Quote:
Originally Posted by PaulE
The sticker is for LN IMSB replacements and could also be under the trunk lid. It looks like this -
But not all installers enter their LN IMSB upgrades into the database. Mine wasn't entered, but I have my receipt, my sticker and my original IMSB. I don't know if all the manufacturers of IMSB upgrades provide stickers or databases like LN does. And even if there is a sticker, you'd still need to know that the same engine that had the IMSB replaced is still in the car. There are lots of other ways that these engines can fail besides the IMSB. JFB in PA is right about provenance. |
As far as I am aware, LN is the only supplier of IMS bearing replacements that serializes kits and provides a database of registered installations.
We are often asked about
how to tell if the IMS bearing has been replaced and the first thing we recommend is to check
http://imscheck.com/. If the Retrofit or IMS Solution installation was registered with LN, you can look it up there. However I will say that many do not bother with registering their installations, so the next thing to do is to look for the IMS serial number sticker which is provided with all IMS Retrofit and IMS Solution bearing kits.
One big thing I see over and over again are cars that had the IMS flange re-sealed at a dealership thinking that the bearing was replaced with a new factory IMS bearing by Porsche, when in fact they only replaced the o-rings or the flange itself and they still have the original bearing.
Another thing to be careful with is if the car is a late 2005 build or 2006-208 model year, as those will have the non-serviceable IMS bearing that requires complete engine disassembly.
One last warning is if the engine has been replaced, you'll see an X, Y, or AT in the serial number or we've even seen some engines that just say M9601 with no serial number. In that case, the engine will have whatever bearing was current for that model year in which the engine was built.