When I first purchased my 2000 996 C4, about 4 years ago, there were a couple of issues that were pointed out during the PPI. Apart from the few minor repairs, I had the car tuned up. That was at 107K miles. Here I am now 4 years later, and now with 142K miles I've notice the mileage decreasing. Also, I noticed the car running a little sluggish Fortunately, during my ownership, the car has not given me any serious problems with the exception of small non-catastrophic issues. I am not a mechanic but I do like to do what I can when it isn't too difficult. I did some searching for instructions on tuneups, but could not find anything Any suggestions where I might find this information Ideas or suggestions are appreciated......

 

There's not really that much to "tune" like there was in carbureted cars with adjustable timing. Did you get new coil packs @ 107K?

A tune-up for my 996 would include plugs, air filter, fuel filter, and a new belt. If your coil packs are ancient, doing those when you do the plugs makes sense. Carefully cleaning the MAF and cleaning the throttle body wouldn't be a bad idea.

 

- A tank of gas with Techron added
- Finished the tank of gas then have an oil change
- Clean the throttle body and MAF
- Replace engine air filter, spark plugs, and transmission oil
- Replace the fuel filter if you have one

 

Schnell beat me to it. Good point on the coil packs.

Also a good idea to scan the car for any pending codes and check the fuel trims and cam deviations.

 

+1 on Airfilter and MAF cleaning. I gained 2 MPG on hwy after doing this

 

On a *somewhat* related note of useless trivia:

The term 'tune-up' was coined when Henry Ford was working on his first automobile prototype. As the ignition coils worked they made a buzzing sound. When all the coils were adjusted properly, they all buzzed at the same level - they were 'in tune'.

 

I'll take "Useless Auto Trivia" for 800, Alex...

 

2 mpg on the highway? Somebody's really analyzing fuel consumption closely

 

Since you have a mk1, don't forget spark plug tubes and o-rings if you do spark plugs and/or coil packs.

 

I would definitely replace the points, cap, and rotor.

 

Also, replace the start crank if the car is not equipped with an electric starter, and all coal dust should be cleaned from around the boiler.

 

Thank you all for the advice and suggestions. I discussed this with a local P-car mechanic and I am taking it to his garage next week see if he can get the performance back up and better mileage