destaccado

Well I bought my first porsche late last year, a 99 boxster with 14k miles in pristine condition. One year later and I find out I have an RMS leak out of warranty and that it's going to cost $1500 and maybe a new engine to fix it. Funny thing is, I'm only 19 and there's no way I can afford a new engine, I'll probably never buy a porsche again after reading how common a problem it is on this board and the fact that porsche hasn't done anything about it.

The other funny part is that I discovered this last week and the receptionist told me if you can't see the leak on the ground I wouldn't worry about fixing it. Don't go to international autos.....

Brian P

IMHO, I think the receptionist is right.

In fact, if you don't see oil drops on the floor, how do you know if you have a leak?

If you really do have a leak, and it's one that requires a new engine, I would push REAL hard with your dealer and PCNA for them to pick it up. Even if it doesn't require a new engine, I'd still insist that they cover it. As you said, the RMS is a known issue.

Oh, and if you do have to pay for the fix, shop around and get a few more quotes. My local dealer said it was about $500 for the fix. If you have a tiptronic, then it's about 1200. My local dealer also charges $115/hour in labor. I'm sure you could find a local independent mechanic who would be MUCH cheaper.

Doug&Julie

Ditto the above comments...RMS leak is not the end of the world and there's no reason to panic. Be sure to shop around for independant mechanics to fix it IF necessary.

On another note, I'm sorry you're first (?) Porsche has given you a hiccup and turned you off of the marque. But I have to say owning a used Porsche is a gamble no matter what model and year you choose. Oil leaks especially are a common occurance in alsmot all Porsches (ask anyone who owns a 911 from...oh...say 1966 to 1995...) If you can get past this defect, you'll find that the Boxster is otherwise quite reliable and should give you years of enjoyment.

One more suggestion, if you haven't already, become a member of the PCA and other Porsche clubs. Not only are these great social outlets with fun events, but there's tons of networking going on. You more than likely will find a much more satisfactory solution to your current problem if you talk to enough Porsche people.

Good luck!

Vampyre

A couple of things, when you buy a Porsche you should reseach the problems and failures of the car your interested in. As for a common problem, I think that is an over statement.

Also just because a $45K car can be bought for $2xK doesn't mean it is cheap to reapir.

If you don't have the money to repair the Boxster, you might want to consider a cheaper car in the future.

Now I would shop around for a better deal on labor and you can buy the parts yourself and save $$. If you don't see a leak, what makes you think you have one?

destaccado

Ya, I probably overspoke (because I was a lil' upset) when I said I'd never buy another porsche. It's an awesome car and I saved for 3 years to buy it. I knew the repairs on this car were going to be expensive- but it's the fact that it's a known issue with the car and it seems like porsche is ignoring it. (at least from what I read, which may be completely off) I know I have the leak because it was diagnosed by the porsche mechanic at 2 shops (porsche factory dealers)....They said it's not that bad and that it's not leaking much yet. In terms of not being able to afford the repairs, all I said is that I can't afford a new engine....I can afford $1500 fairly easy but it's the principle, if this was a spoof repair then I wouldn't be so upset, but considering it's bad engineering......
Thanks for the ideas on finding an independant mechanic, I'll probably do that if you've seen it for $500.....even $1000 would be a steal compared to the $1600 and $1800 I was quoted.....

Brian P

I just thought of one issue with the independent mechanic. I believe Porsche has a new tool that they use for installing the RMS and also to test whether or not you would need a new engine. I don't know if an independent mechanic would have that tool.

I'd still get a few more quotes from factory dealers. And, I'd still push to have them cover it under warranty. Granted, it's a long shot, but it's worth a try.

Personally, I wouldn't worry about it if you aren't seeing a leak onto your garage floor. However, you should really visit Porsche Pete's Boxster Board and get suggestions there. RMS seems to be a relatively hot topic right now.

JMorgan456

I just had my RMS repaired last month.

The Car went out of warranty later in the month. I was debating whether to get an extended warranty.

I spoke to the senior dealer tech. He said that RMS does leak. Fairly often. However, unless it is a major leak, there is no need to fix it at any particular time.

He strongly suggested just living with it until the clutch was gone then do both repairs at the same time. It will then be a nominal additional cost. He sid that the oil goes behing the flywheel and does not affect the clutch unless there is so much in there that it basicaly becomes airborne.

I don't specifically know whether the above is accurate. I am quoting the dealer tech though. FWIW.

destaccado

thanks for the input guys....i'm gonna bring it in to another shop and see what they say.....

CLL ACAB

A couple of thoughts...Do you know the name of the original dealer where the car was purchased and serviced? If so, have you checked out the history to see if this car has had any RMS leaks in the past? It would't be unusal to discover that there is a history of leaks. If there is a history, you would have a strong case for getting it fixed under an "extended" warranty policy. If not, I would still contact the local regional service rep and push for warranty coverage. This is a known manufacturing defect and has nothing to do with vehicle usage or maintenance.