Opinions Requested

[denverpete]

Originally Posted by Ray

Thanks MikenOH,

I'm truely bummed now as the manufacture date is 12/98 ... smack dab in the middle of the use of "bad" blocks. With no warranty I'm not going to risk the consequences. I found a nice 00' S with 22k miles The current owner is going to freak out.

You should know that the "bad blocks" thing is just a theory (heard it from a guy who knew a girl who dated an engineer at Porsche) - and I've heard plenty of other ones. Also, the engine problem most definately hasn't been limited to just the '98-99's. Buying an 00'S doesn't put you out of the woods in my opinion. But obviously the further you get from a product introduction, the better off you will be. The 00 has a bit more power and a much nicer shifter for around the same price. Personally, I'd save for the '03S.

[Perfectlap]

I think the 03 and 04's have some issues not present in the 00-02 somthing to do with a faulty redesign of the drive shaft.

[MikenOH]

I've attached a link to the PCA tech Q&A section on Boxsters where Scott Slawson gets into the ugly details of this episode.

I'm not saying this guy has all the answers but he's in a better position to know what exactly the details where on this particular problem than certainly I am. As I've stated before, Porsche probably knows what engine serial numbers were built this way and what cars they went into, but they're not talking. I'd expect this treatment from GM but not from Porsche..



http://www.pca.org/tech/tech_qa_question.asp?id={F3EA752A-E838-43E5-A43D-BB4F445F5A8F}

[MNBoxster]

Originally Posted by MikenOH

I've attached a link to the PCA tech Q&A section on Boxsters where Scott Slawson gets into the ugly details of this episode.

I'm not saying this guy has all the answers but he's in a better position to know what exactly the details where on this particular problem than certainly I am. As I've stated before, Porsche probably knows what engine serial numbers were built this way and what cars they went into, but they're not talking. I'd expect this treatment from GM but not from Porsche..



http://www.pca.org/tech/tech_qa_question.asp?id={F3EA752A-E838-43E5-A43D-BB4F445F5A8F}

Hi,

Yes, there were a FEW engines which got thebad motors. But, these typically failed in the first couple thousand miles and Porsche contacted the owners to deal with it, mainly replacing the engines. This was a serious defect in the engine and didn't take long to show up at all. The highest mileage failure I have seen due to a sleeved engine was like 8600 mi. This means they've all been dealt with and the issue has gone the way of SmallPox...

Happy Motoring!... Jim'99

[Ray]

Unbelieveable! I spoke to the owner regarding these issues with the sleeves ... She confessed that the engine was replaced under warranty at 8k miles. Am I good now?

[MikenOH]

decision. From what I've read on various sites, the replacement engines that Porsche has furnished for various reasons have held up very well, but I will yield to my learned collegues for more informed views on that subject.


MNBoxster posted:
"Yes, there were a FEW engines which got thebad motors. But, these typically failed in the first couple thousand miles and Porsche contacted the owners to deal with it, mainly replacing the engines. This was a serious defect in the engine and didn't take long to show up at all. The highest mileage failure I have seen due to a sleeved engine was like 8600 mi. This means they've all been dealt with and the issue has gone the way of SmallPox.."

You would think that Jim's comments on the sleeved engines would be right on the money, but I have just recently corresponded with a guy that posted on Pete's board that had a simlar fate--car built 10/98, original owner with 15K miles and the engine fails for no apparent reason without warning. Was it a sleeve failure?-who knows. It would take $$$ to determine what happened but it sure fits the profile. His dealer and the local PCNA guy say their is nothing they can do, so he was looking at $10K for a motor or selling the car for parts.

To quote him:
"Car is
>>> mine since it was delivered new in Dec 98. Car was already on its
>>> way from
>>> the factory when I got involved and the car was delivered to
>>> Pioneer/Porsche in San Diego. A true garage queen. several concurs
>>> and 2
>>> wash'n shine first places and only 14,850 until last week when the
>>> catastopic engine failure occured. We did a Porsche driving
>>> experience and
>>> one autocross since the car was new.

This message is about 2 months old.


Jim, maybe smallpox is making comeback....

[MNBoxster]

Originally Posted by MikenOH

decision. From what I've read on various sites, the replacement engines that Porsche has furnished for various reasons have held up very well, but I will yield to my learned collegues for more informed views on that subject.


MNBoxster posted:
"Yes, there were a FEW engines which got thebad motors. But, these typically failed in the first couple thousand miles and Porsche contacted the owners to deal with it, mainly replacing the engines. This was a serious defect in the engine and didn't take long to show up at all. The highest mileage failure I have seen due to a sleeved engine was like 8600 mi. This means they've all been dealt with and the issue has gone the way of SmallPox.."

You would think that Jim's comments on the sleeved engines would be right on the money, but I have just recently corresponded with a guy that posted on Pete's board that had a simlar fate--car built 10/98, original owner with 15K miles and the engine fails for no apparent reason without warning. Was it a sleeve failure?-who knows. It would take $$$ to determine what happened but it sure fits the profile. His dealer and the local PCNA guy say their is nothing they can do, so he was looking at $10K for a motor or selling the car for parts.

To quote him:
"Car is
>>> mine since it was delivered new in Dec 98. Car was already on its
>>> way from
>>> the factory when I got involved and the car was delivered to
>>> Pioneer/Porsche in San Diego. A true garage queen. several concurs
>>> and 2
>>> wash'n shine first places and only 14,850 until last week when the
>>> catastopic engine failure occured. We did a Porsche driving
>>> experience and
>>> one autocross since the car was new.

This message is about 2 months old.


Jim, maybe smallpox is making comeback....

Hi,

Anything is possible, but if it was one of the few sleeved engines, it's waay outside the envelope where engine failure usually occurs - almost double, which I think doesn't fit the profile at all. More suspect is the DE and Auto-X since the post doesn't indicate at what mileage these were carried out. Then there's Driver error, some people are just harder on machinery than others.

At 15k mi. the list of possibilities is pretty long, but at this mileage, a sleeved engine would be pretty far down the list. It's become a catch-all for any failure where Oil is not leaked in massive amounts. But, these engines can hydrolock fairly easily if high-pressure washed or driven in hard rain. It could even have been that Hans or Ali just didn't tighten something to spec on the line. But, as I said, anything is possible...

Happy Motoring!... Jim'99