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I am looking at the purchase of a 2005 Turbo S that appears to have 2 small coolant leaks from the head gasket as you can see in the picture. The cost to replace is $5,000 which the owner would like to split with me. I have asked to reduce the price of the car and take it as is. There is no pooling or loss of coolant.
Well, my first thought is to advise you to keep looking. A head gasket leak of the Turbo engine is rare. I don't like finding one that has a leak.
Since Turbo engine head gasket leaks are rare there is not much history to go on.
But with other engines and the Turbo engine is no different in this regard is a problem with the leak is it may have compromised the sealing surfaces of the head and block. Thus a new gasket might not reseal. The head or block may require a clean up cut to restore the surface.
If this is required -- and one won't know until the engine is out and the head off -- this can add considerably to the cost of the repair.
I have to ask how much confidence do you have regarding the diagnosis? The leak may not be a head gasket leak at all but a leak from a coolant hose fitting. These are a known source of coolant leaks.
If by some means the head gasket can be dismissed as a leak source and the leak determined to be coming from more likely a coolant hose fitting the engine has to come out and these fittings either welded or pinned and re-glued (epoxied) which is not an inexpensive job but does not involve removing the head.
I have seen this over the years. Don't just assume that it's the head gasket. It can also be porosity in the cylinder head.. As Blockhed mentioned, this is NOT a $5000 fix. If you need the head repaired or a new one, you could be in this $8500 to 10K...
Unless you plan on doing this right and taking motor out and apart I'd say bail. Who came up with the total of 5k? Plus doing one side and not taking care of the other side is like changing 3 tires instead of all 4.
Thanks for all your input. The coolant leak was found by a Porsche dealer. The present owner is not a technical guy. The diagnosis that it was a head gasket leak was my own. The leak appears to be on a single cylinder at 2 different points. I have read about numerous other points of coolant leaks, however I do not see how a hose or any other leak could cause this localized problem. Porosity could be the problem which would be much more expensive as has been mentioned.
The $5,000 price came from the dealership via the owner. I too was surprised about the $, however maybe my diagnosis is incorrect. It appears from your replies that no one has seen this before?
Thanks for all your input. The coolant leak was found by a Porsche dealer. The present owner is not a technical guy. The diagnosis that it was a head gasket leak was my own. The leak appears to be on a single cylinder at 2 different points. I have read about numerous other points of coolant leaks, however I do not see how a hose or any other leak could cause this localized problem. Porosity could be the problem which would be much more expensive as has been mentioned.
The $5,000 price came from the dealership via the owner. I too was surprised about the $, however maybe my diagnosis is incorrect. It appears from your replies that no one has seen this before?
J
While the diagnosis by the dealer is head gasket, I do not believe the head gasket is bad. For a head gasket to fail in just one location is very rare with these engines. But to have two bad spots in the gasket?
Porosity is also a possibility but this too is rare. And from two different places. Sorry, I just can't accept that as an explanation.
There are a number of coolant hoses and lines and even a large coolant tank above the engine. The odds are very high it is one of these leaking.
Assuming I'm right, it could still be an engine out job to put this right, so the repair cost while not $5K could be rather high.
Regardless, I'm not sure were I you I would buy this car. While I do not think the leak is a head gasket or engine porosity, obviously I could be wrong. So there's that.
Even if you managed to get a $5K break on the price if the leak does prove to be a head gasket or engine porosity well, $5K is only a down payment for the total cost of the repair. If the engine could be unrepairable a replacement engine is very expensive and that $5K pales in comparison.
Unless you are a gambler and have good luck with these types of gambles, my advice is to walk away.
Or somehow work out a deal that has the original owner having the car repaired before you buy it. You will have to make it clear the work has to be done by a reputable shop and come with as much warranty as possible, warranty that transfers to the new owner (you, in this case). Dealer repairs come with a one year labor, 2 year/24K mile parts warranty, IIRC. Indy shops who knows?
Really, though the best course of action is to just walk away.
The first rule of used car buying is there is always another car.
Macster, thanks, I really do appreciate your insights. I have a call in to the Porsche dealer to directly ask them about their diagnosis. The owner does want to remedy this before he sells it.
Folks, an update on the leak. I sent the picture to a local independent near where I live in Charlotte, Eurowerks. They felt it was a leak in the head gasket on that side, caused either by a faulty gasket or deformation of the head caused by overheating.
The labor for R&R both heads was $4,650 @ 47 hours. An extra $600-$800 if the heads required machining.
Run, aluminum heads don't take kindly to overheating. Even machining sometimes can't fix a warped head.
I would walk away. There are so many more cars better then this.
09-12-2014, 05:09 PM
2005 Turbo S Coolant Weeping
