Preventive Maintenance Items - Questions

Hey all, Recently picked up an 03 C2 with 41K on it, 6spd. Recently done a bunch of preventive maintenance so far such as the following: (1) IMS Solution, (2) Clutch/RMS, (3) New Tires, (4) Ignition Coils/Plugs, (5) Engine Air Filter, (6) Cabin Air Filter, (7) Oil Change and (8) New Battery. What else should I do? I was thinking New Water Pump/AOS? Coolant Tank? Thanks!

Myself, I have done everything you have done to both cars, I have also done the UAOS and definitely do the water pump, but also recommend 5K oil changes or every 6 months along with oil analyst.

Congrats on the new 996. You will have a blast. Just as John says, new water pump will help to mitigate the risk of head/cylinder cracking and UAOS track version will mitigate the risk of intermix, hydralock, clouds of smoke and fear of over filling the oil level. Consider replacing the fuel injectors as well to mitigate one of the causes of bore scoring. Yep, run great oil and change it every 5k miles or 2x a year if you are in a cold weather town. Also consider changing your trans fluid as well. Bottom line is the 996 is pretty damn easy to bullet proof. If you aren't a DIY guy, it will cost you a little bit up front, but you will have a very durable car that you can enjoy for many years.

You've made a good start. Here are some other items to consider: Oil cooler gaskets or oil cooler and gaskets Engine mounts Serpentine belt and pulleys All fluids except oil change you have already done Low-temp thermostat when you do the water pump Crankshaft position sensor I have another suggestion that depends on how you answer this question: start the car and look at the voltmeter. With the Lighs and fan off, what is the voltage? After the car is warmed up and you turn on the lights and the fan, what voltage do you get? If the voltage is under 14 when cold and drops to 13 or less when warm with lights and fan, consider replacing the starter alternator cable aka the Y-cable.

Yup, as others have said, fluids are the most important once all the issues with the motor have been sorted out. Welcome!

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Is there a �rule of thumb� on the water pump change interval for the M96 powered 996s? I�m familiar with the BMW world where 60K miles is the recommended interval, but haven�t seen any similar advice for the 996.

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never came across an official recommendation, but based on personal experience 60k it’s about what you can expect from the OEM pump to last.

Attached is the Porsche factory service schedule. It doesn't have anything listed as to changing any of the three major catastrophic failure parts. (1) IMSB, (2) AOS, (3) Water Pump. But after 25 years we are well aware of their potential for failure and know how to prevent the failure with proper replacement parts. My 02 has 62k miles in it. Both street and track. I go by the rule of every 5-7 years for the reason that if one of the fins breaks off when we least expect it, our engines are toast. In the grand scheme of things, it's a relatively cheap part and would prefer to side step any head/cylinder cracking. Some would say you can go longer. Some prefer "just in case" prevention. Some just aren't aware of the issue and haven't thought about it.

OP - Good start going to your new baseline. I’ll add injectors to the list. They’re the silent killers. Your injectors, if OE, are old. They don’t have many miles on them, but they do have plenty of time sitting with crap gas particulates and solvents coalescing to clog those tiny ports. Cylinder wash down, cat degradation, oil contamination can all be avoided with new OE injectors. Others already mention UAOS.

Thanks all for the valuable input! Will focus on the UAOS, Water Pump and Fuel Injectors as the next items to do this year.

While we are on the topic of water pumps -- that is on my to-do list come spring. What are folks recommending as replacement? Factory unit, or is there an aftermarket piece that is a better option? Thanks.

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Factory

I have another question related to the topics at hand. OP, I hope you don't mind me asking in your thread? Regarding injectors; where does the jury stand when comparing the Bosch injectors vs. the Genuine Porsche injectors for $200+ more, each?

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Pierburg is the oem supplier so save yourself the porsche tax. Plastic impeller is the way to go. Bosch (genuine, be careful what u buy) is the oem supplier so again save yourself the p-tax.

Quotes source post: 19298545

Just checked the price, wow. I paid $29 each for the Bosch 2 years ago. The place I got mine looks to be the lowest price now. $88 each. RM European.

Here is a maintenance tip that costs nothing but time . Remove the front bumper ( very easy ) and then separate the AC condensers from the radiators . You do NOT disconnect any lines . Clean the birds nest of grit/sand/leaves that are lodged in there . You should do this about every 3-4 years . It also gives you a chance to inspect the radiators and the hoses .