Worried About RMS

[richmond058]

I have been on this forum now for some weeks learning as much as I can about the boxster as I plan on buying one come this winter, however the more I read about the RMS issue the more concerned I become. After spending $30K on my dream of a porsche, I do not want to worry about having to replace an engine. Should I just look elsewhere, buy a warranty and then sell the car when it runs out of warranty or something else? Please advise!


Dale

[Brucelee]

Originally Posted by richmond058

I have been on this forum now for some weeks learning as much as I can about the boxster as I plan on buying one come this winter, however the more I read about the RMS issue the more concerned I become. After spending $30K on my dream of a porsche, I do not want to worry about having to replace an engine. Should I just look elsewhere, buy a warranty and then sell the car when it runs out of warranty or something else? Please advise!


Dale

First off, the RMS leak will not necessitate an engine replacement nor tend to. That is a sep. issue.

If you get one, it will cost you north of a grand to have repaired.

If you do a search on warranties here you will find tons of good info on that topic.

Good luck.



I

[FrayAdjacent]

If the worry about something breaking is reason not to buy something... .we would never buy anything!


You'll be fine if you get the newest, lowest mileage Boxster you can find, have a PPI done, and look into getting a warranty. Make sure the warranty will cover seals and gaskets, as some don't, or have seals and gaskets as an option.

An RMS leak in itself is not an indication of a failing/failed engine, it's just an oil leak.

[alikhan78]

>>After spending $30K on my dream of a porsche, I do not want to worry about having to replace an engine.

For $30K you should be able to get a Boxster with at least some amount of warranty remaining on it. Beyond that if you are still worried, get an extended warranty. Also having an RMS issue does not mean that your engine is going to fail.

[MNBoxster]

Hi,

I dunno - RMS is a real problem and one every owner should be concerned about. To do otherwise is to bury your head in the sand.

Multiple RMS issues are not unknown and while uncommon, are just short of that IMHO.

Does that mean you should not buy it? Maybe.

It depends upon how much you're willing to put up with in terms of downtime and maintenance expense.

Aftermarket Warranties are only good for those who need them - it's insurance. The only way they can stay in business is to have more Warranty revenue than Warranty liability (pay outs). This means that most people do not get their money back except for some very expensive peace of mind.

Were it me (and it is), I simply dedicate $1,200/yr. toward a maintenance fund. That way (one way or the other) I get 100% benefit for the monies I set aside.

I do all (or at least 95%) of my own work, I have the time, experience and the tools to do so. I can get by cheaper than many others can.

RMS doesn't worry me. If it occurs, I'll fix it - no choice. But, it does concern me. For the cost of these cars, for a manufacturer like Porsche to put out such POS engineering, and leaving it unaddressed for more than a decade is, IMHO, unconscionable.

But, as long as people keep buying these cars, there's really no reason for Porsche to do anything..

Happy Motoring!... Jim'99

[Perfectlap]

have you called warranty direct to inquire about coverage?

depending on the mileage and the car's history it might be just what you need to let you sleep at night.

[conradtan]

What is RMS?

[MNBoxster]

Originally Posted by conradtan

What is RMS?

Hi,

Rear Main Seal - use the search function - this is likely the most discussed topic on the Forum...

Happy Motoring!... Jim'99

[Allen K. Littlefield]

Took the '02 2.7 into Danbury Porsche this morning for the RMS which was spotting the garage floor. This is a 35k Porsche Certified vehicle. It was to be a 6 hr. job to fix but since I have a Tiptronic tranny it will take 10hr. so we just dropped it and came home. Fortunatley this work is done under the Porsche Certified Warranty. The service manager claims that this will leak no more once the "new" seal is installed. He also said that they would somehow check the intermediate shaft (the one that causes engine failure) and deal with it accordingly. I will pick up the car tomorrow around noon and get the final story. I am a little concerned that the car was delcared Porsche Certified and had this leak not fixed before I drove it home. I will report back after I get the car back and hear what they have to say.

AKL

[FrayAdjacent]

It might not have been leaking before you got it. They don't just leak from 0miles on the odometer!

Originally Posted by Allen K. Littlefield

Took the '02 2.7 into Danbury Porsche this morning for the RMS which was spotting the garage floor. This is a 35k Porsche Certified vehicle. It was to be a 6 hr. job to fix but since I have a Tiptronic tranny it will take 10hr. so we just dropped it and came home. Fortunatley this work is done under the Porsche Certified Warranty. The service manager claims that this will leak no more once the "new" seal is installed. He also said that they would somehow check the intermediate shaft (the one that causes engine failure) and deal with it accordingly. I will pick up the car tomorrow around noon and get the final story. I am a little concerned that the car was delcared Porsche Certified and had this leak not fixed before I drove it home. I will report back after I get the car back and hear what they have to say.

AKL

[wanna986]

If that were the only thing that could go wrong, I'd be happy.

I believe I've just discovered this issue on my own vehicle. What will I do? Let it leak. Check the oil level often.

Basically, from what I've read, it's more a nuisance than anything else. Knowing I have a RMS leak doesn't detract from my enjoyment of the vehicle.

Decision of course, is yours.

[NIOstyle]

For those that have had the RMS problem, at around what mileage did you see this occurring? THX!

[MNBoxster]

Originally Posted by NIOstyle

For those that have had the RMS problem, at around what mileage did you see this occurring? THX!

Hi,

Most, though certainly not all, RMS problems seem to occur under 25k mi. Of course, all Crank Seals are sacrificial parts and eventually will wear out on any Car. The issue with the Boxster is the premature failure of these parts...

Happy Motoring!... Jim'99

[NIOstyle]

Originally Posted by MNBoxster

Hi,

Most, though certainly not all, RMS problems seem to occur under 25k mi. Of course, all Crank Seals are sacrificial parts and eventually will wear out on any Car. The issue with the Boxster is the premature failure of these parts...

Happy Motoring!... Jim'99

Thanks Jim! Is there a picture somewhere that would reference where the leak would occur? I had just found a leak on the garage floor the other day and wanted to start my investigation.

[MNBoxster]

Originally Posted by NIOstyle

Thanks Jim! Is there a picture somewhere that would reference where the leak would occur? I had just found a leak on the garage floor the other day and wanted to start my investigation.

Hi,

Classic symptoms of RMS leak is Oil present at the engine centerline where it mates with the transmission. A leak to the side is another issue such as HeadGasket, etc. Hope this helps...

Happy Motoring!... Jim'99

[Allen K. Littlefield]

Originally Posted by FrayAdjacent

It might not have been leaking before you got it. They don't just leak from 0miles on the odometer!

Fray, I drove it home, about an hour and a half drive, in Dec. The car was Porsche Certified with 35k on the odometer. A week later I drove it to my local Porsche trained wrench where I am allowed to look under the car when it is on the lift and there the oil was. Oil had been noted on the garage floor when I left for the inspection so I am sure it was leaking when I drove it out of the dealership. Picked it up today and it took more like 13 hours to fix because of the added time due to the Tip tranny. I am glad it is on warranty as they get $120.00 an hour to work on the car. Do the math. I will have to see if it continues to leak or not or how long it takes to start again if it starts at all. I will be sure to keep you all posted but tomorrow beckons as a 71 degree top down day and I will be turning on the water for the washing season. I will bet there will be a lot of Boxcars out tomorrow and sunday for sure. Party on!

AKL

[conradtan]

Just for the fun of it I inquired about a replacement for RMS and got this, new clutch + RMS for $1200 out the door. I only got 50K on my car so when it's time to replace either one, I'll bite the bullet.

[z12358]

Deemed this bump-worthy...
The latest Excellence magazine (sorry don't have the issue month with me) has a long and detailed answer to a letter regarding Boxsters and RMS. Take a look at it if you can find it at a bookstore. I'll try to post the main points and numbers if I get some time soon.
Z.

[richmond058]

Thanks I have a subsciption to the magazine. Just need to take the time to read it I guess!


dale

[RandallNeighbour]

Originally Posted by MNBoxster

Hi,

Classic symptoms of RMS leak is Oil present at the engine centerline where it mates with the transmission. A leak to the side is another issue such as HeadGasket, etc. Hope this helps...

Happy Motoring!... Jim'99

A side of engine oil leak could also eminate from a leaking cam cover gasket, which is common and I have a tiny drip on my driver's side that seems to come and go (it's probably there all the time, but I don't notice it or it burns off before it drips on my garage floor).

I also had a drip that appeared after oil changes for a week or so and I discovered it was a cracked oil filler tube. $125 later, it was fixed. No big deal.