Have i bought a lemon?

[Adam_w]

Bought my 1st Porsche and its the cheapest boxster i could lay my hands on, seemed fine on the test drive and has full history.

I did notice a light but didnt think much of it at the time. Now realise its low coolant level, the car has seen 106000 miles, how serious could this be? is it likely just a leak? or could it be burning it or leaking at the coolant pump?

[tnoice]

i would say you simply bought a car with miles. Not a lemon, just higher miles. typically when you spend less on the initial price, you will spend more on repairs. I would have it checked out by a decent mechanic that works on porsches.

[mikefocke]

Buying a car that has 106k miles you expect a flaw (or you get a pre-purchase inspection by someone who knows the cars). That is why it was priced the way it was.

So what to do now?

Look at the oil on the dipstick and see its color...if milky you have real problems.

Fill the coolant tank in the rear trunk with water to the line.

Drive till things are warm (showing 170).

Let it cool down and see if any leakage has occurred. What is the water level now?

Oil/Coolant tank? Water pump (more common)? Fill pressure cap? Hole in radiator (you have at least 2 of them in the front corners of the car)?

If you can't pinpoint an obvious leak, get it to a Porsche mechanic who knows how to burp the system and pressure check the system.

This needs to be fixed now.

[Adam_w]

yeah i didnt expect it to be perfect but this was a little unexpected.

i'll check its not mixing oil and coolant and top it up, see if its leaking. its about all i can do at this point and hope its obvious if its leaking.

No offense but not noticing lights during a vehicle pre sale inspection is letting excitement override logic. I went over my Boxster with special lights to look for filler lines in the finish, checked the vehicle mechanically. It's true what others said about buying cheap and paying if the PO was a poor steward of the vehicle. If the head gasket is solid then maybe you'll get off light, I suspect with that mileage you have deeper concerns, a raby upgrade and a clutch kit would be a sweet option if the engine is coming out..good luck

My fellow captains once noted that BOAT meant " bring over another thousand", welcome to land boating my friend...

[Adam_w]

I noticed it, just having never owned one i thought it was something along the lines of flashes when cold. Since im buying from the bottom end of the market i wouldnt be going over the finish with a special light etc.. i dont expect it to be as new.

I'll have to see how i get on.. raby upgrade?

[Lil bastard]

It's waay too early to be thinking about engines and clutches... it's just a low coolant light.

Could be anything from a bad hose clamp, cracked coolant reservoir, a leaky radiator, a bad hose, a failing (weeping) waterpump, a head gasket, to simply being low on coolant.

Have it inspected and pressure tested and bled (maybe even have the coolant replaced w/ that many miles on it if it hasn't been done before) - how old is the car? - you may be due.

[Adam_w]

its a 1998 and we are getting a little ahead of ourselves here

[Adam_w]

Right, finally got a chance to go collect it.

Topped the coolant up and drove it the 50 or so miles home.. seems i have a few issues.

The cap is blue, thinking the old one because the boot lid was soaked when i opened it at home.

The steam running past my door (RHD) points to the drivers side rad, and on closer inspection theres a problem with it. Cant yet tell if its holed but i think it is.

Still, drives as well as i expected and got me home without issue.. aside from the smell and steam.

How hard is it to change out the radiator? im a fair DIY so would rather have a go myself.

[Adam_w]

oh and is there any problem with just topping the reservoir up until i can get the rad replaced?

[Adam_w]

Bought a new rad today and have the workshop manual so will be fixing it tomorrow hopefully.

Some pictures in case anyone wants a look.

[941MXVET]

Nice pics. looks just like mine!

[FTD]

Good luck with the install. Nice car and cool English neighborhood. Very different essence than my stomping grounds.