No warranty
 

will prevent a problem, they only pay to fix after the fact...if in fact they do pay off at all.

Porsche does not sell any warranty that Porsche backs and sells through a dealer for a car out of warranty beyond the dealer sponsored and Porsche backed CPO warranty which extends the original warranty two years or to 100k miles whichever comes first.

There are third party parts which are designed/intended to prevent the sort of problems that have been seen. You can even buy an engine almost totally rebuilt with such parts. Expensive.

Do these problems happen, yes. To every engine, not even close. Remember there are 200k plus Boxsters plus 996s with the same engine. Some would have you think the number of failures are double digit percentages, I think the number is much less. No consolation if it is your engine it happens to. But the problem free ones don't post so it seems everyone is having problems because those that do do post.

Just over three years and 20k miles (50k total) on my 97 and I have had very few issues. Engine mount, new glass top, cleaned the MAF and other basic annual maintenance required on any car. Currently I am dealing with a broken key to my wheel locks. I drove over to the Porsche dealer and they removed the locking nuts for free. I had a great conversation with the mechanic. Can't believe what a fantastic group of people I've found in the Porsche world.

My Boxster has been much better as a car than the 1988 911 it replaced. My wife likes to ride in it and will even drive it occasionally. The A/C and suspension is much more useable than the 911 and I am a much better driver in the Boxster.

I'll admit the reason I bought the car was the initial outlay was so reasonable. I agree with earlier posters that it's not really the purchase of the car you should be thinking about, it's the expense of the continued ownership.

Quit waiting for the other shoe to drop, get out and drive. If you are unfortunate enough to have problems, make the best and enjoy the adventure!

My 98' Boxster
 

I purchased my 98' Boxster in early 2000 with only 1,700 miles on it... it still had the brand new car smell in it. I paid $44,000 for it and was instantly in love! Never had anything big happen besides normal repairs, tires, ha, ha, etc... Did have the ignition switch replaced 3 times though. In 2008 I took it in 5 times for the check engine light, it kept coming on and I felt there was some loss of power. The first 3 times there was no compression in certain cylinders, which cost a pretty penny each time. The last two to three times I was told they couldn't figure it out and just reset the check engine light and returned the car to me. All this time I was getting scared because I felt there was something causing loss of power and vibration. December 15th, 2008 my engine blew up, so sad! Because of the economy, for the first time I was unable to pull the cash needed to fix it. I was told a valve spring broke. This month I was able to save the money needed to fix my baby. In my search for a motor and speaking with porsche people, was told about the IMS. I did order the part from, LN Engineering and it is being put in the car but had I known about it I would have had it replaced when I replaced my clutch. I wouldn't be $7,000+, so far, into this problem that could have been prevented. I wouldn't trade my car for anything, but I would have paid the money to retrofit the IMS in a heart beat, at my expense, had I known about it. I am very used to, everytime I have my car serviced plan on $1,000+, but by time I finish this I will be close to $10,000. Come on! Porsche should have at the very least made us aware that there was an issue that could be fixed. My car had 77K miles on it and the motor I bought has 39K, with the new part I am hoping for many years of happy driving. Just a little disallusioned with Porsche, shame on them!

I agree with Leslie about Porsche's shame. This defect is a matter of poor design and has nothing to do with driving style, care or maintenance. They should be extending the warrantee on IMS for 100K.
Hey, this is not a Chevy Colbalt.....for these prices we expect a higher degree of quality, engineering and loyalty from the manufacturer.

I bought a used bosxter from a dealer last year and have cpo warrenty till May of 2011. Does anyone know of extended warrenties for sale in canada?

Buying a used Boxster
 

If I, or anyone I know, were to buy a used Boxster, I would call LNEngineering.com and order the retrofit IMS for about $600 and have it immediately replaced. It is a easy fix, especially if your due for a clutch, or take a chance and wait until your clutch needs to be replaced. $600 or $10,000+, I say do the math. Now we know what the problem is and how to fix it, get it fixed before you lose your motor. But that is just my opinion... wish I had this information before I had to go through the heartbreak of being without my car for a year and a half. I bought my car because at the time it was a great deal and I thought that my kids would be out of the house soon and it would be my little treat to myself. As soon as my last child moved out and I was ready to make some noise, my niose maker broke. Now I have a year+ to make up for so if ya'll see me, don't expect me to stop! Gotta go!!!

3 years ago when I bought my '01 used, I got a non-CPO extended warranty from the Porshe dealer. I can renew it before it expires or I'm out of luck. As far as I know you can't buy an extended warranty in Canada other than from a dealer. Hopefully I'm wrong and things have changed...

Having said that, I don't think I'll renew. So far the warranty has been used once, for an A/C compressor replacement. And that was a lot less than what the warranty cost.

I think I'll put my money into an IMS upgrade instead

I think you just made a great decision!

You know what is funny? I called Porsche when my engine blew and they told me that my car was a couple of month's past 10 years old and that was why they wouldn't back it. So that leads me to believe if your car is under 10 years old, you might get some backing from Porsche? If anyone has tried to contact them, please let me know the outcome!

I've been in cars with blown engines....
 

Ford didn't pay for the Model A engine that was 30 years old.

Chrysler didn't pay for the Mitsubishi engine they used that had 100k miles.

Alfa didn't pay for the Giulietta engine that was 5 years old.

I don't expect Porsche to pay for the 9-10 year old engine that has 56k in my '01 if it fails. I paid a lot less than the original owner and I chose to take the risk of that brand, that car and being not under warranty when I paid that low price.

I don't expect Porsche to pay, just wish they had let owners know there was a problem so they could fix it! They knew the part was faulty and did nothing to help their loyal owners prevent it. Yes, I knew this was an expensive car to maintain before I bought it but there is no reason for throwing my hard earned money away when I could have taken care of it for my regular $1,000 to $2,000 services. I have taken awsome care of my car for the last 10 years. Every time there was a noise, reduction in power, etc... I took it to the mechanic, never missed my 3,000 mile oil change, tune ups, etc. It just would have been the right thing for them to give us a little heads up! If you don't understand that then I guess when it happens to you and you find out the manufacturer could have prevented that $10,000 to $15,000 bill, then maybe you will be a little butt hurt too! I work very hard for my toys and I pay for their maintenance but this was a bit extreme!

Sorry if I rambled but this is a very touchy subject right now!

By the way, I would replace your IMS before your motor blows! Just giving you the heads up!!!

Mike is a defender. That is his right.

I can say as a old timer around here, the Box engine has had more than a few design flaws and the mothership in Germany is loathe to admit it or step up to the plate in public.

Denial is a bad way to run a business IMHO.


:)

Mike is
 

a defender of the notion that we are responsible for our decisions. We choose the brand, model, model year, car and either did or did not do the in advance of purchase research to support that decision.

Some cars have problems, some don't. Life is full of chances. Buy a used car out of warranty and you are subject to those chances. You didn't pay full price to the manufacturer and you knew the car was only warrantied for so long.

Mike has also posted on the web for years a page describing in detail the common problems Porsche has had with their Boxster cars. Also a page on the best and worst, in his opinion, features of the Boxster. They are available to anyone contemplating a purchase. Those pages have been repeatedly updated as more is known about a specific issue or as he sees a problem reported repeatedly. He has had public and private conversations with those working on some of the described solutions in an attempt to better understand so he can describe a problem, its probability and consequences and the benefits of a potential solution.

So he isn't sure what he is accused of defending. It certainly isn't Porsche...he loves their car but publishes a list of problems and gives alternate sources of parts and lists indie mechanics for others to benefit from.

Mr Beauchemin,
Looking again at your original post, I see that the problem you had with your engine was a broken valve spring. I fail to see what your comments regarding Porsche paying for failed IMS bearings (after the fact) have to do with your $7,000 repair bill - valve springs and IMS bearings are poles apart...
Upgrading your IMS bearing would not have helped the valve spring failure.
Or am I missing something here??

Drive hard, have fun, upgrade whatever breaks, enjoy the honor of driving one of the world's finest handling cars.

Just got the engine apart. Pictures tell all, the second picture is whats left of the piston. Porsche doesn't care because its out of warranty. Engine has 75100 miles on it and has been "stealership" maintained since new.
The notorious number 6 cylinder crack and EPIC FAIL.
Not sure if I might send the block out and have 'Nicky" cylinders put in.

"Honor." Never seen the bar set as low.

986S Engine Porosity Issue
 

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

Seems odd that a porous block would wait 132k before starting to leak. The porosity must have led to a crack.

It is possible it has a cracked cylinder head
or a freeze plug popped.

it is also possible that the oil cooler is leaking.

it is possible that one of the gaskets between the block halves is leaking.

it is possible that the head bolts have stretched and there is a head gasket leak.

many things could cause intermix.

mike

Hello Guys:
Avid reader, newbie poster. Here's my story. A little long but I assure you, worth reading, specially for those of you with a blown engine in your Boxster.

A poor man’s dream…
I bought my 99 Boxster back in 2006, 1 day before turning 40 (talk ‘bout midlife crisis). The odo read 8148k miles, hard top, all original, for only $23K. Not bad, considering that cars are normally 40% more expensive here in Puerto Rico than in the states. One owner (a nice mid-aged lady), all maintenance records, driven 3-5 miles a day... Nevertheless, the low mileage should have raised a big ol' flag in my mind but, I was so impressed with the condition of the car that went ahead with the purchase. I drove the card HARD for the next 18K miles and enjoyed the heck out of it. The best car I’ve ever driven.

The nightmare begins…
October 2009 and 26K+ on the odometer: I stopped for lunch for about an hour after a 2 hour traffic jam in 90+ degree weather. The car did not overheat or nothing. As I was starting the engine, it turned for what it seemed a turn or two and then heard a muffled clunk from behind seat. After that, the engine would not turn anymore. Suspecting battery/starter issues, tried to push-start but the car would come to a halt as soon as I left the clutch out, ouch.... Having blown plenty of VW engines before, had a feeling of de-ja-vu. Towed the car back home and started looking for the culprit…
Checked battery and starter, took off serpentine belt, tried to turn engine by hand and was not able to go past 1/4 turn either way, checked for bent valves with a probe, all good. Damn, looking more and more like internal damage. Not looking good for Porsche’s reputation. It was Friday and I knew how I would spend the rest of my weekends to come.

Light at the end of the tunnel…
Saturday: Got the engine out in less than 3 hours with help from my brother (an experienced tool-dye tech later found to be of great use making special Porsche tools ;) ) and started tearing down. Took off the heads, split the crankcase halves and there it was. Cylinder #1 sleeve had slipped. Good news though, since the failure happened while cranking the engine, it did not exploded like a grenade. Neither the rod, crank or case appeared had sustained major damage and seemed ‘rebuildable. I guess I was lucky after reading other stories on the Internet.
I did the proper research to see the way to go with it. I even considered parting the car out in Ebay and other forums after getting the dealers quote of (12K for a reconditioned engine or 20K new one) but, love for the car and my wife’s confidence in my mechanical abilities kept me from it. Finally, chose to send the block to Charles Navarro from LN Engineering and put brand new Nickies and JE pistons on it. Charles suggested going all the way to 2.9L with the addition of a 996 crank, around $1K more for a good core but well worth it. He also offered me a discount on IMS and thermostat upgrade which seemed appropriate and well worth the price. All in all, the process of sending the block to Charles, and getting it back took 3 months. The total cost for LN’s work was $5443.03 +SH. This included 89mm Nickies with JE pistons (12:1), upgraded IMS, billet IMS hub, billet IMS tensioner, 78mm 996 crank, a 160F thermostat and housing and magnetic drain plug. My brother, an experienced machinist and self-made mech engineer, was very impressed with LN’s machine work and quality of parts used like the JE Pistons.
Additional parts like bearings, cylinder head gaskets, bolts, engine gasket set, oil, fluids, etc. the total cost of the rebuild ran up to $6700. The project took me around 12 labor hours of tear-down and 24-30 hours of engine assembly. Troubleshooting chain timing issues took me another 12 hours work. I actually had the cams 180 off. Guys, remember to rotate the engine 180 before switching to the other head, LOL.

Riding to the sunset…
In the end, the engine has over 7K miles on it and running WAY stronger than new. Oil changes (three since the rebuild) look normal with little or no metal particles. MPG are aroud 25-27 highway, not bad for Puerto Rico traffic and weather. I’ve clocked 0-60 time in the low 5’s (2001 ‘S’ territory) and lower-end torque is greatly improved over 2.5 stock. I have a Dyno test scheduled next week (now that the break in period is over) to see how it measures against stock numbers. I bet anything it has to be around 240-250 to the wheels! Sure feels like it.
For those of you considering rebuilding a blown-up Boxster engine, there’s my story. Let it be a example that Boxster engines can be rebuild with basic VW engine rebuild experience, a budget, patience and a supporting wife, a Porsche shop manual, a good set of metric wrenches and, an ingenious T&D tech brother to help you make any special tool you may need.

Good night and good luck,
Fred Larracuente
Guaynabo, Puerto Rico

Blown engine 1999 at 30K
 

I did report this to this forum way back in 2005 when it happened. But here we go again .... my 1999 boxster from the non-german assembly plant (finland i think) blew up. I took into Scotsdale Porsche in AZ they said the engine had a "hole in it" i assume thet ment the engine pushed the cylinder sleeve though the block or head or something like that.

I let the car sit for 2 years and then let Brandywine Porsche in Newtown Pa. install a factor fresh Porsche re-built engine. They offered to install a rebuilt 3.4 instead of standard 2.5. At the time Eric Delahaye managed Brandywine Porsche service - this guy is a genius and a true proffesional.

Ok, this part breaks my heart, but here goes .... To purchase and install the 3.4 was $20,000.00 to purchase and install the 2.5 was $9,000.00. Porsche N.A. offered no, i repeat NO, help.

I could not afford to do the 3.4 so I just did the 2.5 standard engine. Final bill was more like $12,000.00 due to other work i had done when engine was out.

Now with that said the factory rebuilt engine pulls better than the original and i am very happy with the project (allthough i wish i did the 3.4).

Again Porsche N.A. did not offer any help, as a life long Porsche owner (this is my 3rd Porsche) i doubt i'll buy another due to this experence. But i will always keep this 986 at this point i am committed finacially to it - and want to leave it to my daughter.

I am spec'ing out a Viper for my next car .....

So those prices are several years old and it would be worse now!

Re Viper, didn't I just read that they were being discontinued???

I agree with Sturgedm. Is a pity that Porsche did nothing to help in your case or mine. I got the 'you r just a poor boy that got a Porsche and don't have the money to let us maintain it for you so, go away' treatment when I went to the local dealer for info and advice. Needless to say, I will NEVER buy a brand-new Porsche nor take my car to them for service.

My Boxster is a Stuggart built so I do not think is related to where they were assembled. According to Charles Navarro, and other experts, sub-standard manufacturing and engineering decisions are a major factor on 996 engine failures. I'll bet the 'nickies' I installed on my engine will way outlast any OEM cylinder sleeves out there. the JE pistons look way better quality than OEM too.

Guys, my message is that, a full rebuild can be done for fewer than 7K if you do the work yourself and keep everything OEM, maybe a little more depending if you take the opportunity to upgrade a thing or two. The main hurdle you will have is to build or acquire the Porsche special tools #9612 and others (see list at http://www.baumtools.com/pdf/porsche_timing_tools.pdf). Aside from the 9612 and the cam tensioner tools, my brother built all of the tools for me fairly easily. The one you cannot go without is the piston pin and clip installing tools (9608 & 02). The cam alignment I did it by 'feel'. So far, I put over 8K miles on it with no issues.

I love Porsche cars, always will, but don't like Porsche 'the company' very much right now...

Regards,
Fred

What are those engine problems I'm reading about
 

I bought my Boxster 02 a few months ago, It currently has about 64,000 kilometers.. I was just reading about all those engine problems. Thousands of dollars in repairs, whoa .. what did I get myself into ?? :eek: Is there any preventive measures I can do to reduce the risk. What years were affected? Do they all have that porous engine block ? What problems happen before the " BIG ONE" occurs !! What do I have to look for?

According to my expert Porsche mechanics, there will be metal fragments in the oil filter prior to an IMS bearing failure. Always worth tearing apart the filter to inspect it. If found, stop driving it and do an immediate IMS shaft bearing replacement.

Yesterday Charles and I just finished our 3rd M96 101 Engine Assembly class for the year.. So far this year 18 students have gotten the direct hands on instruction and experience required to assemble the M96 engine correctly the first time.

My focus is assisting the DIY efforts more so than shops in 2011, the cars are no longer worth the 100.00/hr+ labor rates to assemble or repair an engine. I have devised a support program for the DIY efforts. You'll like it.

Tell us more!

For the first time in over 36 years of Porsche ownership, I have finally had an engine failure. Upon trying to start my 01 a few mornings ago, it turned about 2 or 3 times normally then spun free. At first I thought it was the starter drive, but upon observing the front pulley turn when bumping the starter, the timing must have slipped. Glad it happened in my garage and not on our recent 2400 trip! Absolutely no indication before it happened,even a recent oil analysis and a good look at the oil filter showed nothing.

My plan is to tear it down and see if I can fix it, if not time for a 3.8!!!

Very interested in teardown, repair, and reassembly instructions.

Jake,

Based on my description above, what do you think I'll find when I finally find the time to work on one of my cars (probably in January)?

What would you check first?

Since everything but the spark plugs and serpertine belt are original on the 2.7, it will need at least a flywheel, clutch set, IMS, RMS, water pump, and AOS.

I've found a new 3.8 X51 for around 12k, but Porsche will not cover it with the 2 year warranty unless it is installed in car that originally had a 3.8 and only if it was done at a Porsche dealer. So I can understand and support your stance on warranties!

Exterior parts
 

Does anyone know of a site that shows the exterior parts? The exterior black guards located in the front portion of the rear wheel well are broken and i need a replacement. Any help?

good idea Bob--my 97 has 120k and only a water pump replaced and routine maint. I don't track the car--just enjoy the hell out of it in the twisty mountains.

if you find metal fragments in your oil filter I think I'd do more than an IMS--just saying--

Amen brotha... just hit 95k with nothing but standard maintenance for an 11 year old car.

this is how some may operate:

many aftermarket warranties cover only lubricated parts. the IMS is a lubricated part. It is sealed with it's internal lubrication. however the seal would not be covered. once the seal disintegrates the bearing fails. DENIED

if there is a lubricated part failure then proof or evidence of regular lubrication must be provided.
in one example of a failed component a blued or black color indicate no lube.

2000 S Failure
 

Our 2000 S with the 3.2 failed at 54K with a mixing problem. It wasn't opened up but was thought to be a cracked case because of where the water was dripping into the oil pan. I didn't bother with Porsche on a 10 year old car. Heck the stealership didn't even know what was wrong with it. They even changed the coolant bottle which wasn't leaking hoping for a miracle. We took it back twice and the temp light began flashing again the next day. They wanted $7500 to open it up without a clue as to what was wrong. Replaced it last week with another 3.2 with 32K miles, new mount, new clutch, tune for 7K. I hope it lasts a little longer.

Where did the "new" 3.2 come from? Had it been rebuilt? Had any of the failure modes been addressed?

Norm, the transplant came from a wreck. hadn't been worked on. I was quite surprised the mount was shot already as well as the fact the clutch was toast on my car with 54K miles and my wife putting on most of those miles. I'm not sure what you mean by failure modes. It was looked at by several mechanics and deemed not to be worth opening up. It wouldn't maintain coolant pressure while sitting and coolant leaked into the oil pan. From where the leak was coming it was deduced that it had to be from a crack in the case. A quarter inch metal chunk was found in the oil pan, its origin unknown. The car never overheated.

You said when you put the replacement engine in you did the engine mount, clutch and "tune"(?).

I was wondering if that replacement engine had anything done to it before you put it in your car. Things that get talked about on M96 forums all the time, like replacing the intermediate shaft bearing and rear main seal. If not, why. Thanks.