Advice from New 996 Owner to New 996 Owners

I see that Santa has been good to many of you this year by delivering a new Porsche to your garage. I have owned my MY03 Cab, 47k miles when I got it, for all of 5 months now, so as a very new owner, I thought I would save you some time and share some things I have learned from the awesome experience of owning my first 996. By the way...99% of this came from these great Porsche Forums! Please feel free to add on. 1. They smell funny. Whether it is bits of burning tire on the exhaust or cosmoline (look it up), they smell like burning oil/rubber even after a short drive. The consensus is this is perfectly normal (some even call it "Porsche Perfume") so you can quit worrying. Your engine is not about to blow up. 2. After a few weeks you will begin to think something is wrong with your car. It is not as quick as it used to be. Is it a major engine problem? Do I already need to replace the plugs, coils, throttle body etc? Probably not. You are just getting used to the car. It only feels slower. You will now start thinking about getting that turbo. 3. IMS, RMS. You will no doubt read all about these two common failures. Without jinxing myself, it can happen anytime. But...it doesn't appear to be as prolific as you would be led to believe. There are things you can do to add peace of mind (replace the IMS bearing, install the new IMS Guardian) etc., but remember, all cars have been known to have engines blow up. Ours are just more expensive to replace. 4. If you have a 6-spd (mine does...so no tips on tips here), you will up shift at a much higher rpm than that old Honda you used to drive. Shifting at 3000rpm will spoil your P-car experience. 5. Tires are expensive and don't last as long as the tires on your old car. 10k-15k appears to be the average life. Remember that when you are buying a new set. 6. There appear to be a lot of great, dedicated and fastidious Indy shops out there. I have an extended warranty and took my car to the local dealer to get some non covered items taken care of. The estimate was almost $3k. My Indy fixed everything that actually need to get fixed for under $500. 7. Speaking of money, everywhere you go to get something done for your car, from the paint and body shop to the audio installer, they will attempt to charge you more since "after all, it is a 911". 8. A lot of Porsche enthusiasts don't like the 996. They have their reasons, but you now own one. Love it like its one of your kids. 9. If you drive around town with your spoiler up, most P-car owners will call you a poser. Best to let it do its own thing at 75mph. And yes, it is very cool to look at your reflection in that panel van you just passed to make sure your tail is actually up. 10. Your friends and relatives think you paid a lot more $$$ for your car than you really did.

11. Despite being a "high performance car", it gets pretty darn good fuel mileage if you can keep your foot off the happy pedal.

Gonzo - what a fantastic summary!

Well done Gonzo911, you covered many of the quirks that our 911s all have in common.

One more: Parts cost more. Sometimes I think it's just because it's a Porsche.

Thanks for the update. Great advice to look forward to ...... in the spring.

Nice job. 12. Many routine maintenance tasks are very easy to DIY, even for the least mechanically inclined. Bulbs and filters for example, are much easier to change on your Porsche than on most American or Japanese cars.

13. If it's nice and shiny, most people will think it's a brand new model.

"2. After a few weeks you will begin to think something is wrong with your car. It is not as quick as it used to be. Is it a major engine problem? Do I already need to replace the plugs, coils, throttle body etc? Probably not. You are just getting used to the car." The statement above is soooo true.....this is what I do: drive the "other car" for a couple of days, then come back to the Porsche..... 14.- It may be "intimidating" to work on the car because it is a Porsche, do not be intimidated. Get the manual (free online), and acquaint yourself with the car....it is not that hard to do maintenance; and many of the repairs are DIY....

"2. After a few weeks you will begin to think something is wrong with your car. It is not as quick as it used to be. Is it a major engine problem? Do I already need to replace the plugs, coils, throttle body etc? Probably not. You are just getting used to the car." Acually... That is how I feel when I drive tha old A6 Avant 2.8 again after every day use of the Carrera 4. And the C4 gets about 2 - 3 MPG better as well. So unless we are in for deep snow & Ice - the C4 is the Daily Driver... :-)

Great write up, Gonzo. Thanks for the effort and to help out the new guys!

15. When you tell other people how "old" your car is (in my case 9 years) they go "really?" because to them it looks nearly brand new and then you loose them trying to explain 996.1 differences to 996.2 vs 997.1 or 2 etc (you know what I mean...).

Nice post. I love when people think my car is brand new, and it is almost 12 years old. The design is classic. Been a great car for me and I can deal with the tire replacement on the rear. Just got my IMS upgrade done and a new clutch so I am good to go for quite a while. Love the car!!! For the price you can get them used, the 996 is a great deal if it was taken care of and has low miles like mine.

On item #2, even if you have the turbo, it starts to feel slower after a while. The only cure I have found is to drive my truck or my wife's SUV for a few days.

well done. my wife was asking about #1 just the other day! 16. you must ignore the idiot in a (fill in the blank) that wants to race you on public streets.

All I can say is that I wish this were the first rennlist post I read. Two days ago I thought to myself "not as quick as it was." Been driving the Accord for two days now. We'll see.

Great post!

13. No matter how/where you park, the idiots will find you.

14. Your other car does not have 6 gears... only 5. That sound is reverse.

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Great list! So true on each account and very reassuring!! lol Same here. She keeps saying, "I know you don't agree but there's something wrong with your car. Why don't I smell the other cars?" Three of my cars have sticks: two with 6 forward gears and one with 4. Each has reverse in a different location. It's mostly 2nd nature but every now and then I have to stop and remind myself which car I'm in when I want to back-up. -Eric

Gonzo, Awesome summary and I (being a new owner) totally agree with all your points!

Good review and spot on what people perceive about our cars. All true statements

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I agree with that. My car has been hit twice in the last year, not door dings....people pulling out of the parking spot next to it and tagging it on the rear fenders leaving paint and dents.

15. Never ask on any Porshce Forum what is the best oil to use. I mean it.

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Yes driving my Suburban as a daily driver and the 996 at least once a week cures that problem!

17. Your car can be polarizing to other drivers. Some will be more polite. Some will act as if their lives will end if they can't pull in front of you.

You sir are right on the money lol Awesome thread.

Just memorize the radio reset code, your going to need it.

+1 Randy

1. They smell funny. Whether it is bits of burning tire on the exhaust or cosmoline (look it up), they smell like burning oil/rubber even after a short drive. The consensus is this is perfectly normal (some even call it "Porsche Perfume") so you can quit worrying. Your engine is not about to blow up. 2. . After a few weeks you will begin to think something is wrong with your car. It is not as quick as it used to be. Is it a major engine problem? Do I already need to replace the plugs, coils, throttle body etc? Probably not. You are just getting used to the car. It only feels slower. You will now start thinking about getting that turbo. Only today I thought "is this car loosing power". Then I looked down and saw 115mph on the clock and thought I was doing about 80mph as i overtook cars to come off the freeway ramp, hit each gear downshifting and didnt have to touch the brakes until I had almost stopped. The compression on this car is bloody amazing. After hard driving it in 3rd on country lanes up to almost 100mph and arrived at the garage and about 15 mins later my wife asked. "Is there something burning in the garage"? Haha...just that Porsche perfume smell which you mentioned. I must admit though, I then checked my new oil and coolant levels just to be sure hehe.

18. Your radiator coolant expansion tank will crack and leak. Not maybe. Just a matter of when.

Do as much of the work on the car as you can. It really is not that complicated. Look it up here, first....I then go to You Tube....I can't believe how much of my own maintenance I do! And I am not a mechanic.

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ROFLOL!!!!! That is so true!!!! And every Subaru within 100 miles will be attracted to it. Everyone in a SUV or minivan will have to pass you.

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...and little punks in tuner cars will think they need to race.....It gets old fast.

19. Just think, the 996 represents about 40 years worth of development of the six cylinder 901 tub by the winningest car manufacturer (over 23,000 race wins to date) in the world. Let's go for a flog!

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When that happens, I ask.....is that car next to me who's trying to race, capable of 170+ ? If so, am I sure that the driver has the skills to even do 100+ safely? If not, you can predict the outcome. Even if you'd like to teach the twerp a lesson, how many cars will he run off the road trying to prove something? Just no upside to twerps. Genuine speed belongs at the track. (But 3rd gear sprints can be entertaining on back roads....)

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Got to agree entirely with you. Always classed myself as a pretty handy lad but not a mechanic. After watching youtube plus reading 911 forums, Got myself a low profile jack and stands and went to town with preventative maintenance on my 99 C2 Cab. Cabin and engine Airs filters, serpentine belt, brakes and sensors. Complete coolant and hydraulic change. Front of car off for cleaning radiators of leaves and crap. Plus I enjoyed every minute doing the work myself. Couple of oil and filter changes and filter cutting for inspection. Back to the thread.. I notice many times a tail gater pushing me and then as quick as they appeared, they turn off, (just as I was about to leave them in the dust) dammit. I love blowing them off, then when they get a bit too close, just pull and quickly release my hand brake (emergancy brake) which doesnt put brake lights on the rear. It puts the sh*** up the tail gater though. Then they back off. lol

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hahaha as gear coggs come flying up through the floor into the cab hahaha.. "Oh pass my shades, we have us a new sun roof"

I find myself holding the key to other cars in my left hand and fumbling around looking for an ignition position on the left fo the wheel.. then thinking.. oh.. I am not in the Porche. After parking at the shopping center, I find myself looking back at 'Doodlebug' my porsche and doing everything except blowing a kiss in her direction. Thoughts in my head as though I was referring to a girl friend."Look at the body on that" and "The nicest back end I have seen in a long time" and "Oh those sexy eyes".. Maybe I should put a bed in the garage lol

20. Think BEFORE u pull into gas pump.

I just ran accross your post and everything you said is so true!! Just today when I parked my car at work I noticed a "new" smell. I just got used to having the ignition on the left side too.