Justitia

Thanks for your feedback.... I realize the thread is long and I gave a lot of info...but I only went to the dealer b/c my mechanic who has worked on my car for 10 years privately could no longer do so rather suddenly just as this problem developed. So I had to go where he worked during the day --which was at the dealer.

Yes, the 30,000 mile service replaced all the things the 30,000 mile service does, hoses, oil, etc.that is in the manual. When the car went back two weeks later it was b/c the camshaft was going and that and attendant parts and the timing belt were replaced.

The problem I am having I have had for about 6 weeks and was the reason I brought it up for the 30,000 mile service. But it is intermittent (but increasing in frequencey) and I absolutely trust my mechanic went over the car with as fine a tooth comb as he could...b/c he knows I will be looking for someone closer as I do not want to take the car to the dealer and pay those prices. And we have known each other for a long time...and I know he wants to make sure it is in as good a shape as possible. The problem just did not occur while he had the car..so he was not able to diagnose it.

But I am starting to look for someone down where I live as my other posts indicate...b/c you are right... in the long run he wiil not be able to give it the attention while at work, he coudl give it on his own time.

michaelathome

W/out reading the entire thread, how many miles do you have on your car? How long since your belts were replaced? They should be adjusted after 2-5K miles after replacing as they strech after heating up and getting some wear. What you are describing could also be a slipped tooth on the belt. If these cars are not adjusted correctly lots of bad things can happen. When they are running right? Well, I don't think that you would have held on to it for 20 years

More info please?

Michael

Justitia

I think the info you ask is in my post responding to your previous post. The 30,000 mile service was done 2 weeks ago and the camshaft with its and the timing belt were replaced two days ago. Too soon to be slipping. And as I said, this loss of power problem started about 6 weeks ago before any of this work was done.

Devia

Just the amount of money you have been dumping into your car - I'd look for another mechanic, like the one mentioned. Check them out.

I think what everyone has been suggesting, the sensors, is a good idea. Legoland951 is a good person to talk to, he helps me out here.

Go here, and learn about your car: www.clarks-garage.com

You can also do a search here in the archives!

Your car, btw, they are quoting you what THEY WOULD PAY, lol, and what a dealer might give you. Power issues fixed, you could get more, private party selling, around $5,000 or whatever the market will bear.

I strongly urge you to NOT sell it, but go to the other Mechanic Shop, and see if they can fix it all up. You seem to be paying top dollar. I think some of the stuff should've been fixed WHEN the engine was taken apart, btw - like the crankshaft, if I'm remembering what you said. Hm, engine apart, something looks worn, replace it, don't put it back together then wait for it to go!

Just the maintenance costs on the car makes me doubt the honesty of this mechanic - sounds like he was charging you top dollar for replacing waterpump, belts and other stuff every year, I dunno. but it sounds WRONG to me. You do NOT need a racing team guy on your car - you need someone you trust, and doesn't charge you an arm & a leg every time he sneezes! 944s aren't that complicated to work on. You should learn about your car, so you don't get ripped off.

Nice to see a fellow gal here, welcome.

- Julie

michaelathome

This is where I am a bit confused, I re-read the earlier posts. Your car has about 200K mikes and you just had the 30K service done? I know that what you are saying is that you have been doing 5's 15's 30's 60's 90's and so forth. I am guessing that past 100K, you started over from 0. If it were me and I was in your position, not doing the work on my car, I would take the car to someone unbiased, someone that doesn't know the cars history and have them do a PPI or Pre Purchase Inspection. I know that it is a drive but one place I would consider taking it to is Dulles Int'l Motorsports, Scott always has a slug of 944's at his shop and I think that he would give your 944 a fair once over. Just make sure that you call ahead as he tends to keep busy. Do this and then make a decision to keep or not.

As to the problems that you are experiencing, there are so many possible causes. Bad O2 sensor, dirty plugs, injectors needing service/rebuild, bad or plugged catalytic converter, worn rotor, cracked/old plug wires, loose grounds. The list could go on and on. Best thing to do IMO is ^^^ take it to someone that doesn't know the car and have them look it over. You know what you have had done to your car but the rest of us don't. It makes it a long shot at best to diagnose any problems that you are experiencing.

Also have you looked into your local PCA region yet? There is an event this sunday in fairfax that a lot of local enthusiasts will be at FYI. Here are some more local places to take a look at.

http://firstsettlers.proboards42.com
and
http://www.dorkiphus.com/

Once again good luck!

Michael

951North

1. Get a second opinion! If the maintenance cost are going to be large and you want to keep the car, I'd say park it for the winter, take a sober second look. You are apt to make heart felt or quick decisions if this is your only car.

2. Get a second car (good on gas) i.e. diesel jetta for the winter. Run it into the ground and by the time it's dead or sold hopefully you will have resolved your p-car issues...

If I were an original owner I'd never sell it.

Good luck.

alordofchaos

If you have the garage space and can swing the insurance, plates, etc., keeping your 944 and getting a reliable second used car is a great idea.

I've always had at least two cars (mostly bought used) since I bought my 924 in '87 or so, even when I was single. Added to the insurance, but very convenient at times. One car could be apart or at the shop for a week, no biggie.

Am I the only one, or does $1,500/$3,000 a year seem like a lot of money for routine maintenance? Even considering the hourly rate for a mechanic...

UDPride

I think you need to separate any emotional attachment from the car at this point. As the original owner, its been your baby. And it goes without saying anyone who can afford a new Porsche had their finances in order, their life in order, and knew the value of something when they saw it.

That said, other than you being the original owner, your car has no ubiquitous strong points. 1986 944s with 200,000 miles are not exactly in high demand on the used car market. For idiots like us who are looking for a track car - maybe. But for the average Joe (and most people who own Porsches are more average than we think), they will see 200,000 miles and run.

So you are at a crossroads. Do you keep a car that has negligible market value and keep dumping money into it, or do you get with this century and cut bait, and find something a little newer, cushier, and reliable.

My advice is dump the car. Dont take this the wrong way, but if you werent a woman and the car wasnt driven off the showroom floor by you, I think the song would be its time to just dump it and fine another car -- perhaps another used Porsche. The female/original owner thing makes for a good story among us dudes and like any dude, saving a woman and her car from the breaking point is the ultimate of chivalry. But once you cut to the facts, your car has hit the nursing home. When we send our parents to the nursing home, its not a death sentence by any means. You can still have fun and enjoy your days, but the truth is your best days are behind you and no nurses aid should try to convince you otherwise.

Its obvious you love the car and dont want to get saddled inside a coffin like a Corolla. Perhaps there is middle ground here. Given all the unknowns about the car and your mechanic issues, Id look into selling the car and trying to find a decent 968.

You said yourself the appeal of a newer car is starting to warm you up. An early 90s 968 will ride much better, drive better, handle as well, have more power, be more reliable, and hell, if you want to take it easy, find a 968 tiptronic and dont for one second apologize for it. For $15,000 youll find a nice 968 with half the miles you are currently burdened with. Miles arent everything, but you cant diecredit them either. Metal and wires and switches age too. Its not just about the engine.

I see this as a new chapter. A chance to take what the 944 started for you and move on to something more comfortable and practical for your busy lifestyle. If plunking down more change on a used 968 is not appealing, find something else to tie you over until you can get back in the saddle. Maybe an E30 BMW. A MR2. Whatever it takes.

In the end, follow your brain and not your heart. And let your instincts guide you. They are usually right. If something feels like its gonna skate down hill, it usually does. Its just a human sixth sense. Maybe the car has another 100,000 miles in it, but the real question is, do you have another 100,000 miles in it? I get the impression you dont. Time for a change. Wherever that road leads you.

michaelathome

I was thinking about that as well. It is hard to really say though as we do not have all of the history of the car. If large ticket items were replaced lets say 1 per year it is easy to see.

- Year 1 Clutch.
- Year 2 Brakes and Tires.
- Year 3 Belts rollers and WP.
- Year 4 Steering or suspension related issues.
- Year 5 Drivetrain related problems.
- Year 6 Start back at year 1.

Pretty sad as she is only putting 10K per year on the car. That is also not accounting for standard oil changes etc.

Oh well.

Michael

Porsche-O-Phile

Get another 944 as a second car!

Don 944 LA

Alright, a person from Balmor !!!!

I say Keep it !!!!

75ohm

Can we bump this thread? HEHE

Justitia

Well, you got back-up. My mechanic drove the car as his car (with my permission...actually I begged him to) and finally...FINALLY..the problem happened to him. So he is pretty sure it is fuel delivery but he hasn't isolated the cause yet. First, he has disconnectied the O2 sensor (which he replaced a few month back and the car drove lie a dream for a while) to take that out of the picture. Now he wants to drive it some more until he can figure it all out. (He has a ton of his own sports cars..he is not doing this for his pleasure..but more as a friend.)

For the moment I have to access my mechanic through the dealer (he used to work on my car privately, on the side just charging me $50/hr labor and his cost for after market parts or his cost when he took them home wholesale from the dealer where he works --but for various personal reasons, he can no longer do so.) SO I've been a little freaked about cost .

But the service manager has benn great. They are paying for the rental while htey look into this (been a week so far) and they are goign to charge rduced labor time and go to after market parts to keep my costs down. Never heard of a dealer do this before. But the service manager just took over from the previous one who abruptly quit and he is young. and he is just getting his teeth cut. And apparantly other customers have been yelling at him because he doesn't know as much as the previous service manager...who was pretty terrific but just decided to retire.

SO I think he is so grateful that I appreciate everythign he's doing, he is going out of his way for me.

So in the meantime, I am driving around in a brand new Jeep Liberty, which is actually kind of fun...but it ain't no Porsche.

Justitia

I really appreciate everyone's comment. I just got a call from the service manager to report what my mechanic found. My mechanic has been driving the car on and off for a week.

He is pretty sure that something is happening that prevents the car from getting a proper fuel delivery. He decided to unplug the oxygen sensor (which we replaced last April. Actually the car has been driving without a sensor (i.e., unplugged) for many years and we put it in order to pass the fuel emissions test, which worked.

He's been driving it with the sensor unplugged and the problem is much less but still there. He is not sure yet what it is, I am trying to remember the terms of possibilities: air filter is one, several other possibilities.

Basically he said it would be extremely time intensive to work on figuring it out and he is pretty sure that whatever has to be fixed , that it will be really expensive. He thought if I wanted to put money in it I should put it in front shocks which with after market parts would be $1000 (I am now paying dealer prices here.)

He hates saying it and so does the service manager because they know I love the car, but that the car has reached it's point that I should let it go. I think the scenario of original owner damsel in distress presented below has definitely been at play. I do trust my mechanics' judgment. I am pretty sure if he were working privately for me when the cost would be much lower, he would still say the same.

I don't have a second car, and I am not in a situation to have one. I live downtown, where parking is $150 a month. I cannot really afford a second car either, with the insurance etc.

But more importantly, he thinks that this is just the beginning. That the car has reached the point where one after another thing will go wrong. That is why he says to let it go.

But man, they were really hesitant to tell me that. They know I love the car.

I am concerned about buying a newer second hand Porsche. I could end up in the same boat.

But i have been driving this Porsche for nearly 20 years. When I was married our other car was the SAB 900 Turbo, which was also great. Before that I was driving my mother-in-law's old Mercedes Benz. Those are pretty much the only cars I drove in my life, except when I was in grad school I drove an old ford falcon station wagon. Being an NYC girl, I had no need of a car until my mid-20's

So this is breaking my heart. But I think I need to let the car go eventually. I can't do the work myself and it looks like it will now be an on-going problem.

So I think I am going to follow my mechanic's advice, drive the car with the sensor unplugged for as long as I can, not replace the shocks -- no more money being sunk in it. And try during that time to think of an alternative. Also to find a non-dealer mechanic down here.

I wish I was financially well-off to get another new Porsche. I am not. I am not sure what I could sell it for to help with buying another car -- and what to get? What compares to a Porsche?

So in the message below, and others, the suggestion has been for a used 968 for about $15,000.

Any suggestions about how I might go about this? Aggh, I wish someone was here to help me.

I hope my car will last another 6 months before dying. I don't think I can afford to get another car before then.

tifosiman

Did he wear a black hankercheif over his face and a cowboy hat when he told you the above statement? Because that is highway robbery.

You need to find an independant mechanic, even if he is not a p-car specialist a lot of independant shops specialize in German cars in general and are good enough to deal with fuel delivery problems and certainly shocks/struts. The mechanic has made a mountain out of a molehill here.

If you want to keep it, follow the above advice. If you want to sell it, after all it is only a car.............then sell it. But it would be worth getting it fixed anyway before you sell it to someone else, if for nothing else other than making certain you don't have to give it away for a song.