larry47us

So, the Mercedes dealer that sold me my 2004 996 is part of the AutoNation Dealer Network. In the package of paperwork that they FedExed me to sign before I came down to pick up the car was something printed in 5 pt type. It was a 60 day warranty. But to collect on the warranty, I need to bring the car back to them, or to another AutoNation Dealer.

And this is important, because??? Well, the squealing heater fan on the car started squealing again. Well, maybe it never stopped. On the way back to Chicago from Houston, between the engine "music" and the music on the radio, I just didn't hear it. But I certainly heard it today while tooling around the neighborhood. So, I dug back into the paperwork that they sent to me (I kept a copy of EVERYTHING) I find the 60 Day Warranty sheet. The back of the sheet has all of the inclusions and exclusions. I start reading.

About 3/4's of the way down the page it says something about the Air Conditioner, and R12 versus R132, and then those beautiful words, "includes heater A/C blower motor" YESSSSSSSSSSSSS

So I jump on the internet, and look for an AutoNation dealer near us. It's not like they advertise that they are with AutoNation. So I find it. Libertyville Toyota. It's about 15 minutes north of us. I call the dealer. They have Service Hours till 10:00 PM. So, I explain to him that I have this Porsche, and it's under warranty, and I need to bring it in. He says, "we're a Toyota dealer, we don't work on Porsches." I say, you just need to check it out and make sure that it really needs fixing, then we'll work out where to get it fixed.

So, I run over there, and while I'm watching the Packers beat the Bears, they call my name. "Sir, we have confirmed that it is the blower motor that needs replacing on your car. There aren't any Porsche dealers open now, so we'll call and get the parts tomorrow. Then we'll call you and make an appointment for you to come in and get the motor replaced."

Then, once again, the loudest thing in my cockpit will be the music of the engine. Moral of the story - Don't poo-poo any warranty that a dealer is going to offer you. Even if it's for free.

Color me Happy.

larry

996Pilot

Two things : 1) you gotta have a Toyota hack work on a Porsche - that would worry me.
2) You need to watch the end of the game!

Ahmet

I'd rather put up with the noise than have a Toyota dealer take my dash apart...

HRTex

If you're worried that the Toyota shop might mess it up (I think they'll figure it out), you could always tell'em that you've only owned it a few days and would love to watch them do it. The manual below makes it sound like it is relatively easy to access.

You could go to this, download it / print it out, and take it with you - and hope they use it.

http://www.cannell.co.uk/996_Worksho...-Electrics.pdf

Good luck - it's a bummer it needs the fix, but I'm glad it's covered. And it's not all bad....you did manage to find a missing toolkit for the car for FREE!

I really like your car's color combination - enjoy it.

Janusz

What would make you really happy, I am sure, is an aftermarket warranty which you can get for 6 more years I believe.

Barn996

Good for you Larry, nice to have coverage even for 60 days.

psuboy

I am new here...intro to come when I pick up my 996 in a few days if the PPI checks out....I have to agree with 996pilot on letting a hack work on your 996. Right after I moved from Dallas to PA I had I had a non Porsche shop do the inspection or some other minor item on my 911 and they bent a small section on the bottom of the rear quarter panel jacking it up. Then claimed it was already like that before they got it. I had to live with the dent for 7 years and noticed it every time I looked at my car. Now I only go to a shop that knows P-cars. I don't think it is worth the couple of bucks you save.

larry47us

996Pilot and Ahmet:

I think that you guys are being a bit arrogant, especially as it relates to work on the A/C heating system of the car. It's not like I am having a Toyota mechanic do a valve job, or replace the IMS or RMS bearings, or reseal the engine. Come on, this is a blower motor. It's under the dash, and from what I can see, they won't have to remove the whole dash to get at it. (And, yes, the Bears won. No one expected THAT!!)

Tex: I appreciate the manual. I did print out the salient pages, and will bring them along. I'm sure that they will be able to figure it out. Can't imagine that they want to take on the risk associated with messing up my P-car.

And thanks for the compliment on the color combination. I love it, too. I have gotten tired of seeing the Silver/Black combinations of Porsches on the road. That is why I liked Kermit so much. Viper Green with Houndstooth seats. Now I need to get some leather cleaner/conditioner. I don't want to risk the leather getting more dried out and cracking under the heat of the sun coming in through the Targa top.

Janusz: I am going to have to look into an aftermarket warranty. The issue is going to be one of cost. I'm probably going to be willing to pay $1,500 for a warranty, but I am sure that it will cost a LOT more than that. The dealer I bought the car from had an after market warranty for 36 months, 36K miles that they were selling for $4,995. That was a total rip-off. I am sure that I am gong to end up being too cheap to buy the warranty.

PSUBoy: If repairing this at a Porsche dealer was only a "couple of bucks" I would have probably done itat the dealer. But around here, the mechanics at the dealer bill out at over $150 per hour. Even without the part, I am figuring that this would end up being a 2 - 3 hour job. So, I'll stay cheap, go with the warranty, and let the boys at Toyota fix it.

larry

ivangene

Larry, Thats great!

its a 996 and afterall... there are a lot of Toyota parts on it, those guys will be right at home

I wouold not be any more worried then any other dealer - in fact they might even be a little more careful because they dont see many P-Cars... the dealers sometimes are de-sensitized to being extra careful.. not always but, you know

function12

I would take lots of pics of the inside of your car. Make sure you get the time/date stamp on thie pics. They may come in handy later.

Ahmet

I wasn't saying that to be arrogant, they may very well have skilled technicians working there.

As a former mechanic, I personally would not take my Porsche to a dealer that works on a different brand, particularly if that brand is generally associated with a lower cost marque. I don't like chasing down rattles, or cleaning interior bits after somebody. I'm probably more particular than some, and prefer to do all the work myself whenever plausible, but hey to each his own.

georgiadis

That's about how much Fidelity's platinum (i.e., exclusionary) warranty sells for.
It may sound steep, but when you consider the $150+ labor / hour and the things that can go wrong, it doesn't sound like that bad of a deal.

Especially with that targa roof, when it goes bad (which eventually it will), a new frame plus some peripherals is around $15K incl. labor and as far as I know, there is no other permanent fix.

Unless you can do a lot of DIY, a 3-4 year warranty for $5-6K is very reasonable insurance!

htny

I wish I knew how to make that popcorn symbol

well hope this turns out for the best, don't see why it shouldn't, the front end of this car is far less complex than the front end of the average toyota

996Pilot

Not intending to be arrogant, just realistic. From my first 911 purchased in 1973 to my latest purchased in June '10, if there is one thing that I've learned is that having a qualified mechanic that is not only familiar with Porsche but has a fair amount of experience working with Porsche (work on your Porsche) is a MUST. Heck, an oil change is a no-brainer but I wouldn't take my 996 to a Jiffy Lube or to a Ford dealer to get it done (just FYI I do it myself). Swapping spark plugs should be a no-brainer but just try it once on your 996 and see if it's like ANY other car. Take it to a mechanic if the "auto up/down" function on the window doesn't work and see how much they take apart before they (if they ever) figure out that all it takes (usually) is several full up/down cycles to "reprogram" the function. Seemingly easy, no-brainer things on most cars may be trickier or more involved than you think on a Porsche.

My 2002 C2 Cab had a pinhole leak in the coolant recovery tank. I had just (4 months ago) replaced the coolant recovery tank in my Dodge RAM pickup and it took all of 5 minutes and a bit of new coolant - job done. Since I have a full warranty on my 2002, I decided to let the dealer do the job on the 996. Imagine my surprise when I looked at what was involved with replacement on the 996. The engine needed to be dropped about 6 inches (not a really big deal but - go figure), the tank replaced and then the system needed to be purged of air prior to completion. Several hours of labor for a coolant recovery tank replacement. Then the special coolant - well, let's just say it was more than the average Dodge, Toyota, Nissan, Honda, Chevy, etc.

Sometimes experience and brevity can be misunderstood for arrogance. Hang in there, I see only people here trying to steer you in the best direction for your Porsche ownership experience.

Dan

rpm's S2

I have an idea! How about everyone STFU and wait to hear how the repair adventure goes...