Engine failure

[buckstr]

My engine quit last week with no more warning than a loud ticking sound in the last mile or so of a 10-mile drive in town. The engine itself has only 25K miles on it - a remanufactured engine from Stuttgart because the body shop overheated the original engine during a collision repair in 2006. No external signs of a mishap, so the next step would be to pull the engine and start disassembly. Porsche NA isn't making any commitment until I spend probably upwards of $2K to investigate.

A quick internet search popped up intermediate shaft failures as a recurring problem in Boxster engines. Any experience with sudden engine shutdowns?

Any ideas how to get Porsche to accept some responsibility?

Many thanks.

[BYprodriver]

It is impossible for anyone to post as much info as is waiting for you if you will search this forum. Good Luck.

[mikefocke]

at last count by an M96 engine internals expert. None terribly probable. And no way of knowing much until someone who knows these engines examines the carcass.

Your replacement engine is out of warranty (2 years parts warranty in the US for replacements IIRC). Porsche may do something for you if a dealer goes to bat for you and if you are the original purchaser and have had services all done by the dealer. But it won't be much and it won't be under the warranty but rather goodwill so a friendly relationship with the dealer is your only chance.

25k on the engine since 2006 means it is pretty close to a low miles per year situation and those aren't great for the engine.

A list of your options with comments gathered over the years from various threads is at http://sites.google.com/site/mikefocke2/what-can-you-do-if-your-engine-is-blown.

Sorry to hear of your troubles.

[thstone]

A little more detail would be interesting to hear - did the engine stop while you were driving? Did you try to re-start it? Does it turn over or is it locked up?

Obviously, if the engine is locked up solid then these comments are moot;

Have you considered fuel pump failure, MAF failure, electrical failure, or any other problems that would result in an engine shutdown? CEL on? What codes?

Its not that I don't believe your diagnosis, its just that I'd hate to have anyone tear into a good engine only to find that the problem was elsewhere and did not require such a costly action.

I'm sure that many of us would like to hear any more specifics that you'd be willing to share.

Thanks and sorry for your situation.

[buckstr]

Engine was ticking loudly for about a mile or so; the ticking rate seemed to go up and down with engine RPM's. I stopped the engine and restarted it after about 15 minutes with the same ticking. I drove it about 50 yards when it abruptly shut down, with no external indications or fluid leaks. I tried to restart it - it turned over very slowly once or twice but didn't fire up. A second try wouldn't even turn over. So yes, it's essentially locked up.

The dealer has been over the car with the basic diagnostics and hasn't found anything, Their next move would be to drop and disassemble. The service manager did acknowledge that IMS failures are a problem with that series engine.

Thanks for both thoughts and sympathies.

[thstone]

Thanks for the details. Sorry to hear that the next likely step is disassembly.

Here are a few thoughts on engine options as you go forward (from a previous post):

Option 1: Used Donor (eBay or equivalent) Engine This is the cheapest route - simply replace the engine you have with another used engine and do a 60K service to get the car back on the road. Future reliability is unknown and you may be right back where you are now (needing an engine replacement) in anywhere from 10K-100K miles. Obviously 10K miles would be a bummer and 100K miles would be awesome - but no one can say for sure which it will be. $3K-$6K.

Option 2: Refreshed Engine Some shops call them "refreshed" or even "certified pre-owned" and others may even call them "rebuilt" even though they are not really rebuilt. This option will generally consist of a used engine that has good compression as-is with maybe new timing chain/guides, a new water pump and/or alternator, new thermostat, and a 60K service. Be sure to check which exact parts are new/replaced because it varies. Again, you may be right back where you are now in anywhere from 10K-100K miles. $4K-$10K with higher priced engines having fewer original miles and/or add'l components replaced and/or coming from better known shops.

Option 3. Rebuilt/Remanufactured Engine A remanufactured engine where the engine is rebuilt to meet the original spec's, mostly using OEM parts. This is a classic rebuilt engine. Some engines may have updates like IMS/RMS but you'll need to specifically check. This option should give you ~100K miles of service but the reliability is (again) completely dependent on the engine builder and the extent and quality of the updates installed to address reliability issues. Likely to have a warranty of some kind so be sure to check the warranty details. $8K-$12K. Higher priced engines have more high quality parts/updates and/or come from better known shops.

Option 4. High End Fully Rebuilt The engine is rebuilt from the ground up with lots of new parts and all upgrades. Buyer may be able to specify some build details as desired. Engine is probably better than anything coming straight out of the factory brand new. Shops that do this work are top-end and their business relies on a good reputation. Should expect ~100K+ miles but check the warranty details. $12K-$22K. This will give you the most peace of mind (and maybe the highest performance) but it comes at a cost. Be aware that you may not get 100% of the engine cost back in resale value but that really depends on the buyer.

In summary, only you can decide which path is right for you and depends on how long you expect to keep the car, how much you love the car, how much money you are willing to spend, etc, etc.

[BYprodriver]

Originally Posted by buckstr

My engine quit last week with no more warning than a loud ticking sound in the last mile or so of a 10-mile drive in town. The engine itself has only 25K miles on it - a remanufactured engine from Stuttgart because the body shop overheated the original engine during a collision repair in 2006. No external signs of a mishap, so the next step would be to pull the engine and start disassembly. Porsche NA isn't making any commitment until I spend probably upwards of $2K to investigate.

A quick internet search popped up intermediate shaft failures as a recurring problem in Boxster engines. Any experience with sudden engine shutdowns?

Any ideas how to get Porsche to accept some responsibility?

Many thanks.

Sorry this thread has drifted so far off your topic. I spent the day with a PCNA district service manager while working a new model launch & he received several calls from dealership service managers asking for his OK to do goodwill warrantys. In every case his 1st question was did the customer always have the Porsche serviced at authorized dealers? I hope this helps with your discions.