Hey Everyone,

I'm looking to trade up my 4s to a turbo. I'm pretty familiar with the m96 engine, but haven't spent a whole lot of time looking into the turbos. I hear the Mezger is a solid engine. much more so than the m96.

I know about the coolant lines, but what other items should be looked out for when searching for a turbo? I've heard a lot about this 2nd gear pop out issue. Is this a big deal? easily fixed?

any help on things to look out for would be very helpful. I'm not sure I'd be able to get a PPi done on the car i'm considering due to location

i currently have my eyes on a 02 turbo 6 speed

many thanks!

 

The coolant lines issue has been discussed and debated and documented and litigated and registered with NHTSA and on and on and on. Some owners address it preemptively, others wait until if and when. To each his own, but if you find a specimen that has it done already and is otherwise in good shape, I don't see a downside to it.

Spoiler hydraulics are a common complaint as this model ages. Look for weeping around the rams in the underside of the deck lid, uneven actuation of the spoiler in motion, etc. There are solutions to this including repair, replacement with either OEM (but why?) or third party e-ram kits (lots of good reviews, no affiliation), or fixed position.

Second gear popout I've heard of but never seen personally, not sure of prevalence or cause (abuse?). Test by engine braking in 2nd and see if it releases - suggestions have been made to find a steep downhill for a little extra stress.

If a specimen boosts above 0.7bar then you're looking at either a tuned vehicle, or possible boost leak.

Speaking of boost leak... well, the number of posts on this issue speaks for itself. Test.

Interior misc. rattles and such as the materials age. Purely subjective per owner tolerance.

Poll the DME for type 2 revs (those over redline), and when they occurred. If very very recently, maybe a sign of abuse before parting with a vehicle.

I'm confident other members here will have additional advice - including "search the forums because there's a million of these posts," which is always helpful.

Good luck with your hunt!
-V

 

Thanks for you input. I'll have to look into this boost like. that's a new one on me

 

Good info here: https://rennlist.com/forums/996-turb...-a-996-tt.html

 

Thank you very much. I will read this thread

I wore myself out learning everything about the 4s. Im starting to get that feeling again already with looking at turbos.

I have a really good 4s. Not sure if a move to turbo is the right choice or not.

 

If you test drive a well cared for 996TT you will sell your 4S immediately. There is no comparison. The Turbo is a beast with a far superior engine.

 

can anyone recommend a good tech around Milwaukee, WI for a PPI?

 

lol. this is what everyone tells me. I've never driven one, and I may not be able to before i made a purchase. out of state

 

Boost is up to 0.9 for x50 stock.
Other than coolant lines, the engine is 'bullet-proof' which is what I've found.
Now about the master/slave cylinder-clutch assist-power steering mechanism!

 

okay, I'll bite.. tell me more about "Now about the master/slave cylinder-clutch assist-power steering mechanism!"

 

nothing wrong with that... i was also in the same boat... just have the PPI done first...

 

I bought my 4s out of state without ever seeing it. It has been great so far.

what kind of things would you want the PPI to focus on?

 

if they are a porsche specialist they should already have a pretty standard list that they go through... the additional items for this model are things spoken of already in the thread that Carlo provided above...

the biggest item for me when i bought mine was 2nd gear popout... everything else (even coolant lines) i was ok to deal with for the price i was getting the car... but i didn't want to have to deal with an eventual trans rebuild...

 

What generation is the 4S? If it's a 996, then many of the issues I've listed below exist in your current car as well.

I think you've already seen most of the Turbo specific issues above.... None of these should stop you from moving forward, but you should be aware of them. If you are a competent DIY mechanic, the majority of them can be done yourself at relatively low cost.

My list off the top of my head...

996 Turbo Issues:
.

• Coolant lines popping (largely a track issue, IMHO not quite as big of a deal as some make it out to be. Fixes range from just re-gluing a single failed pipe to an engine-out weld in place solution)
• Hydraulic spoiler rams failing (It happens. Several aftermarket solutions, including just inexpensively pinning them in place)
• Clutch slave and accumulator leak/failure (crappy design replacing accumulator is not that big of a deal. Slave a bit more of a pain. Several aftermarket solutions. My favorite resolution is a GT2 clutch slave conversion) [This is the same as "master/slave cylinder-clutch assist-power steering mechanism" referred to above]
• 2nd gear pop-out. (I've personally never known. an owner with this problem, an I know LOTS of 996 turbo owners. If it happens pops out frequently, it's a expensive tranny-out fix. Penny-tech ***** and springs don't seem to be of any real value. Some claim earlier years are more prone to it, but that is not what I've seen)
• Boost leaks. (you will likely have some! learn how to pressure test yourself, most are fairly easy to fix)
• Engine mounts. (These are essentially a wear item, but tend to get neglected by most shops... Easy to replace, easy to upgrade)
• Alternator, water pump, coolant expansion tank, radiators, cam sensor brackets, coil packs, ignition switch, window/door microswitches, window regulator (All failure points. All can be fixed without too much drama. Often there are OEM, but not Porsche parts, that allow fixing for low cost or actual 'repair' vs replacement.)
• DME Over-rev range counters. (these are essentially meaningless information on the 996 Turbo. Unlike later generations with more ranges, the two ranges in the 996 Turbo will accumulate significant numbers without any abuse. My advise is to completely ignore them in this generation)
• Bore Score. (Not a problem in the Mezger engines)
• IMS bearing failure (Not a problem in the Mezger engines)
• Noisy Idle, Puff of smoke on start up. (Very common on Mezger engines, Normal.)

Also, don't expect a PPI to really pick up on some of these issues unless they are very, very, very good and extremely familiar with 996 Turbos in particular. The PPI is going to give you an idea of the general condition, but expect and budget for dealing with several of these issues in your first few years of ownership. These are 15-20 year old cars. But the driving experience and overall value make it absolutely worth it!

 

Wow, thank you very much for this input! I've got an 02 4s. I dealt with the IMS/RMS/clutch as soon as I got it. Now the only thing that keeps me up at night is bore scoring! non of the issues you mentioned above scare me too much. I am curious about this 2nd gear pop out because that seems to be an expensive fix. What would you say the best way to test for it would be? Obviously if its grinding or making any noises that would be suspect. Also, I've head to put it in 2nd while going down a hill. Any other methods to test this 2nd gear issue?

thanks!