ben951

Hi Guys

I am just moved to orlando from England and decided to get myself a 951, and i have a question about the air conditioning, i am unfamiliar with AC never having needed it in england! Is it normal for the car to feel a lot more sluggish when the ac is switched on? also, my car usually idles at about 1000 but drops to 850-900 when the ac is switched on, is this normal? i am pretty sure that the compressor is good, because the previous owner had it replaced just about 5000 miles ago, and the belt looks good too, might it be overtightened?

Also, i cant find any record of the timing belt being changed anytime recently, and i know the car has been satfor about 10yrs prior to me getting it, but i have been lucky so far (touch wood!) and it hasnt snapped, but i think its tie for me to change it, so can anyone recommend a good, not too expensive shop around the orlando/kissimmee area where i can get it done, also, what sort of cost am i looking at to get it done? other than that, is there anyone around here that would consider giving me a hand doing it? i'm not the worlds greatest mechanic, but know my way around a car ok, the timing belt is one of those things that always scares me away though! i did one on a renault once, but its not quite the same!

Thanks

Ben

jason952

yeah, get that belt changed one way or another, min $ is prolly 4-500 for a cheap shop if all your rollers and things are ok, if the car really has sat for that long, I would probably change all the belt, seals, rollers and water pump, at least $1K.

J

smac951

My 951 feels a little sluggish with the AC on also. I only run it when it's really hot.

theedge

Yup thats normal, the sluggishness.

Tom M'Guinn

Ben,

Change the timing belt asap. I do my own so can't really guess as to labor costs. If it's all old, a lot of times guys opt to have the seals, rollers, and water pump replaced at the same time "while you're in there." Ian at 944online can probably give you some mechanic referrals in that neck of the woods -- he's down in Pompano.

As for the A/C, I have to say my car runs fine with the A/C running. Maybe I'm lucky based on the other replies, but I have to wonder if you Idle Stabilization Valve is working correctly. one of its jobs is to keep the idle steady at 840 or so, especially when you turn on the A/C. Sounds like yours may not work and that someone turned up the idle to 1000 so that, when the A/C is turned on, the idle doesn't drop too low. Sometimes they just get clogged and can be cleaned out with carb cleaner -- might be worth a try.

toddk911

Hey Ben!! Welcome to the neighborhood.

We'll have to meet up sometime for a "pint of lager"

Yea, ac sounds just like mine and others.

Well, there are 2 main Porsche shops in town. On the east side it is Zotz Garage and on the west side it is Redbone Garage. I have been to both and both are great.

They can look over your timing belt, etc and let you know if it needs to be changed/tensioned etc. before actually doing the job. Usually, only a couple hour job so parts/albor about 200-300 tops. And that is assuming everything needs to be changed out.

toddk911

WOW, thought it said 1 year it has sat. TEN years????? yea, might want to have them go through and check ALL belts, hoses, seals, etc for dry rot.

mods951

My car is also sluggish with the AC on. Its alot worse if i run recylced air with the AC. Well i guess thats the price you pay to stay cool in a 951

ibkevin

Belts ASAP, waterpump ASAP, and do all the seals and rollers. This is one area you don't cut corners.

toddk911

I've never noticed, or checked, if there is a difference with fresh ac vs recycled.

You really notice a difference?

ben951

thanks everyone for your comments

Tom: where would i find that Idle Stabilization Valve? is it something i can get at easily?

Todd: i'd love to meet up, unfortunately it will just have to be a pint of coke for me though, still only 19 i've gone from being allowed to drink in the u.k to not being allowed to here!!

When you say that it will only be 200-300 you mean to actually change out the belts and rollers and seals etc? if so that sounds reasonable, im gonna have to get it done soon.

as for the air conditioning, well, it sucks, but i guess living in florida i will just have to live with it!!

mods951

Yes with recylced air on its even more laggy. I know my ISV is good since the rpms stay the same with the AC on but when i go to stoplights my rpms drop to about 800 and then rise back up to 900rpm.

VWaddict

Hey Ben, welcome to town! -I moved here from Northern England and the climate contrast is certainly quite dramatic!

-My 951 has over 210,000 miles on it and has been serviced religiously by the previous owner at redbone. The car is in such exceptional condition that I have no hesitation in recommending them. I also work less than a mile away from Zotz, so if I ever get stuck, I know there's somewhere very close that I can take it in case of emergency.

I have to say that I don't notice a difference in terms of sluggishness: mine is an 89 so it's 16Valves, and perhaps a couple of other differences from earlier versions which might help, although for daily driving I have no problem leaving the A/C on.

As far as I know, the recycle just drives a diverter flap, so there whould be no difference. -I'd be fascinated to see a dyno comparison with recirc on and with it off: My money is on there being no difference...

As for the belts: if you don't have a record of them having been changed in the last 5 years, I personally would insist on changing them at once. It's simply too much of a risk, and too simple a choice: I'd rather say hello to peace of mind than goodbye to a motor! Likewise in these temperatures, the cooling system is under even more stress, and a water pump is a similarly wise investment... if the belts are being done, there's no reason not to do the pump at the same time... -"Spoiling the ship for a ha'p'orth of tar", and all that.

Now get yourself to a couple of PCA events and really get to enjoy the beast!

Keith

ben951

Hey Keith

What part ofengland are you from? i came here from peterborough, so quite a culture change!!

I called Zotz and the porsche tech said that to get the belts and rollers done i am looking at around $380, whcih seemed ok to me, but said if i wanted the water pump done too i am going to be closer to $1100, does that sound right?

I will look at the service records when i get home, but i cant see any indication that the pump is in bad conditon, the car never runs hot, when i am sat idling it will go just slightly above the first white line so the fans come on, but after a couple of minutes with the fans on it goes back down, the coolant color looks good, i cant see any rust color in there, so do you think that it would still be a good idea to have it changed?

Once the belts are fixed i want to start taking it to a few autox events, after all theres no point in having aporsche if you dont use it!!

thanks for all your help

Ben

Dal Heger

There were no 951s with 16 valve heads.

Heck, there were no 968s with 16 valve heads! The 968 turbos used the 951 8-valve heads!

You should be idling right around 840 +/- 40 rpm if everything is working and adjusted properly. If you're idling higher than that you have an air leak. There should be no difference in idle with the A/C on or off.

Dal.