Hi all,

Not being totally new to the Porsche world, I'm now, 19 Years later buying another 996.
I had a 1997 Boxster, a 99 C2 Cab and a 00 C4 Cab in the past, but don't own a Porsche for 16 Years now.
All of those were new, and had all issues were taken care by warranty. Now it's a totally different story.

To fight the nostalgy, I just pulled the trigger on a new (to me) 996.
Year 2000
Carrera 2 Coupé
Manual
Ocean Blue
Metropole Blue inside
The equipment list is not long, but has the minimal for nowadays comfort.

Some pics:


















It has a full service history and seems to be very well maintained. Although the car drives perfectly, there are a couple of issues I've now noticed.

1. Oil Leak that I can't identify the source:



2. Coolant leak in the front left radiator:



I'm at this stage trying to find a local indy to have full check on the car and additionally to:
1. Fix the oil leak
2. Fix the coolant leak
3. Replace IMS, RMS, Clutch, Water pump
4. General Service

I'm also looking for 18" wheels and trying to decide between Sport Classic 2 or Turbo Twists...
As a new owner of an older car, are there any tips that you could give me? I've learned a lot lurking in this forum

If by coincidence, there's anyone out here from Switzerland, could you point me out to a good indy to do this job? I'm really struggling with that at the moment!

Thank you!!!



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Looks sharp, good luck. I wouldn't bee too concerned with the oil leak if its not losing a ton daily, just keep an eye on it. I would however address the coolant leak as you don't want to over heat these engines. Dont forget its 18 years old with 100k on it, its going to have minor leaks and what not. When you address the IMS have them take a look around.

Being from the US I have no input on any indys in your area lol.

 

Put the wheels on the back burner until you get it up to snuff. those radiators need a good cleaning!

 

That does not look like a coolant leak. That is green dye from the a/c. Most likely you have a pin hole in that side condensor due to all the debris. Thats why it looks oily and the green shows to be darker than normal. Not to mention you car did not come with green coolant unless someone put it in. Either way, looks more like a condensor leak to me.

 

The oil leak could be something trivial like bad spark plug tubes, which are a maintenance item and not expensive if you DIY. Clean the area and see how quickly it gets oily again. Check the service history and see when the plugs and tubes were last changed. For the MY2000, they should be changed every 60k km.

 

Love the blue!

 

Yeah, those wheel look fine.
Take care of the repairs first.

 

Agree the green stuff might be AC rather than coolant.

With 100,000 km (62k miles) I suggest rather than just automatically replacing the IMS and RMS consider if there is evidence to suggest it should be done. As your car is a 2000, it very well may have the early dual-row IMS bearing which has proven to be much more durable than the single row that followed. I recommend instead dropping the oil pan to check the oil pickup for debris, look for particulate matter in the bottom of the pan and inspect the oil filter.

 

Love the color, and the wheels!

Is that the original nav unit?

I know German mechanics, amazing on the technical end.(lived there for 9 years)* I don't know of the indy situation there in Zurich.* Is there a Porsche dealer there?* I'd take it to them and pay to have it evaluated, and possibly fix it if they're reasonable.* Or you could always drive up to Stuttgart...*

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Hi again.
Thank you all for the amazing input! It's awesome to have all this feedback from knowledgeable P-Car enthusiasts

I don't properly "hate" the wheels, but looking forward to find some Sport Classic 2 or Turbo Twists... still haven't decided.

That makes a lot of sense. It's not that often that I need air con here in Switzerland, but need to check the health of the radiators, otherwise they will have the same ending.

That's my plan. I'll get some degreaser and then try to find the source. According to the service book, the spark plugs were changed at 74k km. At least it doesn't seem to come from any critica seal.

It's an early 2000 car, so I suspect the possibilities to have a single row bearing are very slim. I'll do the checks recommended, thanks!

Yes, it's the original one with a cassete player ... gives an awesome vintage feeling ehehe.
Stuttgart is just between 1 to 2 hours driving from here, so... why not?
Any of those German mechanics are located close to Switzerland?


Again, thank you all... really helpful.

 

If it were me I'd take a small vacation up to Stuttgart and visit everything Porsche while my car gets worked on by the dealer, or some indy guru Porsche mechanic. If you want I can call my friend, he attended the 4 year Porsche mechanic school. I'll give him a call and see if he knows someone where you are or in Stuttgart.

 

 

Very jealous of your location. I spent a week in May touring southern germany and looping though switzerland. It was one of the nicest places i have ever been. We traveled around lake Bodensee Obersee and had lunch at a little marina in Arbon. My only suggestion would be to go to the V8 Motorsport Hotel in Bobligen and check out the classic cars if u have time to kill while your car is getting worked on.

 

jcompleto, Als vorschlag, könntest du bei Google eine unabhängige Porsche Werkstatt ausfindig machen. Ich habe einige in deiner gegend schon gefunden – zum beispiel: https://www.jpvogt.ch/ . Leider bin ich 600km entfernt, aber wenn ich weiter helfen könnte, ich bin ereichbar über whatsapp +49-152 29015456 Viel Gluck u. geniess dein neues auto!

 

That oil leak is likely the variocam solenoid cover and seal. $20 part at the dealership and took an hour to do. Be VERY careful with the wire when working around that area as it will turn into a $1,000+ repair to replace the solenoid if you damage the wire. The connection is a simple rubber boot cover near the top of the head.