996 Issues short list

Hey Guys, First time posting on the "water-cooled" side of the street here on Rennlist. I've been entertaining selling my 993C4 Cab in order to get a 996. Why? Call it "maintaining domestic tranquility". My wife won't learn to drive manual, and I'll be damned if I'm gonna drive a 4 speed by getting a 993 tip (I know, while some people may think that it's a blessing that their significant other is unable to drive their P-car, I would prefer for a lot of reasons that my wife to be able to drive any car in the garage). My wife really misses our Boxster (w/tip), so I figured that the 996 would be a reasonable compromise (the next step would be to convince her that a Coupe would be more practical, and would allow me to DE again, but that's ANOTHER battle ). I've done the usual search of archives and FAQ, and aside form potential RMS issues, couldn't find any other pattern in issues with the car. Would someone please post me a short list of their niggling issues? thanks!

The only issue I have has has been the RMS, Its a great car, and lets face it Most Porsche leak oil anyways, I will tell you to buy the newest you can afford 02+ for the usual reasons.The 996 does a very good job of being a great daily driver, and a weekend tracker.I am sure you will miss the 993, but you are replacing it with a great car...even better some will say.

I bought an 02' 996 C4 cab with 22,000 miles and have had it for a few months with no problems and there were no problems before either, except the clear coat cracking over some spots of the light wood interior. Good luck. BTW, with the rollover protection on the 996 cab, some tracks/clubs will let you do DE's without adding a rollcage!

The only issue I really have is my wallet. I cant seem to keep it closed when it comes to modding my 996. DOes anyone else have this issue??

Alex, vrey nice Porsche. Did you tint those headlights? or just did a little Photoshop? Otto

I have a 99 tip, also, aside from the RMS (which I will hopefully fix within the next week) problem, going on for the last 4 months, but hasn't become worse, I can't complain at all. Have 55000k and it just runs, and runs, and runs, no issues at all. I am one of the many that is seriously contemplating jumping into the SC chain. Otto

Wouldn't it be easier and solicit fewer responses to ask "Who does NOT have this issue?"

99s had issues with cracking coolant expansion tanks, and some with can sensor seals, but all in all it has been a good reliable car. I would suggest that you look at 2002s as the best year of the 996 run.

A cracked coolant expansion tank was my problem expecially since it's not covered under porsche's extended warranty.

Early 996's 1999-2001 seemed to have an unusual number of cabin rattles. All of which are resolveable. RMS is a issue on some, but not all cars. Its not "life threatening"--if it leaks you fix it. Coolant tank cracking as indicated above, but generally the drive train and power unit are fairly bullet proof as log as the car wasn't "abused". Jim

I have a 2000 Tip and like it a lot more than I thought I would. So much stop and go traffic in Atl that I knew I would not drive it to work very much, and as long as I spend 2 hours a day on the road, i might as well enjoy it as much as possible. Many here say Tips are far inferior, and in a stright line they are, but I've learned that I am much faster on the back roads, particulalry in the mountains than I've ever been. I never track it, but only because I don't have enough time.

How come 2002 is the best year?

I have beat the living crap (not on purpose, NYC commute) out of my car, putting almost 35k miles on the car in one year. This includes a couple track days and several long trips, including a very long, frustrating trip to Indi for a certain F1 race..... So far, the biggest problem has been a coolant tank issue. Happened one week after I bought it used. If you would like some nits, well I think the Xeon lights kind of suck (01'). Recently, my wind shield washer system stopped pumping, a minor issue in my opinion. Thats it. I love the car, I am never selling it. One day it will have a SC or a turbo engine in this very car.

RMS Coolant tank Glove box hinge breaking Visor hinge breaking Rare but some engines just blow up for no apparent reason. Parking Break Switch Seat belt switch Air bag light Some cab tops have had problems also rare. If you buy a used 996 probably all of these problems have been fixed under warrenty by the first owner.

RMS Expansion tank Rattle MAF I don't understand your rationale to change cars. Who would trade cars from a 6 spd to tip so wife can drive it? What kind of BS is that? That's the least of your worries. You'll be upset with a tip. You'll also be upset when you get an RMS that keep on coming back. You'll be even more upset when you get rattles and buzzes when you drive that you keep on discovering (I've been to dealer for noises 6 times in 8 mo.). You'll wonder what on earth you were thinking when your wife decides to back into a car in the driveway....

I have owned my 99 C2 for almost three years and am the second owner. It has 45K miles. I have not had any of the problems mentioned. ( I hope I didnt jinx myself)

I recently (about 1000 miles ago) made the switch from a 993 tip to a 996 tip and from the perspective of driving comfort I couldn't be more pleased. The five-speed makes all the difference in the world. From a pure aesthetics point of view, the 993 will always remain my favorite car, but the refinements of the newer model pretty much make up for it. I will however add that if you are enthralled by the guttural nature of the 993, the 996 may seem a bit tame by comparison.

Rico I have had my 99 since I bought it new june of 99. I have had almost no problems in the past three years either because every thing was fixed in the first three years under warrenty. I just fixed the Parking Break Switch myself $5.25 new switch cost. I think the used 996's 99 up are probably very strong cars because all the issues have been fixed over time. RMS leaks seem to be the only looming issue and they plague even the 997.

First year for the 3.6l motor (20 more HP, 15# more torque at lower RPM), cosmetic changes to differentiate the front a little more from the Boxster, increased body and chassis rigidity, better aerodynamic downforce, lightest of the 3.6l cars. Oh, cupholders and a glovebox also.

Why is the 2002 996 the best of the lot? And a glass rear window for the cab, And the Carrera wheels, And last year of analog radio integration, so adding an iPod into the radio or changing to a different radio is a snap. 2003 and later use the MOST digital bus which limits your audio choices to what came with the car.

I moved from a 993 cab to 996 coupe. The 996 first impression is much more mature of a ride. It felt mercedes like in comparison, yet was still a sports car. The 993 felt like a race car. The coupe is much quieter, a fact you dont pick up until you do the switch. The 996 is faster. The engine exhaust will not sound as good as the 993 unless you have PSE. You will miss that part. If lowered the 996 will be one of the best handling cars you have driven, without lowering it felt the same as the 993. As far as RMS goes, try to buy a car that has a remaining warranty so that you can have some mental reassurance. I dont miss my cab that much, altho it must be a lot of fun in cleveland. I found that I would only take the top down once a month so it was not worth the maintenence worries to keep a cab. If you want to make the switch to the coupe, tell your wife it will cut down on her ultraviolet light exposure and she will have less wrinkles as a result.

Thanks everybody. I'm glad to hear that there is very little wrong with the 996, other than most of the "little stuff" that I had already experienced with my Boxster. RMS was even a problem with the Boxster to some extent. As I suspected, the refinement is both a good point and a bad point with the car. I think that the 993 is far more aesthetically pleasing, and the raw sound and feel puts it in a class of its own. However, I think that the 996 cockpit is far more comfortable, and easy on the eye. And, who's going to turn down more power? I didn't mind the Tip in the Boxster, and it really is better when the wife can share in some of the driving. We did 3400 miles of the Southeast US to Key West in 9 days, and it came in handy. Although we're used to the obligatory squeeks and rattles (having driven open top cars for the last 7 years), Porsches are still more solid at 60-80K mi., than half the crap on the road. Also, we're very active in PCA (I'm the rallymaster), but when we drive in other rallies, I prefer to be the nav., and she is very steady with speed as driver. I'd also like to get her to AutoX. Besides, she actually drives better than a lot of the New York cab driver rejects out there, that can't even pronounce PORSH-uh, much less drive one. I'm less worried about her damaging it, than somebody else backing into it. It's also convenient when we're out in wine country cheers,

some interior finish rattles and squeaks in the pre 2000 model years that are pretty easy to fix- not a big deal really.

I have a 99 996. No problems at all. Not as beautiful as my 76 930, but it makes an excellent daily driver. In fact, with gas prices up, I am driving it more often, as it gets the best mileage of the three cars I use (M5, Excursion diesel, 996). FWIW the 930 sees about 200 miles a year, at 9 mpg. Ub

Bill, is there a reason why your wife "won't learn to drive a manual"? In my opinion, she may just be intimidated because of a bad past experience from her brother/dad/boyfriend/friend trying to teach her how to drive one. I would question why she wants to even drive a sports car if she "refuses" to drive a manual. Obviously she enjoys driving and from your account is good at it; I'd take a stab with teaching her how to drive a manual transmission properly, and my guess is that she will have a ball with it. Of note, the 993 is one of the most difficult cars to drive from a novice's perspective [I have been driving a manual since 16 and it still took me a bit to get used to it], so if you teach her on something else, then get a 6 speed 996 I bet you'll be happy and so will the wife [the clutch on the 996 is one of the easiest to operate EVER, in my opinion]. Just my $.02, I'm not married, but the woman I will most likely marry already has a 6 speed TSX, which she insisted on...if I married a woman who knew my love for cars, but still wanted to drive my car and didn't know how to drive stick, I'd teach her how to drive a manual and help her appreciate the fun and engaging qualities of a proper manual transmission. If she told me that I had to get an automatic so that she could drive my car, I'd go berserk.

Hey Cole, Thanks for your perspective. Her dad had tried to teach her many years ago, but that's it. Her fear has been that she will "hurt the car", which I explained that the beefier clutch in the 993 won't even be phased by it (well, to the extent that we're willing to take ). Even some of the ladies who are competitive in our region's driving events have offered to teach her over the last couple of years. I guess, if you have no frame of reference, it's hard to tell what you're missing! I'm sure that a 996 is a little more civilized from a man. trans. perspective, if my past experience with driving a manual Boxster is any indication. It was nothing like my 993. As I said, she loved to drive our Boxster, with the Tip. BUT, here's the kicker- I actually got to take her out for a lesson in an empty (former Super K) parking lot over the weekend. As I thought, she did rather well. We went round a bunch of times, and I'd get her jump on it coming into the long straights all the way to 4th, before having to brake. Naturally, she has a little trouble getting started, and one of our stop points was on a slight uphill grade. She just needs to get a feel where the clutch starts to "take". Well, it's a start. Depending on how well she progresses, maybe I'll be able to coax her into a 996 6 spd. instead. Some might think the rationale for trading up would be a moot point since she's now willing to learn, but perhaps getting a car that's more familiar ("Boxsteresque") to her might be a motivating factor. cheers,

Jim PDX- You say that the rattles in the 99-01's are "resolveable". Any comprehensive guide/post you can point me to in an effort to find/fix them?????

Hi Bill--glad to see that she is warmed up to it a bit--I have taught some of the most clueless car people in the world how to drive stick so I'm sure she will be able to [my list is 15 and counting, and all but one of those people now drives a manual every day, so I'm proud of my record ]. As far as "damage" to the car, you can let her know that the clutch is an item that is designed to wear out over time like brakes....provided that you have the $$ to get a new clutch [especially if it's around that time to do it] she may be able to do you a favor and give you an excuse to get a better clutch and Lightweight Flywheel Seriously though, the 996 is almost EXACTLY like the Boxster, at least in the clutch feel and the controls. My girlfriend doesn't like driving my 993 because, in her words "it feels like I'm riding a horse that is out of control". This is coming from someone who drives a manual every day and whose first car was a Ford Explorer sport 5 speed stick! Bottom line, I think that a 996 would fit the bill perfectly and you can have your cake and eat it too.

My sentiments exactly. Of course, now that we're heading out of "cab season", I'm not sure if I should wait until spring to sell the 993: debating on taking a small hit for seasonality, vs. the uncertainty of what the economy will bring in the spring...