Another RMS

[dkriebel]

My dealer just confirmed that my 03 boxsterS with 15K miles rms is leaking, and will be replaced. What does Porsche now do for new seal warranty? do they give you 4 years or 50K on new seal?

[Brucelee]

Don't think so but it is good to ask and request that type of extension on the warranty. Let us know how you do!

[MNBoxster]

Hi,

IIRC, the Dealers offer a 2-year, 24k mi. warranty on the new RMS. I have a friend with an '04 S who had a Catastrophic RMS Failure at 7k mi. - walked out to his Garage one morning to find 10 qts. Mobil 1 all over the floor - cost $2000+ for EPA certified HazMat clean-up!

After some considerable haggling, PAG paid for the Clean-up, replaced the engine and altered all his paperwork to reflect the new Engine # in the Build Sheets, and Import Papers, etc., essentially removing all trace of the Failure from his VIN# history. I believe they did this due to the 'Newness' of the Car, but as I said, it took some finageling by my friend (possibly through an Attorney), citing among other things 'Diminished Value'...

Happy Motoring!... Jim'99

[Brucelee]

Jim

Sounds like this guy may have had more than a RMS leak, ie perhaps the whole crankshaft assembly had let go in some way.


Wow, that is NOT encouraging!

[MNBoxster]

Originally Posted by Brucelee

Jim

Sounds like this guy may have had more than a RMS leak, ie perhaps the whole crankshaft assembly had let go in some way.


Wow, that is NOT encouraging!

Hi,

Porsche diagnosed it as RMS Failure, along with it's Red-Headed Stepchild of a Cousin... wait for it... Intermediate Shaft Failure!!...

I've done some casual research and cannot find another Model from any Marque, since the M96 introduction, which has essentially continuous inherent failures as Severe (apparently immune to Care, Driving Style, etc.) or anywhere to the same degree as the Porsche M96 Engine. Weren't we Bashing the Corvette just last week???

I know... I know... Great Car (when it performs - the Key Turns, the CEL stays Off, the Windows operate, the Top closes...), Outstanding Provenance (what have you done for me lately?), YADA, YADA, YADA...Can't wait to hear the Die-Hard Porschephiles speak up defending the Marque... sorta gets me feeling that I'm standing in the Crowd at the Party Rally in Nuremburg... Sieg Porsche!!... Porsche Uberales!!!...

Happy Motoring... Jim'99

[Brucelee]

If memory serves, they have been making this engine since 1997. To keep having these kinds of DESIGN issues is really appalling, at least to me it is.

[BadBoyS]

IIRC, the Dealers offer a 2-year, 24k mi. warranty on the new RMS. I have a friend with an '04 S who had a Catastrophic RMS Failure at 7k mi. - walked out to his Garage one morning to find 10 qts. Mobil 1 all over the floor - cost $2000+ for EPA certified HazMat clean-up!

Now thats some serious jack to clean up some oil on the old garage floor. Usually some spedi-dry or cat litter and a garbage can is all you would need. You must have some strict epa rules ya

[RandallNeighbour]

Where's my stinkin' soap box? Must I start ranting again about the RMS issue and Porsche's willfull neglect to spend the money to fix it once and for all?

I think not. I'm in a good mood and I shall not allow myself to ruin my perfectly good mood this evening. :dance:

[MNBoxster]

Originally Posted by BadBoyS

IIRC, the Dealers offer a 2-year, 24k mi. warranty on the new RMS. I have a friend with an '04 S who had a Catastrophic RMS Failure at 7k mi. - walked out to his Garage one morning to find 10 qts. Mobil 1 all over the floor - cost $2000+ for EPA certified HazMat clean-up!

Now thats some serious jack to clean up some oil on the old garage floor. Usually some spedi-dry or cat litter and a garbage can is all you would need. You must have some strict epa rules ya

Hi,

My buddy lives in the Country - Custom Built Home literally in the Middle of a Cornfield (which he owns and leases out to a local Farmer) - Quite Nice actually. Anyway, this guy is 50 years old and has NEVER sold a Car - he actually has EVERY Car he's ever owned including a '70 Mustang Convertible, '71 Lincoln Mark IV, '62 Cadillac Hearse, '46 Studebaker Pichup, '95 Lincoln Mark VIII, '84 Lotus Turbo Esprit, '03 Chevy Silverado Pickup, '04 Lotus Elise, '04 Boxster S, '05 Lexus 300(?). He's also had Company Cars for many years and these do get recycled.

He had just built a 25 Car Steel Building on his property to house them all (+ some Winter Storage for some Friends )- Heat, A/C, Office, Full Bath, Lift, Ceiling Hoist, Grease Pit, even a Wash Stall.

This Building was only 6 mos. old when the Leak happened and he wanted the Spill cleaned up right (bit of an environmentalist), so he called one of those Clean-Up Companies (like ServiceMaster) and they insisted that the Spill be cleaned to EPA Standards - Motor Oil is categorized as a HazMat. Since he had essentially reported it, he had no choice, plus the fact that from the get-go he intended that someone other than he (Dealer, PCNA, or PAG) foot the Bill. That much Oil would likely cost at least $500 worth of KittyLitter anyway...

Happy Motoring!... Jim'99

[98Boxster98]

RMS and intermediate shaft failure. Sigh. It's what make the Boxster the car I hate to love. :ah:

[rbennett]

Originally Posted by BadBoyS

IIRC, the Dealers offer a 2-year, 24k mi. warranty on the new RMS.

Does that include labor also??

If so, Porsche replaced a rear wheel bearing a while back, cant remeber the exact length of the warranty, but I beleive it was 2yr 50k miles on the bearing. I forgot to ask if this included labor, cause I think the bearing is howling again!

[Adam]

My 2003 S has 15k too. No RMS failure though. Knockity knock..

[70Sixter]

We old guys went thru this with with the notorious chain tensioners that failed with disasterous consequences if you were at high rpm. Can't remember when Porsche finally fixed the problem with additional lubrication, but seems like in the 80s.

I haven't done the fix yet, but know the dreaded rattling sound that normally precedes the complete failure.

Don't mean to hijack this thread.

[dkriebel]

Had rms replaced, asked for 4 year warranty, they said sorry Charlie you get the remainder of original. If seal ever goes again I can petition porsche for syampathy repair, which service man said they woud honor,. hope I won't need it!

[Ronzi]

Ref. RMS & intermediate shaft failure.
Can't say that I have heard of a similar case of catastrophic failure, in which the failure mode was sitting in the garage at night, (presumably) not even running.
If that happens to you, MNBoxster, you can at least fall back on your Lotus.
Now THERE'S a marque with an impeccable reputation for reliability.

[MNBoxster]

Originally Posted by Ronzi

Ref. RMS & intermediate shaft failure.
Can't say that I have heard of a similar case of catastrophic failure, in which the failure mode was sitting in the garage at night, (presumably) not even running.
If that happens to you, MNBoxster, you can at least fall back on your Lotus.
Now THERE'S a marque with an impeccable reputation for reliability.

Hey,

No arguement here about the Lotus. I have owned 3 previously and spent nearly as much time under them as in them - the Payoff was when you actually were in them - Lotus makes an incredible Machine and actually owns the Most Wins as a % of Races Started in F1, at least they did until Ferrari's latest run, maybe they still do..

Surprisingly, my Turbo Esprit has been reliable as a Honda (rare I grant you and not shared by my other Esprit Buddies)... in 15 years ownership, it has never failed to start, nor has it ever left me stranded - Never seen a Tow Truck.

Given that it's essentially '60's technology, it does have a heavy Maintenance Schedule - Oil every 3k, Plugs every 5 k, Carb Tune every 3-5k mi., Valve adjustment every 10k (a true B*tch - inverse Bucket Tappets w/ shims), Timing Belt every other year, etc. It eats Tires much faster than the Boxster. Mine is a 1985 Mid-Year model - 1 of 61 Built as Test Mules for Lotus Engineering. Esprits from those years are pretty rare anyway as the Production Run (not including these 61) was only 200/yr - compare that to Ferrari's 4,000/yr.

But, despite all the Performance Cars I have ever owned or driven, the Esprit is the closest I have come to High Performance Flying since I left Pax River Flight Test Center and my old F4 PhantomII. A Porsche truly doesn't even come close, nor does any other Car I've owned. This Esprit is simply intuitive, it's an extension of you. Hard to explain, or accept, unless you've driven one.

So far as my friend's Boxster S, I assume he drove it hard (his style) and parked it without realising that the RMS had broke loose and the fluid drained out overnight.

Happy Motoring!... Jim'99

[wild1poet2]

My dealer called me today(about my missing floor mats) and we discussed the RMS issue. This was the sales manager and he subtly downplayed the problem; basically reassuring me that the warranty covers that and furthermore "Porsche is usually good about covering problems out of warranty if they shouldn't be occurring".

Hopefully this is sincere. (query: is implied warranty of merchantability applicable)

[MNBoxster]

Originally Posted by wild1poet2

My dealer called me today(about my missing floor mats) and we discussed the RMS issue. This was the sales manager and he subtly downplayed the problem; basically reassuring me that the warranty covers that and furthermore "Porsche is usually good about covering problems out of warranty if they shouldn't be occurring".

Hopefully this is sincere. (query: is implied warranty of merchantability applicable)

Hi,

So much Salesman Babble - only Credible when you have the problem and Porsche Steps Up.

There is indeed a case for Implied Warranty of Mecantibility, but by the time you try to litigate this, you've doubled the cost of the Fix with no Guarantee of Winning. This would discourage most people, which is what the Risk Management Boys in Stuttgart and Atlanta are counting on...

Happy Motoring!... Jim'99

[Brucelee]

As they always say,

"get it in writing!"

[Ronzi]

70Sixer wrote:
"We old guys went thru this with with the notorious chain tensioners that failed with disasterous consequences if you were at high rpm. Can't remember when Porsche finally fixed the problem with additional lubrication, but seems like in the 80s"

The tensioner problem was resolved with the oil-fed design commonly called the "Carrera tensioner", introduced on the '84 models.
It only took Porsche 19 years to fix that one. Hopefully the RMS issue will ultimately be dealt with a little more expeditiously.