creased lines
 

looking under my car today (2000 986 s) and i noticed that one of the three lines running under the left door sill is creased (the middle of the three; not the biggest, not the smallest - took a smack somehow) what is it, and is it an issue? thanks, keith.

The lines that usually run under the plastic cover? On the driver's side? Power Steering lines.

thanks. no plastic cover, however. they exit a plastic cover that forms the back of the front fender liner, travel exposed and tucked-up under the left door sill, then go back under a cover before the rear fender liner. same on the right side, only the lines (i think) are for the heater core. there is a skid shield down the middle of the car, just not under the sills. i'd read elsewhere in my search that they are typically covered, but couldn't find any attachment points where a cover might have mounted. am i missing something, perhaps variations between model years?

thanks, keith.

I think that will be your clutch hydraulic line. Is it blue?

I'm just in the process of replacing mine because it ruptured in that exact spot. Apart from the nuisance of getting stranded miles from home in the late evening, the repair is running about $300 with parts, brake fluid, the tow, and a power bleeder.

Save yourself the tow.

Mark

yeah - blue. thanks for the info. does your car have a skid plate in that location?

No, no skid plate there. It seems to be an obvious place to need one. The reason for my rupture was a small shard of granite that the tire kicked up. It wedged itself between the line and the body and sawed its way through. A skid plate would have prevented that.

You will have to remove the plastic to the rear of the damaged area as there is a coupling hidden in there. I'm sure you've already realized that the front inner fender liner has to come off too. Once those are off it's pretty simple and straightforward.

The part number is 996.423.109.10 and its about $100. It's a good excuse to change the brake/clutch fluid. Both Pelican and Pedro have excellent tutorials.

You're also going to need a power bleeder. The Motive units at Pelican seem to be highly regarded so I ordered one of them. Haven't got it yet. Another hundred bucks if you buy the bottle to go with it.

Lastly you will need about 2 litres of DOT4 brake fluid. I got the ATE Super Blue.

I'll post again if I run into any unforseen snags doing the job.

Mark