When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
Impulse purchase now being inspected and serviced at OPC
Impulse got the better of me when I went to view this car so now I am documenting what happens next and hopefully I will learn some lessons from this. So far it's just been on the ramp at the centre and I'm waiting to hear back about a few issues seen underneath. The only thing I have noticed is a 'failure indicator' intermittent problem where the oil pressure gauge goes to zero.
Bit of oil evident at the back
Discs may need attention soon - or maybe just some hard braking...
I hate to burst your balloon but there is much more than a small oil leak on that car. Look at the oil pan. It is covered in oil. I hope for your sake that it is a spray pattern that I am seeing coming from the oil leak which you are seeing.
Turns out it is not oil but coolant weeping from the pipes going into the engine. Recommended to replace which is an engine out job. Is there anything else I should have done as preventative maintenance at the same time?
Some details of the car - 2002 Carrera 2 Targa - 63,000 miles 3 previous owners, full OPC service history. Last major service @60k miles.
Well it's not great that it's an engine out job this early after you've bought it but at least you'll know it's sorted when you get it back.
Air oil separator is a big job when the engines in place that would be my recommendation. It's not an overly expensive part but worth it if you dont have records of it being replaced. As well as the coolant tank, again not an expensive part but an expensive job with the engine in place.
Also spark plugs and tubes as it's easier with the engine out.
Turns out it is not oil but coolant weeping from the pipes going into the engine. Recommended to replace which is an engine out job. Is there anything else I should have done as preventative maintenance at the same time?
Some details of the car - 2002 Carrera 2 Targa - 63,000 miles 3 previous owners, full OPC service history. Last major service @60k miles.
Manual. Looks like some big bills will be coming my way.
With engine already out, good time to check/repair/replace: AOS, RMS, IMSB, clutch, coils/plugs, WP/tank/t-stat/hoses, chain tensioners and so much more......get that wallet ready for this POST-purchase inspection
P.S. Hope the price you paid was "low" enough to make the added $$$ worth it
All good suggestions re AOS, IMSB, RMS, etc. Intermittent oil pressure going to zero sounds like a oil pressure sender that needs replacing. It's also not a bad idea to replace the oil pressure relief valve piston and spring, as they go bad over time and are cheap to replace.
As someone mentioned, the coolant reservoir tank will get brittle over time, eventually developing leaks. Look for whitish residue on the left-hand (as you face the rear of the car) exhaust tip.
I hadn't thought you would need to do anything with the spark plug tubes on a 2002 996 ... I could be wrong, but I thought the Mk 2 redesign involved metal tubes (unlike the plastic tubes on my Mk 1) that do not require replacement. That said, you'll want to check your service records regarding coils and plugs.
Keep in mind that a lot of the stuff being recommended are things that you won't have to pay to do later , thus saving you money in the long run. If you deal with all of the stuff that is likely to break now, then you'll not have to spend more (probably much more) money in the future to fix them one-at-a-time. So, if you do end up spending $5,000 now, it likely means that you won't be spending $10,000 over the next 5 years to fix this stuff. It's not very hard to take a Porsche into the shop and run up a $1,000 bill fixing one problem.
If it was a 100k+ miles car you bought for $14,000, I'd say fix only the stuff that must be fixed to keep the car running. But, since it is a lower miles car that you probably invested quite a bit more into, then do what these guys are suggesting and get one very comprehensive service done that will minimize running costs for quite a while to come.
Oh, and if you do swap out the IMS bearing, be certain to take pics of the old bearing during the replacement to document that it wasn't failing at the time of replacement. Keep the old bearing if you can. The current mindset on IMS bearing replacement is that buyers should be suspicious if an IMS bearing was changed, especially if done right before selling the car, because the swap may have been done in response to the discovery of metal shavings in the oil.
I had an engine out service within 3 months of buying my C2, though it was elective for a pin hole leak in the oil cooler line that the PPI missed. Nearly a year later I'm impressed with the reliability given the level of performance and age. Daily driver when it's not cold.
Thanks all and sage advice. I have the health check from the OPC and I'm thinking about next steps. I had in mind that it would cost circa 2k to get into good condition but it seems the total will be way north of that. I am into the car for the equivalent of low $20s but as there are not many Targas about that seems a reasonable price. I did try a couple of other cars including a low-mileage mk1 cab. I guess I need to prioritise the jobs now but it seems the engine out items should take priority. Overall total from OPC is 10k although I'm not sure if that is for each item separately and whether labor costs would be reduced if doing it all at the same time.
Luckily one of the items is 'badges on centre caps loose' - I think I can DIY that one
03-24-2017, 05:55 AM
Impulse purchase now being inspected and serviced at OPC
