911CarreraRs

I am considering buying my first 911, it is a 1999 996 c2 cab with 87k. I've done a carfax, check out clean - no history of damage but with six owners. Next I had a mechanic go over the car with a fine tooth comb besides all the usual things that you would expect from a 14 year old car. He said that the acceleration seemed off in low power range / top half seemed normal and had a CEL throwing a P1531 code (camshaft adj bank 1). He proceeded to tell me worst case, it could need a timing chain rebuild ~5k because of the the code. After our conversation, I jumped onto rennlist forum and began to read about others with same code. Could the solution as simple as replacing the cam adjustment solenoid or is it more dire than this? Am I reading correctly that the labor is a little more complicated on a 1999 996? Is this a car that I should walk away from?

Macster

The error code points to a bad solenoid or actuator. For the 996 it is I hear/read fairly easy, read low cost. Afterwards with a new solenoid in then a bad actuator may need replacement too. AFAIK there is no way to test the actuator/confirm it is working properly until a known good solenoid is in the engine.

The actuator job is more costly. I do not have the costs for the 996.

I had this done on my 02 Boxster.

For my Boxster I recall the parts are expensive. They'll be likewise for the 996.

IIRC with my 02 Boxster the solenoid was around $700 and the actuator even a bit more.

Thus, for a $3K solenoid/actuator repair for my 02 Boxster the parts cost was roughly about half the total cost. Labor, oh and few other parts (camshaft cover bolts for instance) made up the rest.

Generally the timing chains do not need to be touched. They either work ok or they fail, they fail because of say a tensioner failure or sometimes even an IMSB failure.

Sometimes a tensioner or a cam chain rail needs replacement. There is noise associated with this, along with trash in the oil filter housing oil/filter element (trash consisting of tensioner o-ring/seal material and composite plastic rail covering sometimes in severe cases just short of outright failure alot of aluminum created by the chain contacting the aluminum rail over which the composite plastic covers.

Because the car is unknown to you you can't eliminate the possibility the chains/tensioners even the IMSB is not in need of prompt attention.

IOWs, the car's problems being limited to the relatively expensive but affordable VarioCam solenoid/actuator and not something much deeper is not knowable.

The tech can get a better sense of the condition of the engine, the extent of what needs attention, when the solenoid/actuator is done but by then of course it may be too late. You already own the car.

Unless you can get the car for a price that mitigates the risk the car may need "a timing chain rebuild" then my advise is to walk away from the car.

b8_rdc

Walk away.

5CHN3LL

Unless you have an emotional attachment to this specific car, find one that doesn't have any current issues. There is plenty of 996 inventory - why buy one that is already wanting repair?

Flat6 Innovations

This code is usually related to dirty oil in 3 chain engines, but is more associated with worn vario-cam wear pads on 5 chain engines, like the 99'.

These fail routinely and its not an expensive component to replace, if thats what it is. Have the shop query the ECU for cam to crank and cam to cam deviations.