Capt. Obvious

That sounds more like a chain tensioner failure than an IMS failure.

Capt. Obvious

Of course they will automatically blame the IMS. They've made a lot of money with their fear-mongering about the IMS "issue" all over the internet.

Byprodriver

I guess we will never know how much money "they" have saved people due to the preventative maintenence option "they" provided!

Capt. Obvious

The IMS Guardian does nothing but tell you that your engine is already toast.

Hurdigurdiman

I don't think the engine would be 'toast' as I believe that the Guardian throws up a red light when metal filings or small pieces stick to it. The Guardian is situation in the oil sump I think. We can look for our own filings (which i do) by cutting open the oil filter and inspecting it during an oil and filter change. Then if the slightest piece was discovered, it would be time for an IMS bearing change. To discover plastic bits could be better than metal as then the plastic covering around the bearing would have broken, allowing much needed oil to lubricate the bearing properly. A sump drop would be in order to clear out the remaining plastic plus a new retro fit bearing to be on the safe side. So you are partially correct in saying that the Guardian does Nothing (only display the red light).. I think thats how it works. The time between oil changes is the most unprotected time when the Guardian could save our bacon. Sometimes I wished I had never posted to this forum. I didn't know anything about the fault on the 996 when I bought the car. Thanks to you blabbermouths haha... After saying that, I have learned so much and saved a ton of cash by doing my own work on the car preventative diy work. I gain lots of info everytime I read the forum so here I will stay. Thanks to you guys. You know who you are. Macster especially to mention just one Gem.

Sneaky Pete

Thought I would post this again. Best of luck!

Hurdigurdiman

You replied to Trapper dog.. The interior of the engine destroys itself and no need to look at the bearing itself.... If that had happened, surely you would have heard all kinds of crunching and grinding, banging and clanging BUT you said on your first post that you heard nothing and the engine just died on you. so you rolled into a car park and then never tried to start the engine again. Something is way amiss here. Either the garage is pulling your plonker saying all those things about the engine, Or you are pulling our plonkers... Hell see if its getting juice and try and start it, you cant cause any more damage if the garage it telling you the truth. You will know something is sadly wrong if you hear rattling and clanging going on as it tries to fire. If it tries as a normal engine would try to start and you dont hear anything untowards, then drag it away from them and take it to somewhere else for their opinions. Nothing lost, maybe a lot to be gained here.

rb101

If a chain broke or a tensioner failed, it could just be bent valves. Not nearly as bad as IMS failure.

rpm's S2

Good lord but some of you are just ignorant monkeys with laptops.

Let's try this real slow for those of you in the peanut gallery... IMS failure happens. It is not a sham invented by mechanics to gouge customers, nor is it a unicorn-like phantom that no one has ever really seen. Not all engine failures are IMS failures. The actual numbers are literally impossible to nail down, but seem to be somewhere between 5 and 10% of cars... Enough so that preventive measures like the IMS Guardian and the LN Engineering bearing upgrade are a sound investment.

And another thing... Throwing out your Internet hoax conspiracy theories while a Rennlist member is looking at a huge bill and the potential loss of a cherished car is just downright thoughtless and cold.

So please just go hang out on TMZ or wherever else the internet collects the lowest common denominators and leave this place to serious discussion and information.

Peace out.

NZ951

Up 10% of cars have had IMS failure? What a load of crap.

Sneaky Pete

This like a republican / democrat debate. 5 to 10% IS crap. The OP's car is in trouble but I don't believe the xxx is the reason. I would really take the car for 2nd opinion. Let the lemmings jump off the cliff.

eidolon

I had a a thrust bearing failure, and when I replaced my engine I put in both the IMS Guardian and the upgraded LN Engineering bearing, because the 996 sitting in my mechanics bay next to my 996 had an IMSB failure, and the Porsche in the bay next to that was a Boxster with an IMSB failure with less than 20K on the clock! What a friggin wake-up call that was to see two Porsches laid-up with IMS failures. IMSB failures are obviously happening, maybe not to me but it is happening to other Porsches around me.

Peace of mind is what I have for the $600 i put into it... just peace of mind- not just for the IMSB but if any ferrous metal shaving end up in my sump... I'm going to know about it before I end up buying another engine .

mglobe

Some of us monkeys have thousands of hours of track time in 996's driving and racing, and even more time instructing in 996's. Some of us have seen quite a few Caymans, Boxsters, 996's, 997's, M3's, Miatas, Corvettes, Mustangs,... experience engine failures. We pay attention, and follow up with our friends, colleagues, and students on the cause of their engine failures.

Granted none of us have a statistically significant data set. But some of us laptop monkeys have seen that a very small percentage of the total Porsche engine failures are due to the IMSB. Does the IMSB fail? Of course it does some time. But out of the ~10 water cooled engine failures I've seen, only one was IMSB.

WTF is TMZ anyway?

Steve2112

Sorry to hear about your problems - when my CPO ran out I shipped my car to Flat 6 and had a bunch of stuff done including the IMSR procedure, water pump, clutch, lifters, and some other stuff. I sleep better at night now - I just hit 20K miles on my 04 40th AE.

rpm's S2

So... In your experience Porsche water-cooled engines do fail, and sometimes it is the IMS. And in the very small sample size you are directly familiar with that IMS failure rate was 10%.

Clearly my post was aimed at those who are stubbornly or stupidly on that river in Egypt, not at you.