aabueg2005

So I finally got the car out today for the first time since November last year from winter hibernation. The car has been hooked to a tender since storage. What greeted me was an airbag light while driving it and a leak from the junction of the tranny and engine, which is possibly an RMS. (Pic attached). If i am going to get this fixed, what else can I fo as preventive maintenance while they have the tranny off aside from the clutch.

Petza914

If the car is an 05 like indicated in your username, it either has the small IMS bearing that should be replaced with The IMS Solution or it has the larger IMS bearing in which case you should remove the bearing outer grease seal because you can't change that bearing.

Make sure to use the new style RMS seal with the multiple sealing ribs instead of just the one.

It's also possible that leak may go away when you start driving the car again as things warm up and start turning again and the seal swells back up again.

groovzilla

RMS seal notorious for failing when car has sat for a while or just due to age. I believe there is another seal or area that can seep oil too other than RMS or IMS which can be resealed.
Things to change out:
-RMS
-Remove IMS bearing seal if u have the later larger IMS bearing
-Clutch and flywheel if needed(have them check flywheel to make sure it is clean and will not "chatter" when new clutch is installed
-I would also change out the water pump and thermostat if it hasn't been done

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ogun228

This begs the following question: is there value in storing a P-car for winter?
In my state, roads are pre-salted/sanded before a snow storm and quickly cleaned
thereafter. I have not had to drive in snow in 5 years. My P-car runs beautifully
and looks great. It is a DD. Where is the benefit of storage?

Petza914

The benefit is in keeping all the standard steel fasteners that Porsche uses rust free. If you wrench on your car yourself, you become especially appreciative of this when a 1 hour R and R of something actually takes 1 hour without snapping off screws and fasteners, having to drill them out, break off the easy-out in the fastener, ruin 3 drill bits trying to get that out, etc.

Porsche doesn't use very many, if any stainless fasteners. Whenever I do a job on the car, I replace any OEM fasterner I remove with a stainless one - I'm going to be back there again someday since I never sell them, and why not save myself the trouble in the future. Especially good examples of this are exhaust hardware, the tapered screws that attach the rotors to the wheel hubs, etc.

The other benefit is that both generations of 997s seem to have a bit of an aversion to cold weather climates with respect to bore scoring, short trips that don't allow the oil to achieve full operating temp, etc. One of my 997s came from PA and one from MI but neither was driven in the winter or I wouldn't have purchased either of those cars. All you have to do is look underneath at a few things to know if the seller was telling the truth about storing them for the winter or not.

Kitc2246

Summer tires with low temps and road salt are the two reasons I minimize driving in Northern VA. I moved from PA two years ago, but that state allows a "stored" category of car insurance to save a few bucks. I'm sure our northern friends in Michigan with winter tires can give you additional year round driving tips. This winter was so mild in NOVA I never got around to 100% storage with gas stabilizer, just hooked up the battery maintainer.

09 Boxster PDK w/Sport/Sport+

aabueg2005

Thank you for your replies. Another gremlin that just appeared yesterday was an airbag light. I have been looking at the forums regarding this and the codes did not point to the usual passenger seat belt issue, but one thing I did install prior to using the car was LED "CANbus error free" lights for the DRL. Now I have a bunch of faults on the CANbus, single-wire operation fault, driver head airbag short circuit to B+. Worse case scenario are mice but I have not seen any signs of infestation inside or outside the car.

ogun228

While appreciating those responses, I wonder whether cold weather driving in the car's country of
manufacture as well as in other northern European climes has also caused those newly discovered
maladies. If so, it would speak volumes ( in a negative manner) to the vaunted build quality of these
cars.
Be that as it may, I cannot even imagine spending 6 months a year driving inferior (my qualification)
automobiles just for the 3 or 4 snow storms we get per year in my neck of the woods. I drive my car daily,
weather permitting ( less than 2 in. and with Sotto Zeroes), enjoy the heck out of it and when it can't go
anymore, I'll try to get another 911. I am on my 2nd and my 996 C4S did NOT have IMS/RMS or any
other malady. Lucky? maybe; driving it as intended? For sure and with maintenance by the book and no mods
It has and is living up to its promise and then some... An investment? Crazy idea!

Fahrer

It normally does not get that cold in Germany unless one is in the south or east. Much of German weather is based on ocean climate with the moderate temps and wet or damp air such as in Oregon. Car manufacturers have test facilities around the world to expose models to severe environments.

Sporty

I agree. Just starting driving mine 80% more in the winter after putting on some all-seasons and after 14 years (its a 2005) and only 32k on the clock. Boy do these cars/motors like to breath the cold cold air- everything feels great. I look forward to driving to work and home every day now and consider it a perk to my job. I have to take the train to NYC once or twice a month and then compare that to being able to drive my 911 to and fro and i realize it is a perk,-even with traffic. BTW I have taken it to one of those car washes where the car stands still and the equipment moves around it to wash off the salt and from the underside as well. Not ideal, only did it once - what do others do to wash the underside from what is left of the remnant salt on the road? Sorry if this is a bit of hijack, but you don't know what you are missing by not driving these cars in the cold weather and letting it hibernate-I just found out now.

Ward1

Must be nice, my roads are salted and left salted till it rains in the spring.

aabueg2005

Well after 2 days of driving the car, the oil leak stopped. Most likely just needed to get driven and the seals expanding. Now just need to reset the multiple electrical faults and see which ones actually come back. I will eventually need the RMS done but I can wait another year and have the clutch done then also.

Petza914

Great news. Thought that might happen. Just keep an eye on it in case it returns.

C4SDayton

As long as my basalt black 997 has a uniform coat of salt, it doesn't look too bad from 20 feet. Seriously though I love driving it in all weather except heavy snow so far and majority of winter I'm leaving for work in the dark and coming home near dusk, so it doesn't look horrible. A 45 degree day every few weeks and I can de-salt just fine. Sometimes I wish I had a white car but wouldn't give up the thrill every day driving it to work regardless of the mess.

ogun228

Sorry, but I can't help it....My point, exactly! Drive the darn thing, have a life, enjoy it!