Sorry! new worried porsche owner

[striker]

Hi Chaps

This is my first post, so please bear with me.
I've always hankered after a boxster and finally got my 986 S 2003 with just under 20,000 miles. I haven't stopped smiling since! My excitement has been mellowed somewhat after reading the demise of so many engines following the failure of the IMS. Having trawled the forums there seems to be a real divergence of opinion as to what action to take to avoid the calamity of engine destruction.
My example has had the following services

08/03/2004 1,884 OPC
02/09/2005 4,667 OPC
05/09/2006 5,979 OPC
07/07/2008 8,639 OPC
2010 off road stored in barn for 12 months
30/09/2011 14,779 OPC
Purchased August 2013 19,900 -

The engine sounds fine and the clutch is light, probably as it should be.
My dilemma is now whether i need to have the dreaded bearing looked at.
I can ask OPC to carry out a stereoscopic test to check if they can hear anything amiss, or I can spend inordinate amounts having both the IMS and RMS replaced which would of course provide piece of mind, but break the bank.
Th car will never do more than 5K a year and is garaged. I can do the oil changes every 6 months or so, but without the bearing change I will never know whether the low mileage and lack or use has deteriorated the bearing with the result that a broken engine is merley an inevitability.
What is your advice in my situation?
I dearly want to use the car as it is meant to be driven but fear any hard use will bring about its demise.
In my situation and given that I would like to keep the car for some time what is the general consensus please.

Very grateful to hear your comments. Thanks

[TeamOxford]

1. Don't change the IMS bearing and RMS and everything is fine - bank intact.
2. Change the IMS bearing and RMS - break the bank.
3. Don't change the IMS bearing and RMS, suffer catastrophic engine failure - break the bank x3.

Of course, you could always install the IMS Guardian, which would offer some piece of mind. Keep searching the forums; you'll come up with a viable solution for your situation.

Your choice, mate.

TO

[Johnny Danger]

Originally Posted by striker

Hi Chaps

This is my first post, so please bear with me.
I've always hankered after a boxster and finally got my 986 S 2003 with just under 20,000 miles. I haven't stopped smiling since! My excitement has been mellowed somewhat after reading the demise of so many engines following the failure of the IMS. Having trawled the forums there seems to be a real divergence of opinion as to what action to take to avoid the calamity of engine destruction.
My example has had the following services

08/03/2004 1,884 OPC
02/09/2005 4,667 OPC
05/09/2006 5,979 OPC
07/07/2008 8,639 OPC
2010 off road stored in barn for 12 months
30/09/2011 14,779 OPC
Purchased August 2013 19,900 -

The engine sounds fine and the clutch is light, probably as it should be.
My dilemma is now whether i need to have the dreaded bearing looked at.
I can ask OPC to carry out a stereoscopic test to check if they can hear anything amiss, or I can spend inordinate amounts having both the IMS and RMS replaced which would of course provide piece of mind, but break the bank.
Th car will never do more than 5K a year and is garaged. I can do the oil changes every 6 months or so, but without the bearing change I will never know whether the low mileage and lack or use has deteriorated the bearing with the result that a broken engine is merley an inevitability.
What is your advice in my situation?
I dearly want to use the car as it is meant to be driven but fear any hard use will bring about its demise.
In my situation and given that I would like to keep the car for some time what is the general consensus please.

Very grateful to hear your comments. Thanks

Striker,

I have a low mileage, extremely well cared for boxster as well. Not to mention the fact, that I've invested a ridiculous amount of money in modifications also. However, in order to rid my mind of the fear of IMS failure, I decided to do the IMSB retro-fit this summer. In the final analysis, did the oem bearing turn out to be in bad in condition ? Not really. But, it did show some signs of "play", and the bearings weren't exactly smooth by any measure. Nevertheless, I'm glad that I did it. If, for no other reason than for a piece of mind.

[thom4782]

There is no cost effective way to inspect the IMS for wear. Many people change oil frequently and look at the used oil filter for metal flakes, which typically precede IMS failures. The IMS Guardian detects metal flakes in real time, which improves the odds of detecting a failing bearing before it fails totally and destroys the engine. But there are no guarantees.

Peace of mind comes by installing the IMS Solution or the IMS Retrofit. The cost in the US is roughly $1700 and $750 dollars respectively plus labor. In your case, there probably isn't much value in updating the clutch.

BTW: light use is more risky than heavy use.

[Johnny Danger]

There's always the "IMS Absolution" !



The IMS "Absolution" !

[striker]

Thanks for your comments.
I have now decided to order the Guardian, ordered it this morning and look to install it next weekend.
The intention is to drop the sump and carry out a thorough inspection to ensure the limited mileage over the last ten years has not not thrown out any debris.
I must admit to being slightly paranoid at present and want to get this fitted before I use her again.

In terms of the oil to be used, can I please have some advice on the viscosity i need to be using going forward and for the long term. Do i stick with the Mobil 1 0-40 or go thicker with 5-40 etc.I would be looking to change it every 6 months or 3,000 miles assuming i have no dreaded 'alerts' in the meantime.
What make oil should i be looking for and it be available here in the UK?

Very grateful for any advices...

[TeamOxford]

Again, if you search this forum you will find a wealth of information regarding oil choice. Everyone seems to have his own favorite flavor.

TO

[Coffinhunter]

Originally Posted by striker

Thanks for your comments.
I have now decided to order the Guardian, ordered it this morning and look to install it next weekend.
The intention is to drop the sump and carry out a thorough inspection to ensure the limited mileage over the last ten years has not not thrown out any debris.
I must admit to being slightly paranoid at present and want to get this fitted before I use her again.

In terms of the oil to be used, can I please have some advice on the viscosity i need to be using going forward and for the long term. Do i stick with the Mobil 1 0-40 or go thicker with 5-40 etc.I would be looking to change it every 6 months or 3,000 miles assuming i have no dreaded 'alerts' in the meantime.
What make oil should i be looking for and it be available here in the UK?

Very grateful for any advices...

While there is nothing inherently wrong with changing your oil every 3,000 miles, I think that is a bit overkill. Porsche recommends every 12,000 miles for your car (mine too), and while I find that a bit underkill, somewhere in between should do nicely.

Do a search on the type of oil It will depend on how you drive it, and there is a ton of info on the subject here.

[BruceH]

Originally Posted by striker

What is your advice in my situation?
I dearly want to use the car as it is meant to be driven but fear any hard use will bring about its demise.
In my situation and given that I would like to keep the car for some time what is the general consensus please.

Very grateful to hear your comments. Thanks

I use Mobile 1 5W-40, every 5000 miles. Common advice is "Drive it like you stole it!" Keep the RPM's above 3000 which, the theory goes, forces oil into the bearing. Getting the Guardian will give you some peace of mind. I went with the magnetic drain plug, frequent oil changes, and inspecting the oil filter. I just sent an oil sample off to Blackstone labs for analysis. I plan to have the bearing done in the next year along with the clutch. My car is just over 70,000 miles so I figure it is close to clutch replacement time even though it feels fine. Enjoy the car though, don't live in fear of driving it. Remember most people don't post on a forum until something bad happens. Most owners are out there enjoying the ride, blissfully unaware, and there is nothing wrong with that

[tonepub]

I just bought an 01' with 98k on the clock and just bit the bullet for piece of mind. I needed a clutch anyway, so while they were down there... Clutch, Flywheel, etc. and the IMS cost $3k but now I'm not worrying about it anymore. Got the car for 10k, put a few bucks in it elsewhere and feel like I have a pretty nice car for about 15k.

[BoxsterSteve]

Originally Posted by striker

Thanks for your comments.
I have now decided to order the Guardian, ordered it this morning and look to install it next weekend.
The intention is to drop the sump and carry out a thorough inspection to ensure the limited mileage over the last ten years has not not thrown out any debris.
I must admit to being slightly paranoid at present and want to get this fitted before I use her again.

In terms of the oil to be used, can I please have some advice on the viscosity i need to be using going forward and for the long term. Do i stick with the Mobil 1 0-40 or go thicker with 5-40 etc.I would be looking to change it every 6 months or 3,000 miles assuming i have no dreaded 'alerts' in the meantime.
What make oil should i be looking for and it be available here in the UK?

Very grateful for any advices...

I did my last oil change with Castrol Edge/Syntec 5w40, and have found a markedly lower amount of start-up noise and chain rattle compared with Mobil1 0w40 I put in at the prior oil change.

I figure the heavier oil doesn't drain from the chain tensioners as much as the M1 salad oil did.

Mine gets changed yearly before winter hibernation, and I'm lucky to put on 4000 miles per driving season.

[Mikelove]

I wouldnt worry too much, i drive mine like i stole it, for the price i paid i really did steal it lol. If your going to die your going to die, if the engines going to , then its going to. Of course you can eat well and exercise, wear a seat belt. Stay home.
But whats the point when death comes to us all.
I say look after it the best you can by servicing it. But drive it as often as you can, and drive it like a porsche should be driven

[Mikelove]

Guardian costs £250! are you having a laugh. By the time the magnets connect with metal swarf the engine is a gonna surely.

[striker]

I have now fitted my Guardian and hope it remains in its monitoring (only) status.

The recent discussions concerning overcoming the bearing problem by fitting the DOF system to ensure lubrication made me ponder. I have seen the video.
The cause of the bearing we are told is that of old used acidic oil seeping back into the greased bearing from inside the shaft, where it becomes very hot.
We are further told that the bearing(largely) only suffers impregnation of oil and degradation of the seal where it is sitting in a level garage and unused, thereby suggesting the longer the bearing is moving in nice hot oil there should be no seepage in to the bearing.

Obviously the car cannot be used 24/7 so at times when it remains unused is it a sensible solution to park the vehicle at an incline which will avoid any oil coving the bearing at all while stationary.- not always practical I know.

Is it a fact that healthly bearing should throw no oil into the hollow shaft or should it remain completely dry there?

On the assumption i will need a new bearing at some stage, probably in the not too distant future, should i go with the original steel ball bearings or ceramic, and what would be the life expectancy of such a new bearing? Is it purely done to the longevity of the quality of the seal itself?

Would appreciate your thoughts.

[pitafrog]

Just changed IMS bearing at 76k in my 2002 986 S and all was good. Bearing was fine and the clutch and pressure plate could have went 100k. Installed the DOF modification from TuneRSmotorsports in Florida all went well. Installed stock bearing and now run Mobil 1 0w40 euro blend and motor purrs. Modified stock muffler with four 1/2 inch holes in tips to first chamber and drilled 5 1/2 inch holes through each secondary cat.
HAVE 800 miles on modifications and love the new sound.

[thom4782]

Striker:

Ceramic bearings typically last 2 to 5 times longer than steel ones in poor / harsh operating conditions.

When you do get around to making a decision, the best advice I can offer is to make sure you install an unsealed the bearing. This will eliminate the possibility of oil mixing with grease and compromising lubrication.

[jcb986]

The lawsuit against Porsche, I believe is for engines in the 01-05's. You might want to check the lawsuit settlement program. My 2000 S with a 3.2 liter has 75,000 on it now and purrs like a kitten. To me it appears to be a lot Boxsters with manual transmissions that have had this failure. Not totally sure. I wouldn't worry myself. Enjoy the ride.

Look at what Pedro has for bringing oil to the IMS.

http://www.pedrosgarage.com/Site/Products.html

[JustEnjoyIt]

If you read all the blogs regarding IMS failure you get the idea that they will blow any second. Who benefits by this "information"? Those who make replacement bearing and Guardian sensors. There are plenty of Boxsters with over 100,000 miles with original engine and seals. I've seen one that had 168,000 miles.

All mechanical parts will eventually fail and Porsche's are driven hard, sometimes, let's face it, by near idiots, but that doesn't mean your well maintained Boxster is a ticking time bomb.

I have heard that Porsche made minor changes to the vehicles after the first year or two and that some parts may have been bad, but if your Boxster has 40,000 miles you are okay. There are lots of reasons an engine can fail, not all problems are related to the IMS.

I know I'll get the hate mail from those who have had very bad luck, or are trying to sell their aftermarket parts, or think they know what they are talking about (but don't), but I say keep it maintained as intended, store it properly, and drive it often. I wouldn't worry about replacing the IMS on every Boxster owned. Porsche isn't perfect, but do you really believe that their engineers can't design or spec a part? Do you think that these tiny outfits have the top talent and research? Do you believe that Porsche would not replace a simple part with a better one if they knew the old design would fail? Common sense would tell you that if the IMS fails often and always, then they would put a newly designed part in. They wouldn't keep using the same flawed part for ten years.

Just enjoy it.

[Swhitcomb]

Originally Posted by JustEnjoyIt

If you read all the blogs regarding IMS failure you get the idea that they will blow any second. Who benefits by this "information"? Those who make replacement bearing and Guardian sensors. There are plenty of Boxsters with over 100,000 miles with original engine and seals. I've seen one that had 168,000 miles.

All mechanical parts will eventually fail and Porsche's are driven hard, sometimes, let's face it, by near idiots, but that doesn't mean your well maintained Boxster is a ticking time bomb.

I have heard that Porsche made minor changes to the vehicles after the first year or two and that some parts may have been bad, but if your Boxster has 40,000 miles you are okay. There are lots of reasons an engine can fail, not all problems are related to the IMS.

I know I'll get the hate mail from those who have had very bad luck, or are trying to sell their aftermarket parts, or think they know what they are talking about (but don't), but I say keep it maintained as intended, store it properly, and drive it often. I wouldn't worry about replacing the IMS on every Boxster owned. Porsche isn't perfect, but do you really believe that their engineers can't design or spec a part? Do you think that these tiny outfits have the top talent and research? Do you believe that Porsche would not replace a simple part with a better one if they knew the old design would fail? Common sense would tell you that if the IMS fails often and always, then they would put a newly designed part in. They wouldn't keep using the same flawed part for ten years.

Just enjoy it.

Thank you. That's what I've been thinking, but needed to hear it from someone else. I bought my Boxster last month, an 02 with 61k on it. Only read about IMS failure afterwards, and have been a little scared by the prospect of the engine imploding on me.

[Jake Raby]

Who benefits by this "information"? Those who make replacement bearing and Guardian sensors.

You mean the same people who developed the retrofit procedure. If it weren't for us and the things that we developed from scratch there would be no "fix" for these issues, just like the days before we created the solutions.

Back then, these threads were a lot different, there was no chance of a preventive and there was no hope for a repair, if your bearing started to fail you needed a new engine, period. So before you start vendor hating, think about that a little bit.

The things we developed were in response to demand and necessity. Nothing was fabricated as a conspiracy, just like no one fabricated the discovery information that created the class action suit.

People came to us to tell us what needed to be done, one of them was Bruce Anderson. If you are new to Porsches, figure out who he is.