I bought a 2001 996 C2 about 4 months ago with 96k miles on it. Now has 100k. So far I have had a small coolant leak which turned out to be the gasket so I went ahead and had the water pump and coolant flush done as well. Also just did an oil change a couple weeks after I bought it. Looking through the records on the car it looks like the alternator, drive belt, MAF sensor, clutch, pads and rotors all around have been done within the last 25k miles. Is there anything that might be going bad soon around 100k miles that I need to keep an eye on?

I just noticed last week that I had a couple drips on my garage floor after I pulled in. Each day seems to add about 2-3 new drops. After looking under the car it looks like its coming from around the left valve cover and near the rear main seal. Both areas are pretty built up with oil that looks like its been there since before I bought the car. Also, one day when I drove to lunch at work I noticed a little smoke from oil dripping onto the headers. I keep seeing mixed reviews on these oil leaks. Are the leaks something I should be worried about or do I just need to add a little oil every 3k miles or so? I'm 21 so not the best mechanic but have worked on quite a few domestic cars including my 68 Camaro and did the water pump on a 03 Boxster I had when I was younger so I do have more than the basic know how. Has anyone attempted to fix these areas themselves? If so how hard was it or is it just not worth doing? A big thing I was wondering is are there any oil additives that will help stop the leaks that are safe for these engines? I have not seen any post in here talking about any oil stop leak additives.

 

Congrats on your 996 purchase. It looks good with the black wheels.

It sounds to me like your RMS needs to be replaced, and possibly some other gaskets. The RMS requires a special tool to be properly seated. It is possible to do this yourself if you are comfortable dropping the transmission and fabricating a tool for the job. It has been done before. That being said, you're probably better off finding a good independent mechanic to do the job. I recommend having the intermediate shaft seal gasket changed while you've got it apart.

 

Thanks, yea the new set of wheels and tires I got for both my cars set me back quite a bit. Thats why I was wondering if this problem needs to be addressed pretty soon or if I just don't need to worry about it.

 

It's not uncommon for a 996 to leave a few drips on the garage floor from time to time. Generally, you'll find that most people recommend living with a small RMS leak until the next clutch change and addressing the issue at that time.

If you're getting more than a couple of drips and you suspect it's coming from other areas too, then it may be a good idea to have a Porsche mechanic diagnose the issue. Also, make sure to check your oil regularly until the issue is addressed. I recommend using the dipstick as opposed to the "electronic dipstick" that's displayed when you first start the car.

 

If you're valve cover has any oil residue, I would check spark plug tubes as that is very common for high mileage '99-01 models.

While you're in there, I would replace spark plugs(if old), check ignition coils CAREFULLY and inspect for cracks.

You could just buy the O-rings for the tubes themselves but I would get at least a couple spark plug tubes in case any of yours are cracked.

You'll need a marine boat plug to remove the tubes. You can buy these at any Marine supply store. I bought my 1" plug from Menards for under $2.

 

How long did it take you to do the spark plugs? Could the leaking from the tube be a sign of a cracked cylinder?

Also, have y'all heard of anyone using any type of stop leak for small leaks like this successfully?

 

Spark plugs will vary depending your technique and approach.

In my case I did it when changing mufflers so access was pretty easy.

Cracked Cylinder? stop it now with the gloom and doom or get out of the Porsche hobby for the sake of your health.

Stop Leak products =

 

Haha I know, sorry I had just got done reading a thread about cracked cylinders. So should I be ok just keeping an eye on my oil level till I do my clutch next? Even though it probably will be more then 20k miles from now?

 

Personally wouldn't wait the 20k miles as that's a very long time.

If it is indeed only the valve cover area that's leaking and spark plug tubes the ONLY cause, you could hold off if it's a minor leak but eventually that will become a major leak, enough to a point where oil can drip on your exhaust manifold. Then your car will start smelling like it's burning oil and driving you crazy into thinking your motor is going to blow up at any moment, while bystanders on the side of the streets are going to think there is something wrong with your motor as well...

You bought a high mileage "Porsche", not a Honda. You have to expect some level of maintenance at that age and miles.

There could be other sources of leaks(more risky components) so this isn't something you want to sit on IMO.

 

Understood. That was one of the main reasons I made this post was to see what I should expect for problems/maintenance/preventive maintenance on these cars reaching 100k miles. I do realize that this is not a cheap hobby

 

I learned a long time ago to make sure my car was mechanically sound before a spurged on wheels and paint. Come to think of it, I was about 21.

 

Before I bought the wheels and tires I had already done an oil change, air filter, water pump an coolant flush not long after purchase so at the time the car seemed perfectly fine. It was just recently I noticed the oil leaks.

 

porsche or not, using stop leak additives to stop a leak is ghetto fabulous and not recommended on any car......ever.

 

Chad, why don't you give the underside a really thorough cleaning so you can get a fresh start on the leak(s)? It will be much easier to find them that way. BTW, great deal on the car. Its very nice.

 

Ok so i'll rule out the stop leak additives.

Thanks Krazy, I was very happy on the price considering how good of condition it's in. I could actually go trade it in and make a little money lol. I had tried a little degreaser on it the first day I noticed the leak but didn't really work that well. I'm going to take it to my dads body shop this weekend and put it on a lift so I can do a more thorough job on it than I did just laying under the car.
Also, today it now appears that instead of a couple drops on the left side it has switched to a couple drops on the right side...