justinmm2

Dealership says it looks like I have a dropped cylinder. Just came out of the blue. Augh. Thank god for CPO is all I can say. I'll be so thankful to have it back...

BlackCab996

Turn that frown upside down if you have CPO - you get to cash in on the premium you paid!

Paul 996

justin,

what year, how many miles?

justinmm2

PJ,

2000, 62k miles. Seemingly out of the blue.

Justin

washington dc porsche

Wow!

Tippy

Where did it go......sorry I had to do it. Good thing for your warranty, I would be SOL.

Molly

I'de really like to know what turns out to have caused this, was it preventable and was it caused by something that would show up in a PPI. I am close to buying a 996 and this is exactly the reason why I have not yet - my fears of 996 engine failures. No offense but do you leave the car in disrepair or track it or anything that might have led to this?

Tippy

Molly - I have read your threads in the past. To answer your questions, no PPI cannot determine a dropped cylinder. Sounds like something let go in the valvetrain or the cylinder itself, which starts with hair-line cracks that can only be found through non-destructive testing. PPI doesnt do this because obviously it requires tearing the enigne down.

Second, I dont think you are ready for a P-car because of your worries of Porsches, sounds like one could put you in a financial hole (sorry if I am wrong). My advice would be to scour every part of the car on pelican parts for a 996 and judge your decision from there.

Basically, nobody can work on the internals of the engine or tranny at home, requires many special Porsche tools you cant buy at Sears. However, a lot of other things can be done with basic hand tools and so if you are mechanically inclined, you might be good to go to get a 996, but you are not mechanically inclined, probably pass on because repair bills are huge on these cars (this is only on the basis the car could put you in a financial hole).

If you are just worried about the engine lettig go itself, it has happened but rare, just get a nice WARRANTY.

Molly

Thanks for the info. Like I said, I've had P-cars before. I had a 944 that was only about 3 years old back in the day that cost me $4500 once in the repair shop. This was on basically a perfect car that my dad bought new then sold to me with hardly any miles on it. Money is really not an issue for me. I could afford a 997TT if I wanted to (of course I want to) but just could never justify invest so much into a sports car, much less the repairing an old one if it failed. If I buy a 996 and the engine explodes can I right a check for a brand new one in a second? Yes I could. Would it make any difference to me financially? Not really, I would never really feel it in the pocketbook so to speak. However, I would have to answer to myself that I bought a pure gravy toy, then spent a bunch fixing it, and that feeling, which I have experienced before, is sickening to me.

As far as maint, I would never do that myself. Springing for the basic maint of a 996 is not a concern at all.

I have researched getting a service contract as well. It would feel good having that coverage, but considering the price, I may be more apt to risk it and know that a $10K bill could happen to me one day.

newport996

Molly, its simple....go to your Porsche dealer, find the preowned 996 you like...but it with the CPO warranty that will AT LEAST cover it for 2 years and up to 100k miles....If you buy one still under warranty, this adds 2 years to that and 50k miles. So if you buy a 1 year old Porsche...you get like 6 years, 100k in warranty. This will cover any major repair with no issues including replacing an engine.

Wellardmac

Molly,
Sounds like financially you're all set, so jump in and do it. You will not regret it. Sure you might not like some of the repair bills, but you're not getting those every day.

What you will get every day is the enjoyment of driving one of the coolest sports cars in the world. I still get a giddy feeling every single time I get behind the wheel.

Every day in hesitation is a day not driving your Porsche.

Molly

I am looking at a 99 Aerokit coupe tomorrow which is CPO. I'm going to do it, just need to find the right one now.

Wellardmac

Congrats. Shout if you need opinions on a car.

PTEC

Hate to hijack this thread but if you can afford a 997 Turbo, buy a CPO 996 turbo. No worries then.

Molly

I said I could afford one. I also said that I could never justify that expense on another pure endulgence. I was just emphasizing that I could afford a $$$ repair if I had to. The car would not sit broken in my garage, it would get fixed while I kick myself for buying it. Turbos and CPO cars are substantially more $$ than my self-imposed budget allows.

My thinking is like this: the CPO cars I have kindof looked at lately seem to have about 1 or 2 years left typically. So after that, I could end up spending a fortune if something fails bigtime anyway, plus I will have paid a major premium for the car in the first place. I think it may be better to buy a non-CPO car which is in just as good condition, save thousands, and maybe have to use that savings one day for repairs. Or maybe I get lucky and get away with just getting a cheaper car in the first place and never having to spend anything on repairs. Could go either way I guess.