Oil leak... - 986 Forum - The Community for Porsche Boxster & Cayman Owners

Ray · 11-30-2010, 04:10 PM

Maybe I'm in time? I have about 4 ounces of oil on the garage floor after returning from a 550 mile trip. 99' 43k miles, about 35k on the engine. What do I have replaced while they fix it? RMS seems suspect but I wouldn't mind a 2 yr warranty on a new Porsche IMS, clutch too? And, what kind of money are we looking at for my new Christmas present?

Thanks guys

tonycarreon · 11-30-2010, 05:03 PM

AFAIK, there is no porsche-sourced IMS replacement. therefore, no 2-yr/unlimited mileage IMS part that can be swapped out when you get the RMS done.

however the RMS is replaceable. mine was done in dec '08 (prior to my purchase) and it's still not leaking -- *knock on wood!*

but you can get it done at another porsche mechanic (if they know how to do it) and get the clutch done/checked while you're in there.

since it all has to come out to do the RMS, the labor should be negligible for the rest.

Jake Raby · 11-30-2010, 05:26 PM

Take this seriously... This could be a very early IMS bearing failure. if it is the engine can be saved if it isn't driven to death .

fatmike · 11-30-2010, 07:50 PM

4 ounces is a lot. Really? That's like a puddle.

How's your oil level? Is it low?

/

jcb986 · 12-01-2010, 05:42 AM

Well, if you need to replace the clutch...do the RMS and IMS while you're at it.

Ray · 12-01-2010, 05:57 AM

Oil level appears normal. It seemed to have seeped out after my long drive. Its not leaking now which is strange. Anyways, may just do clutch RMS and IMS all at once. Thanks for the replies, I'll let you know what the diagnosis is.

johnsimion · 12-06-2010, 08:27 AM

It may not be as serious as you think.

In 2008, I found a similar-sized oil puddle on the floor of my garage following a nice drive with my 99 Boxster, which I had just bought from the dealer a week before). Made me freak out because of all I'd read about IMS and RMS. The car had just gotten the 15K service from the dealer before I bought it. I took the car to an indie who determined that the oil filler tube had a crack in it. When doing the oil change, the dealer just kept pouring oil into the car until it showed full, completely unaware that a good part of the oil was leaking out onto the top of the engine. My spirited drive was enough to make some of the oil spill down the engine and onto my garage floor. The indie replaced the oil filler tube and told me he mopped up about a quart off the top of the engine. The problem never happened again.

This was the same dealer who didn't know how to remove cosmoline from the wheels of my 08 Cayman -- told me I'd have to leave it and they would sand and repaint them.

Fortunately I've had no reason to bring the Cayman back to that dealer for warranty service.

JTP · 12-06-2010, 08:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by johnsimion

When doing the oil change, the dealer just kept pouring oil into the car until it showed full, completely unaware that a good part of the oil was leaking out onto the top of the engine.

Unbelievable! They didn't notice they filled it with over 11 quarts? Where is this dealer so I can avoid them?!

Bob O · 12-06-2010, 12:26 PM

I'd like to know that dealer too. Since I'm also from Missouri I might have a vested interest in knowing who NOT to go to! Of course, if you're in the KC area it will be obvious, since there is only one dealer in town.

And if you ARE in KC , which indie did you go to,,,,always looking for a good one.

And Ray...I had a similar issue with my 01 a couple of years back. Fortunately for me it turned out to be a leaking valve cover gasket, so no big deal. Hopefully yours will be as simple a fix. If it's something worse, take Jake's advise and get it looked at asap and hopefully you can save the engine.

Bob

Ray · 12-06-2010, 03:48 PM

Well ... RMS failing... tomorrow starts a new IMS bearing, clutch, and updated RMS seal. Peace of mind is worth it. IMA Motorsports of Chantilly, VA is performing the work. I'll keep you updated. Looks like I get a chance to meet Charles Navarro from LN Engineering this Saturday as he will be at IMA Motorsports.

Will keep you all updated, thanks for advice,

Ray

Replacement engine, 34k miles, Body, 42k miles

tonycarreon · 12-06-2010, 05:58 PM

and a few people from this board...

maybe this board should have t-shirts or hats, or maybe lapel pins...

johnsimion · 12-07-2010, 11:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bob O

I'd like to know that dealer too. Since I'm also from Missouri I might have a vested interest in knowing who NOT to go to! Of course, if you're in the KC area it will be obvious, since there is only one dealer in town.

And if you ARE in KC , which indie did you go to,,,,always looking for a good one.

And Ray...I had a similar issue with my 01 a couple of years back. Fortunately for me it turned out to be a leaking valve cover gasket, so no big deal. Hopefully yours will be as simple a fix. If it's something worse, take Jake's advise and get it looked at asap and hopefully you can save the engine.

Bob

Yeah, well, I'm living in the KC area so there's your answer. I'm using BHR Racing as my indie. Really it's just Aaron Holstrom because he basically is a one-man shop. He's a really nice guy, very knowledgable, and explains and shows you things without making you feel like an idiot.

Funny thing about the cosmoline. I had a 99 Boxster that I owned for only 6 months before trading it in for the Cayman. I thought the Boxster wheels had rust on them. After I learned how to clean the cosmoline from the Cayman, I realized that the "rust" on the Boxster wheels was actually cosmoline. Yes, the Boxster came from the same dealer. If you can imagine that the cosmoline stayed on those wheels for almost 10 years and neither the dealer nor the previous owner knew or cared enough to remove it.

Bob O · 12-07-2010, 02:58 PM

"Yeah, well, I'm living in the KC area so there's your answer. I'm using BHR Racing as my indie. Really it's just Aaron Holstrom because he basically is a one-man shop. He's a really nice guy, very knowledgable, and explains and shows you things without making you feel like an idiot."

Thanks for the info. That's pretty amazing about the cosmoline. Geting a new car ready for delivery isn't rocket science and cleaning it up should be old hat to them. And even more unbeliveable about the oil! holy cow.

I've been to that dealer several times, mostly for alignments when they were on "sale" and just before a DE, but haven't needed much other service from a dealer, thank goodness. I had heard that their service department improved significantly over the past several years, but I guess not.

Of course, maybe getting the car ready for delivery doesn't fall on the service department? But that doesn't explain the oil issue.

I've also used Bob Hinson a couple of times. They seem to do good work but dammmmmm they're expensive! Or were. For example, they wanted over $220 to dismount, mount and balance four new tires about three years ago. (Standard balance, not road force balance since they didn't have the machine). But they get high marks on service from folks I've talked to about them.

Bob