drollin

My 2005 CPO 911 C2S which I bought used at 16k miles in March 2009 and put on 5k miles had a check engine light early last week. I took it in for three days of service and they initially thought it was a bad coil in the number three cylinder. Well it ends up that the number three cylinder nikasil liner is cracked and now I will need an entirely new engine. Porsche is covering it under warranty but usually makes the resale value tougher as buyers assume that the car is damaged goods even though logically you would think it would make the car more valuable as it is a new engine. I have had three Porsches over an 11 year period (1998 boxster and 2002 996) and never had any major issues outside of rear main seal leaks.

My question to everyone here is there anything I should be asking for now before they install the new engine and any other helpful advice would be much appreciated.

Daryl

PasPar2

I dont think a new engine is necessarily a red light. I specifically looked for 996's with new engines and picked one up when I found it - average prices for new engine 996's was higher.

Dharn55

A 2005 997 with a new engine is probably worth more than one with the original engine. 2005's seem to have developed a reputation of having a higher rate of engine failures (whether this is true or not I don't know). With the new/reman engine ou will have the upgrade Porsche did to the IMS in 2006.

I think I would congratulate you, especially since it happened under warranty.

drollin

The service guys have told me it is supposed to be a new engine and not remanufactured. I was advised by my independent mechanic to make sure they keep the same engine number.

russo

The good news is that you now get a new engine that you get to break in.

ADias

Exactly the opposite. There's no virtue either if the engine is 'new'. Remanufactured engines are just as good. The engine will have a different number but in Porsche's records the new number is the number associated to the car, not the old number. Actually... it looks like that you got lucky with this event.

yemenmocha

If you're worried about resale it would only be a concern in the near future as far as dollar amounts go (assuming you're right that it hurts resale). In a few years I doubt there will be as much difference.

ADias

As others already stated, this new engine improves the resale value right now.

LlBr

Ditto. Pre-owned Porsche buyers are usually smart. That is: a new engine is good.

Also, AFAIK, If they do it under warranty Porsche will permanently alter their records to make all the numbers officially match.

OTOH, I think the engines are remanufactured. Can't remember where I heard that. Somebody out there in Rennlist Land knows for sure.

machina

No way its a new motor under warranty. Porsche does remanufactured motors on exchange basis and carries a 2 year warranty. Anyway, your lucky they are covering it.

Of course the SN on the motor will be different. Your mechanic must be nostalgic, thinking back when folks actually rebuilt motors and used the same case.

JohnnyBahamas

Remanufactured or new... as long as it was rebuilt with a level of care equal to or greater than the original and guaranteed by Porsche it's a win.

People pay serious money to have their engines rebuilt. Your is free.

You're lucky. Enjoy it.

Para82

Anyone know how much an engine replacement would cost on a 997 including labor?

Also what percentage of 997's have had engine replacements?

SY-997

I agree that having the engine replaced under warranty is a good thing for the OP, but think the longer-term value would be higher if the car had the original engine. To the collector community, a "matching numbers" car generally has more value than a "replaced motor under warranty." But unless the OP intends to keep the car for many more years (much longer than the 3-4 years he's kept his prior P-cars) I would guess the 997 won't be bought for collector purposes and therefore won't be valued as such.

Dharn55

997's (and 996's) will never really be collector cars, Way to many of them made. Although the way prices are going (cars down and replacement engines up) there may be enough of these cars being junked over the years to make them scarcer. Early 996's are now going in the teens, and the price of a 3.4 replacment engine is now over $14,000, plus core and labor. You can find 2005 997's under $40K now. Fortunately the 3.6 and 3.8 engines are less than the 3.4, but that won't last for long.

In the meantime the replacement engine is bound to increase the value of the car.

RonCT

I'm with everyone else. You just won the lottery.