Davies

Let's see. According to the recent "how often do you add a quart of oil?" poll, 73 out of 188
993 owners reported that they do this at 1500 miles, or less. I would imagine that most of us would agree (factory allowances be damned) that 1500 miles (or less) to a quart, is significant oil consumption and indicative of at least some valve-guide wear. That's approximately 39% (so far).
bearing in mind the number of low-mileage, infrequently driven (and definitely babied) cars on this board, IMHO that's an unacceptably high percentage of 993s that will probably need valve jobs in the not too distant future.

(Man it's fun pretending to be a pollster!!)

RJT

Bashing??? Who's bashing 993's???
I don't see no stinkin' 993 bashing going on here by Rennlisters.....

Alan...... Ain't that the truth!! You are toooo funny!!!!

JoAnne

Adrienne

Sprung a leak? Oops! How about the handy-dandy DIY on p-car (err, I think it's there). Supposed to be easy-medium in difficulty.
ps - glad you liked my answer. Sounds like you can relate.

Father of 3

I say good luck if you think Porsche NA is going to cover a top-end rebuild. Read the RMS issues on the 996 board. At least our engines aren't blowing up! Some five times! I was told when I bought my car about 1) the bullet proof ness of the car and 2) that I should budget a few thousand for things that pop up in the first year, both from the same 993x2 owning person. I think both statements can coexist.

I think Adrienne's attitude is commendable. Still in love with her car after spending $7k on repairs.

JimB

Just to be fair to the 996, they are not blowing up. A leaky rear main seal is far too common but it's a comparatively low cost fix. When you hear that someone has had their 996 engine replaced it is because Porsche has found the opening for the RMS to be out of spec so they replace the engine. It's not because the engine has blown and it's not something you would likely do if you were paying the bill. I'm not defending Porsche or the 996. The RMS problem has been around for 5 years without a fix. That's embarrassing. On the other hand, its not nearly as big a deal to fix as the valve guides.
Jim

Father of 3

Not trying to trash 996 at all. Sounded from some of the threads on the 996 board that RMS leak led to other, more catastrophic failure. Would valve guides be a problem on a 996 as it seems the same material has been used on 911s for some time?

Speedraser

IMO, the out-of-spec RMS opening requiring a REPLACEMENT engine is a rather bigger problem than a valve job. Good thing 996 engines are so much cheaper to replace than 993 engines...

Tour18

Who cares what anyone says. 993's are neat. Maybe he has a 30,000 mile 993 beater he would like to sell me for $20,000...

Anir

I definitely share the concern about some 993 issues, e.g. wiring harnesses, premature valve wear, SAI problems, etc.

Having said that, I see very few other cars that can be trashed repeatedly at the track with little attention other than routine maintenance. My car has seen about 25 track days, and the worst thing that's ever "broken" is a a rubber turbo hose blowing off at sustained boost. Drive to the track, run all weekend, drive home. At these events, I've seen all kinds of other makes (Vipers, Corvettes, RX-7's, Ferraris) out of commission on the sidelines.

There are several Rennlisters that have been regularly campaigning NA 993's in PCA Club Racing for years without engine or transmission rebuilds.

So, while I remained concerned, I can't help but be impressed with the ruggedness of our little cars, and the abuse they can handle.

Rob 97 993c2

at the risk of showing my ignorance, how can i test if my car has premature valve wear??? (other than it always needing oil)?

Flying Finn

I see no "bashing" here.

You know, even when you love something, you can be critical about the problems with it.

abar

Superbly reliable cars, as proven by the recent 911 PW article on two 270k+ miles 993s that haven't even had the heads taken off. Both running fine.

Seems to be the garage queen / barely used examples that have problems due to being standing for so long. That's hard on any car.

Al.

RJT

Yup, owning a Porsche is just like being Married... Even though no one nor nothing is 100% perfect, you love it all the same.....


JoAnne

Martin S.

For potential owners who may happen to read this thread, I have nearly 60,000 miles on my 97 Carrera. It sees four to six track days per year. I got the car with 17,000 miles on in nearly five years ago. To date, I have replaced the flywheel and clutch..I could have just replaced the bad flywheel, but I wanted the RS clutch upgrade too. Other than that, 0 problems to report.

And if I have to replace the valve guides, about a $4,000 job, I'll just bite the bullet. But at the same time I'll get new valve springs, and I'll know that this potential flaw has been corrected.

Considering the performane (a 170 mph car), the incredible brakes, the unibody construction, the 10 year anti corrosion warranty...the "eye candy" look of the car to me, even after five (5) tears, the thrill of taking it through the gears at the track...a $4,000 sur charge is palatable for me. I wont like it, if and when it happens, but I can live with it.

Note, I do add Chevron Techron on a regular basis and run the car only on Chevron gas. THe 993 is its own reward. Get one, you'll love it!

hawk993

for all you that don't want your 993, I will trade your 993 across the board for this...