It could happen to you......
 

For over 4 years I have really enjoyed my 02 S. It looked great, sounded great and ran great. I was very proud of it and took very good care of it. It only had 49k miles and an updated LN IMS. I slept good at night.........Last Friday the motor grenaded. There was alot of metal in the filter/pan. The motor is toast. After 3 days of deep thought I decided to sell it as a rolling chasis/paperweight. The car is now sold and Im moving on, but I have no interest in driving, owning or even looking at another Porsche........This is a great forum with alot of great people. I really learned alot here and everyone good luck with their 986's.
I mainly lurked here and will miss reading this forum. Please dont ask how much I got for my car, just know that these cars arent worth much without the motor and just because you have upgraded the IMS doesnt mean your motor is bullett proof......Good Luck.....

That sucks friend. I've owned Porsches in one form or another for over 30 years and NEVER worried about the engine(s). Have a 73 2.4E coupe that I tracked from 1990 until 2012 when I decided it had become too valuable and retried it back to street. Never had a mechanical failure. Picked up a 03 low mileage S and took measures to ensure mechanical integrity. IMS, deeper sump, pre- emptive leakdown, etc. The first time at the track (HOT day) I was chasing a buddy of mine in his 510 and we were having a great dice... no over rev, watching temp when I felt a flutter and loss of power. No bad sounds. Nursed it to a run off and shut it down. Let it cool for hours. Tow back to shop. Diagnosis: spun bearing. Took a year to find a low mileage 3.6 with IMS replaced. While i love how this car drives, I'm so snakebit, there will be no more track days for me though because the joy, thrill, adrenaline, etc won't offset the pain I'll feel if this motor goes. It sucks. A porsche ain't a porsche unless they can be driven the way Dr. Ferry designed them.

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bummer
 

Huge bummer. Did you look into what part failed? I used to work at a car dealership that carried a lot of Porsche, Audi, & VW. My old shop foreman and I are still friends and he tried to talk me into a Miata instead. Time will tell if perhaps he was right. Another mechanic I used to work with had a 928 that blew up the motor. He put a small block chevy in it. Owning a exotic has it's price (and it's benefits too).

Yeah, I had my 03 986S lose its IMS bearing at 100k miles. Never believe the adage that if its good at 30k it's good to 200k. In my case I decided to source a used engine nad have it dropped in. Painful many months long process not for the faint of heart. In the end the $4,500 engine (with 40K miles) ended up costing me about $8,500 when you add in the installation and the "while we're there" items -- replaced the IMS, AOS, water pump, etc.

Financially it was about a wash, but the year before I had put about $k into the car and had confidence in its bones

I hear you on being skittish about Porsches in the future. The way they left time bombs ticking away in the class action settlement left a bad taste in my mouth

Sorry to hear about that. That is why I upgraded to a 2013 Boxster with a 3 year warranty.

I wouldn't indict the entire Porsche line just because of engine failure on a 16 year old vehicle.

Best of luck with your next ride!

Isn't there a 5 year, 75k warranty on LN if you use a recommended installer? Could be wrong.

^ I believe that's only on the 'solution' not the 'retrofit', and still only going to cover the cost of the LN parts not a whole new engine... so fairly useless really. Warranty – IMS Solution

Well if that's correct, I'm not too thrilled I put the in a LN. Everyone knos,, once it goes the motor is junk with or without a new IMS bearing. I would still get the $800 back. Shame on them for a terrible warranty and shame on me for not doing better homework.

Let's be honest here, It could happen to you ....with any vehicle you own.

Sorry this happened to you. So what failed?

At this point there’s no proof that the LN IMS failed in the OP’s car. Even if it did fail, there could be another root cause.

Not saying that LN IMS bearings can’t fail, just saying that it’s not good to assume or jump to conclusions without proof.

To Nobrakes, really sorry to hear what happened and all the best wishes for your future automotive exploits.

Based on the warranty, I won't recommend to anyone. I'll go stock when/if the time comes.

So the $250 Pelican IIMS is no better/worse than spending a lot more?
I have an 02 Base with 149K and some days I feel like it's going to run forever and other days, I turn down the music and listen to the motor at every stop light.
I guess that uncertainty comes as the flip side of the joy that I get from driving a Boxster.

I think 'stock' involves buying (twice the cost+) and changing (more labour = more cost) a whole new IMS shaft though, don't think Porsche sell just the bearings.

Looks like the retrofit does have a warranty, 2 year / 24000 miles limited warranty. See bottom of IMS Retrofit – LN Engineering Genuine IMS Bearing Upgrade Kits for Porsche ® Engines

To be fair though, all the alternative aftermarket replacements have the same warranty clauses, they'll only ever cover replacing their product if it dies, not the engine or anything else it takes with it... it's just not much use having a replacement bearing and no working engine to put it in :)

I wouldn't condemn LN for putting a limited warranty on the IMS Solution or any of their upgraded bearings. Porsche put a warranty on their car and engine that had a limited term. LN came out with some good fixes for a real problem they didn't create. If LN had offered a better warranty and the part cost 5 or 10 times as much, would that be a good deal? Every business has to balance cost/benefit and return on investment. The original cost/benefit analysis done by Porsche to use a sealed bearing on the back of the IMS was not a good one in retrospect. I always thought they did it because it was too expensive to get an oil feed to the bearing at the back of the engine. Then yesterday I watched the new IMS bearing video just posted on the PCA website and see there is a hydraulic chain tensioner on that end of the engine that keeps tension on the chain from the crankshaft to the IMS. So it wasn't because it was too hard to get oil pressure back there.

Anyway, I'm sorry for your loss nobrakes. I will tell you there are compromises made on every car I have ever owned or worked on, including Acura, Audi, Austin Healey, BMW, Chevy, Fiat, Ford, Honda, Jaguar, Mazda, MG, Nissan/Datsun, Peugeot, Porsche, Triumph. The later model Japanese cars do tend to be better in my experience. I hope you have good luck with your next car.

Sorry to hear of your problem with the car’s engine. That really sucks, and would crush me if it happened. One thing is for sure, no matter if you are running the original IMSB, have replaced it, or are running with one of the aftermarket fixes (I am).....you should a) change the oil at least every 5k miles and inspect the filter for ferrous debris (UOA also a good idea) and b) drive the car like the Dr. intended.


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I am on engine #4. After the failure of engine #1 and the failure of engine #2, it becomes much less of an emotional impact and I have come to realize that its just the way it goes with these cars - the engines are a replacement item and I treat them as disposable. Thus, I keep a spare engine on hand to immediately swap-in since the current engine could fail at any time.

While there are a LOT of ways that an engine can fail, it is surprising and rare that your engine failed with less than 50K miles.

Plan for the best but prepare for the worst. My advice to everyone is to start saving NOW into a replacement engine fund so when it happens you have the money (and the mindset) to weather the storm.

Why? Because there is no other car that you can buy for less than $10K and have this much fun. Over 5 years, even if you put in $2K per year for repairs/maintenance and have to replace the engine once for $4K-$6K, you're still only in for a total of ~$25K and there is no other car that you can buy that will deliver this much enjoyment for that little of money. And after 5 years, you can still sell the car for $5K and have spent only $20K total.

So, again....
 

....original poster, do you know WHAT grenaded your engine?

New owner.....cant sleep IMS ?s
I have wanted a Boxster for over 4 years now but I got a BMW Z3 2.5 instead, Its been a great car and I have enjoyed it, but I got the Boxster bug again several months ago. After alot of looking I found a beautiful 02 S. Its speed yellow with alot of extras and it only has 33k miles. I got the records from the local dealer and it got the RMS replaced in 06 and 07. The dealer also replaced the IMS "flange" in 07 and 08. Would this be considered the same as replacing the bearing? There are no leaks now and it runs great. I put a deposit on the car and Im suppose to finish the deal on Tuesday..........Any advice, comments, suggestions? I know all you seasoned Boxster owners are sick about the RMS and IMS problems, but please help a newbie out. Thanks in advance, Steve.
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First off I want to say I am sorry this happened to you. However I hardly ever take things at face value. The above is your first post, now you say you had bearing changed and name LN IMS. What is the real answer? Somehow I don't expect we will hear back but this strikes me as tossing a grenade in a room and slamming the door.

No, my indictment of Porsche was the way the resolved the class action suit. "If it fails we may fix it". It was a time bomb waiting to go off

CB

Prematurely blown engines is not just a Boxster issue. I recently had a pristine 2009 Mini Cooper S with 66k lose compression on one cylinder due to a direct injector being stuck open and washing the cylinder wall clear of oil and scoring the cylinder wall. This happened within 60 seconds of the issue occurring.

I could have decided to plug in a used engine, rebuild the existing one or sell it as a roller. Selling it as a roller was the best financial option so that's the path I went with the car being sold with multiple offers in 2 hours and I moved on with my life. Life is too short to worry about it especially in the case of a sub $10k car that is easily replaced.

BTW - every Porsche in my signature had potentially expensive issues, some of which have occurred.

03 Carrera and 02 Boxster we all know about their weaknesses
944S2 - failed valve springs requiring a top end overhaul, premature water pump failure, timing belt failure - not good on a interference engine
89 Carrera 4 - lack of head gaskets causing leaks, premature failure of the rubber damper on the clutch, complex four drive system prone to expensive failures
78 SC - failing chain tensioners, blown air boxes

Cars aren't perfect, we as enthusiasts are just much more aware especially in the internet age.

Nobrakes, Sorry for your loss.

Everyone else, Replacing the IMS bearing is a good idea as is doing all the other regular maintenance. Replacing the IMSB should never be thought of as making your M96 engine 'bullet proof'. M96 (and any other) engines can fail for a lot of reasons. I don't see anything pointing to IMS failure on this particular engine. Might be, might not be. The '01 engine I tore down was full of metal and seems to have failed (initially) from a broken rod bolt. The original IMS bearing looked good at 124k miles.

I have learned a lot from Tom and agree with his assessment in the post above, except that I don't see failure in most street cars as inevitable as his racing engines.

http://986forum.com/forums/boxster-general-discussions/56600-m96-engine-failure-mode-list.html

A little marketing From Flat6Innovations:

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/5EOvhl77idA?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Lastly, I would not recommend that anyone rely on a 15+ year old sports car as their only transportation or buy one at all if they have to finance it.

911 Monty..........Bringing up my 1st post brings back memories..........I have no reason to lie. After 2 weeks of ownership I has a very respected independent shop do the LN IMS and a complete 30k service. I then drove the car over 4 years {avg 5k miles a year} without one single problem. It was my weekend fun car and hobby. I only had to change the oil every 5k and change the tires twice.
To everyone..........I never stated the IMS was the cause of the engine grenading. I only mentioned it to let everyone know that it wasn't the original .........A lot of times the damage to the IMS IS SECONDARY. THERE ARE ALOT OF THINGS THAT DESTRUCT IN THESE MOTORS CAUSING DAMAGE TO OTHER COMPONENTS. This is happening more and more to these motors according to a very respected engine builder here in the Atlanta area. I sold the car as is because I don't have the space, time, or patience to rebuilt the motor. I also lost my faith in Porsche...........I loved this car and had over 4 years of fun with it for that I am grateful, things could of been worse and in the road of LIFE this was only a small pothole.......Take Care.

Aren't we up to 28 modes of failure now? Up to 20 years old. Nothing is perfect. Especially an engine designed with a severe shortage of resources.

But boy are they fun.

Hey Nobrakes, great post. Again, I’m really sorry for your loss. This is my 7th Porsche. If my 986 SE engine goes, I’ll sell the roller for whatever I can and move on. No way I’m replacing the motor in the 986. Maybe an Aston Martin, maybe a 993, maybe a Lotus Evora. Who knows. Life’s too short and there are a lot of cars out there to experience.

I thought I'd wanted one of these cars. I've even drove a few. But nevertheless I don't think this car is for me. Porsche used the customer to propel its transition to water cooled cars all the while leaving them in the dust as well as their lustrous history.

So what was the purpose of that ad? It lists all these horrible problems and mentions one solution. Were they trying to scare folks the from water cooled cars? If I saw that, I would have turned off and probably not bought a boxster way before they even got to the IMS.
That seems like air cooled propaganda to me. Maybe The secret order of 911 guys funded this footage to prevent the expansion of water cooled Porsches. Seems like a conspiracy to me. 😄

A 90s Honda Accord is a safer bet if it’s your DD and an engine failure will break the bank or the last straw. It’s a 15-20 year old sports car. I wouldn’t chose a 1956 Indian as my only motorcycle either.

Owning any older sports car out of warranty and driving it is a luxury. You’re taking your chance. Every trip is betting nothing will happen.

And, you bought used. Can you really be sure what all POs did? No. As for the Raby video, he’s a solid engine guy who uses the it can explode at any moment and I’m the only real fix thing to death.

Jake Raby builds the engines Porsche was supposed to built to support their racing heritage...

If you are totally risk averse, a Boxster or any other older high end sports car, is not for you. I have owned mine for three years and she is absolutely one of the best purchases of my life. At almost 19 years old she runs and drives like a brand new car, and looks fantastic. The fun factor and permagrin while driving her more than offsets the purely financial side of ownership. If you are going to play, then you have to pay! If she does blow up, I'm sure that I will briefly question my decision making. But that won't erase the joy of the experience.

Life is meant to be lived. Driving a Boxster certainly makes you feel alive!!

Well said! That's why most of us are here. Sh#t can and does happen. Plan for it. Now would I be devastated in my M96 went ka-boom - yes, I would. But I try to take all steps I can to make sure that won't happen. But remember, as others have said, these cars are 13-20 years old.

In the meantime, it's a nice early winter day here in New England, and as soon as my car is done at the indie (having her annual check-up, and getting braided brake lines installed) I plan on feeling alive later today!

Carpe Boxster!

There is certainly no denying that.

Anything out there can be modified or improved. Porsche is no exception. They should be reaching out to hire him honestly.

Duplicate post

I'll just stick to my 86 air cooled 911 and you can have fun in your ride. I was just stating that reliability is no more with the water cooled 986s. This is a 986 forum and I respect that you enjoy your rides but reading the op's situation makes me not opt for a 986.

I hope you don't stay locked in your house because you read the news once. :rolleyes:

How many miles on your 911?

220,000 miles

Oh so only one 986 engine has blown?
Silly...

For the record I think they're beautiful cars but reading about engines that grenade even after an ims fix is a real bummer, that's all.