Common Problem Areas in 997.1
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 326
Likes: 4
From: Wilmington, Delaware
Common Problem Areas in 997.1
The Porsche 997 has a reputation as a reasonably reliable car, at least by sports car standards. I've now had my car for about 9 months, and have spent about $2000 on various repairs, most recently cracked coils which seem to be a common problem area. I'm wondering what other issues are common to these cars, as well as the approximate repair costs, assuming the Porsche dealer does the work.
I'm not interested in the very rare kind of issues, but the well known or catastrophic ones.
These are the ones I personally know of:
- The dreaded IMS failure. Rare, at least after 2005, but certainly catastrophic. Cost: Unknown (New Engine)
- Cracked coils - $1200 for a new set of 6
- RMS - $800 to $1600 for replacement depending on model
- Coolant Expansion Tank - $400 to $500 for replacement
- Water Pump - Cost?
What else gentlemen....?
I'm not interested in the very rare kind of issues, but the well known or catastrophic ones.
These are the ones I personally know of:
- The dreaded IMS failure. Rare, at least after 2005, but certainly catastrophic. Cost: Unknown (New Engine)
- Cracked coils - $1200 for a new set of 6
- RMS - $800 to $1600 for replacement depending on model
- Coolant Expansion Tank - $400 to $500 for replacement
- Water Pump - Cost?
What else gentlemen....?
Instructor
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 208
Likes: 7
From: Los Alamos, NM
$1200 for coils?!? I just replaced mine a few weeks ago and it was $300 at most. I don't think it was even that, though. $250 is more along the lines of what I'm thinking.
Water pump cost about $250. I also added a lower temp thermostat for something like another $50.
All of this was DIY, though. So if the cost of a dealer change of coils is actually $1200, you're paying roughly $1000 in labor. I'll admit it's a bit of a pain in the rumpkus to change them, but I don't think it's worth $1000 for someone else to do it for me. Do note that I enjoy doing this kind of stuff. Sort of a hobby. Instead of golf, I disassemble my car. So your mileage may vary in the DIY front. If you don't like twisting your arms into pretzel shapes to remove nuts and bolts, then $1000 might be really a cheap way of avoiding an afternoon of chain dropping F-bombs.
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 326
Likes: 4
From: Wilmington, Delaware
I certainly wish I had just a little bit of the talent that some of you guys have, but unfortunately I have neither the talent, tools, energy, or patience. Also, since I don't even have a garage, I'd have to do the work on the street (busy road too), in front of my house. That's why DIY is not an option for me at all. In my younger days I used to do some work on my own, much simpler cars, but those days are long gone.
$1200 is what I paid for 6 new coils and spark plugs at the dealer. I think that's about the going rate too, at the dealer. The Indy might have charged a bit less, but I guess I just have more confidence in the dealer doing it right.
Other than the alternator/battery cable and the water pump which are known problems, are these fairly common issues? Assuming the Porsche dealer does the work, about how much would parts+labor run on these repairs:
Alternator/Battery cable
Shift cable
HVAC switches
HVAC display
Water pump
Clock (non-GPS equipped vehicles)
PCM
Interior door handles
Window Motor
$1200 is what I paid for 6 new coils and spark plugs at the dealer. I think that's about the going rate too, at the dealer. The Indy might have charged a bit less, but I guess I just have more confidence in the dealer doing it right.
Other than the alternator/battery cable and the water pump which are known problems, are these fairly common issues? Assuming the Porsche dealer does the work, about how much would parts+labor run on these repairs:
Alternator/Battery cable
Shift cable
HVAC switches
HVAC display
Water pump
Clock (non-GPS equipped vehicles)
PCM
Interior door handles
Window Motor
Racer
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 377
Likes: 0
From: Houston, TX
Assuming the Porsche dealer does the work, about how much would parts+labor run on these repairs:
Alternator/Battery cable
Alternator/Battery cable
Shift cable
HVAC switches
HVAC display
Water pump
Clock (non-GPS equipped vehicles)
PCM
Interior door handles
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Instructor
Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 152
Likes: 2
Why fix when it is not broken?
The HVAC (fan speed and temp) switch logos wear off and the surface can give a gummy texture under direct sunlight. I don't think the switches themselves go bad, it's just a cosmetic complaint. Depending on your car's mileage and age, you could replace the water pump as a cheap preventive measure. Same goes for the AOS (oil separator, $250? + labor). Other than that, I'd just fix the little issues as they come along. If you are worried about the IMSB, you might consider the Guardian Angel for some peace of mind. Change engine oil regularly, don't drive it like a prized vintage and you should be fine!
Instructor
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 208
Likes: 7
From: Los Alamos, NM
As said above, if you have the slightly rubbery feeling HVAC switches, the paint will wear off leaving them the base semi-translucent color underneath. Then the whole button lights up at night.
The two options to fix that are a new climate control unit (I think about $500 for just the part), or send off the climate control unit to companies that specialize in restoring interior buttons (StickyNoMore is the one I'm familiar with). That option is between $90-150 depending on if you send them the unit or just the buttons. The restored buttons do look better than the worn buttons but aren't an identical match for the original.
Because the problem is so pervasive I keep thinking someone will start to make new climate control buttons in the future.
The two options to fix that are a new climate control unit (I think about $500 for just the part), or send off the climate control unit to companies that specialize in restoring interior buttons (StickyNoMore is the one I'm familiar with). That option is between $90-150 depending on if you send them the unit or just the buttons. The restored buttons do look better than the worn buttons but aren't an identical match for the original.
Because the problem is so pervasive I keep thinking someone will start to make new climate control buttons in the future.
Three Wheelin'
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 1,334
Likes: 340
From: Denver
As said above, if you have the slightly rubbery feeling HVAC switches, the paint will wear off leaving them the base semi-translucent color underneath. Then the whole button lights up at night.
The two options to fix that are a new climate control unit (I think about $500 for just the part), or send off the climate control unit to companies that specialize in restoring interior buttons (StickyNoMore is the one I'm familiar with). That option is between $90-150 depending on if you send them the unit or just the buttons. The restored buttons do look better than the worn buttons but aren't an identical match for the original.
Because the problem is so pervasive I keep thinking someone will start to make new climate control buttons in the future.
The two options to fix that are a new climate control unit (I think about $500 for just the part), or send off the climate control unit to companies that specialize in restoring interior buttons (StickyNoMore is the one I'm familiar with). That option is between $90-150 depending on if you send them the unit or just the buttons. The restored buttons do look better than the worn buttons but aren't an identical match for the original.
Because the problem is so pervasive I keep thinking someone will start to make new climate control buttons in the future.
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 326
Likes: 4
From: Wilmington, Delaware
I understand the disappointment and frustration of the coating wearing off on the switches, but I was asking about more about common mechanical or electrical issues, which have a real operational impact on the car.
Is the shift cable a common issue? I hadn't heard about it before. How does it fail?
Is the shift cable a common issue? I hadn't heard about it before. How does it fail?
Three Wheelin'
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 1,402
Likes: 10
From: Maryland
i wouldnt say it's "common" but i've seen enough examples where it can't be consistently traced to hard shifting, track use, abuse, etc. which leads me to believe that it is probably a weak-ish point that may or may not rear it's ugly head much like the IMS or RMS.
Drifting
Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 3,024
Likes: 67
From: Austin, TX
If you're p-dealer dependent than it's fair to reserve ~$2K/yr for repairs/service. I've spent $1K on parts to DIY over the past two years but $600 of that was preventative measures vs. required service due to a breakdown. I would have been in the $4K-5K range had it all been p-dealer serviced. BTW, $2K/yr is 2% of retail on my C2S. In comparison with other high end brands... still not bad. For example, Lexus wanted $600 to resurface her two front rotors on our GX-470. I replaced all rotors, pads, and flushed the brake system for less than that myself - two hrs of DIY. I didn't ask but I'm sure we would have been in the $2K range had I asked Lexus to do the work. Now compared to our prior BMW's... the 997 has been cheap to maintain per my wife (the family accountant). Just be prepared to spend some $$ as you approach the major inspection points on the car... seems to peak as you approach the 50K mile mark. I'm at 58K miles so feel good about not having to tackle anything major in the near term. Maybe the AOS at some point.
