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Old 12-27-2015, 09:53 AM   #281
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I saw on the Mercedes site that so many there are used to high maintenance costs (e.g., $3k to replace iron brake rotors) many take a $5K repair in stride, and there is also the marque loyalty working. Hard core diy'ers are rare there. I sense many more Boxster owners aspire to diy. Perhaps due to the easier acquisition of the Boxster. And the Boxster has great attraction in looks, performance and (now ) used price. It is interesting to observe apparent lack of snobishness from the 911 set. Perhaps because of a common problem.

But the mystique of superior German product is certainly shaken by the Boxter, C63AMG , and others. Even the current emissions revelation shows that from most angles companies must simply pursue profitability. But the Porsche mystique of reliability won over decades really frustrates many who expect performance and long term reliability.

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Old 12-30-2015, 09:14 PM   #282
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broken m96 engine

01 Boxster S 41000mi., pss9, headers, Sparko race seats, IMS and seal update, engine failure do to cracked head/ water in oil. Sold as project car. Bought later model mazda MX5.
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Old 01-18-2016, 06:24 PM   #283
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Was at my mechanics shop on MOnday and watched a 2005 Boxster being towed away withe a IMS failure after only 28K miles etui sony xperia z5 compact etui sony z5 compact

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Old 01-30-2016, 02:06 PM   #284
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Earlier in this thread a gentleman spoke about familiarity with the ball bearing causing the IMS problem. I was poking around and found a reliability site on ball bearing failures. Yikes. At the component level there are multiple sources of problems: Inadequate shaft surface finish, defective race grinding, ball separation defective, bad seals,on and on. These things seem fragile. Then there's installation...

The electric motor usage is the main source of these studies with 3 axis accelerometers providing vibration wave forms which are compared against expected results. In that industry the little sensors are standard products. Interaction of the ball bearing components can accelerate their own failure, harmonics etc, etc ( I am not an engineer).

So the gentleman who wondered why Porsche, why? I second. Along the trail of tears for this engine has there been any attempt to correlate sources of the bearings with failures? From the looks Porsche has been successful running cams right on aluminum where others have failed. Makes one wonder.
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Old 04-28-2016, 03:55 PM   #285
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Had my new-to-me 2004 S in the shop for IMS, clutch, RMS, etc. Turns out, the engine must have failed while the first owner had it, which was the first 42,000 miles. The second owner had no records from that period when I bought the car Monday with 98K miles. He was not aware that the motor had been replaced in 2006. If the IMS fails in the 2006 motor, the engine has to be split open to replace it. So, I'll live with it.

BTW, the clutch plate was at about 50% wear and the throw-out bearing was shot. Otherwise, everything else about the car checked out fine.
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Old 08-29-2016, 07:09 PM   #286
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Originally Posted by MKlasing View Post
Hello to all,

I am new to the board. I have a 2002 986S that I ordered new in 2001. I use it as a daily driver and have over 132,000.0 miles on it. It has always been dealer maintained and I was just given the news that I need a new engine. Not from wear or the high milage but because my block is pourous and I have coolent leaking into the oil. From my research on the blogs it looks like this is not uncommon in the earlier 986 (1997 - 1999) but has not appeared in the later models until now! Porsche NA and the Dealership have offered 10% each on the parts and the Dealership added and additional 10% on labor. From what I see this appears to be a manuafacturing defect.

Anyone have any additional comments.

Regards,

Mike
Porous aluminum block and head castings are INCREDIBLY rare in pretty much every vehicle made since forever. And by incredibly rare, I mean so rare that a tech will not spot it unless they are looking for it after taking everything apart and using ultrasound and/or magnetic or flourescent testing.

If you had a porous casting, this problem would have been spotted a very long time ago. My guess is anything but a porous casting.
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Old 09-05-2016, 06:11 PM   #287
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thanks for sharing details, will be helpful to green hand like me
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Old 10-27-2016, 05:25 AM   #288
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Not a shortlived failure, but to me any such failure is short lived in a car like this, at least below 200k miles, especially if its a known weak point

2003 Boxster S, 105k miles
Tiptronic (so I never had the chance to address it at a reasonable cost as the trans has never ben out of the car)
Regularly serviced

Never tracked, owned it since it was 9 months old with 6k miles.

IMS failure (in the opinion of my shop, the engine hasn't been torn down)

Problem started with a horrendous clatter that I assume was the pistons meeitng the valves. Oil spewed out of the engine and onto the ground

Pissed at the class action settlement that Porsche agreed to (I'm sure the lawyers got paid handsomly) that allowed these cars to stay on the road and only be repaired after they failed within a short mileage window. Shameful

Happened a month ago, still deciding what course to take -- do I throw good money after bad?

Carlos

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Old 11-21-2016, 05:41 PM   #289
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RPM vs IMS

Greetings from Downunder.

I have looked through the previous pages on this thread and read a number of forums related to IMS failures. But, I have not come across any posts which deal with the incidence of IMS failure vs the driving habits of the owners.

Is there any information on whether engines allowed to spin freely but, kept below say 4000 RPM are more or less prone to IMS failures than engines that are pushed hard?
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Old 01-19-2017, 03:18 PM   #290
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I have owned 3 M96 cars. I still have two of them. Never experienced an engine failure on any of them. jake raby, flat 6 innovations,
Solved the IMS issue in a
Variety of ways culminating in his end all upgrade away from bearings. Visit his website where you can read anything and everything you would ever
Need to know.

It is possible to buy an 8k m96 car, Spend 4k on it and have a reliable Porsche for as ling as you want ti keep it. Or you can go the cheaper route and change to an upgraded bearing every time you need a clutch as a
Maintenance item. Either way the problem is easily resolved.


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Old 01-19-2017, 04:17 PM   #291
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Originally Posted by hrt1009 View Post
Greetings from Downunder.

I have looked through the previous pages on this thread and read a number of forums related to IMS failures. But, I have not come across any posts which deal with the incidence of IMS failure vs the driving habits of the owners.

Is there any information on whether engines allowed to spin freely but, kept below say 4000 RPM are more or less prone to IMS failures than engines that are pushed hard?
Speculation is that spun hard once warm is better as it forces more oil, and the owners tend to more frequently change the oil.

Good oil, and no less than half the recommended interval.
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Old 05-13-2017, 07:12 AM   #292
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Hi all,

I am also brand new to the forum. Two weeks ago I purchased an '04 Boxster S 550 Spyder 50th anniversary edition from a Porsche dealership for slightly less than $19000, 32k miles. Apparently there were only 1953 of these 550 Spyder 50th anniversary edition models manufactured, and only 500 were sold in the US. The car has obviously been immaculately maintained, looks fantastic and drives like a dream. The deal seemed almost too good to be true. With all things that seem too good to be true there's usually a catch, and after searching around on the internet I've discovered what that catch is.

From my research it seems the 2001-2005 Boxsters have the highest rate of IMS failure, and the rate of failure in the '04 50th anniversary edition Boxsters and 911s is exceptionally high. Basically it seems it's not a question of if the IMS failure will occur, but when. Basically this car is a ticking time bomb that could blow up at any time. I was a tad irked at the dealership's failure to disclose the known manufacturing defect in these engines to me at the time of purchase, but in hindsight not surprised.

So after some deliberation, I've elected to have the replacement LN bearings installed, and while they are doing the replacement the RMS seal will be replaced and the oil changed. Total cost of doing this is $2500, which seems a worthwhile investment to me. The car is back at the dealership now as I write this having this work done. I'm also in the process of purchasing a 5 year extended warranty on the power train, at a total cost of $3400.

I have to say that it's really a shame to find out that such a beautiful car that's such a blast to drive, made by such a premier brand name as Porsche, has such a disastrous design flaw and checkered history. It's been even more dismaying to read about Porsche's callous response to those affected by the catastrophic failure of these engines out of warranty. Certainly has negatively affected my opinion of the brand name. Hopefully, after the bearing replacement I'll be able to enjoy driving the car worry free for years to come, but this will always stay in the back of my mind. As they say, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
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Old 05-13-2017, 06:28 PM   #293
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Welcome to the club Ed.

I also have a '04 BSSE and was in the same exact position as you. You are doing the right thing. I had my RMS, IMS, and AOS replaced a little over a month ago with 53k miles on the car.

I paid the same for my car as you. The question is; what is our car worth now with this work done? I've seen some estimates as high as $25k for a primo maintained BSSE.
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Old 05-16-2017, 07:50 AM   #294
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Hello and thanks, algiorda. That's an interesting question, it does seem like installing the replacement bearings and registering the installation with LN should increase the value of the vehicle to some degree, since the IMS flaw is the reason these vehicles depreciated so much to begin with. By how much it increases the value I'm not sure, but considering that these '04 BSSE's are rare and any limited edition Porsche model should in theory be collectible and sought after, I would have to think your estimate is probably accurate. Maybe even conservative, since there's probably a good deal fewer of these remaining that are still in good condition and have intact original engines than there were ten years ago.
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Old 05-16-2017, 10:22 AM   #295
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I've seen quite a few Mid-twenties prices for the BSSE. I've also seen some 2004's which claim they are Special Editions, but they are Black body, black interior. I thought the BSSE only came in GT Metallic?

https://www.carsforsale.com/vehicle/details/25973290

https://www.carsforsale.com/vehicle/details/190326 ??? is this a BSSE?
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Old 05-22-2017, 06:37 AM   #296
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That's correct, the BSSE only came in GT silver. So I'm highly doubtful that the bottom one is a BSSE. Plus the wheels are wrong, the wheels on BSSE's should be seal grey. The top one looks like it probably is one. The only way to really be certain is to look for the commemorative BSSE batwing plate on the center console with the production number on it. If it doesn't have one of those, it's not a BSSE.

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Old 05-26-2017, 09:43 AM   #297
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Hate to see all these engines go down. I had a boxer with only 79k on it that wen't down on me. Pissed me off because I just got the windows tinted on it.
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Old 06-07-2017, 03:17 AM   #298
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Hi Ed

Hi Ed,

Welcome from another fellow 550 Anniversary owner! If you would like, be sure give us some info and a pic or two in our 550 Anniversary thread:

Official 2004 Boxster S 550 Anniversary Edition thread

Looking forward to hearing more from you in the forums. Enjoy your new ride

Quote:
Originally Posted by EdHunter View Post
Hello and thanks, algiorda. That's an interesting question, it does seem like installing the replacement bearings and registering the installation with LN should increase the value of the vehicle to some degree, since the IMS flaw is the reason these vehicles depreciated so much to begin with. By how much it increases the value I'm not sure, but considering that these '04 BSSE's are rare and any limited edition Porsche model should in theory be collectible and sought after, I would have to think your estimate is probably accurate. Maybe even conservative, since there's probably a good deal fewer of these remaining that are still in good condition and have intact original engines than there were ten years ago.
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#317 550 Spyder Anniversary Edition 2004 Boxster S, 3.8L Flat Six Innovations engine, PSS9s, etc, etc . . .
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Old 09-16-2017, 06:46 AM   #299
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Full circle

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Originally Posted by MiamiRice View Post
All I know is that Porsche produced an inferior product with the Boxster S through the years in question with that IMS and its failure rate. I had a 2004 Boxster S with only 28,500 miles on it in mint condition, properly maintained at a Porsche dealership , and I still suffered that failure and was told that although senior management reviewed my case their final determination was "too f***ing bad". Needless to say I don't see where they deserve the kind of loyalty that they command since it obviously does not exist on their end.
Ten years ago, my 2000 S w/33k mi. blew up on the San Mateo Bridge, south of San Francisco. Immaculate car that I purchased from a retired banker in Phoenix. Perfectly maintained. I had it towed to Sonne Porsche in Marin for evaluation and what seemed my best hope to get some help from Porsche in its repair. Shop concluded an IMS failure. There was no repair or reconditioned motor option. Just a $15k new motor replacement. I had several calls with Porsche as they supposedly considered my case. After a week, Porsche 'was sorry to say' I was SOL. Plus a $500 tow and labor charge.

I was livid with Porsche. I had owned 3 911s, PCA member for 15 years. Nothing. Not a single part, not $ in labor, not even covering my tow or labor to determine the IMS failure. Total bastards. I sold the car as a roller for $9k after paying $21k 6 months earlier.

Spin ahead 10 years. I rode in a friends Boxster a few months ago. Forgot about that sound and feel. Next thing you now, I am perusing Craigslist. Next thing you know, I bought a very pretty 2000 base car in need of a clutch. Cheap. Brought it to a Porsche shop for a clutch, LN bearing and oil separator. Really love the little car. Motor sounds great and the rest is pretty tight for its age. Even have a hardtop. My family and friends think I am a full on idiot. Can't argue.
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Old 12-03-2017, 06:03 AM   #300
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Originally Posted by EdHunter View Post
Hi all,

I am also brand new to the forum. Two weeks ago I purchased an '04 Boxster S 550 Spyder 50th anniversary edition from a Porsche dealership for slightly less than $19000, 32k miles. Apparently there were only 1953 of these 550 Spyder 50th anniversary edition models manufactured, and only 500 were sold in the US. The car has obviously been immaculately maintained, looks fantastic and drives like a dream. The deal seemed almost too good to be true. With all things that seem too good to be true there's usually a catch, and after searching around on the internet I've discovered what that catch is.

From my research it seems the 2001-2005 Boxsters have the highest rate of IMS failure, and the rate of failure in the '04 50th anniversary edition Boxsters and 911s is exceptionally high. Basically it seems it's not a question of if the IMS failure will occur, but when. Basically this car is a ticking time bomb that could blow up at any time. I was a tad irked at the dealership's failure to disclose the known manufacturing defect in these engines to me at the time of purchase, but in hindsight not surprised.

So after some deliberation, I've elected to have the replacement LN bearings installed, and while they are doing the replacement the RMS seal will be replaced and the oil changed. Total cost of doing this is $2500, which seems a worthwhile investment to me. The car is back at the dealership now as I write this having this work done. I'm also in the process of purchasing a 5 year extended warranty on the power train, at a total cost of $3400.

I have to say that it's really a shame to find out that such a beautiful car that's such a blast to drive, made by such a premier brand name as Porsche, has such a disastrous design flaw and checkered history. It's been even more dismaying to read about Porsche's callous response to those affected by the catastrophic failure of these engines out of warranty. Certainly has negatively affected my opinion of the brand name. Hopefully, after the bearing replacement I'll be able to enjoy driving the car worry free for years to come, but this will always stay in the back of my mind. As they say, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
Dream on, Ed.

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