928ntslow

Lack of regular maintenance, lack of money, lack of knowledge, lack of common sense just to name a few.

See above

Regular maintenance....in 99% of the cases.

The short, simple and greatest prevention of fire on a 928 (or any car for that matter), is regular maintenance. Regular maintenance means inspecting the car from top to bottom at least twice a year. In between, taking the time monthly to look for leaks top and bottom. Check ALL hoses and wires. Keep the the engine clean with connecting components all the way out to the tires.

I have this conversation with folks quite often. They wonder why the 928 has "so many issues". It is not often understood by...let's just say more than 50%, of 928 owners, that this machine which is now easily ascertainable, is such a POS when it comes to ownership. They would never rely on it for a daily driver or trust it will make it across town. This is a car that was produced to the highest of standards in it's day to afford the ones who COULD afford it, the best of the best. EXAMPLE...and this is a small one: most cars had a rigid rear axle with the differential incorporated...maybe had some coils and struts. They worked as reliably as tanks with little maintenance...rode and handled like them too! Now take all of the rear components of the 928, CV's, half shafts, carrier arms, blah blah freekin blah. Try letting a ripped CV boot go for a year!

My point is that most folks buying these cars today are not nearly responsible enough or financially equipped to maintain such a high end vehicle...a BIG reason why they are so cheap to buy! That is why these cars fall into the "unreliable" state and have a bad rep. As with professional race cars let's say, they don't just turn the key, run the car and put it back in the garage until the next race....there is a lot of maintenance they perform. Granted, the 928 doesn't nearly need this attention, but unless you are actually spending around $2000 (???) a year on the car, you just simply are not maintaining it!

That's the short version.

EB338

Wow so cats do serve more than one governmentally minded purpose. Pollution control (so they tell us), performance stifling (thank you insurance company lobby) and older car population reduction (fire starter). And here I thought they were just to make your car smell good as it goes down the road......................

SharkSkin

There are exceptions to what Keith says above, of course... I've spent maybe $650 in the past year(tires, oil, filters) but that's mostly because I spent many thousands the prior year catching up on maintenance, and even getting ahead of things just a bit.

marton

I believe the power steering fluid also burns well when a hose fails and squirts it over the alternator...

Marton

ibkevin

PS leaks and fuel saturated cats are two HUGE things to keep an eye on. One way to prevent a saturated cat is to make sure the coil wire is tight and the cover is secure. The PS hoses are self-explanitory.