wcwinc

i am the original owner of a 1996 993 which i have always loved but now at 86000 miles the cel light has come on and i have been given quotes that range for 700-1000 for a new check value to 6500 - 9000 for a top end ? i also need new brakes so i am looking at putting in big $$$ in this car. my question is what other big $$$ suprises can i look for as it gets older and more miles ? how long can these cars go before it makes sense to bail ?

chris walrod

While this depends on many things, most of all is how much you really like this car? As they age, just like any car, maintenance and service increase. In the case of 993's, I feel with some attention, they will last a long long time. Several hundered thousand miles. Clutches, valve guide replacements and a few other points of interest are not out of the ordinary. SAI cleaning seems to be a hotspot with the 96-98 cars. Once that is taken care of, I think you'll find many years of great driving.

If you had the slightest itch to get something else (as you have had your car a long time), this may be the turning point for you to do a little work and sell it. It really boils down to how much you enjoy this car..

fbfisher

Welcome to Rennlist. Your first post and it's a doozie. First, it is important to know what code you CEL is caused by. If it is related to SAI you are in luck. Second, assuming that you are a nubee (could be totally wrong about this) near the top of this page you will see the word "search" go to "advanced search" and search on the words CEL or SAI and you will find that there are a variety of techniques developed by experts on this board to clear clogged SAI ports that do not require a top end rebuild. Other issues like oil consumption are also a factor. Excess oil consumption may suggest the need for more internal (valve guide) work. Many others more qualified than I to comment on this.

In the end, the decision is totally subjective, depending on your financial position and to what extent the 993 meets your needs.

Again, welcome.

edit: It comforts me to know that Chris (a guru in my mind) and I are on the same page.

vjd3

I think the basics of the 993 are really bulletproof ... there are extremely high mileage 993s running around happily. The typical mechanical wear items are things like brakes, as you mentioned, suspension components, clutch and electrical things -- alternators, AC resistors, and so forth. At your mileage, it's not surprising that the SAI ports are clogged; they may be cleanable without resorting to a top end rebuild. Is it running as strongly as ever? I would consider doing a leakdown or compression test to check the overall health of the engine before tearing it down. If you love the car, spending a little money now will continue to reward you; you know the car's history.

There was a great story in Pano years ago by some restoration gurus; some old guy who had driven his 914 since it was new was torn over whether to spend the money to restore it as it had some rust and had gotten a little tired. He said, "I love this car, it fits me." But he couldn't get past spending far more than the $7k the car cost originally to restore it. The shop asked him, "If you could walk into the Porsche showroom right now and buy this car brand new, how much would you pay?" And the guy says, "I'd pay $20,000 for new one in a heartbeat." And the shop guy says, "Well, I have good news for you, you just saved yourself $6,000 because we can make this car brand new for you."

Besides, even if you have to redo the motor, in one year, a newer 911 will likely have depreciated more than what you just spent on your old friend.

Vic
95 C4

Terry Adams

I would like to get to 500K with mine. By then, I will probably be ready to turn in my keys and driver's license anyway.

DJF1

LOL... me too...difference is that they will have to pry away the keys from me

wcwinc

thanks for the welcome and the advice.
i do love my car and have always maintained it thru the dealership because the extent of my mechanical ability is knowing where to turn the key and how to check the oil . i have had gasket covers ? replaced because of an oil leak and did have a couple of belts break but other than that it's just been the standard maintenance. the code it's showing is that 1411 that i have seen mentioned here. i guess i don't trust the dealership cause they know i am victim waiting to happen . is there an average mileage when these engines have to be replaced ?? people who don't drive a porsche tell me to get rid of it now but i don't like the new ones and really hate to make car payments.

Terry Adams

1. Engine rebuilds are about $7K now, at mileages from 50K to 150K, but mostly around 100K due to valve guide wear. Is your engine cover off?
2. People who don't drive a Porsche have no business advising you.
3. If you are happy with what you have, and it's paid for, what's to change?

Michael_Philippi

Absent any unforeseen economic circumstances, I don't see myself selling my car, regardless of mileage. Yes, I know that I will have to spend some money to overhaul the engine at some point. It will still be cheaper than a new car. Most importantly however, there is really nothing else out there which I want.

While some of us use our cars as daily drivers, deciding to keep or sell the car is really an emotional issue for most of us. From a purely economic standpoint, we would not have bought porsches to begin with.


Michael

Father of 3

The big question is, how much oil are you consuming? Start to measure, with the dip stick, regularly. Make sure the engine is hot, around 9:00, the car is on level ground, and check periodically. That will tell you a bit about the valve guides, which could be a contributor to your 1411 code.

Mark in Baltimore

God willing, I just can't see ever selling this car.

Pedro356C

Hi my friend...I think the question is: Do you still love your car? If you do...spend the $$$ to keep it proud on the road...if you don't...advertise it here and you'll find someone to take over the job...I think maintenence speaks louder than mileage for these cars...a well maintained 86k miles is better than a neglected 20k miles car...

I hope you keep it and post some pics for us here...welcome to Rennlist...

wcwinc

i am not sure if you talked me into it.... or if you told me what i wished you would
the porsche has been a great car for me and i know it would be soooo hard to find anything that would feel as good. i had 3 sl mercedes before this and i would never go back to them. anybody know anything about midwest eurosport in chicago as a place to get this SAI cleaned ??
thanks for all the help btw

Rezal

Welcome to rennlist. Use the search feature to get a range of costs and fixes for your CEL problem. It's no the end of the world.

Other cars have their issues too. Scan the roadfly bmw forums, or the vette forums. Nothing's perfect unless it's a unstressed Honda Civic. Also, ask yourself, if you sold it, what you replace it with? Are you willing to pay what the replacement is asking for? Will you have as much fun with it?

Just to be fair, while people who do not own Porsche may not be in the right position to advise you, people who are passionate about Porsches may also have biased opinion (no, really!).

And as for dealerships are concerned, I think the majority, if not all, of us here have a somewhat less positive experience re: them be it the servicing costs or the in-house expertise, esp. with the older cars. There are exceptions to the rule. I for one, get most of my parts from Sunset Porsche in Oregon who are an official dealership. Having said that, I take my car to a trusted and rennlister-recommended independent for any work. Never have taken a car to a dealership, Porsche or others, nor do I expect to unless it's warranty item (why won't happen any time soon since I find new cars to expensive!)

24FPS

...ditto...

well maybe i'd sell to make room for another 993.

so far (38k mi. & counting, warranty runs out @ 50k) but have had no serious probs.