I bought this car about 8 months ago and it has kept me pi$$ed of pretty consistantly since then. It is an 86 and everything was great when I bought it. The PPI showed nothing more than a little "aging issues" with the leather interior, 50% tread left on tires and the stereo was hooked up "live" so you have to manually turn it off after turning off the key. I thought, well, I can certainly deal with that, not a real mechanical issue at all! A week later, the AC quit. That was ok, I only drive it 1 day a week (if that) so I'm still happy. I'll just drive with the windows and sunroof open, I love that V8 growl anyway. January, the sunroof stops working. I park the car in the garage and do not drive it for 2 months. I've only put about 800 miles on it all together. I had bought a Boxster in the meantime, because I can't stand not having a Porsche to drive (that was a whole different mistake) I break the 928S out again in March when the weather starts getting nice. I drive it about 200 miles over the course of 3 weeks and guess what? The rear wiper quits, the cruise doesn't work ( I don't know when that quit), and the car seems to have developed a miss. It just seems to be running crappy, no smoke or anything, just loss of power between 3000 and 4000 rpm's. I park the car, again! I start planning to sell it. I hate little nit-picking things like this (should have bout a Honda, huh?). I find a replacement car ('90 944S2 cab) and I go out to get my car ready for a trip to Tulsa to get it gone over by Tom Charlseworth, so it will be ready to sell and guess what? There are 3 or 4 drops of oil under it! Could something else please go wrong? I have owned this thing for 8 months, driven 1200 miles and I am thoroughly burned out on 928 ownership. Ebay is on the horizon for this little jewel.
Thanks for letting me vent.

 

We all feel for you. I wouldn't be surprized if your fuses are starting to go south. Good luck with the auction.

 

Thanks for issuing a public warning on not purchasing your 928...

Seriously: I'm very sorry you had these kind of experiences. The 928 is a very complex car, but if maintained and driven regularly, the symptoms you describe are not typical. Personally, I think that everything you describe with the exception of the sunroof has to do with aging or not driving it regularly enough.

On an 18 year old 928, leaks in the AC are fairly common - both in the freon as well as the vacuum system. Besides, it could be a simple heater valve problem - a cheap part that you can replace yourself (under the air filter housing).

The miss could be ignition related. Does your car still have the first wires? That would be a place to start. Very simple, very basic issue.

Also, both of the above and the cruise control could be related to the vacuum system - one slipped hose might be all your problem!

Where is the oil leak - under the engine or under the transmission? Either way, it is known that 928s that are not driven regularly do develop oil leaks. I have had a few fixed on my car, and make it a point to not let it sit more than 2 weeks. But sometimes I'm a bad girl, and the car gets a longer break. Sooner or later it will punish me. That's how 928s and many German divas are - ignore them and you'll have to suffer...

Are you sure the sunroof issue is nut just a blown fuse?

It sounds like you want a no maintenance vehicle, which the 928 certainly isn't. You might be happier with a Nissan 300 or a Lexus SC coupe, or something along those lines. A 928 wants to be loved and pampered, then it will reward you with driving pleasure beyond anything else you'll find.

 

Wow. Nicole, getting close to post number three thousand.

 

Sounds like it could all be fixed with Wally's annual maintenance (that is: clean all the electrical grounds)

 

Are you kidding me? You purchase an 18 year old car, and these are your complaints? Three or four drops of oil?!? Sell the car now, and don't look at a car over five years old ever again...

 

Please don't be offended but, do you have any experience working cars at all?? If you don't, then why did you buy an 18 year old Porsche?? The problems that you mentioned are very simple to fix in an afternoon.

I'm a firm believer that if you can't do the PPI -YOURSELF-, you shouldn't be buying this type of car. It's that simple...

 

Hi there Mr.Oilslick 964. Have you tried an exorcism. Good luck !I will pray for you! Mike

 

I suggest you no longer buy cars in general.

1. Cars, all cars, like to be driven. You put a car, any car, off the road for two months and it's very likely to develop a "problem". Thats just the way it works. You put a Honda in a garage for 2 months, and something not going to work right when it comes out. Your missing and down on power could very easily be a quantity of varnish on the fuel injectors, or a bit of condensation in the fuel. This is fairly common on cars that sit for a while. This is not a problem with the car, but with the fuel.

The cure? Your going to love this.

Put a tank of GOOD fuel in it, and a bottle or two of fuel injector cleaner. Preferably one with methanol. Now, drive the heck out of it. I mean as fast as you can, up, down, left, right. Just go bast around town. VERY therapudic. The methanol will disolve the water, and the detergents in the cleaner will can disolve the crud in the injecotors. Suddenly, it feels like you've got a whole extra motor under the hood.

2. 18 year old a/c systems can be annoying. Suggest you take it to a shop. It's a pretty simple system, so any should should do. Use the big 3 for parts, they're usualy the cheapest, and you won't have a compatibility problem. This is one of the down sides of car ownership. Even new cars have problems with their a/c.

3. Oil. Seals like to get hot. They like to have oil running along them. The solution? Change the oil with to dyno juice. Get the car good and warm on a consistance basis. This means go drive the car fast. Slosh the oil around the heads, make sure them seals are bathed in the oil. The seals like to be bath in enough oil that they don't try out. By rebathing them in oil, they may moisen up, and your good to go. Dyno juice is good for this. A "max life" oil is also pretty good. Straight synthetics often are not.

4. Check your fuses. This is the annoying part of 928 ownership. Often, just swivling the fuse, if you've got the torpedo fuses, is enough to bring several things back to life. Maybe it's time to take an afternoon and clean the ground. Can't hurt.

If this is too much for you, I can take the car off your hands. I don't have much money, but I can take your misery, and I won't be a bother. I'm not exactly sure where your located, but is a tomarow pick up date too soon?

 

Hello OilSlick964,

Sorry to hear of your troubles. I visit here often though do not post much since I have yet to decide on a 928. However one of the issues I am looking for an 87+ 928 IS THE MAINTENANCE. Not saying the 928 is unreliable, just it is a 17 year old car. I enjoy cars and working on cars and of course I do not want something that is going to break down every 2 months, however I do realize that an 87 928 is going to be 17 years of age. The 928 would be a hobby weekend car for me and though I am looking for a nice example of the series, I understand that my tools will be kept busy and I actually look forward to it. The 928 is more than just a car-it is an experience. Hell, I know of many 5 year old cars with the troubles that you mentioned that carry a variety of badges other than Porsche. There are also many other considerably more reliable cars out there than a 928 as well. Now, will they have the style, uniqueness, driving experience,etc. that a 928 offers? Nope. Since I have owned well over 35+ cars of just about every make I believe I can talk from experience. A 17 year old car, whether a Lexus ,Porsche, Ford,etc. is not going to be trouble free. There will always be something. Like they say, when it pours, it rains. Sounds as if you got soaked and believe me I am sure many here along with myself have been in the same boat as you. I once had a 944 towed 3 times in one month. New water pump went out ($$$ engine repair), ring and pinion went, and flywheel speed sensor pin broke. In fact the ring/pinion went out again 6 months later (did not preload the pinion bearing). Yet, I understood that these things happen and perseverance prevailed. That car ended up in European Car magazine.
Best of luck on your car search or your 928 experience. Whichever you ultimately decide on.
Lee

 

just book it into your local porsche dealer with a 'to do' list, they will help you.

 

Nicole went for a ride in an '86 last weekend that has had all of the issues you described. And they have all been fixed. Ask her how it felt. In fact, there are more issues with this car, and they are age related: worn upper control arm bushings and steering rack bushings. Hey, with 150,000 miles in 18 years things wear out. But it made it to the Laguna Seca races and it will make it to the Porsche Parade in Ft. Worth probably, and it now has cold air thanks to Devek and their friends. Did it cost a bundle? Yes, but as Marc said: Remember that it was a $60,000 dollar car in 1986 and is close to its performance at that time now. Where else can you have such performance and comfort for what is invested in it? There is no other car quite like it even today.

What do you want for your '86? Is it an '86.5? What color is it? Is it an automatic? Does it have nice wheels? Maybe I'll get married and then have his and hers '86 928s.

 

gimme ur car....

anyway what do you expect from an old car? My sunroof kept coming out of alignment from my stero. Lots of bass will do that i found out.... Screws rattle out lol. Mine leaks a little oil, little power steering fluid, little tranny fluid sometimes when it sits. Cruise has a vacum leak i almost fixed. But yea you get a 20yr old car and expect it to be like new lol.

 

I am not surprised that some owners are suckered in. I went to see 92 GTS today at a car sales yard. It was one of those Japenese ones with the bolt on front flares (vomit....). Beides that it was green with a tan interior - with those colours it should have been a Jag. The salesman said he had owned a 928 S for 10 years and didn't spend a dollar on it... and that 928's don't drip oil- what a tosser!

I bought the 87 knowing that even though the PPI checked out it was never going to be perfect. It is the gremilins, the fixing etc that is all part of the bonding process.

 

Well... I barely survived! Just kidding!

Ron's car runs very well, and seems quite happy to acommodate Ron's lead foot. I did not notice anyting unusual from the suspension side - that is probably something only Ron can feel in the steering.

The only things I thought the car might need are motor mounts. (Ron: once you do those, your car should be as smooth as a Mercedes! Ask Bill how to do them at home...) My car got new motor mounts at 64k miles - Ron's now has more than twice as many miles on it. If my car does as well as Ron's at the same mileage, I'll be very happy.

You can't expect any miracles when there are materials involved that naturally age. Like rubber. We should all watch the rubber parts we have not replaced, yet, as they are likely to go some time after 10years. Doesn't matter who made the car...