Oil leak from leads?

[want986tn]

I am looking at 2001 with 50k miles. The dealer told me when I first looked at the car that he had changed the oil and replaced spark plugs and lead to fix a common problem that causes leaks (oil I think). Does anyone kow what he is talking about. When I test drove the car it has the smell of burning oil like some had been spilled on the manifold. Does this make any since?

[san rensho]

Could be many things, but start with spark plug tubes, cam covers, AOS.

[thstone]

The spark plug tubes seal the access hole through the cam covers so you can reach the spark plugs. The two O-rings on the spark plug tubes can leak over time or the plastic tube itself can crack from age, both of these conditions may result in an oil leak coming from the spark plug area. If this is the case, then its an easy fix and any oil that may have dripped onto the exhaust manifold should burn off in a very short time.

However, be sure that the cam covers themselves are not leaking, dripping, or seeping. Resealing the cam covers is a someone complicated job and can run $1000 (I just had mine resealed on the 996). A drip from the cam cover will also typically end up on the exhaust manifold and result in a burning oil smell and even smoking.

Its not clear if the "dealer" you mention is a Porsche dealer or just a used car dealer. Either way, have a good independent PPI done so you know what's going on.