fast1

Surprising post? I asked if you had to really abuse a 996 to get the problems that I discovered in my various searches - to occur. Try doing a search for my question - bet mine is the only one that comes up.

Do you really expect 996 owners to freely admit that they abused their cars before the problem occurred? Moreover, my guess is that for the vast majority of 996 owners, the money they paid for their 996 was a significant outlay even if bought used. Hence I believe that it would be reasonable to expect that they would not abuse their cars, since they would try to protect their investment. I think that it all comes down to luck since most 996 owners have trouble free cars but some experience engine issues.

So the odds are in your favor and you could betetr the odds by getting a CPO 996.

Good luck.

porschedog

I've said it before and I'm sure I'll repeat it a few more times, but the 996 may well be THE car bargain of the century. To those who turn their snouts up at 996s, I say, do so towards 996 GT3s, as that's what I intend to puirchase next (and yes, I will keep my '03 996 til they pry it from my cold deadh hands, to paraphrase Chuck Heston). PPI and common sense are your best tools for avoiding disaster (a voodoo chicken sacrifice couldn't hurt).

AndyK

I guess abuse is the wrong word. I really meant "drive the hell out of"! Still, like you say, odds are with me (I hope).

And I fully plan on a PPI before I buy! CPO would be nice!

fast1

Andy - Also, have them run a DME report so that you can check the engine for over revs. There are 6 ranges on the report with revs in ranges 4-6 likely to cause engine damage.

AndyK

Is a DME report something all Porsche dealers can do? Also, are there no rev limiters on the 996s?

Einstein

all porsches should take a licking and keep on ticking! that's what they were made for. no excuses.

BruceP

What should Nissans do?

Porsche_Smile

i drive it hard at least 4 times a week......

NNH

I've put 22,000 miles on my daily driver '02 since I bought it in May. It's eaten two RMS and two cats in that time, but they were all covered under the CPO and emissions warranties. The only time it's stranded me was my own battery-related fault (see sad and foolish story plus my mother's reaction here ).

I have no hesitation running it hard as my only car, and I will be taking it on a 3500 mile road trip in May for the Silver State Classic followed by exploring the Rockies.

fast1

Hell, if you have a laptop and a cable you can do the download yourself, but to answer your question, yes any Porsche Dealer can do it. It just takes a few minutes.

If you hit up against the rev limiter, you will have a range 1 incident. That's no big deal. The rev limiter will only protect you on upshifts by cutting off the fuel supply. If you down shift into the wrong gear, you can still blow or at least damage the engine and the rev limiter will offer no protection. I certainly wouldn't buy any car that had incidents in range 4 and higher.

VR4 Playa

lol, you call that a "road trip"... just got back from a 6307.1 mile trip from Chicago to California while hitting up several spots in between... then again i did it in my parents boring ol' Monte Carlo instead of a Porsche... but oh did I dream of doing that in a 996

speaking of that, has anyone here bought their P-car from a long distance? if so, how would you go about getting the PPI done... would it be one of those get a one-way ticket and hope the car checks out... otherwise gotta get another plane ticket and realize you just wasted a bunch of money... 'cause I might be crazy enough to do that when I get back from Austria and start the "quest" for my 996... but I guess the only thing that would take me past 500 miles or so is if it was a respected member of this community that I knew serviced his p-car meticulously and for some reason had to sell it

AndyK

Yikes! Not exactly a Porsche commercial, is it!? TWO cats would cost quite a nice sum if you didn't have the warranty. I guess that's why consumer reports has a black circle under "exhaust" for the MY02!


Interesting!! Thanks!

Phil G.

Mine's 3 years old - I'm an enthusiast and I beat the crap out of it. Couldn't wait for the ice yesterday - ummmmm, donuts!!

MrBonus

That's a silly, vague statement. The cars should be able to handle repeated hard braking and sustained high RPM driving but they aren't built to be launched hard, power shifted, or driven hard while cold. I think a number of people confuse 'taking a licking' and abuse.

fast1

Phil - LOL This post could come back to haunt you when you sell your car.