Has the RMS problem been mainly in 6 speeds or are Tips vulnerable as well?

 

The Problem is NOT picky on what tranny the car has tip or 6 speed. Its a design flaw on the motor not the tranny....

 

We're pretty paranoid about RMS problems at PPBB. Any idea how common the problem is among M96 engines, and as an aside, if it's very common, how did Porsche and the Boxster manage to get such high reliability marks from Consumer Reports and JD Power's 3 year owner survey?

TIA

 

In early model (pre 2001) 996s the RMS is becoming an issue with many posters. Search for RMS in this Forum (and other Pcar forums) to see how often it is mentioned. Later model cars are yet to clock up the mileage. Only time will tell if it is a big problem for them too.

RMS failures are common enough that it's the first thing to look for when purchasing an early model 996 or Boxter. It's also common enough that it's now being mentioned in magazine buying guides as something to watch out for when buying a used one.

Reports of RMS failures have come in from cars with low mileage but in general (from what I have gleaned from Pcar forums) it seems to be a problem between 24,000 and 35,000 miles. It affects Tips and manuals and mostly but not only the non-turbo engines. Some cars like my own suffer worse than others. My RMS failed at 27k and has failed yet again at 32k. The problem is also not necessarily related to the car's history. For example, my car has never been tracked and has a full dealer service history.

Many Porsche dealers and car traders are only just starting to see the wave of this RMS problem. For example, when I last took my car in to have the RMS done, the service engineer said it was not a common fault. But when I contacted him more recently to book it in for its 2nd RMS failure, he now said that more and more cars are coming in for RMS replacements. So much so they now keep several crankshaft Seals and Engines in the stock shelves locally whereas before they would only order them up on rare occasions that they were needed. It seems the dealers have now acknowledged the issue and are readying themselves for the onslaught.

In general the car is extremely reliable but when the problems start they seem to be major. As an example, I have had mine for almost 4 years and it has been faultless. Only recently has it started to show problems but the problems are not trivial. RMS twice and now it also needs a new gearbox. Had someone asked me how reliable my 996 was 8 months ago, I would have said it's probably the most reliable car I have ever owned.

A big issue is that many of us early model car owners are becoming extremely concerned of the long term costs of owning and maintaining them. Their value is depreciating at a phenomenal rate and with the prospect of major problems occurring like RMS and gearbox, one has to way up if they are affordable. Their looks, power and driver experience cannot be beaten. There is no doubt about that. But there are more and more super cars coming to the market at affordable prices. One has to wonder how many loyal Porsche owners will jump ship.

You also have to take into consideration that the Pcar forums like rennlist represent only a small minority of Pcar owners. So the RMS issue cannot be quantified properly from forums alone. But hearing it from the dealer (the horses mouth so to speak) has confirmed (to me at least) that the RMS issue is now being recognised as a big one with Porsche AG. How they intend to deal with it and/or resolve it remains to be seen.

Currently Porsche do generally offer some help. They usually replace the RMS gratis or through their good will scheme where you have to pay a small contribution towards the repair. They sometimes replace the engine and I have yet to hear of anyone who has had to pay for a new engine due to RMS problems on this board. But this gesture, although fair, does not help the customers view of its overall reliability, or for that matter the trust that it will stay reliable after it has been fixed.....or for that matter, how long Porsche will continue to help out. So reliability remains a big issue with out of warranty owners.

Because of the high initial cost of these cars, most of them are bought new on lease. As a result lease owners don't care as the car will either be serviced under warranty or simply handed back with the problems. A lot of these previously leased cars are now coming on the market with their RMS problem. These cars are mostly 3 years old as their lease expires. As I said, after 3 years I would have said it is a reliable car but now at almost 4 years old I have grave concerns. So a report on the reliability of cars older than 3 years may not have been so rosy.

Finally, as I said earlier, we are yet to see if the problem persists in late model cars.

 

I have heard already of a MY2004 with RMS leak...

 

Unbelievable!

BTW: what is PPBB?

 

Porsche Pete's Boxster Board - Very active board primarily focused on Boxsters

http://www.ppbb.com/board/986board.htm

 

Sorry, I should have mentioned what PPBB was. Thanks for the input.

BTW, with the (imho excessive) fixation on the RMS issue, I haven't heard a pep about gearbox problems. Are we talking about the 6 speed, which, aside from ratios I understand the 996 has in common with the 986?

 

the 'box on my car failed at 45k miles, it was replaced under warranty. they reused the clutch. so i guess all those 'track' miles were good for the clutch and not the gearbox--worrisome don't you think?

 

I had a very early build 1999 996. RMS failed twice. Eventually Porsche bought the car back for that and many other gremlins. I ended up with one of the last 2001 996's to roll off the line (April 01 build). The RMS on the 2001 failed at 3K miles.

One of my friends with an 2002 996 had RMS also. To my knowledge it's a problem with the MY96 engine, year irrelevant.

 

Can someone point to a pic or schematic to show where typically the oil drops from?

Thanks...

 

I asked this a short while back. Be careful. Once you know where to look its all trouble.
http://www.renntech.org/forums/index...topic=15&st=0&
https://rennlist.com/forums/showthre...ht=rms+picture

 

I'm planning on buying a 996 at some point (came within two heartbeats of buying an ever-so-slightly used C4S last year) and have been monitoring discussion of said model variants - and this particular issue - with interest recently. However, I've missed the genesis. Would someone point me to an older thread that discussed the primary and secondary failure modes? I am particularly interested in why the rear main seal leak leads - apparently in some cases - to engine replacement. Is this a casting issue? Or some kind of instant Rube Goldberg device - just add oil and watch your engine shred....

In the 928 world - yes, I know that all 928 owners are insane (and don't tell them that I'm over here in 996 Land please) - when the RMS leaks (not common) you just spend a hour or three, drop the clutch, put in a new one, button it back up, and go back to driving.