - perhaps not.
Cheers,
Mike
Cheers,
Mike
11-08-2012, 02:36 AM
#11
Hey Mike,
I was referencing two points in the OP's post not yours. Note my comment regarding being selective with mods. Think we're saying the same thing.
Cheers,
Joe
I was referencing two points in the OP's post not yours. Note my comment regarding being selective with mods. Think we're saying the same thing.
Cheers,
Joe
11-08-2012, 02:45 AM
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11-08-2012, 09:22 AM
#13
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Thank You
Thanks for the great comments. Some good food for thought!
11-08-2012, 10:29 AM
#15
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