Coolant Tank Life?
 

I am still running with my original 1999 coolant tank - maybe I'm playing with fire but I keep an eye on it. What age/mileage do they usually go? My current mileage is 44,000 miles.
Original coolant, water pump and thermostat were all changed 18 months ago. Coolant was bright green and clean when removed - the water pump and thermostat both looked brand new.

Picked up my '01S with 19k miles in 2006. Probably can assume it had the original coolant tank in it. Still have the same one now at 107k. Fingers crossed..

20 year old plastic is not great.

This isn't something that is mileage dependent. It's more age & condition of the car. 40k miles means it isn't driving much. If stored in a climate controlled garage year round, it could be good for another 20 years, but it could also crack the next time you start the car. It's plastic. If worried, just replace it, it isn't that difficult of a job.

The bigger issue is if the tank is OEM or aftermarket; the aftermarket tanks have proven to be crap.

We had one fail in the middle of Rocky Mountain National Park two years ago. $500 tow and $1200 replacement when the dealer happened to have one in stock (pending replacement for another customer. I still marvel they don't stock them normally!) Just do it.
I could have done it myself at home for $200.

Really??
I thought everyone always says it's a real PITA. :confused:

It's a lot less difficult that sitting on the side of the road in the middle of nowhere with an overheating engine.

And no AAA to pay for the long tow

They do.
I didn't find it difficult.
it's about a 45 minute to 1 hour job.
I think the big issue people have is getting to the hose clamps.
There are six if IIRC.
I released one from the engine
and pulled the rest into the trunk.
Reattached most of them from underneath.
Removing the aluminum triangle plate makes them fairly easy to reach.

People also seem to have issues refilling and burping the cooling system.
Personally I have never had an issue refilling a cooling system.

I replaced the tank last year, in my 98 Boxster. It still "looked good" BUT due to age it developed tiny spider cracks on the bottom that would expand once the hot coolant began to circulate. At first the coolant level would hardly drop but the longer I drove the more it would leak. The coolant never touched the carpet so I had no idea I had a bad tank until enough coolant collected UNDER the raised trunk floor and found it's way to my garage floor through a seam or rubber grommet in the metal trunk floor.

My "indi" Porsche mechanic replaced the tank and hoses and clamps with genuine Porsche parts and charged about $875 for the whole job. I don't have anyway to lift the car and work from underneath nor do I want to do the work myself even if I could. My 98 has been trouble free this long so I didn't mind spending the money to have it done by someone else.