kyle944

Hi everyone! Yesterday I was driving my 1987 944 automatic on the interstate at around 70 MPH and suddenly I lost power. The car decelerated to 60. It was like the transmission had been put into neutral. I immediately pulled off to the shoulder, but as I was doing so, the brakes locked up and the car wouldn't move. I turned the car off and put it into Drive, then it drove forward a couple feet to a safe area and put it into Park.

I have never had an issue with the transmission before. It shifted smoothly and quietly every time I drove the car. I got the car towed to my Porsche dealership down the road, and they have yet to take a look at it. I was hoping I could get some input from you guys on what might be the problem. Thanks!

- Kyle

kyle944

I have decided that I no longer have any desire to own this car. With that said, I am going to be putting my 944 up for sale. I bought this car to fuel my passion for cars, but instead all it has done was make me appreciate my DD Camry even more. It's in way too good condition to part out. I will be asking $6,000 for my 1987 944 auto. Paint is immaculate, no stains on the interior, although the leather is cracked and worn on the drivers seat bolster. 17" factory black Boxster twists will be included as well as the stock phone dials. All major maintenance is up to date and documented. I want nothing to do with this car anymore.

Dougs951S

You might want to rethink that asking price. Nobody wants an auto 944, your car would be worth maybe half of what you are asking if it were in good mechanical condition. With the trans being messed up....quite a bit less. Regardless of how clean it is, in my honest opinion you shouldnt expect to get more than 1k for it.

944Ross

Did you ever figure out what was causing your left-rear wheel noise? I'm guessing this latest mishap is Round 2 of that issue.

Sadly, I have to agree on pricing and analysis. I'd guess 9 out of 10 potential buyers would figure to convert to 5-sp.

kyle944

I realize that nobody wants an automatic 944. However, I am going to get the transmission fixed and make it suitable for the next buyer. All the work has been performed by trained Porsche Classic technicians, as I am very meticulous about maintenance. I would also consider getting what I can for it at a scrap yard and just eating the cost of the car, in which case I would not get it fixed.

Dougs951S

I just dont understand your reasoning...neither of those two options are really very good ones. This car is a perfect partout candidate in my opinion, although I'm guessing since you have the car serviced by a garage that you dont turn your own wrenches? Scrapping the car is probably the worst idea, you'll get scrap metal price for it, under 500 dollars I'd guess. If you spend all that money and fix it, again you'll then have a ~2000 dollar car on your hands and you'll still be in the red compared to the cost of repairs after selling it. IMO it only makes sense to sell it cheap as is for parts or to someone who wants to 5 speed swap it, or just bite the bullet, fix it, and keep driving it. Unfortunately though, given the low value and low desirability of the car, there really isnt a good option that won't leave you with the short end of the stick. If you are comfortable getting scrap metal prices for it, ask a bit more than that and sell it to somebody who will part it and make use of it. If the scrap guy offers you 500, sell it to a lister for 700. I'd buy your car as-is for the right price if I had room for a third 944.

Sorry to be a debbie downer, just being brutally honest.

Dougs951S

Kyle, I reread your first post just now. I want you to do something for me. Get under the car and look at the axles...Make sure they are both still attached to the trans and to the rear hubs! What you described, along with Ross's comment concerning your wheel noise, now leads me to believe the transmission is fine and you simply either had an axle either come loose, or less likely break. Thats a cheap, easy fix and really common on 944's. I can't explain your brakes locking up, are you sure that's what happened?


In any case, the 944 auto trans is plenty beefy enough, and it shifts softly enough, that it really shouldnt ever fail. Nothing is bulletproof, but its an unlikely failure.

kyle944

Thanks! The car is at the dealership 40 miles away right now, but I am supposed to give them a call tomorrow morning and I will ask them to look under the car to see if that may be the issue.

Dougs951S

Cool, if it is an axle than came loose, it shouldnt take a tech more than 10 minutes to fix it, so figure being charged an hour's labor and be on your way. If the axle broke and needs to be replaced, it will still probably be under 500 parts + labor.

odonnell

Any chance it was an ABS failure? It sounds like there could have been a major electrical hiccup. My car (5 speed) locked up on the highway once, and the trans made a weird noise for the next 6 months until it eventually failed.

mel_t_vin

So, Kyle, what was the root cause of your issue?

techartisan

The root cause of kyles issues are owning a nearly 20 year old sportscar,
valuing it for what he has in it rather than what its worth,
but most importantly having factory mechanics do all the work.

Dougs951S

^^^^ Unfortunately you are right. Also, since we have not heard back, I would assume that it wasnt something simple like the axle coming loose and it was indeed a blown trans, in which case I doubt we'll ever hear back from kyle. Hopefully he sold the car for what it was actually worth and nobody was stupid enough to pay way too much to take a broken auto 944 off his hands.

jeffrsmith

When the tranny in my '87 died last summer (I had replaced the radiator and managed to run the trans low on ATF) I had a used unit I picked up from Craig's List for $250. Took me a weekend in my driveway to R&R car is running great again.

I believe that most of the AT cars go to the salvage yard because of either a TB break and no desire to repair, or the rubber damper disk lets go, and again due to the cost, there is no desire to repair - I think that AT unit is pretty solid, just is slow and not as sexy as a sports car with a manual gear box.

jackkthemackk

Update for you guys, spoke to him & he had the dealership fix the issue (I'm not sure what it was) under warranty & sold it recently for $5k.