First time 996 (and Porsche) owner - Hi and some questions!

Hi folks, Last week I picked up a 99 996 Carerra 2. Black on black, 6 speed coupe. A little light on the options other than seats, cruise, factory upgraded stereo (yay for 99 head units), twist rims... and that's about it. Bone stock. 112KMs on the clock (70K miles). Interior is gorgeous, the original paint is showing a bit honest 17 year old wear, but isn't terrible. I think a professional polish/clean up will work wonders which I already have booked for next week. It's my first Porsche. I've always had a bit of a desire for a late 928 or even 968 Coupe, but I've really always had a lust for a 911 and decided to take the plunge. I have a few questions to ask, and apologize if they are silly. I've been trying to do some research and get up to speed. Car had a PPI at Porsche and a few things were noted but nothing drastic. Car is tight as heck with no rattles or leaks of any sort and runs strong. The fellow I bought it off of had it for 2 years (bought from the original owner). Questions: I have the records for the car but I don't see anything on the water pump/expansion tank being done. There are no leaks and I have no reason to feel it's imminent, but I am thinking I should do it as preventative maintenance. Reasonable thing to do? IMS - same as above. Previous owner tells me it's a double row which is (from what i understand) the better unit to have and also since it's a 99 they're less susceptible to failure (probably for the same reason?). True? I'm actually a bearing guy myself (been in bearing industry for 25 years) so I'd be curious to know what this bearing is . PPI noted the alternator was putting out 70A instead of the rated 90A. Car seems to run fine and charge great for day to day with AC and stereo on. Are alternators a known weak-point with these? Should I swap it out preventatively as well or just wait until I notice the charging is no longer up to snuff? Keys. I have 2 keys. On 1 the remote fob does not seem to work. I replaced the battery and the light flashes when depressed but the doors do not lock/unlock. I'm thinking it's a programming issue. Is this something I can do on my own or does it need to be a dealer? Necessary tools. Being a mostly Japanese car/bike background and that I wrench on everything personally, pretty much everything I have is already metric but I noticed from a few guides that Tri-Square drives seem to be pretty common of which I have none. Can anyone recommend a set? Any specialty tools I should consider buying? Related to above - diagnostic specialty tools. I've read that Porsche has a special tool that dealers/big indie shops have for doing the nifty stuff for the car like programming/coding/etc. Will a standard OBII tool work on these cars at all? Is there an aftermarket equivalent a person can buy? Are the Porsche tools available at all? I have the Dealer tool for my bike (Kawi KDS3) is it possible to do the same for Porsche? IE: Do old tools get sold off when new cars come to market? I have ordered the Bentley manual from Amazon. Any other reference materials I should get? Edit: Also, I am in Canada, are there any decent Canadian Porsche part dealers or should I just deal with US/site sponsor dealers? Thanks a lot and appreciate any insight.

Congrats and welcome. Drive your car and enjoy, you're talking about a 70K miles German car, this are not like Toyotas with average 300K or more without a problem, you'll see people who do preventive maintenance and then catastrophic failure, also people who upgrade to the LN bearing and boom the engine die as well, do the normal maintenance, enjoy whatever miles are left on it. Is a 17 year old car keep that on mind, if you want to replace every part of it to make it last, you should rather buy a newer model with less miles on it and pristine maintenance records.

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Replacing the coolant tank and water pump and any other similar items prioer to a clear indication any of these items needs to be replaced is up to you. My attitude has been and it has worked for me over the years is to don't fix something if it is not broke. But other owners swear by the preventative replacment course of action, too. So, your call. Same for the IMSB. It is up to you. If the alternator should put out 90A but instead is only putting out 70A that to me is a clear sign something's amiss. I've never had to deal with a Porsche alternator but possibly the voltage regulator is failing. Did you ask the techs at the dealer what the apparently sub-par alternator output means? What is the voltage at the battery when the engine is running iwth no extra electrical load? For the key question one "trick" is to open up the key head case and flip the coin battery over and insert it for a bit. This forces a complete reset of the electrical circuitry and in my experience can resurrect a key. This assumes the key's electronic ID is in the car's security system. To determine this you will need to take the car to either the dealer or a shop that has the proper Porsche diagnostics computer. You might be able to determine this on your own if you have a Durametric. I have no experience with this so I can't say for sure it can access the car's security system and allow you to at least confirm the key's ID is present. Get a good set of Torx bits. Get the security bits with the small hole in the center. Many of the Torx fasteners used on these cars have a small pip in the center that prevents one from using a standard Torx bit to remove the fastener. You want a good 1/4" drive torque wrench, in inch pounds, and a 3/8" drive torque wrench in foot pounds and I have a 1/2" drive torque wrench that I use to properly tighten wheel lug bolts. A set (pair) of wheel rods is nice. These screw into the wheel lug bolt hole and prevent the wheel from dropping when it pops loose from the hub. These are a necessary tool for working on PCCB's but the Porsche techs use them for regular brakes too to prevent damage to the wheel if the wheel should drop and hit the brake rotor. For removing/installing spark plugs a good assortment of socket extensions and swivel joints or swivel sockets is nice, but I can't offer a specific recommendation. For other cars or other work I just bought these as I needed them. Same for other special tools. I bought the special tools when I knew I was going to need them or when I got into a job and found I needed a special tool. Generally though I tried to ID what if any special tools I would need before I started a job so I'd have them on hand.

I would say change the water pump and, while you are at it, install a low temp thermostat and flush coolant system. Check to see if you have the right size wrench to change the serpentine belt (27mm maybe?) and at least inspect the belt. While it is off, spin the idlers to make sure they all run smoothly. You might consider sending off an oil sample at your first oil change just for fun (!) but unless the car gives signs of something being wrong (burns oil, leaks, rattles, etc.) I don't think I would do more than this now. Just enjoy! BTW, mine has same miles and I did a lot more of the preventive stuff but all the parts I removed were original and in fine condition except for the engine mounts which had sagged a bit.

Thanks for all the replies guys. Regarding the hand tools, are the tri-squares all male or do they make a female?

Welcome! You've already gotten plenty of good feedback so I won't offer mine (I mostly fall into the "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" camp, but I do - embarrassingly - find myself spending the money anyway on subtle, yet tasteful modifications or upgrades You're going to love this car!

Water pump (composite impeller,) low temp thermostat, and AOS will put you in pretty good shape. Water pump is fairly easy and AOS seems to be one of the biggest engine killers right now. It was recommended to me to replace these two every 3 years to prevent the consequences of failure. The IMS, RMS and Clutch can all be done together when the time is right. It's also highly recommended to use the LN spin on oil filter adapter and magnetic drain plug. Cut the filter open during changes and examine for metal flakes. This, along with the used oil analysis from Blackstone should give you some warning that the IMS is starting to deteriorate. Also, Mobile1 changed their formula a few years back to help better comply with EPA standards and improve gas mileage. The main thing they did was significantly reduce the anti wear package to accomplish this. It's not the only option but DT40 was specifically formulated for the M96/97 engines with increased zinc and phosphorous to reduce wear, especially on the tensioner pads. The 101 Projects book for the 996 is excellent. Most of the info is also available on the Pelican Parts website but I like having a hard copy when working on them. It has an excellent tool list in it that will get you 90% of what you need. I've been buying a lot of Tekton tools off of Amazon and have been really happy with them. One last thing is to drop the oil pan and check the it and the oil pickup of for flakes and plastic debris. As for ODB, the Torque iPhone app is fairly highly recommended along with a $20 Amazon Bluetooth ODB reader (check the torque compatibility list first.). For more advanced diagnostics, the Durametric Enthusiast or Pro works really well but has limitations on the '99 depending on when your build date was. If you decide to track your car, that has a whole other list of recommendations to check out or inquire about first. Congrats on your purchase. The '99 is arguably the best of the 996s. It has the mechanical feel of the aircooled models with the extra HP of the water cooled. The 4 spoke wheels are the earliest and even more ideal. It lacks creature comforts of the newer models but is truly a drivers car.

Welcome and congratulations! The 996 is an awesome car and you are going to love it. I am also in Canada and yea, you will probably deal with suppliers in the US for parts. I don't do much of my own wrenching so I have a great indie that knows my car well. Suggest checking in your area for one as well. Your local PCA chapter can be a great resource. P.S. I'm sure everyone here wants to see pics.

Sure I will post some pics later and thanks for the welcome guys. Quick question, I am pulling panels to get old leaves and debris from the trunk , but how to I pull the lower flat head fastner for that cover around the master cylinder? I tried turning, doesn't seem to be threaded. I turned it 90 to try and pry but I don't want to break it. What am I missing here? Nevermind was able to figure it out!

I've put 7,000 miles on my car in 4 months. Just returned from trail ridge road (12,000 ft elevation) - a new battery and oil changes is all I have really done to my car besides suspension and fister mod. I'm under the same "if it isn't broken, don't fix it" I've seen people dump thousands of dollars into their car and still have to sell it as a roller

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OK, not really sure WHY you even posted this Congrats & Welcome though

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Heh it was a ninja edit. I posted it but figured it out moments later

Without going down the insipid rabbit hole of proper PM on a 996, wouldn't it make sense to at least find out the OPs intended usage for the car before we recommend "necessary repairs"? A DD just might not require the exact same PM as a dedicated track car.

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Lol, we've ALL been there!

A lot of good advice here already ... one thing I'd add is that you can reasonably wait for the coolant tank to fail. Its failure mode seems to be a small leak rather than a catastrophic deluge. You'll see spots of dried coolant on the underside of the tank and/or the driver's side exhaust tip. On a related note, check to see if you have the current version of the coolant reservoir cap. The part number should end in "04." Older versions have been known to leak. Depending on your service history you might want to flush the coolant and brake fluid. If you don't know when it was done last, it's probably worth doing. There's a gazillion differing opinions on oil, but I think there's consensus here that the LN spin-on filter adapter and magnetic drain plug are good. There are varying opinions on oil change intervals, but 6 months/5,000 miles is probably a safe bet. AFAIK, nobody ever trashed one of these engines by changing the oil too often. Welcome, and enjoy your 996!

I agree with what KoB said about the coolant tank. The water pump has a bolt or two that will make you talk to yourself, but the coolant tank can really be a PITA. It is doable and lots of instructions and YouTube vids out there to help. Good luck. BTW, you bought the best year C2

Great intro Spud72, another MY99 owner. As others have said, you can start replacing a laundry list of parts on your Porsche, OR you can perform regular maintenance such as oil and filter, spark plugs etc. as suggested in the owners manual.This forum can be a great way to seek help from others, while at the same time, can be brought with parts replacement paranoia. Choose your own path grasshopper. My black paint shows some age after 17 years, but I also think Ferdinand Porsche would like to see use-patina as opposed to the garage queen shine and little usage.Now, about those pics...

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Macster, are you really sure you want to advise someone to reverse battery polarity on an electronic component like the keyfob? I'll admit that I'm not a keyfob expert, but I have worked with high end electronics professionally and when you switch polarity on any electronic big or small, you risk shorting out the component which could mean permanent failure. Toast my friend! I would advise the OP to purchase another new CR2032 battery and try it again. If it doesn't work, then take the Keyfob to your Porsche dealership and pay the fee (usually $50 - $100) to reprogram it to your car. Remember, if you short out your keyfob, then you'll be looking at around $500 for a new programmed keyfob from Porsche.

Going through the records for the car and I saw that the original owner had Porsche put in a new expansion tank 15,000 KMs (9K miles) and 5 or so years ago so (knock on wood) should be good on that front. Ordered plugs, filters, belt and will just carry one with standard maintenance going forward. I think I might have to get a new key programmed. Oh well, I have a perfectly functional one still - just wanting a back-up. I have the original owners manual and documents with it and inside the folder is a card which looks like it was on a key-ring at one time and has a bunch of lines like a UPC code and something that looks like hexi-code under it. Is that what I need for getting a key programmed? Can I get that done from an online parts supplier? The closest Porsche dealer I have is 2.5 hours away.

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I never like to say "never", but IMHO, you'll need to take the keyfob to Porsche where they can "mate" the key to your car using their iPass system. You may find an independent Porsche shop that has access to iPass, but in my experience, you have to go to the dealership because this is a security thing. Last time I had this done, I had to bring my GA title and ID. And, I had to come back and get the key later. This wasn't a reprogramming issue.... I ordered a new keyfob. Regardless, don't be foolish and drive around with just one keyfob, make sure you have backup. There have been many sob stories on Rennlist regarding people trying to access their cars when they lost their one and only keyfob. Cheers!

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Why? As long as your second key has the proper pill in it to start the car, you can always unlock your door manually if you ever needed it. Otherwise, your second key will most likely be hanging up or sitting in storage for a long time if and whenever you may need it. I just don't see the effort/costs in having a second working remote when you can still use it to get in the car and start it. I'd rather put that money on other items. Also, worst case scenario if your dealer finds that your key remote is properly paired with your immobilizer would mean you need a new key head which would translate into $300-$500 with new keyhead and programming costs.

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Alpine, Does the "pill" feed off the keyfob's electronics? Guess he could use the second keyfob like a valet key, right? He just wouldn't be able to lock, unlock, or arm the car. Correct me if I'm wrong man.

Crazy I know, but the wife and I both like having working keys/fobs for our vehicles on our person. Since I have 1 and there are 2 of us, that means I need one more. Besides, I like having more than 1 "functional" keyset even if it was just me.

^^Smart man! Lots of Porsche owners thought they'd never need another keyfob until they lost the only one they have. Now they realize one thing.... they were wrong.

The radio code should be in the owners manual as well. You will need that anytime it loses power assuming you still have the stock unit.

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The "pill" is an RFID capsule and does not use any battery power. The RFID pill is passive until the key is inserted in the ignition; the car transmits an RF signal from the antenna behind the key surround, and the RF signal energizes the RFID capsule. Sometimes the microswitch on the PCB within the key head is faulty or the solder joints crack - so the blinky light blinks, but the signal isn't transmitted. If you take the key apart and inspect the solder joints under a magnifying glass, you may get lucky and see one or more cracked joints...if so, you can just reheat that solder joint with an iron and fix the remote.

So what you're saying is that the RF-ID capsule is a micro transponder that reacts when the key is inserted into the car, but doesn't need power from the keyfob's battery. I'm assuming the transponder has a keycode that mates with the car's alarm module verify that the correct key is attempting to start the car, correct? Once the keycode is verified the car will start. And so, is it correct to say that if the "Pill" or transponder is malfunctioning the car wouldn't start if the car was armed?

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Correct. There are two things going on here. Pill is needed physically to start car. This is a passive RFID needing no power and rarely goes out. The electronic remote circuit board has it's own set of codes programmed into the immobilizer and only arms alarm/unlock/lock doors/trunks. It would make sense to have two working key remotes if the wife also drives a car with her own sets of keys. Just be aware if she lugs the car and your engine explodes on her watch, she's in trouble.

Congrats!