PPI Checklist for 997.1, 2008
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Joined: Sep 2015
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From: Carmel, CA
PPI Checklist for 997.1, 2008
Looking to purchase my first Porsche and have found a 2008, 911 S / 997.1 with 30k miles, Manual transmission. I would appreciate having a PPI checklist of what should be done on this car. Does anyone have a comprehensive list and recommendations for a shop in the greater San Jose, CA area?
Three Wheelin'
Joined: Feb 2017
Posts: 1,965
Likes: 688
From: San Francisco
Welcome! I dont know any shops in the South Bay but if you want to take it for an extended road test to Marin, there is a a couple great shops up here. My preferred is S-Car-Go Racing in San Rafael. Hitec also has a good following and is just around the corner. Sharkwerks is down your way in the east bay but you would need to ask if they do PPIs. They are mostly known for mods.
I picked up my 2006 997 12 months ago and its been a blast. Zero regrets. The cars are very reliable and at the prices today they are the best ROI sports car on the road. I have a bunch of posts about my lessons learned you can find on my profile. They might be helpful.
Doing your pre-purchase research will make the process SO much better, so you are going down the right path with your post. Here is what I would recommend:
1. Provenance - How many owners, does it have all its maintenance records, has it been a warm weather car all its life, private sale or dealer (you're buying the previous owner as much as the car). I assume a car with that low miles would have spent its life in a garage.
2. Major Mechanical - Since your car has low miles thats a good and bad thing. These cars are more reliable the more they are driven. The key issues to watch out for with the 997.1 are scored bores, leaky RMS seal, air-oil separator, water pump, cracked coolant reservoir and the starter/alternator cable going bad leading to a slow start when the car is hot. None of the things, except for scored bores, are deal breakers. They are all cheap parts but the labor can add up given their positioning in the engine.
You also have the much discussed IMS but its really a non-issue for 2006-2008 997.1s. They have a larger bearing with only a handful of failures reported. The 2005 model however has the older bearing which needs to be replaced as its got a 10% failure rate.
Bore scoring has been loosely linked to cars that were driven in cold climates and not properly warmed up. Its also mostly prevalent in the 3.8 S engine vs the 3.6 base engine. If your car is Cali born its likely not an issue. You can check for it a couple different ways: check for white smoke on cold starts, listen for any noticeable "ticking" noise from the engine, and have your mechanic scope the bores during the PPI. This will cost a couple hundred bucks more.
To check the starter/alternator cable, see how quick the starter turns the car over on a cold start vs hot start. If you find its slow to turn over when the oil temp is 200+, thats typically a bad cable. During the PPI also make sure they check the voltage drop between the alternator and battery. That will tell you for sure.
The RMS seal is the main thing I would be concerned with on a car with low miles but your 2008 supposedly has a new seal design that reduces the chance for leaking. Its not serious issue. It just causes the car to leak some oil and the new seal only costs $50. However you need to remove the transmission an flywheel to get to it.
If your car has any of these in the maintenance records, thats a good thing. The water pump should be replaced around 10 yrs anyway for security.
3. Maintenance schedule - at 30k miles you are due for a major 40k maintenance, if it already hasn't been done. This includes new plugs, new belt, and brake flush.
4. Oil - whats the oil change schedule (should be every 5k miles), and what oil have they been using? My top recommendation is to pay an extra hundred bucks during the PPI to have the oil filter removed and cut open to inspect for debris. This will give you piece of mind vs waiting until your first oil change after you bought the car. I know from experience.
5. Clutch - it should feel very smooth. The pedal shouldn't feel stiff or heavy.
6. Tires - with low miles you may have tires that look new but are 5-7 yrs old. Happened to me. Old tires can dry rot and get rock hard. The manufacturing year is written on the sidewall.
7. Exterior - any accidents on the carfax? Hows the paint. Check for rock chips. These cars get a LOT. Check if the bumper or hood has been resprayed. Check the windshield for chips. If it was replaced make sure it has the proper factory seal (mine didn't). If the rock guards are yellowed those can be replaced for $100. If the headlights are yellowed those can be polished out. However if the fog lights are crazed they will need to be replaced. Thats $700 for OEMs or $300-400 for LED aftermarkets.
8. Interior - the biggest thing for 997.1s is the rubberized paint on the center console and AC buttons peels and looks like ****. Happens to Ferraris and Porsches of this vintage. Both easy fixes. MACarbon is not selling new AC buttons for $160. The center console can be resprayed DIY or buy a new one for $650.
9. Brakes - these should be good at 30k miles.
10. Mods - any aftermarket exhaust, suspension? A Fister exhaust bypass is almost a required mod for the 997. They sound amazing and FD Motorsports is in the east bay so convenient.
11. PCM Stereo - a big complaint on the 997.1 vs .2 is the old PCM. Check if it has a aftermarket Dension or Mobridge unit that enables hands free calling and bluetooth stereo. This is a HUGE plus as not having these makes the car feel date. A Dension will cost $600+ but there is a new unit called LaPower that that only costs $150.
12. Squeaks and rattles - these cars have them but you can track them down and solve them.
Good luck and keep us posted.
I picked up my 2006 997 12 months ago and its been a blast. Zero regrets. The cars are very reliable and at the prices today they are the best ROI sports car on the road. I have a bunch of posts about my lessons learned you can find on my profile. They might be helpful.
Doing your pre-purchase research will make the process SO much better, so you are going down the right path with your post. Here is what I would recommend:
1. Provenance - How many owners, does it have all its maintenance records, has it been a warm weather car all its life, private sale or dealer (you're buying the previous owner as much as the car). I assume a car with that low miles would have spent its life in a garage.
2. Major Mechanical - Since your car has low miles thats a good and bad thing. These cars are more reliable the more they are driven. The key issues to watch out for with the 997.1 are scored bores, leaky RMS seal, air-oil separator, water pump, cracked coolant reservoir and the starter/alternator cable going bad leading to a slow start when the car is hot. None of the things, except for scored bores, are deal breakers. They are all cheap parts but the labor can add up given their positioning in the engine.
You also have the much discussed IMS but its really a non-issue for 2006-2008 997.1s. They have a larger bearing with only a handful of failures reported. The 2005 model however has the older bearing which needs to be replaced as its got a 10% failure rate.
Bore scoring has been loosely linked to cars that were driven in cold climates and not properly warmed up. Its also mostly prevalent in the 3.8 S engine vs the 3.6 base engine. If your car is Cali born its likely not an issue. You can check for it a couple different ways: check for white smoke on cold starts, listen for any noticeable "ticking" noise from the engine, and have your mechanic scope the bores during the PPI. This will cost a couple hundred bucks more.
To check the starter/alternator cable, see how quick the starter turns the car over on a cold start vs hot start. If you find its slow to turn over when the oil temp is 200+, thats typically a bad cable. During the PPI also make sure they check the voltage drop between the alternator and battery. That will tell you for sure.
The RMS seal is the main thing I would be concerned with on a car with low miles but your 2008 supposedly has a new seal design that reduces the chance for leaking. Its not serious issue. It just causes the car to leak some oil and the new seal only costs $50. However you need to remove the transmission an flywheel to get to it.
If your car has any of these in the maintenance records, thats a good thing. The water pump should be replaced around 10 yrs anyway for security.
3. Maintenance schedule - at 30k miles you are due for a major 40k maintenance, if it already hasn't been done. This includes new plugs, new belt, and brake flush.
4. Oil - whats the oil change schedule (should be every 5k miles), and what oil have they been using? My top recommendation is to pay an extra hundred bucks during the PPI to have the oil filter removed and cut open to inspect for debris. This will give you piece of mind vs waiting until your first oil change after you bought the car. I know from experience.
5. Clutch - it should feel very smooth. The pedal shouldn't feel stiff or heavy.
6. Tires - with low miles you may have tires that look new but are 5-7 yrs old. Happened to me. Old tires can dry rot and get rock hard. The manufacturing year is written on the sidewall.
7. Exterior - any accidents on the carfax? Hows the paint. Check for rock chips. These cars get a LOT. Check if the bumper or hood has been resprayed. Check the windshield for chips. If it was replaced make sure it has the proper factory seal (mine didn't). If the rock guards are yellowed those can be replaced for $100. If the headlights are yellowed those can be polished out. However if the fog lights are crazed they will need to be replaced. Thats $700 for OEMs or $300-400 for LED aftermarkets.
8. Interior - the biggest thing for 997.1s is the rubberized paint on the center console and AC buttons peels and looks like ****. Happens to Ferraris and Porsches of this vintage. Both easy fixes. MACarbon is not selling new AC buttons for $160. The center console can be resprayed DIY or buy a new one for $650.
9. Brakes - these should be good at 30k miles.
10. Mods - any aftermarket exhaust, suspension? A Fister exhaust bypass is almost a required mod for the 997. They sound amazing and FD Motorsports is in the east bay so convenient.
11. PCM Stereo - a big complaint on the 997.1 vs .2 is the old PCM. Check if it has a aftermarket Dension or Mobridge unit that enables hands free calling and bluetooth stereo. This is a HUGE plus as not having these makes the car feel date. A Dension will cost $600+ but there is a new unit called LaPower that that only costs $150.
12. Squeaks and rattles - these cars have them but you can track them down and solve them.
Good luck and keep us posted.
Thread Starter
AutoX
Joined: Sep 2015
Posts: 11
Likes: 0
From: Carmel, CA
Great feedback, I understand there is a shop in Campbell, CA, Don Wise has owned for years that has been recommended. I will bring the issues you mention to his attention. The dealer just changed the oil, filter, brakes and air filter so getting a look at a cross section of the previous filter is not going to possible. I guess I'll need to go with most of the wisdom on this site that the 997.1 2008 IMS bearing issue is on older cars not this one. All services have been done by Porsche dealers in SoCal from the two prior owners. The second owner followed the 20k oil change recommendation by Porsche, the first owner was every 5-7K which I plan to do.
Pro
Joined: Jun 2013
Posts: 665
Likes: 7
From: Canada, GTA
Here are some comprehensive PPI checklists.
PPI Checklist
https://rennlist.com/forums/964-1989...checklist.html
The Pre-Purchase Inspection by Peter Zimmermann
https://rennlist.com/forums/991/1896...immermann.html
PPI Checklist
https://rennlist.com/forums/964-1989...checklist.html
The Pre-Purchase Inspection by Peter Zimmermann
https://rennlist.com/forums/991/1896...immermann.html
Three Wheelin'
Joined: Feb 2017
Posts: 1,965
Likes: 688
From: San Francisco
Great feedback, I understand there is a shop in Campbell, CA, Don Wise has owned for years that has been recommended. I will bring the issues you mention to his attention. The dealer just changed the oil, filter, brakes and air filter so getting a look at a cross section of the previous filter is not going to possible. I guess I'll need to go with most of the wisdom on this site that the 997.1 2008 IMS bearing issue is on older cars not this one. All services have been done by Porsche dealers in SoCal from the two prior owners. The second owner followed the 20k oil change recommendation by Porsche, the first owner was every 5-7K which I plan to do.
Three Wheelin'
Joined: Feb 2017
Posts: 1,965
Likes: 688
From: San Francisco
Welcome, welcome. Its a good time to buy as you typically see 10-15% discounts in the winter. I am helping a buddy find a car and ran across this 2007 with X51 and PCCB brakes on bringatrailer.com. Its sweet. Auction ends tmrw. Last bid was $40k. Interested to see what it finally goes for. I think $47-49.
https://bringatrailer.com/listing/20...1-carrera-s-6/
https://bringatrailer.com/listing/20...1-carrera-s-6/
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Pro
Joined: Dec 2016
Posts: 512
Likes: 44
From: Albany, NY
Welcome, welcome. Its a good time to buy as you typically see 10-15% discounts in the winter. I am helping a buddy find a car and ran across this 2007 with X51 and PCCB brakes on bringatrailer.com. Its sweet. Auction ends tmrw. Last bid was $40k. Interested to see what it finally goes for. I think $47-49.
https://bringatrailer.com/listing/20...1-carrera-s-6/
https://bringatrailer.com/listing/20...1-carrera-s-6/
Thats a really nice car. I'm hoping to find a nice 997.1 Turbo
