nsx4pete

Hey everyone, I was wondering if tiptronic equipped 996 models were more or less prone to any problems. Just curious to gauge what are the more problematic items with Tips.

Thanks

Tippy

Owned one for 102k miles, 0 problems. I have read on the 993 board that no one has experienced an issue either. The early 99-01 trans is the same trans that runs in a lot of 3 series Bimmers, A4 Audi's, and I think V-dubs without any issues to speak of.

nsx4pete

Thanks, I'm glad to hear that. I wanted to get a tip equipped version this time around since my last one was a 6 speed.

mtl911sc

Well, as a matter of fact my 2003 C4S has a date at the shop Tuesday to diagnose what a dealer told me is a terminal Tiptronic issue requiring a $13K transplant. Third gear is slipping and apparently I have some sort of internal leak...63K miles and the transmission had already been replaced under warranty at 32K.

Fingers crossed that I can get away with only some internal parts being replaced, rather than shelling out about $5K for a rebuild & install.

Difference is that mine is a Mercedes unit and not a ZF (99-01). Never liked MB so this is karma I guess.

Tippy

I believe the 02's up are Getrag? Can't vouch for those, just the Zeffer's.

Leenseen

'02 are the same units found in turbo no?

so should be relatively unstressed in C2/C4(S)...

mtl911sc

According to Adrian Streather's 996 book (great resource), the turbo's all have the Daimler-Chrysler (M-B) unit, as well as the 3.6's. ZF supplied only the 3.4 Tips.

"The result is that 996s can have one of five Tiptronic S packages." (pg. 244)

Others have said that the Mercedes units are pretty reliable in general, and my mechanic told me that the 928 Tips were Merecedes and they were bulletproof.

I guess I should be buying lottery tickets since I seem to be one LUCKY dude

ScottArizona

Mtl911sc, before you shell out that kind of money for a replacement/rebuild, you ought to check the porsche wrecking yards. Because, as a general matter, the tips don't go out often, there is usually a plentiful supply of good used units from wrecked cars at good prices. I got one (after I drove around on low fluid for 6 months and finally cooked it) from silverstar recycling for something like 2500, and they didn't even require a core (which adds to shipping). good luck. Scott.

mtl911sc

Thanks for the feedback & advice Scott...my intent was not to 'jack this thread but the timing of the topic was spot on.

After visiting the dealer I called some Porsche salvage yards - DC Auto in NC wants over $5K (plus core charge) for theirs and Parts Heaven in CA told me they hadn't had one in stock for a while. However I didn't call Silverstar. I do know I won't be springing for a new unit since my particular car's history has shown that it doesn't necessarily minimize the chances of something going wrong.

I don't really know how my transmission was handled by the previous owner, so it's fate may have been sealed some time ago. I've only had the car for a few thousand miles.

CosmosC4S

My Tip has been pretty good, now at 88k miles, no major issues.
One thing for sure though, Tips are less prone to RMS issues.

Steven C.

My tip was replaced at 40,000 miles under warranty. It is hard to completely escape the long arm of Mercedes Benz

Tippy

+1, mine didn't drip either to 102k miles.

That is amazing that a Mercedes unit would fail. I have a friend with over 300k miles on his Benz and he has never even changed the ATF.

mtl911sc

There seems to be a BIG difference in reliability between the legacy Mercedes-Benz products and the Daimler/Chrysler days. Their reliability ratings tanked progressively after that merger.

Apparently things have improved recently, post-merger.

Steven C.

Exactly...I drove 928's for 16 years with not one tranny issue. Newer Merc stuff, junk.

htny

In my personal experience, the MB 722.6 series 5 speed electronically controlled transmissions are near bulletproof mechanically in most applications (although I haven't dug into the specifics of the configuration in the turbo TipS in the 3.6 cars). You may need a solenoid once in a blue moon, but most of the problems happen to be electronic or electrical in nature, as you might expect. I have had 3 and still have 2 MBs with this trans and one 996, and have never had any real trouble.

The problem is that, just like M96 motors, there is very little market for rebuilding cores, so nobody knows how to work on them, and will recommend R&R for the smallest issues. Changing the fluid is one of the most often prescribed knee-jerks ahead of replacement, but more often than not will cause more problems than it fixes. They rarely leak, and when they do it's almost always from very well documented places, however maintaining appropriate fluid levels is critical to longevity and repairing leaks when you see them is not only simple, it's a must.

90% of the problems have to do with damage to wiring, pins, or the ETC itself, either from impact, broken mounts, or from leaking trans fluid wicking up into the transmission control module. The electrical test programs for this series of transmissions is relatively uniform, and if anyone ever needs them I can send them to you.

They are pretty easy to troubleshoot and repair electrically and electronically, but if you do lose a seal or clutch pack you're SOL, R&R. It's important to note that in all MBs and other cars with these transmissions, you CANNOT reset them utilizing a generic ODB tool. You can reset the trans code that's in the ODB computer, but it will not reset the ETC, which you will need to manufacturer's tools to access and clear after making an electrical or electronic repair.