wicked vibration through-out entire car

mach schnell, sorry. I edited the statement to include:

The date is not that important (except that if your car was built before that date it couldn't have the new control spring). If your engine number is below the engine numbers above (depending on model) -- then you need the new control spring.

[MNBoxster]

Hi,

The speculation here is all over the Map. But, most vibrations are either RPM or MPH dependent. If RPM, then look to the Drivetrain, if MPH, then suspect the Tires, Suspension. I'm going for the latter based on what you've described. Good Luck!...

Happy Motoring!... Jim'99

[mach schnell]

in leiu of the tires magically falling out of balance, what is the likelihood that the suspension is f-ed up in a new car with 4k miles (no sarcasm here - real question). i have to admit, i feel like the car is wobbly even on gentle corners (even with sport-mode engaged) - however, i may just be imagining every little thing until i get to the bottom of this vibration!

[MNBoxster]

Originally Posted by mach schnell

in leiu of the tires magically falling out of balance, what is the likelihood that the suspension is f-ed up in a new car with 4k miles (no sarcasm here - real question). i have to admit, i feel like the car is wobbly even on gentle corners (even with sport-mode engaged) - however, i may just be imagining every little thing until i get to the bottom of this vibration!

Hi,

I can't imagine an issue with the Suspension on such a new car, except if something wasn't properly torqued on the Assembly Line and has now shifted. But, have you hit any pot holes, curbs, speed bumps, even a sharp driveway, or the like? You could have delaminated a Tire causing the vibration.

Your Tires and Suspension are virtually new. Well, manufactured things tend to fail at one of two stages - in their infancy or old age. The first because of poor manufacture or assembly, the latter due to old age and simply wearing out.

In either event, everything discussed here is sheer speculation and can only be confirmed by visiting the dealer, or a tire & alignment shop and getting these things properly measured to insure they're within spec. Gonna cost some time and maybe some $$, but there's no other way except to live with it, which I certainly would not. Hope this helps...

Happy Motoring!... Jim'99

[mach schnell]

well - 987 going into Walter's monday morning to sit while they come up with reasons why there is no vibration

incidently, i throughout the idea of the control spring for the oil relief valve as a culprit and the service rider was clueless! who knows - will provide updates next week.

by the way - re: loaner car - Angie, the service rider confirmed when I made the appt today, that I'd have a loaner car ready monday morning when I drop my car off - no charge, unless I upgrade to the MB.

[RandallNeighbour]

Mach, there's something you should know about warranty work at Porsche dealerships that I just learned from my mechanic, who is a tech at a dealership.

Rattles, squeaks, noises and vibrations (even bad ones like yours), etc. are all justified issues on new Porsches covered under warranty, no doubt.

However, Porsche does not pay the normal labor rate to techs to find these things and resolve them during the warranty period. Therefore, they are always wiggling out of working diligently to find your problem.

Moreover, if the fix for the issue does not include replacing any parts, the dealership makes no money on the service work.

On another note, Hans told me that if the book rate for a repair is 4 hours and it's warranty, Porsche will only pay 60% of book rate to him to fix it. However, if it's customer-paid work, you get charged all four hours, even if he does the job in 2.75 hours, which he typically can do because working longer doesn't pay him any more.

Imagine sitting in a waiting room for your car, working on your laptop, which I've done three times now. The service guy quotes 4 hours, the mechanic is done with it in 3 or less hours, but leaves the car on the lift, goes to lunch works on another car, cleans his tools, tells a buddy a joke, and all of this just to make you feel like you paid for 4 hours labor.

I know this is how all dealerships work, but it pisses me off. It's cheating the customer in a big way.

All this to say, mach, know you're going into warranty issues with people who don't feel they are paid enough to do the work you paid for when you bought your very expensive German car.

[mach schnell]

Randall - I know that getting down to the bottom of this vibration problem is not going to be easy (but, who knows, maybe the big overseer of all that happens on this planet will throw another pigeon into demise - like into the mechanics head - and a mild concussion will spark the otherwise lowly motivated porsche mechanic to actually discover something...). However, this is a matter that i will pursue to great lengths. i figure, if anything, the dealer will get tired of paying for my loaner car, since they will have my car often if the vibration is not fixed, that they will begin actually searching for the culprit.

on the other hand, if i fail with them, perhaps i'll try an independent certified porsche mechanic - see what he finds - and then take that info back to porsche. - only thing is, i can't justify at all, having to pay out of my pocket for warranty issues - that's why i bought a new car and not a used one. need to find out if i the cost of seeing an independent cert mech will be reimbursed by porsche (yeah, right!)

i've had my vw beetle for over 3 years - have over $5000 in modifications to it - driven it across the country once - and have only had to take it in for a warranty issue, 1 time. it has always started and always gotten me to where i want to go. sure it has some little rattles here and there - but hell it's a less than $20k car - i'll forgive that. maybe i'm being more picky with the porsche - but i think that is justified. i really wonder now, would i have made a better choice either buying a G35 or 350Z (thereby avoiding quality/mechanical issues) or should i have opted for a used 911 or m3 (as were my original intentions - decided against, thinking that warranty and mechanical issues would be avoided with a new German car), since it looks like i'll be dealing with this problem anyway?

the final thought, as painful as it will be to follow through (ya know, like the wounded little kid who has been bragging and bragging about how good his hero is, only to have to admit that maybe his hero is not that above average...) is that i let the car go and maybe take up the porsche dream a little later in the medical career when i have more disposable income to throw to such "common" issues that are perhaps part of owning such 'fine' german metal! i hate to sound like a fair weather porsche owner, but it really is hard to have feelings of excitement (and security) in a car that you constantly doubt its integrity!

alas, i yearn for the lazy hours of the weekend, yet yearn for monday to arrive, as the future may reveal ones fate...

[MikenOH]

When I drove an '06' S last fall --a car with 10 miles on it-- it had a vibration that went the length of the car and felt like it was on the centerline of the car. At a particular rpm (2000-3000) the car really shook. I'm not sure what is was but it was startling.It was the type of vibration that I had never experienced on a Boxster before--986 or 987.
Had it happened on the car that we bought, we would not have taken delivery until it was fixed.
Keep us apprised of how Porsche deals with the problem.