996tnz

Their lawyers are really earning their fees on this one then.

Quite likely. So for cars that have never been tracked nor pushed hard through canyons or hills it makes more sense to just keep driving them that way than to pay thousands for proactive pinning. But if one fitting does blow, just get them all remedied since it's likely that more will follow. I paid several thousand more than I needed to by just fixing individual fittings the first two times.

My earlier advice still stands too though: if you're spending significant time and money on a trackday, club race or rally tour with your 996 or 997 Turbo/GT2 (or even GT3) you're safer to get the coolant fittings fixed first. Or at least be ready to catch the back end if your dry day suddenly becomes a wet day at the rear. This spin was apparently due to a bit of oil on a wet track coupled with early roll on but gives the idea:

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2odu8w_walt-996-turbo-wet-spin-hampton-downs-t10-28-4-2015_auto

Dock

I agree with almost all of that. The only difference of opinion I have is regarding your..."nor pushed hard through canyons or hills...". I push my 996 Turbo hard at times in the mountains of North Georgia, but it pales in comparison to how the car would be driven if I took it to the track.

996tnz

We have some extremely tight extended runs nearby that are more like a half hour autocross than a normal canyon run so it's probably just a difference in interpretation. Cars get hot enough to smell the pads. All but one or two stages of my recent rally tour did not work a car anywhere near as hard. Good on you for giving yours a workout in the hills every now and again!

jumper5836

14 years old and 100k km, tracked regularly and this 2001 never let go a fitting. As well on the same lines, original tranny fluid, diff fluid and gearbox. No issues on this car at all other then rebuilding the alternator and replacing wear items.

Dock

Good information.

NewYorkBuck

Ive had my turbo since 2006, and its an 04. Bought it with 9,000, and I have just about 40k on it now. My total maintenance list is as follows:

Oil sender (warranty)
Wing needed to be reset at dealer (my fault for not cleaning rams - warranty)
Not taking gas fuse issue. (warranty)
Alternator replaced
Battery replaced (no issues since trickle charger)
Coil packs
Spark plugs
Air filter
Fuel filter
Slave cylinder
Front hood shocks
Just bought new tires/alignment.
Regular brake flushes (2 yrs) and oil changes (1 yr or 3-5K)


I think the total for all of the above is about $4300. I know not many miles, but that's only around $500ish per year.

A lot of the little trouble spots have hit me (slave, gas fill, alternator), and I also now have the problem of a faulty gas gauge that needs attention. But to me, these things are just that - little trouble spots. All told those so far have cost me less than $1000 to fix. The rest I view as normal preventative maintenance/wear items. Not bad for supercar performance IMO.

Now if a IMS went, I would probably feel a lot different, but that seems REALLY rare on these cars, esp when regular oil changes are observed.

jumper5836

Well you don't actually have an IMS to even worry about, so your good there.

NewYorkBuck

Really? When did someone split my engine to remove it?

"02996ttx50

i think you can drive these cars hard daily as long as you maintain them *properly* and proactively, but that need not * necessarily* include coolant pipe pinning/welding or even jb weld or any other proactive measure. my car has been tracked hard and often, gets pushed up and down steep mountain ranges in a national park mercilessly on a daily basis, and continues to do so with impunity ( fingers crossed ) do i maintain a more aggressive daily maintenance routine than many or even most? yes, and that could well be the difference or how i arrive at my inconclusive conjecture, but at 127,750 it purrs like a kitten at idle and roars at 1.3 as often as i need or want.

is it "costly"? in relative terms,..yeah, probably lol

Fastboy

I've owned 2 x 2003 x50's. The first one had an expensive 2nd-gear syncro-ring grinding problem--cost me about $3k to get it replaced properly--and (excuse my lack of mechanical knowledge) there was something to do with the axle connecting fr and rear for the AWD--all in, I spend $5k in repairs on that car that year--that was in over 4 years ownership beyond the usual tires, oil, filters, plugs that any car will need.
Unfortunately, that car was crushed in winter storage when the building collapsed on top of it, so I went out and bought another 2003 x50--60,000km's (40,000 miles) and in great shape. That may tell you something about my love of the car--my insurance company handed me a CQ and instead of buying another car like the new Vette or whatever, I went back to the Porsche--same year and model!
This car has been in my hands for all of last summer, and a couple of months this year. It had a cam timing sensor go and some sort of a bracket that cost me $750. So far that's been it for this car.
So, if I look at the 5.5 years of owning these cars, I'd say its been about $1000 / year in repairs beyond usual maintenance stuff every car requires. To me, its been a no-brainer--its a great car, reliable for a car of that vintage, and I'd buy another in a heartbeat.

SimonK

With our cars it's all about luck. Some people have zero problems (usually weekend only low mileage cars). Some people have normal problems and normal maintenance. Some people have lots of maintenance and expensive bills. This is not necessarily neglect related. For example some have spoiler rams failures some don't. Some have clutch accumulator failures some don't, some have sunroof electrical gremlins some don't etc. You just have to hope for the best and ready yourself for the worst. ;-). In my 8 years of ownership ( proper meticulous maintenance ) I have sunk $30K into repairs. I guess I am some of the unlucky ones. My car was and is mint. However, I understood this when I got the car but the smile it puts on my face every time I drive it is well worth it. Ps. I truly drive it all year round. My car is no garage queen. Presently it has 100k miles on the clock. So go for it it's an amazing car but go in with your eyes wide opened. ;-).

"02996ttx50

i agree. but anyone thinks they are "cheap" to maintain regularly will be in for a shock. i would describe my level of maintenance as bordering obsessive and i fix stuff well before it needs to be fixed as it ain't broke. but i push it very hard on a nearly daily basis, have a LOT of miles on it, and it is fast and dependable as all get out.

I'm sure that owing to the regular care. i have a tech on retainer and he comes by the ranch to do anything that only require jackstads so plugs are changed *nearly* as often as oil, maybe a little less, but they are always fried when removed at approx 5k miles. tuned cars EAT plugs, 5 k is about it for em to be honest. paper filters i get for free, so if i see dirt? theyre gone. last coils are at about 20k now, i'll change em this winter...

and on and on and on it goes... but i DO need a new windscreen and have put that off for the hassle quotient lol

if pusch=shed or tracked often these car will not be in the "cheap" category.

SimonK

Plugs at 5K? What tune are you on? 650bhp?

I have stage 2 530bhp @ crank. I change my plugs every 30K miles. Never had a misfire or any problems and when I swap them the old ones are still ok. Coils usually crack @ about 50K.

You are far more obsessive than me and I thought I am bad. :-). Lol.

"02996ttx50

i'm approx 575 rwhp to 600rwhp depending upon how conservative i feel about numbers on a given day. i think 575 is closer though. i've always appreciated that porsche themselves have always been conservative in their estimates and i see no reason to alter or embellish that lol.

yes, i'm obsessive about "certain" aspects and they tend to be purely mechanical as the cosmetics are often in some state of need ( though I've just dropped about 5k there too ) and the fact that i am STILL deciding on what dbl din to install are indicators of what i feel are priorities. i bought this car it had high mileage and it was already modded, and pickled somewhat and as such will never be a cucumber again.

EVERY time i take out my bosch ldc6 ( gt2 heat ) plugs they are toast and that btw 5/6k miles. coils you're right, no problem, its been 20k at least by now on beru.

if i didn't have a competent tech that came to my ranch to work on this thing every other week or so on both the little stuff as well as the larger stuff one can do without a lift, i'd be at a dealer bent over constantly!

though i do major stuff at a very highly regarded la area track prep cup car kinda place as needed. yes, its fair to say i'm obsessed. my gf just asked for a ring, i said it would have to say porsche lol

John@Fabspeed

Did you put hotter burning plugs in after the tune?