Diagnosed dead at 76K miles

[denverpete]

I particularly love the mechanic comment. I wish I had a dollar for every supposed known defect that causes the engine failure. It's the cam. No it's the intermediate shaft. No wait it's the cylinder sleeves. Oh, here's your problem - you're not supposed to drive over 40 miles at a time....

I wouldn't expect much from the "full diagnosis". To get that, you'd have to pay for them to dig into the engine and you probably don't want to add that expense to your potential engine replacement.

Out of curiosity, do you have an oil spot in your garage under where the Boxster sits? Please check and let us know. Might have been an RMS failure....

Please keep us posted on your tragedy....

[Ronzi]

Rich, so you're saying that all those bad engines that go back from the dealers are fed into the aluminum recycling furnace, regardless of what was wrong with them? I'm not sure I believe that.
It would make more sense that if the engine was rebuildable, they would rebuild it and sell it as a rebuilt unit. Maybe not Porsche themselves, but an authorized crew of Elves somewhere in the Black Forest.

[GhengisEEK]

Since the original posting the shop did a cooliant pressure check by letting the car sit overnight and check for cooliant leak in the exhaust. It was there the next morning. I've attached the writeup.

Inaddition, I've been in contact with several "porsche" mechanics... one stated that it is true about engine rebuilds being primarily a Porsche Only Job and that's the way Porsche likes it.

I have no signals of an oil leak in the garage or loss of oil history. I'm leaning towards a blown gasket or cracked heads. I'm not up on the compression tolerance, but there is a swing in #3 and #4... on diff heads.

[Brucelee]

Originally Posted by Ronzi

Rich, so you're saying that all those bad engines that go back from the dealers are fed into the aluminum recycling furnace, regardless of what was wrong with them? I'm not sure I believe that.
It would make more sense that if the engine was rebuildable, they would rebuild it and sell it as a rebuilt unit. Maybe not Porsche themselves, but an authorized crew of Elves somewhere in the Black Forest.

That is what I was told by the SM at the local dealer. They do not rebuild the engines.

Given the time it takes to tear down an engine and rebuild it, it may be close to break even on this vs. a new engine that comes off a line.

Maybe?

[denverpete]

Originally Posted by Brucelee

That is what I was told by the SM at the local dealer. They do not rebuild the engines.

Given the time it takes to tear down an engine and rebuild it, it may be close to break even on this vs. a new engine that comes off a line.

Maybe?

That's exactly what I was told when my engine went. Worse, it could cost even more than a new engine since they have to actually find the damn problem which costs money. So, you could save thousands getting the existing rebuilt, or it could cost you thousands more than a new engine. Hence, most just go with the new engine. Also hence (double hence?), so little real info on the true engine failure causes.

I met some Porsche Authorized Elves once, nice little fellas. All named Hans. Strange.

[GhengisEEK]

Given that I'll probably need a new/used motor and be spending $8-14K on that...

(1) That won't happen
(2) What is a 2000 Boxster worth with a bad motor?
(3) Is right to pawn it off on an un-suspecting car dealer?

[Brucelee]

Originally Posted by GhengisEEK

Given that I'll probably need a new/used motor and be spending $8-14K on that...

(1) That won't happen
(2) What is a 2000 Boxster worth with a bad motor?
(3) Is right to pawn it off on an un-suspecting car dealer?

Go to the KBB and check out the private party value. Subtract 10K mininum.

You already know the answer to #3. It is not RIGHT to try to pawn it off on ANYONE.

Suck it up, the game of musical chairs has a point where the music stops.

Sadly, it stopped when you had the car.

Good luck.

[Ronzi]

This rebuilt 986/996 engine business gets stranger the more I look into it.
After poking around on the internet for a while I did find a couple of outfits that claim to rebuild 986 and 996 engines. One of them is here in the US, and another is an outfit in the UK that appears to specialize in hi-tech coatings.
After thinking about it for a while, it is obvious that rebuilding one of these engines is not like taking a boring bar to my MGB and then putting in some .020 oversize pistons. Everything is made of unobtanium alloy and manufactured with a microscopically thin coat of nikasil or some such to make it wear better. It is entirely possible that doing a whole lot to the guts of the engine is not worth the trouble, and a new unit is the cheaper and better way to go in the long run.
You win, Rich, I think I'm a believer.
I just hope to god I never have to find out directly.

[Brucelee]

Originally Posted by denverpete

I particularly love the mechanic comment. I wish I had a dollar for every supposed known defect that causes the engine failure. It's the cam. No it's the intermediate shaft. No wait it's the cylinder sleeves. Oh, here's your problem - you're not supposed to drive over 40 miles at a time....

I wouldn't expect much from the "full diagnosis". To get that, you'd have to pay for them to dig into the engine and you probably don't want to add that expense to your potential engine replacement.

Out of curiosity, do you have an oil spot in your garage under where the Boxster sits? Please check and let us know. Might have been an RMS failure....

Please keep us posted on your tragedy....

Agreed. Unless there is something very obvious, like a piston out the block, mostly they are just guessing until it goes back and gets torn down!

If it does get torn down.