mooty

every porsche ever made is fk'd up
964 leaking head
911 self destructing clutch, pop off valve, chain tensioners
993 carbon build up CEL, squeaky windshiled
GT3 RMS, ****ty LSD
fear not. if you end up with a bad one, it's YOUR KARMA. suck it up. but i have had 4 996 non GT3's, 3 cayman s, and 3 boxster none of them had RMS or IMS. you can worry all you want or just get one, drive it, and laugh at those who worried so much.

i also heard the big earthquake is coming to CA. but i have no plans to move.

95C4VanIsle

I have a 993 and just got back from Porsche Escape in Sun Peaks B.C., Canada. There were lots of 996's at the event and although I didn't talk to all the owners, almost everyone was extremely happy with their cars.

None mentioned any serious problems with RMS-IMS issues. One guy had a 996, not sure of the year, that he tracks twice a month on average (Warm Springs Raceway in Pahrump Nevada). He has a daily driver with 125 K on the clock and wants to be the first to get to 250 K. He did need a RMS replacement recently because of a leak and while the job was being done the mechanic inspected the IMS and said it was in perfect shape (I believe the mechanic did an upgrade on the IMS while he was in there).

I will only quote what he told me his mechanic said to him. "Your IMS is just fine because you drive the car hard. The way it should be driven".

I am not on the 996 forum very often. I just thought I would relate to you what I heard and saw at the Escape. Mostly just happy 996 owners.

Hope this helps.

alpine003

I've wondered this awhile ago when I was looking too but realized that some of these owners merely jump from car to car often and "upgrade" while others sell it because they don't drive it enough or think the maintenance costs are high. So I wouldn't assume a car is bad because of multiple owners.

larry47us

Mooty, that's kind of how the world works. Some worry about things, others just enjoy them. I am just trying to get past all of the panic BS that floats around these cars. Actually, there is this kind of stuff that floats around ANY car. We had a Volvo wagon that went through a full set of brakes and rotors every year, to the tune of $1,100 a set. OUCH. But when there were more of them on the road, they got it straight, ran 2 - 2 1/2 years between brakes, at a cost of <$500. Go figure.

I am having the PPI today. We'll see how that works out. Then I'll hop a plane down to Houston, and drive it back.

Thanks to everyone for your comments. I am feeling a LOT more comfortable now.

larry

Marc Gelefsky

Larry, good luck with the PPI!

soverystout

That's good. You should. good luck with the PPI.

changing the oil often and having the IMS upgrade done should give you a nice solid ride for many years to come.

All that D chunk/slipped sleeve/porous block was early production stuff associated mainly with the Boxster.

With a well maintained 2004 996, your only concerns should be around the IMS.

Happy Hunting!

Ahmet

I'm on my third 996, two MK1s and the current MK2. I hesitated before I bought my first one reading all the stuff online also, but they've been some of the best cars I've ever owned and quite reliable also. Buy and enjoy.

mooty

i know.
and of all ppl, i have OCD, no, not a punchline, i HAVE OCD and i take medication for it. I WORRY A LOT. but i try very hard to stop worrying. have fun with 996. they are great machines.

Mother

Tried the no permission approach and it worked out.

1 PGH 1

After 6 years of ownership (2nd owner) no issues and still love the Targa.
As a side note, my bride perfers it over a cab, but that's all personal preference.

Graufuchs

If it blows up...It blows up....worrying wont make it NOT blow up. Enjoy the car, drive it hard and change the oil and do the scheduled maintainance. My 2 cents...


On another note almost sold the car the other day....but was told by the wife I can have the porsche and the subaru I want...but I have to be patient.

Barn996

Which Subi do you want?

larry47us

So, there was a mix-up at the shop, and they are still waiting for "my" 996 Targa to arrive. Spoke to the owner. He said that the IMS issues were primarily with early cars - though they have seen it with a later car or two. He said that by 2004 they had started using the double race bearing in the IMS. This was a dramatic improvement in longevity. When I replace the clutch, he said that I might want to consider changing the bearing to the LN Engineering one, but until that happens - just change the oil regularly, and drive the hell out of it.

He commented that the major cause of IMS problems is when the car sits for a long time, that acid builds up in the oil. That acid eats away at the grease in the bearing, and the grease gets replaced by the engine oil. The engine oil doesn't have the properties sufficient to keep the bearing healthy, so it starts to degrade. Then, bingo, IMS self-destruction.

He felt that 24,000 miles on a 2004 was sufficient miles to prevent the buildup of the acid in the oil, as long as the oil was changed regularly. On this -- I'm not sure, and don't know how I can confirm it. But, they talked about doing the PPI today. Then I'll see what the next step is.

BTW, there is one noticeable flaw in the car. The piece of trim around the console looks like someone took a ball peen hammer to it. It is totally smashed across the top. The dealer said that it was a simple repair. I dunno, maybe or maybe not. But I expect that I'll find out. Maybe I'll call a body shop that I know to see how big an issue it is.

More later, guys.

larry

ATL Fahrer

Good luck and enjoy! The MkII 996's are phenomenal rides. ...and I really love the Targas.

BruceP

The early cars had double race bearings, and the later cars had single race bearings, FYI.