Riccardo

Well,

Finally picked up my car from the service shop last Friday and took it for a long-ish trip around East England (Norfolk, for those who know well the UK geography). This was my first "real" drive with it.

There is definitely no better way to get to know your car then going for a good trip in it. We drove about 700 kms (about 460 miles) in all.

Here are my driving impressions and any questions derived from them:

- The car is FUN to drive! Ok, all you owners know that, but just thought of re-iterating this point. However, one thing which I really liked was that it is not easy to drive. I mean, yes, you can drive it at normal speeds like any other car, but you do have to know the car in order to get the best out of it. I like this because it means that some skill is required. Can't wait to attend a driver's event on the track to learn exactly where the limits are.

- Brake firmly. I found that for speeds up to 60km/h (40m/h) pressing lightly on the brake pedal does nothing really. It probably just ruins the pads / discs and not much else. Instead, it seems that late braking with more strenght at once is a better option. Anyone disagree?

- The ride is stiff. Every hole, cats eye, or even small rock seems to be "felt" by the suspension. I wonder what the RS's suspension feels like then! I was, however, very impressed by the fact that there are absolutely no sqeaks / rattles even with the largest of holes.

- The steering is very sensitive. Because of the point above, it can get quite concentration intensive when you are travelling on a small bumpy road to keep the car going on a straight line. The steering transmits to the driver everly little nuance of the road, for good and for bad.

- Finally, the clutch. Nothing much to say about this apart thatb its harder than some of my other cars (but not my other V6 car). There is one little problem, the pedal seems to get a little stuck, there is no problem with the engagement / disengagemnet, just that its almost like the spring does not have enough strenght to come back the last 1/2 inch. Any ideas?

Hello? Anyone still awake.....

Randall G.

Hi Riccardo,

Nice write-up on your impression of the car. Enjoyed reading it.

Yes, I suppose a 964 rides a little stiff, but it's soft in comparison to my wife's Miata with its tiny wheelbase. It's like the car gets high-centered on every little bump in the road .

I think your clutch pedal not returning is probably a worn slave cylinder. Not uncommon at all. Lots of discussion on the slave cylinder in the 993 archives. Not terribly expensive to replace. In the $200 range, parts and labor.

Do you have cruise control on your car? Just curious, as the c.c. will not operate if your clutch pedal isn't returning fully. There's a switch that cuts-off the c.c. when the clutch pedal is depressed.

TS

Hi Riccardo,

I've the same problem with the clutch pedal.

This is a common problem.

TS
911C4

MadMarkie

Hi Riccardo,

You might also have a look at the clutch pedal linkage, just remove the composite plate that covers all three pedals. My car had the exact same symptom, and I was able to solve it by lubricating the pins in the pedal linkage. The return spring has very little mechanical advantage for the last 1/2" of travel, and if anything is sticky... it gets stuck! There is also an adjustmet screw for the return spring in there, but it just made the pedal feel too heavy in the rest of the range. Not much worse than tapping the pedal or trying to grab it with your toes while powering out of a corner on a racetrack!

What tires are you using currently? This can have a huge effect on steering and ride quality. My car had Michelin MXX3 Pilots when I bought it, which gave the steering a darty feeling, and the ride was pretty stiff. They also broke loose suddenly when pushed past their limit. When the Pilots wore out, I replaced them with Bridgestone SO2s, which added just the right amount of softness to the steering, and softened up the response to irregularities a small amount too. Best of all, they seem to ease into a slide gently, with lots of squealing for warning!

As for braking... it does help to transfer some weight up front by hitting them hard, just don't wait too long!

Enjoy your car, Mark.

GK

Hi Riccardo,

I agree with your comments. After almost 3 months with my 964, my only regret is that I should have bought it many years ago

- So far I have been on a few trips [500 mls each way] and the car drives like a dream

- I too find the ride firm, but not uncomfortable.

- My clutch pedal also does not return fully to its position [it's sticky as in your case], which I find a bit annoying. I will try to get this fixed under the warranty, and I'll let you know how Porsche handles this situation.

Everything alse looks to be in good order, and I'm enjoying the car very very much.

Bye now,

Giorgio.

John Miles

HI Riccardo, your steering sensitivity sounds like a tyre /setup issue. This happened to me a few months ago. The wheel seemed to have a life of its own. Completely went away with two new front tyres and a 4 wheel alignment. Recomend this course of action.
Regards,
John

PS Would you be prepared to write up a longer version of your first impressions for me to post on my site with a photo or two?

JonSeigel

Re: clutch pedal return. I have the same thing. It normally happens only if I've been using the clutch a lot on that particular drive.

The current clutch in my car was installed by the PO shortly before I bought it from him. The mechanic told me the problem can be solved by adjusting the return spring (no problems with the slave cylinder), but that would make the clutch heavier. So, I opted to keep things as they are. When the problem occurs, I simply pull the pedal back to the top with the top of my foot. My mechanic told me that this does not hurt the clutch.

Enjoy!

Jon

Riccardo

Guys, thanks for the feedback on the clutch. I looked back on the car's documentation and saw that both clutch master and slave cylinders were changed last year (about 6k kms ago, 4k mi). Hopefully that isn't the problem then! It seems many people's pedals don't behave correctly!

John, I would sure like to write something for your great website. Are there any particular parameters you would like me to follow? Let me know...

Regards

Randall G.

Hmmmm. Both slave & master cylinders replaced last year? Well, I'm sure the PO did this for a reason, so the clutch pedal not returning problem has probably existed for awhile--or has resurrected itself.

Faulty slave cylinders are one of the acknowledged "weaknesses" of the 993. It causes the pedal to not return fully. Then again, Pete of Andial has written:

"We at ( ****** ) have stoped replacing slave cylinders for years. Do as the Factory recommends and replace the Clutch arm at the padal assembly. Never had a customer come back again for this problem."

Actually, there has been much discussion (i.e. argument) between those that believe the cause of the pedal not returning is caused by the slave cylinder, and those that favor Pete's opinion. The fact is, many 993 owners (including the much esteemed Robin Sun of p-car.com fame) have fixed their hanging up clutch pedal by replacing the slave cylinder. On the other hand, I also believe what Pete says.

In Riccardo's case, since your slave cylinder has already been replaced, I think you're safe to pursue Pete's suggestion.

FWIW, my clutch pedal returns fully and isn't too heavy. Never had the master cylinder replaced, but the slave cylinder was replaced. Not because the pedal was hanging up, but because I wasn't happy with the way the car was shifting (notchy gears) with the LWF I used to have. In this case, the new slave cylinder didn't help the notchiness any.