anything to watch for when purchasing a 996

guys i am new here. look for a 996 C4 or C2 what are the difference between them 2 besides the fact one is 4 wheel drive and the other is not.. also is 3.4 and 3.6 that much of a difference. on paper its only 20HP.... is the 3.6 more reliable? easier to maintain? anything info from you guys would be awsome thanks

I'm going to go out on a limb here and suggest that you search the archives. I think most answers to your questions can be found in existing threads. And before Dell sees this and rips you a new *******... But I'll go ahead and answer part of one of your questions re the 3.4 vs 3.6: reliability and maintenance should be basically the same. Michael

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Wow...insightful

Showboat, I still remember what it's like to be a newb so I will give you a few pointers. First, there is a paperback book you can find online called Porsche 911 Buyers Guide by Randy Leffingwell. He gives lots of deatils on how to inspect a used 911. Most of the warnings apply to older 911s but the hints on what to watch for apply to any used car. Err on the side of caution. Take the car to a Porsche delaer or repudable independent for a PPI (pre-purchase inspection.) Finding my first porsche took seeveral months. Expect to spend the same time. Either buy from a dealer in a certified pre-owned program with a warranty or from someone who was meticulous about their maintenance and loved their car. My first Porsche was from an independent bought at auction. I whipped it into shape over a year, but always wished I had a stronger history on the car. Most folks agree to buy the newest P-car you can afford. Lower miles is obviously preferred. Make sure the previous owner documented all maintenance. Pick a color combo that you like. Pay attention to the option codes. (They are printed on a white paper label insite the front bonnet hood.) Check Google for a "Porsche Option Code" decoder. Porschophiles love highly optioned cars and finding one with lots of factory options is a plue here on Rennlist and for resale. New tires can cost $2k so look for ones in decent shape. Spend a little less than you can afford so that you have some cash set asside for maintenance, upgrades, or customizations. You may also want to join PCA (Porsche Club of America) or another group to meet forlks and pick their brains. Then going to the track for a Drivers Education School can be a fun way to learn and get to you know your car. If you are just looking for an impressive daily driver, none of this matters much, but I hope you will come to love the German engineer and driving experience as much as the folks on this forum. Jack King Tampa

Depending on age and mileage you should take note of: Coolant Tank Split and slow leak - very very common, may not drip to floor - check for coolant smell - $600 Updated coolant tank cap (should be 01# version) - a must do fix, $15 Creaking front suspension (bushing wear) - expensive - non critical - $600-800 Water pump leaks - failure at higher mileage - expensive! Failed 02 sensor(s) and associated CEL - annoying and a smog test issue MAF issues if oiled filter has been used instead of OEM Also - an early car can have intermix or cracked cylinder issues, based on it's year of manufacture. (3.4l engines) Check oil for coolant / check coolant for oil /can do leak down test engine / get warranty cover Rear Main Seal (RMS) leak is a possible issue on any year of car - it's a feature - may not leak to the floor for some time but be visible on underside of case. Leak may also look like RMS, but be intermediate shaft leak - much more serious! Pull the full warranty service history from Porsche (from any dealership) VIN required + Owners ok Pull the non warranty service history from the local dealership where the car is serviced - car's local dealership only, needs VIN and owners ok

Listen for interior rattles. They drive me crazy on mine.

I'd honestly just look into a C2 unless you plan on driving in the snow. The car feels super solid as is and imo, the C4 would be overkill.

Rattles can be fixed quite easily if it is your interior that you're referring to - tighten down your speakers and you can do searches in here about felt tape to be placed under your panels. It's not as expensive or difficult as you may think to remedy.

02 sensor failure isnt an issue at all, I dont remeber the last time i changed an o2 sensor, i may have only chnaged 4 ever on water cooled cars MAF can be an issue on any car has nothing to do with oiled filters, they can and will go bad on every m96 car leak down is a waste of time and money, when it fails its fails theses nothing to be found on a leak down until it fails. leakdown is more a sign of ring and valve wear so if the cars under 75k miles its a non issue ims leak is just a seal, it is in no way related to the ims failure, it is no more serious then a rms, rms and ims should be changed when and only when you have the trans out for a clutch or when oil is constantly flowing from engine cannot pull full history from porsche anymore, doestnt matter who you are dealer has no more access

hahahahahahahahahahahah rattles arent hard to fix ................................................................ i spend most of time tracing bs rattles that happen on every other tuesdays at 3 while driving north when its 72 degrees

When did that happen? I have never had an issue getting this data - last time for a car purchase was June last year And when I was at my local dealership a few weeks ago, he was able to pull my service record even though the car was not purchsed through them, and had never been into their dealership before

So buying a car and finding the block has intermix or cracked cylinder after you've paid would constitute an issue. Assuming the sellers are smart enough to change the oil and coolant ahead of trying to offload their dying car on you - how else are you going to see this issue before you hand over your $$$? I'm assuming that the seller is not as honest as a dealership - is that an oxymoron?

As can any part - however, looking for an oiled air filter, such as K&N, will give the buyer a heads up of almost certain MAF issues in the near future. There is a well established link between K&N type filters and MAF failure, so it's an easy 2 min check for the informed buyer

i am actually having issues now getting the old service records for a new car purchase... seems Porsche changed the computer system, so we are trying to get the old dealer to fax the service records. note: all "warranty" repaired items you can easily get.

My local Porsche dealer explained to me recently that the system is being changed...so that any dealer can call up the complete service history on any Porsche. He did not mention a targeted completion date.

A good place to start for basic information about the 996 is: www.edmunds.com/used/porsche/index.html At this website, you can find information about standard features, options, colors, specifications, owner reviews, etc. Good luck!

Do a search for oxygen sensor on these forums - there are many! Ask Dell about the statistical significance of the number that you've actually seen or replaced - I'm sure he'll make it interesting

Yep warranty service is no issue (at least for me so far) - non warranty, you always have to go to the actual dealership and ask nicely for a copy. They can fax pages like this: or even read to you over the phone if you're really in a hurry.... Thanks Porsche of Beverly Hills!

You've got to be f@$king kidding me! A dealer more honest than an individual? Geeeez. How long you been living in America anyway? Maybe that's how people act in G.B., but around here, it's typically the opposite (or so my experience has shown). Michael

Ooooo good strike - you got the 'USA is great' and the 'UK are a bunch of thieving b@st@rds' line in one sentence! Glad your experience of buying used cars has been so positive. Believe me, there are lots of dishonest Americans out there, ready to sell you a POS. Just do a search for people who have bought or have been pitched vehicles that were flooded during Katrina for example.. I always assume that someone selling me a car is a potential scum-bag, and then I'm pleasantly surprised if they turn out to be genuine. It's a saftey mechanism that saves me from wasting $$$

You pretty much go into a used car purcahse assuming the worst be it with a dealership or person. I would not buy one without a very thorough check from a qualified mechanic I trusted, and I most likely would not ever think of buying a used porsche without warranty. I know there are others who feel differently, but I will not own a 911 without warranty. No way, no how, not ever. As soon as my warranty is close to being up it is on to my next one. If you get one from the Gulf Coast area make damn sure it has not been a flood victim car.

pag pulled the plug on edcs 2 weeks ago, dealer doesnt have access to all dealer warrenty history , its something they are working on but nothing yet and no promiose date. you arent going to find a cracked clyinder or a dropped sleeve issue unless it already happened and you really dont need a leak down to tell you that. dropped sleve = car wont crank let alone run cracked cylinder = car will smoke terribly if it runs at all and will run very rough. I wont say porsceh has had problems with their maf sensors , ( they have only redesigned them 4-5 times) I see lots of bad maf sensors, personalaly 2+ a week, and i never see oiled filters anymore. The maf sensors fail quite often oiled filter or not

what internet jockeys replace thinking they can diagnose and repair their own cars means nothing to me. Im sure you can misdiagnose alot of things as faultly o2 sensors, doesnt make the sensors bad

I'm sure the 'internet jockeys' do their bit to keep you in business. I make it a policy not to infer that my customers are in some way inferior and/or stupid.

So - I was specifically addressing the issue of a cracked block, and intermix on 3.4l engines - and how the dishonest seller could disguise the symptoms with an oil and coolant change. So, given that the block has a crack around the usual weak point where the hydraulic tappets mount, and this cracks across to a core plug leading to intemix - what's the seller to do? Just pray it's ok and not test? On cracked cylinder linings - the cracks can exist for some time (even weeks/months) with little visible signs of there being an issue. Certainly without clouds of smoke. I know, I've been there! There may be minimal coolant loss, but that is not apparent to someone buying the car, and may be the very reason the car is being sold. So testing on the older 3.4l engines would allow you to find such a crack before it became a catastrophic failure.

my customers are not inferior or stupid, but they are not technicians either im sure that they are spectaculor at their choosen profession, But there are 20-30 faults for oxygen sensors that have nothing to to with a bad oxygen sensor, and its funny how many cars i see with those faults with brand new o2 sensors. cracked blocks, if its not smoking its not goint o show up in a leak down. if it cracks in the block to a core plug that wont show up in a leak down as its not in the cylinder. linings cracked would show up in a leak down, but the car will smoke and misfire unless theres no coolant left in the car. It also usually knocks and rattles as well and whos going to buy a car knocking and ratteling unless thats what your into. As far as exsiting for a peroid of time, i think thats a cop out. people cant figure out where its leaking or whats leaking and tell the customer that its a cracked block/clyider/head to get out of finding the leak. BOTTOM line leak down can only find problmes in the combustin chamber, no where else so if the rings and valves are good and the lining isnt cracked youll pass a leak down. IF the lining was cracked the car would run like a$$

Good info. I was thinking of having a leakdown test done on a prospective purchase, but from what you've posted, it sounds like a waste of $.

on an 996/986-987/997 motor, unless its high milage as we may start seeing cylinder leakage issues on highermilage cars , on air cooled or 928s/944s i would still recomend it. as far as other brands makes models, i dont work on them so i would talk to somronr who knows more about them

Yo, Chris, sorry dude, I apparently did not communicate my meaning properly. I did not intend to infer, imply or suggest that UK folks are bad nor that the USA is great (although one could ask, why are you here instead of there? ). Seriously, I didn't. I was trying to point out that usually (a broad generalization) people tend to be ripped-off more often by dealers than individuals. Now, granted, this is because most people in the USofA buy from dealers than from individuals, and as a percentage of sales I'm probably wrong. I just know, personally, that I will not sell a "bad" car to someone directly - they know where I live. I'll sell it or trade it to a dealer, and they can deal with it. You may have had a bad experience, and so that has soured you on the individual buying adventure, and I'm sorry that has happened. I'm also sorry that my original post was not clear, and that you took umbrage at my comments. I did not intend to slam anyone other than car dealers. And when I slam car dealers, I'm only slamming those greedy ****'s that lie, steal and/or cheat. Anyone reading this forum, I'm sure, does not fall into this category and is a gentleman amongst thieves. Michael