Another one bites the dust - probable IMS issue - 986 Forum - The Community for Porsche Boxster & Cayman Owners

mts · 04-12-2010, 11:44 AM

I've had the car for about 3years and am the 2nd owner. I got the car with just shy of 15k on the clock and it has a little over 20k miles now. The first owner did all the work through Brumos Porsche and had 3 annual oil changes with Mobil 1 0w-40, basically with each oil change covering about 4,000 to 6,000 miles on the car.

I change the oil every 6 months with Redline 5w-40. Each change covers roughly 1,000 miles.

Yes, the car had recently been pulled out of storage. It had been driven maybe 40-50 miles over a few days before this issue.

Perfectlap · 04-12-2010, 01:37 PM

The more I think about it the more I think it really isn't worth it to wait for a clutch change to do the IMS upgrade. You're just saving some money but its costing you a lot more if your number comes up. Although you had very low miles it just goes to show that for the small unlucky segment that suffers this fate...it can come at any time. My car is undergoing the upgrade now (along with a bunch of other things...lots of $ and time). I'm sorta glad the clutch went a little earlier than I imagined. I probably would have put off the IMS job.

Steve Tinker · 04-12-2010, 02:07 PM

mts - what a bummer for you, we feel your pain man........
Keep us informed what Jake's prognosis is - you never know, if your lucky the problem could be just a shot water pump !!

mts · 04-12-2010, 02:25 PM

The ironic thing is I put off the 3.2 -> 3.6 deal right now because it meant I would be without the car from 4/1 to about 6/15 this year......the spring time in this area is the best time to have a Boxster. I opted for possibly next winter instead.

Now this happens and Jake can't even look at it until early June because he's already booked, so instead of the car already being down there being worked on right now knowing I'll get it back in June, it's going to sit in my garage until June before I can even get a definative diagnosis.

I guess as the saying goes.....$hit happens.

Bob O · 04-12-2010, 02:51 PM

Very sorry to hear about your issues. I hope it's something easily fixable (read inexpensive). I'm personally torn about whether to do preventative maintenance on mine, clutch and IMS....01, base, 70K miles, with several trips to the track yearly. It doesn't need a clutch but dangggggg. It sounds like yours was maintained very well...low mileage oil changes, etc etc. Which is a real bummer, since I do the same thing. Not at 1,000 miles, but no more than 7K. And still this happens.

Based on your postings, I'm assuming you don't abuse it..no over revs, but don't lug it either, keeping the revs above 3K when possible? I wonder if there's any possibility that the relatively low annual mileage and longish storage, might have anything to do with it? Wondering and, for my sake, hoping, since I drive mine year round and have been putting 12 K miles on it per year since I've owned it. (Don't take that the wrong way.. I have no ill wishes for you at all. I'm pulling for it to be something simple) But if driving it and accumulating mileage will help prevent IMS issues, I'm all in for that!

I suppose the best solution is to drive it and fugggget about it till (and unless) something happens. Not sure what else a person can do, without spending boatloads of cash. sigh.

Bob

jmatta · 04-12-2010, 02:59 PM

Be interesting to see what Jake has to say about your engine...it really doesn't fit the profile to have something as serious as an IMS failure.

Keep us up to date and your fingers crossed.

Perfectlap · 04-12-2010, 03:57 PM

Bob O,
I think you should do it. If I'm not mistaken the experts on the subject have written that if its going to go, it will do so by 70K. Sounds like you are in the eleventh hour. But on the other hand If you're still on your original clutch you might have a couple more years left of clutch use. The way I looked at it....a clutch job at an Indy shop will cost you $1200. That's works out to a couple hundred bucks a year if you can get 10 years out of it. I'd rather skip the $400 lost in doing the clutch 2 years prematurely and reduce my risk of DEFCON 3 down to probably less than what..1%? Meanwhile you still have a new clutch at the end of it all, albeit adding another $600-$800 to the job.
There's a guy on YouTube who did his 996 Carrera in his garage without any experience taking apart transmissions. So an experienced shop could do it no problem, 8 hours tops? I guess that's one of the great things about these newer Porsches. It's much less complicated than old 'hand assembled' Porsches.