zellamsee

I took my 2007 GT3RS in today for its 4 year major service, and the car got a clean bill of health . . . except for the dreaded RMS leak. My warranty expires in about two weeks (I can't believe it has been four years now!) and the question is this -- should I have my dealer replace the seal, while I still have warranty coverage? It already has the latest seal/parts (i.e., I have had the seal replaced once or twice under warranty), so I am inclined to let it go, on the theory that putting in yet another new seal won't work. But, . . . . Thoughts?

Attachment 524418

CRex

Love the car. Looks like you kept it real well!

I'd replace the RMS. Even if it buys you a limited period. I assume you're already leaking--no reason not to have the dealer fix it.

tcsracing1

go ahead. Get er' done.

3 times the charm ( and get em' to do the coolant hoses while the engine is out on their dime)

P.J.S.

make them do it

mooty

do it.

Z356

zellamsee: Your RS looks positively 'radiant' in the midst of that Sonnen workshop! Is there now any consensus on the ultimate solution to this RMS issue on the .1? Is the 996TT seal the answer after your initial warranty period expires and does PAG still frowns on that solution on technical grounds? Does the .2 RS and gt3's continue to have the RMS problem at the same frequency as the .1 cars? Are most of you simply living with it as a 'cost' of ownership? z356

axhoaxho

If your current seal leaks oil to the ground, have it replaced immediately. It is not nice - whether on track or road - that the car leaves oil spots on the ground. Fellow drivers on track or motorcyclists on road can slip on it, and it can cause accident or get someone injured/killed.

Regards,

zellamsee

Thanks for the responses -- definitely some spotting on the ground -- I am going to have them try again -- yes, perhaps third time is the charm!

RTP356

I have been fighting with Porsche over the RMS issue on my RS and had it replaced 4 times with the "solution." Nothing has ever worked and now Porsche refuses to do anything else with the car and is even blaming me for the problem. They claim I am "abusing" the car because I do not drive it enough. They also refer to the owners manual that requires the owner to drive the car 15 miles per day. I find it very small for a company like them to hide behind those kind of excuses. Needless to say - they have lost a long standing customer over the handling of this issue.
Anyway, now that I am done ranting - here is the solution. I have been doing this for 3 months now and have not had one drop of oil and the car will sit for as much as one week at a time.
So here is what you do:
1 - when you stop the car, put the car in neutral and set the handbrake
2 - remove your foot from the brake pedal
3 - let the engine idle for 5 or 10 seconds (and make sure that you keep your foot off the brake pedal)
4 - shut off the motor (while keeping your foot off the brake pedal)

As you will notice from the emphasis above - you want the car to idle with your foot off the brake pedal and then shut it off. This allows the seal to seat properly when the motor shuts off and keep maximum pressure in the case. Good luck - but it does work.

Tim Kay

I follow the idle procedure but not the brake pedal. Just curious, what's the significance of having your foot off the brake pedal?

RTP356

The brake uses the pressure in the case to assist in braking. When you depress the brake pedal you decrease the pressure in the case and since the RMS requires pressure in the case to work properly, you minimize the RMS ability to seal. In normal driving this is not a problem, but when the car sits for a day or two it is. By removing your foot from the brake and then letting the motor idle before shut off you maximize the pressure in the case and the RMS ability to seal.
Bottom line - it is a very poor design and Porsche would prefer to blame its customers and then do the right thing and accept responsibility.

WSH

Wow...interesting !
I will try this
My car will will drop a tiny amount (barely noticeable on the floor, def not a "puddle") but only when warm (ie summer/fall). The car can sit all winter with no leakage ever. My "theory" is that in warm weather the oil is thinner and thus can sneak past the seal. I have just changed to 5w50 to see if the "thicker" oil makes a difference. Will combine the "thick" oil with the procedure above and report back.


FYI to the OP...my car is also going off warranty in 2 months and I just did the inspection with the oil change...dealer said RMS looked ok from their view with no leakage. Even if they did find the (small) amount of leakage I see from time to time I would not have them change the seal again. There does not seem to be a definitive "solution" and again the leakage is so rare it doesnt seem worth messing with. Still love the car

wsh

DM1

I've had my RMS changed a few (5) times and it still leaks. So I will try your idea and see if it works. It sure would be nice to get it to stop leaking.

f4 plt

Had my, bought new, 2007 GT3 for 11 months before it was bought back by the dealer and Porsche NA. Reason, spent over 13 weeks in the shop having the rear main seal replaced again and again. I understand now that if they put the 996 turbo seal in problem is solved but they would not do it back then. I do miss the car

chardonet

I have been doing this since new (13,000 miles now), idling up to about 30 seconds. As noted in other posts, this will also minimize the chain tensioner grinding upon start-up. Alas, I have had the RMS leak since about 2k, and continue to do so. My warranty will be up at the end of the year. Will follow this post closely and decide what to do...