Engine noise/grind/rattle - Should I have it towed?
 

Well on my 5th day of Boxster ownership - it does this to me. The engine is making a noise when I accelerate - doesn't do it at idle. I don't even know the car yet so I have no idea. I drove it from Dallas to Houston fine Saturday. Sat in garage Monday Tuesday, drove it to work this morning. So I'm stuck at work until I decide what to do. Thoughts?

Better recording: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R0JbJHLWRKM&feature=youtu.be

Boxster - YouTube

I couldn't hear anything unusual on the video. Best way to check for damage is to remove & inspect the oil filter for metal debris. If there is metal in the filter don't start the engine, if the filter is clean just replace on engine & is probably a safe bet to start the engine & listen for noise. You may loose 1/2 quart of oil doing this but it's safe to drive a quart low.

I braved it one more time to get a better recording. It's not IMS is it? :( This time it did it right as I started at low RPMs.

Boxster Engine Noise - YouTube

If you do find metal debris in the oil filter or have a flashing CEL, do not start the car or even turn over the engine.

Otherwise, it depends on your tolerance for taking risks. I have AAA coverage and I always tow my car to my independent or the one local dealer I trust whenever I'm concerned. This is my better safe than sorry approach to keeping my 01S running.

One question, does the noise start when the car RPMs go above 4000. If this was the case, one place to look is whether the Variocams work properly. You'll need a diagnostic tool to start to look into this. So this might be another reason to take the car in for inspection.

This is the sound of an IMSB failing

http://986forum.com/forums/general-discussions/43137-death-ims-caught-video.html

I've watched that video 50 times this morning - mine didn't sound like that when I was driving. But listening to my last recording it sure sounds bad and more like it.

Sigh.

I don't think so but you need to have it checked out. If you could have the oil filter inspected before driving it that's the easiest peek into the engine.

VarioCam change happens between 2100-2500RPM

I'm getting it towed. Local shop will inspect. 5 days after buying it. Fk me.

Thanks guys.

Hopefully, it just something loose that vibrates at certain engine RPMs. Good luck

Good Luck with it Patssle. Hopefully its nothing serious. Let us know how you make out. Wishing
the best for you.....

what year is the car?

It is a 2000 S

Some Porsches are cheap to buy, but none are cheap to own.

was the clutch done? Did they do anything about the IMSB at that time? did they confirm whether you have a dual row IMSB? 2000's require visual inspection.

as the others have posted the sound doesn't seem similar to the "marbles in the blender" of a grenaded engine. Sounds more like something is loose or slapping.

Keep us posted. I'd like to know what it was and how it was repaired.

It only had 46k miles - so no clutch work. Didn't hear back from the shop today - grrrr.

Will find out my fate tomorrow I guess. If the car is fine and it's not the IMS - I'm still going to have it done. I'm not going to have a panic attack every time I hear a rattle from the engine.

heat shield rattling? That would be harmless and simple to fix.


(hope it's not the IMS)

WATERPUMP!

Thank god. I was really wanting to replace it anyways being 13 years old and 46k miles. This gets it done. They gave me a rather high quote for IMS (2000-2500) so I need to shop around for that - I still want that done for peace of mind.

How much did they quote for the IMSB replacement?

pheww.... ya dodge a bullet. Welcome to Porsche world.

that quote does seem high. I'd be curious to see how many hours they're claiming.
I got a break because...I forget why...but I don't think its more than a 10 hour job, probably less for someone whose done many.
Parts are another $700? Maybe they were throwing in the new flywheel ($600-700?) ...although with your mileage I doubt its scored/burnt. That being said, it would be hard to quote without knowing if you have a single or dual row, something they can only do once they're in there. If it is a single row, it will cost more. So I assume they'd be using the new IMS Solution vs. the old single row upgrade that would have needed to be replaced a few times over the life of the engine. But stock of those old single row upgraded bearings will probably be history soon. So those who did a single row upgrade will need to swap over to the solution at some point before or at the next clutch change.

whoever does your IMS ask how many they've done before. One reason LN will not be selling direct to customers anymore is because of installers not following directions properly. My mechanic who fixes all vintage of Porsche and other makes stressed that one needs to be very careful when doing this job.

In my area - SF Bay, the price to replace the IMSB is about $1800 ($1000 labor and $800 parts and supplies). If you add a new clutch ($500) and new flywheel ($700) to the job, the price is in the low $3000.

If you do decide to replace the IMSB, then look at the thread below. The general recommendation seems to be to install the IMSB without the outer seal so 'splash' oil lubricates the bearings. I take it that this advice applies whether you install a stock, Pelican Parts or LN Engineering bearing. The LN Engineering ceramic bearing is the best choice for longevity.

http://986forum.com/forums/general-discussions/43117-excellence-say-just-remove-ims-outer-seal.html

Stay away from Eurocar-werk for the IMS job.

http://986forum.com/forums/performance-technical-chat/37554-ims-adventure.html

Thanks for the tip - they were next on my list to get a quote from.

I got another quote for $1850 from a highly reputable shop (Mike Callas). Not sure what IMS solution he uses though, need to talk to him again.

Mike is one of the best. At his age, I'm not sure if he actually does the work but I'm sure he's got a very experienced team of mechanics. His reputation is well known.

Unless things have changed in the last 10 days, the IMS Solution is only available for installation at Flat6Innovations.

Sometime down the road, it's unclear at the moment when, the IMS Solution will be made available for sale to dealers and independent shops. As I understand it, the Solution will not be sold directly to the DIY folks.

While the price of the IMS Solution to dealers isn't clear yet, it's likely to be around $1500 compared to roughly $650 for the IMS Retrofit.

In my mind, the IMS Solution is clearly the best option because the engine will not self destruct if it should ever fails. I also think the Retrofit is a great product because I believe the odds of it failing are extremely small.

That said, if it were clear when the Solution could be bought and installed by shops other than Flat6Innovations, you'd have a much easier time deciding whether to wait for it to come available or install the LN IMS Retrofit beforehand.

[QUOTE=patssle;327500]WATERPUMP!

NICE. Glad to hear it. :cheers:

The OP has a 2000 S. It's a dual row. The "final solution" as it's called, :rolleyes:, is not offered for that car.

have the shop give you the old water pump and give it a good look. if the plastic impellers on the pump are missing any chunks (from a bad bearing in the pump allowing the impeller to smack against internal engine walls) then these pieces are throughout your engine and will need to be cleaned out lest they block important coolant passages.

Mine did the same thing, then left me stranded 40 miles from home, easy fix though. Good Luck!

Got the car back, so far so good.

They put down 7 hours for water pump replacement - what do you guys think? First time using that shop so I'd like to know how that compares. That includes coolant flush and diagnostic (plus checking the oil filter, checking noise with scope from IMS after repair).

I'll post a picture of the pump blades this evening.

Sounds pretty high. I did mine and I'm not the fastest wrench and it took me around 4 hours, including doing the engine mount.

My labor estimating guide says 5.2 hours (3.7 for a warranty repair). Pretty pricey little job.

Did mine solo in the driveway in 5.5 hrs last year. That includes flushing the radiators and engine to try and get as much of the plastic debris from the broken impeller out. I would think that a shop with a lift and experienced personnel could do it much faster.