How can I tell if IMS has been replaced?

[dxterity]

I'm interested to hear if anyone else has heard of this but when I bought my '99, I immediately took it to a certified Porsche mechanic to have the IMS done. The first thing the mechanic did (before it wss even in the engine bay) was check along the inside of drivers side door for a sticker which Porsche mechanics apparently apply that indicates the if/when the IMS had previously been replaced and date the work was done. He told me this because he said they are supposed to be replaced every 6 years and it's a time thing not mileage. I dunno, maybe start be checking for this sticker/stamp, you might luck out.

[JFP in PA]

Originally Posted by dxterity

I'm interested to hear if anyone else has heard of this but when I bought my '99, I immediately took it to a certified Porsche mechanic to have the IMS done. The first thing the mechanic did (before it wss even in the engine bay) was check along the inside of drivers side door for a sticker which Porsche mechanics apparently apply that indicates the if/when the IMS had previously been replaced and date the work was done. He told me this because he said they are supposed to be replaced every 6 years and it's a time thing not mileage. I dunno, maybe start be checking for this sticker/stamp, you might luck out.

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[JFP in PA]

Originally Posted by dxterity

I'm interested to hear if anyone else has heard of this but when I bought my '99, I immediately took it to a certified Porsche mechanic to have the IMS done. The first thing the mechanic did (before it wss even in the engine bay) was check along the inside of drivers side door for a sticker which Porsche mechanics apparently apply that indicates the if/when the IMS had previously been replaced and date the work was done. He told me this because he said they are supposed to be replaced every 6 years and it's a time thing not mileage. I dunno, maybe start be checking for this sticker/stamp, you might luck out.

The sticker would be there if (1) They used an LN Engineering retrofit, and (2) If they took the time to register the installation with LN. Then the VIN would be searchable in the LN online database as well.

[shadrach74]

Originally Posted by JFP in PA

The sticker would be there if (1) They used an LN Engineering retrofit, and (2) If they took the time to register the installation with LN. Then the VIN would be searchable in the LN online database as well.

I had the tool and the retrofit sent direct to my mechanic in 2012. He did the install but did not register it nor did he affix the sticker. I have the paperwork from the installation and receipt from LN. I wish I had known then what I know now...

[PaulE]

The sticker is for LN IMSB replacements and could also be under the trunk lid. It looks like this -



But not all installers enter their LN IMSB upgrades into the database. Mine wasn't entered, but I have my receipt, my sticker and my original IMSB. I don't know if all the manufacturers of IMSB upgrades provide stickers or databases like LN does. And even if there is a sticker, you'd still need to know that the same engine that had the IMSB replaced is still in the car. There are lots of other ways that these engines can fail besides the IMSB. JFB in PA is right about provenance.

Originally Posted by dxterity

I'm interested to hear if anyone else has heard of this but when I bought my '99, I immediately took it to a certified Porsche mechanic to have the IMS done. The first thing the mechanic did (before it was even in the engine bay) was check along the inside of drivers side door for a sticker which Porsche mechanics apparently apply that indicates the if/when the IMS had previously been replaced and date the work was done. He told me this because he said they are supposed to be replaced every 6 years and it's a time thing not mileage. I dunno, maybe start be checking for this sticker/stamp, you might luck out.

[cnavarro]

Originally Posted by PaulE

The sticker is for LN IMSB replacements and could also be under the trunk lid. It looks like this -



But not all installers enter their LN IMSB upgrades into the database. Mine wasn't entered, but I have my receipt, my sticker and my original IMSB. I don't know if all the manufacturers of IMSB upgrades provide stickers or databases like LN does. And even if there is a sticker, you'd still need to know that the same engine that had the IMSB replaced is still in the car. There are lots of other ways that these engines can fail besides the IMSB. JFB in PA is right about provenance.

As far as I am aware, LN is the only supplier of IMS bearing replacements that serializes kits and provides a database of registered installations.

We are often asked about how to tell if the IMS bearing has been replaced and the first thing we recommend is to check http://imscheck.com/. If the Retrofit or IMS Solution installation was registered with LN, you can look it up there. However I will say that many do not bother with registering their installations, so the next thing to do is to look for the IMS serial number sticker which is provided with all IMS Retrofit and IMS Solution bearing kits.

One big thing I see over and over again are cars that had the IMS flange re-sealed at a dealership thinking that the bearing was replaced with a new factory IMS bearing by Porsche, when in fact they only replaced the o-rings or the flange itself and they still have the original bearing.

Another thing to be careful with is if the car is a late 2005 build or 2006-208 model year, as those will have the non-serviceable IMS bearing that requires complete engine disassembly.

One last warning is if the engine has been replaced, you'll see an X, Y, or AT in the serial number or we've even seen some engines that just say M9601 with no serial number. In that case, the engine will have whatever bearing was current for that model year in which the engine was built.

[LoneWolfGal]

Originally Posted by dxterity

...he said they are supposed to be replaced every 6 years and it's a time thing not mileage.

Hmmm, this sounds fishy to me. JFP, care to chime in?

[JFP in PA]

Originally Posted by LoneWolfGal

Hmmm, this sounds fishy to me. JFP, care to chime in?

Last time I checked, the ceramic hybrid bearings from LN was 6 years or 75K miles. We have a lot of customers that have gone well beyond either bound without any apparent problems, so I would look at them as recommendation rather than hard lines in the sand…