Engine failure
Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 26
Likes: 0
From: boston, ma
Engine failure
Have had my 996 for 1 1/2 years (CPO'ed 2003) and check engine light came on 2 weeks ago. Brought it in to a local dealership where they told me the "camshafts are being chewed up by something - need a complete tear-down or new engine". That was two weeks ago and whenever I call they say they can tell me nothing yet (they are really backed up!). The car is still under full CPO warranty until November so this is on them. They are telling me not to expect the car back until the end of the month. This seems unusual to me - never encountered anything like this before. This vehicle has been babied and only serviced at the dealership. Any ideas how much time I should give them before I have the car shipped someplace else? The customer service at this dealership is truly horrible - they basically tell me to get lost whenever I call.
Thanks
Thanks
Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 26
Likes: 0
From: boston, ma
Car has only 27000 miles and I have only put on 1k miles per year. This dealership serviced it 6 months ago before I put it away for the winter and they gave it a clean bill of health. I have only driven it 150 miles since then.
Pro
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 703
Likes: 6
From: Scottsdale,AZ
Politely tell that if they cant get your car in by the end of the week, then you will have to take it elsewhere. If they are really that busy they will let it go. If they really aren't that busy they will get you in because they really want the job. If you don't give them a timeline this will go on forever.
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Drifting
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 2,032
Likes: 29
From: Out West
This is a big and profitable job for the dealer. They make full profit on the new motor and get paid for every minute of time the job takes, per flat rate. For some reason P-car mechanics seem to work in slow motion. Anyway, they will make several thousand profit on this job and it's an easy sale as Porsche NA picks up the tab.
Speak with the GM, express your dissatisfaction, and tell him you may speak with Porsche NA or go to another dealer. Squeaky wheels get the grease!
Speak with the GM, express your dissatisfaction, and tell him you may speak with Porsche NA or go to another dealer. Squeaky wheels get the grease!
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Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 9,676
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From: CT
Race Director
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 19,031
Likes: 268
From: Bentonville, AR
Have had my 996 for 1 1/2 years (CPO'ed 2003) and check engine light came on 2 weeks ago. Brought it in to a local dealership where they told me the "camshafts are being chewed up by something - need a complete tear-down or new engine". That was two weeks ago and whenever I call they say they can tell me nothing yet (they are really backed up!). The car is still under full CPO warranty until November so this is on them. They are telling me not to expect the car back until the end of the month. This seems unusual to me - never encountered anything like this before. This vehicle has been babied and only serviced at the dealership. Any ideas how much time I should give them before I have the car shipped someplace else? The customer service at this dealership is truly horrible - they basically tell me to get lost whenever I call.
Thanks
Thanks
A engine R&R is not a big job, it can be done in a day or so. But what can take time is the decision to replace the engine.
PCNA or even the factory may require the dealer to remove the engine and partially tear it down to reach a decision point to replace vs. rebuild.
Also, even if a new engine is called for the engine may not be in the USA.
For instance, my Turbo required a new transmission (it was being replaced under CPO warranty).
But before the decision was made to replace the transmission there was some confusion at the factory about the the transmission type. IIRC the factory, or at least someone at the factory, believed the Turbo 6-speed was the same transmission in the NA cars. It is not of course. And even once this was sorted out sorted there was no Turbo 6-speed transmission anywhere in the USA. A replacement transmission had to come from Germany.
I don't have my records handy but the car was out of service at least 3 weeks and maybe even longer.
But I must say the service manager was quite up front with me and never told me to get lost. He filled me in with the what was going on and I knew he and the shop were doing what could be done within their power to expedite the transmission replacement and the delay was not the service department, the service manager or the service tech's fault.
Sincerely,
Macster.
