Alison McConnell
Member
- Joined
- 16 Jul 2004
- Messages
- 15
I'm posting my message twice (once in reply to another posting about 996 engine problems) - sorry, but its worth reading if you have/desire a 996 -
I've just had the worst possible news about my 1999 C4. Apparently it has a cracked cylinder or a displaced liner, which means that at the grand old age of 7 years and 69k miles, I need a complete new engine. The problem started as a bit of hesitation that was originally diagnosed as a dodgy airflow sensor. This was replaced, but immediately the car was started up again it ran like a tractor (clearly not firing properly on one bank), and had the tell-tale signs of a blown head gasket (steamy exhaust) on one side. Further investigation revealed that it was even worse than first feared and that there was a fault in one of the bores - coolant was leaking into the engine and vice versa. I've done some searching on various web-based fora, and it appears that this is a relatively common failure in older 996 engines. So much so, that one guy in the US (on Renntech) said that when he called his warranty company, the guy at the end of the phone knew the part numbers by heart.
Unfortunately, I have no warranty (didn't think I needed one with Porsche's 'bullet-proof' engineering and my respectful care), and Porsche wash their hands of the matter because they say I failed to "protect the investment" with a warranty; the car is "old"; its "high mileage", and the worst of all sins, I had my last service done by an independent specialist (all previous service undertaken by approved dealer on schedule). I feel very let down by a brand that I used to be proud to own - now I feel like a bit of a mug - I've got a 120k mile Renault Scenic that has provided more reliable service (still running with nothing more than consumables for the past 8 yrs)! Surely we have the right to expect that a company with the apparent brand values of Porsche would put its hands up to what seems to me to be a manufacturing fault?
The REALLY disappointing thing about the whole mess is that I was less than a week away from exchanging the car for a 2003 996TT that had taken me 2 months to find - now the deal's off and I've got to spend a huge wadge of cash just making my car driveable again.
Has anyone else had any similar experiences with their 996, or know how to squeeze a new engine out of Porsche for less than the £11,500 I've been quoted?
A final word of warning to all you older 996 owners/coveter - keep an eye on your water warning light (mine has been blinking intermitently for about a year now), and if your air flow sensor plays up, get the car straight to the garage. Apparently, my sensor deteriorated because it became contaminated by the antifreeze that my engine was buring. The car was also getting progressively 'rougher', especially at tick-over when started in the cold.
I you know anything about this manufacturing fault, please reply, as I am compiling evidence to put to Porsche GB.
Cheers, Alison
Migration info. Legacy thread was 52766
I've just had the worst possible news about my 1999 C4. Apparently it has a cracked cylinder or a displaced liner, which means that at the grand old age of 7 years and 69k miles, I need a complete new engine. The problem started as a bit of hesitation that was originally diagnosed as a dodgy airflow sensor. This was replaced, but immediately the car was started up again it ran like a tractor (clearly not firing properly on one bank), and had the tell-tale signs of a blown head gasket (steamy exhaust) on one side. Further investigation revealed that it was even worse than first feared and that there was a fault in one of the bores - coolant was leaking into the engine and vice versa. I've done some searching on various web-based fora, and it appears that this is a relatively common failure in older 996 engines. So much so, that one guy in the US (on Renntech) said that when he called his warranty company, the guy at the end of the phone knew the part numbers by heart.
Unfortunately, I have no warranty (didn't think I needed one with Porsche's 'bullet-proof' engineering and my respectful care), and Porsche wash their hands of the matter because they say I failed to "protect the investment" with a warranty; the car is "old"; its "high mileage", and the worst of all sins, I had my last service done by an independent specialist (all previous service undertaken by approved dealer on schedule). I feel very let down by a brand that I used to be proud to own - now I feel like a bit of a mug - I've got a 120k mile Renault Scenic that has provided more reliable service (still running with nothing more than consumables for the past 8 yrs)! Surely we have the right to expect that a company with the apparent brand values of Porsche would put its hands up to what seems to me to be a manufacturing fault?
The REALLY disappointing thing about the whole mess is that I was less than a week away from exchanging the car for a 2003 996TT that had taken me 2 months to find - now the deal's off and I've got to spend a huge wadge of cash just making my car driveable again.
Has anyone else had any similar experiences with their 996, or know how to squeeze a new engine out of Porsche for less than the £11,500 I've been quoted?
A final word of warning to all you older 996 owners/coveter - keep an eye on your water warning light (mine has been blinking intermitently for about a year now), and if your air flow sensor plays up, get the car straight to the garage. Apparently, my sensor deteriorated because it became contaminated by the antifreeze that my engine was buring. The car was also getting progressively 'rougher', especially at tick-over when started in the cold.
I you know anything about this manufacturing fault, please reply, as I am compiling evidence to put to Porsche GB.
Cheers, Alison
Migration info. Legacy thread was 52766