LN Engineering IMS Upgrade
10-05-2011, 11:52 AM
#16
Race Director
Just a comment here. There are many things one can be worried about. The 993 owners have their attention on the Secondary Air Intake issue and the need for an expensive value job. They drive in fear of the engine light coming on, discuss wildly whether you should drive the car in slow traffic or not, and a multitude of other topics relating to this. (I know this as I extensively researched the 993 and almost bought one.) The 996 owners have their issues with the M96 engine as do we. What the newer DFI engines have to present to us for major problems is not really yet known. The good news is that that reportedly have 40% fewer parts, which to me SOUNDS like a good thing but who really knows in the end, right? So I think it can be safe to say that the IMS in the M97 engine does fail on occasion, we know that, but that there is little to do to prevent it other than oil changes every 5000 miles and when the engine has warmed up keep the revs high. That sounds great! And have a good aftermarket warranty, if you abhor the idea like I do of shelling out 20k cash on an engine rebuild. In the meantime, go and DRIVE your car! My 2c, albeit CND.
The danger and fear that are inherent in the IMS problem is that it is completely unexpected, gives you maybe 5 seconds of warning, and can happen under almost any circumstance, to low or high mile cars, at 2000rpm or 6700rpm.
10-05-2011, 11:55 AM
#17
Aftermarket warranties are a great thing to have. However, once your Porsche accumulates enough miles and time under the wheels the warranty companies won't touch 'em. This applies to all cars, of course.
10-05-2011, 12:13 PM
#18
Burning Brakes
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I just want to make 2 points. Please do not generalize based on the opinions of the minority (the internet forums). The same can be said for the risk of IMS bearing failure, which I think has been blown out of proportion on these same forums.
The second point (as Quadcammer just mentioned) is that worn valve guides, SAI issues do not lead to catastrophic engine failure. You can still drive to the shop and get the car fixed, while a blown engine will leave you stranded on the side of the road waiting for a tow truck.
10-05-2011, 01:23 PM
#19
Agreed. And note that owners of 95 993s do not need to be concerned about the CEL from an SAI fault at all as OBD-1 does not monitor SAI. In fact there are some of us who have deleted the whole SAI system.
I read a lot about the IMS issue before I purchased my Boxster S. I bought the car, replaced the IMS bearing myself, and have no worries. Frankly, if the car were newer and had an M97 engine with the larger bearing, I likewise wouldn't worry as M97 IMS failures are ultra rare. The M96 cars like the Boxster are so cheap now that the risk of engine failure is priced in. Good for those of us who have educated ourselves on the issue and understand how to mitigate the risk.
I read a lot about the IMS issue before I purchased my Boxster S. I bought the car, replaced the IMS bearing myself, and have no worries. Frankly, if the car were newer and had an M97 engine with the larger bearing, I likewise wouldn't worry as M97 IMS failures are ultra rare. The M96 cars like the Boxster are so cheap now that the risk of engine failure is priced in. Good for those of us who have educated ourselves on the issue and understand how to mitigate the risk.
10-05-2011, 02:13 PM
#20
Rennlist Member
10-05-2011, 02:22 PM
#21
Just make sure you keep changing theoil in those 997.2 engines. The case bearings are not serviceable from what I have read. This, of course, should only be of interest to folks who keep their cars for a long time.
10-05-2011, 03:52 PM
#22
Rennlist Member
You NEED TO LOOK at the build/production date, as a 2006S car could STILL have been built in 2005 with old IMS. To be safe, I would skip cars that are built before mid-2006.
10-05-2011, 11:37 PM
#24
Rennlist Member
I have a 05 C2. How can I check the build date? How can I check if it's an m96 or m97?
If it's stamped on the engine does anyone have a picture they can post?
If it's stamped on the engine does anyone have a picture they can post?
10-05-2011, 11:56 PM
#25
Rennlist Member
I have a 993 and do not drive in fear of CEL coming on. Also, I do not discuss wildly whether to drive in slow traffic or not.
I just want to make 2 points. Please do not generalize based on the opinions of the minority (the internet forums). The same can be said for the risk of IMS bearing failure, which I think has been blown out of proportion on these same forums.
The second point (as Quadcammer just mentioned) is that worn valve guides, SAI issues do not lead to catastrophic engine failure. You can still drive to the shop and get the car fixed, while a blown engine will leave you stranded on the side of the road waiting for a tow truck.
I just want to make 2 points. Please do not generalize based on the opinions of the minority (the internet forums). The same can be said for the risk of IMS bearing failure, which I think has been blown out of proportion on these same forums.
The second point (as Quadcammer just mentioned) is that worn valve guides, SAI issues do not lead to catastrophic engine failure. You can still drive to the shop and get the car fixed, while a blown engine will leave you stranded on the side of the road waiting for a tow truck.
I stand corrected!
10-06-2011, 03:28 AM
#26
Cheers,
Joe
10-06-2011, 01:51 PM
#27
If the -06 is out of warranty, just buy an extended one or if it's a CPO car, buy the extended policy before the CPO expires. Costs less that way. I had an -06 prior to the current car and did just that. A Fidelity policy through the dealership. 36 months or 100,000 miles whichever came first cost me $1,800 as I recall it. The coverage is almost identical to CPO coverage which includes IMS failure. Small price to pay for peace of mind imo and for getting any and all repairs taken care of for a $100 deductible.
10-06-2011, 01:54 PM
#28
Build dates are on a sticker in your door jamb when you open the door. All C2's are m96's and C2S's with a 3.8 are M97's. The only sure way to know if your engine has the older serviceable IMS is to actually inspect it.
