32 captured repliesDiscussion pagination complete · Source accounts, not a confirmed diagnosis
THIS DISCUSSION / SOURCE-DERIVED OVERVIEW
Discussion summary
YOUR RESEARCHList of "must do" maintenance items to ensure relative reliability
Leading reported evidence
Install aerokit ii, 19" wheels, suspension, an ipd plenum
Performed · outcome unconfirmed
No successful repair reported for this finding.
0
Reported fixes
0
Unsuccessful attempts
1
Discussions
Read evidence and context
Explicit resolution reports before identified causes, performed actions and suggestions. Within each level, matching component labels precede direct query mentions and inherited thread context; successful versus unsuccessful discussion counts, owner confirmations and independent discussion support determine order. This is not a probability of success.
Discussions that performed work without a confirmed outcome
1
0 original-poster resolution reports. Counts can overlap; they are not unique people or a success rate.
0 discussions have direct query context; 0 report a fix in that context. Other evidence may inherit the discussion’s subject.
Performed · outcome unconfirmed
He installed the Aerokit II, 19" wheels, suspension, an IPD plenum...and eventually traded it in for the Turbo he really wanted.
List of "must do" maintenance items to ensure relative reliability
Read full discussion summary
Leading evidence: 'Install aerokit ii, 19" wheels, suspension, an ipd plenum' (no explicit attributable resolution; this is a reported action or suggestion). Across 1 matching discussions, the most frequently mentioned possible cause is 'bearing) and a rear main seal' (1 discussions; 0 report identifying it and 1 suggest it). The most frequently discussed action is 'Install aerokit ii, 19" wheels, suspension, an ipd plenum' (1 discussions). For that action, 0 discussions report a resolution and 0 report an unsuccessful attempt. No action has an explicit, attributable resolution report under the current rules. These are forum reports and suggestions, not a confirmed diagnosis.
Source reports, not a diagnosis or a success probability. Counts refer to discussions and can overlap.
Replace /serviced more than a few items - those marked
Performed · outcome unconfirmed
No successful repair reported for this finding.
0
Reported fixes
0
Unsuccessful attempts
1
Discussions
Read evidence and context
Explicit resolution reports before identified causes, performed actions and suggestions. Within each level, matching component labels precede direct query mentions and inherited thread context; successful versus unsuccessful discussion counts, owner confirmations and independent discussion support determine order. This is not a probability of success.
Discussions that performed work without a confirmed outcome
1
0 original-poster resolution reports. Counts can overlap; they are not unique people or a success rate.
0 discussions have direct query context; 0 report a fix in that context. Other evidence may inherit the discussion’s subject.
Performed · outcome unconfirmed
In that same time period, to keep the car running reliably and/or to address failures in progress, I've replaced/serviced more than a few items - those marked with "F" were in the process of failing; those that were entirely preventive are marked "P."
List of "must do" maintenance items to ensure relative reliability
Replace under warranty
Performed · outcome unconfirmed
No successful repair reported for this finding.
0
Reported fixes
0
Unsuccessful attempts
1
Discussions
Read evidence and context
Explicit resolution reports before identified causes, performed actions and suggestions. Within each level, matching component labels precede direct query mentions and inherited thread context; successful versus unsuccessful discussion counts, owner confirmations and independent discussion support determine order. This is not a probability of success.
Discussions that performed work without a confirmed outcome
1
0 original-poster resolution reports. Counts can overlap; they are not unique people or a success rate.
0 discussions have direct query context; 0 report a fix in that context. Other evidence may inherit the discussion’s subject.
Performed · outcome unconfirmed
My roller has an engine from someone that had his IMSB grenade and replaced under warranty.
List of "must do" maintenance items to ensure relative reliability
bearing) and a rear main seal
Suggestion or failed attempt
No successful repair reported for this finding.
0
Identified cause
1
Suspected cause
0
Reported fixes
Read evidence and context
Explicit resolution reports before identified causes, performed actions and suggestions. Within each level, matching component labels precede direct query mentions and inherited thread context; successful versus unsuccessful discussion counts, owner confirmations and independent discussion support determine order. This is not a probability of success.
Discussions that suspect a cause
1
0 original-poster resolution reports. Counts can overlap; they are not unique people or a success rate.
0 discussions have direct query context; 0 report a fix in that context. Other evidence may inherit the discussion’s subject.
Suspected cause
have an IMS (and the suspect bearing) and a rear main seal.
List of "must do" maintenance items to ensure relative reliability
Recommend against letting the car idle
Suggestion or failed attempt
No successful repair reported for this finding.
0
Reported fixes
0
Unsuccessful attempts
1
Discussions
Read evidence and context
Explicit resolution reports before identified causes, performed actions and suggestions. Within each level, matching component labels precede direct query mentions and inherited thread context; successful versus unsuccessful discussion counts, owner confirmations and independent discussion support determine order. This is not a probability of success.
Discussions that contain suggestions
1
0 original-poster resolution reports. Counts can overlap; they are not unique people or a success rate.
0 discussions have direct query context; 0 report a fix in that context. Other evidence may inherit the discussion’s subject.
Suggestion
His recommendation was "Put your seatbelt on, turn the ignition, and then drive." He recommended against letting the car idle after a cold start in order to "warm up." He essentially stated that the M96 engine does not start warming up oil until the transmission is engaged.
List of "must do" maintenance items to ensure relative reliability
Recommend against letting the car idle
No successful repair reported for this finding.
0
Reported fixes
0
Unsuccessful attempts
1
Discussions
Read evidence and context
Discussions that contain suggestions
1
0 original-poster resolution reports. Counts can overlap; they are not unique people or a success rate.
0 discussions have direct query context; 0 report a fix in that context. Other evidence may inherit the discussion’s subject.
Suggestion
His recommendation was "Put your seatbelt on, turn the ignition, and then drive." He recommended against letting the car idle after a cold start in order to "warm up." He essentially stated that the M96 engine does not start warming up oil until the transmission is engaged.
List of "must do" maintenance items to ensure relative reliability
Replace /serviced more than a few items - those marked
No successful repair reported for this finding.
0
Reported fixes
0
Unsuccessful attempts
1
Discussions
Read evidence and context
Discussions that performed work without a confirmed outcome
1
0 original-poster resolution reports. Counts can overlap; they are not unique people or a success rate.
0 discussions have direct query context; 0 report a fix in that context. Other evidence may inherit the discussion’s subject.
Performed · outcome unconfirmed
In that same time period, to keep the car running reliably and/or to address failures in progress, I've replaced/serviced more than a few items - those marked with "F" were in the process of failing; those that were entirely preventive are marked "P."
List of "must do" maintenance items to ensure relative reliability
Replace oil yourself every 6mo
No successful repair reported for this finding.
0
Reported fixes
0
Unsuccessful attempts
1
Discussions
Read evidence and context
Discussions that contain suggestions
1
0 original-poster resolution reports. Counts can overlap; they are not unique people or a success rate.
0 discussions have direct query context; 0 report a fix in that context. Other evidence may inherit the discussion’s subject.
Suggestion
If you change the oil yourself every 6mo then you'll notice changes under the engine, which would hopefully identify a problem before it becomes catastrophic.
List of "must do" maintenance items to ensure relative reliability
Replace under the engine
No successful repair reported for this finding.
0
Reported fixes
0
Unsuccessful attempts
1
Discussions
Read evidence and context
Discussions that contain suggestions
1
0 original-poster resolution reports. Counts can overlap; they are not unique people or a success rate.
0 discussions have direct query context; 0 report a fix in that context. Other evidence may inherit the discussion’s subject.
Suggestion
If you change the oil yourself every 6mo then you'll notice changes under the engine, which would hopefully identify a problem before it becomes catastrophic.
List of "must do" maintenance items to ensure relative reliability
Coverage and how to read this overview
Counts describe captured discussions, not unique people or a diagnosis. Author identities are not reliably stored. Exact duplicate evidence is counted once across matching discussions; one discussion counts at most once per action/state. Multiple repairs reported together remain a combination. Suggestions and failed attempts do not establish a fix. Matches cover whole discussions and can include related faults, model variants and incomplete threads.
32 eligible posts · 0 unverified posts · 1 discussions match the subject in their title or opening post.
Rennlist: 1 discussions
0 evidence records excluded for query context · 0 excluded by outcome qualification · 0 adjusted by outcome qualification.
0 acknowledgements have no verified action link; they do not establish a repair result.
Generation: 20261027T165639Z · outcome-qualification-6. Deterministic extraction; no AI model inference. How we use sources
If you were going to get a 996 and needed it to be utterly reliable, what are the maintenance issues you would address? In addition to anything that comes up in a PPI, I'm thinking IMS, water pump, timing chain... I'm looking at an example that is well priced and runs great but all the threads on here are giving me the shivers about the possibility of a catastrophic failure in my future. Trying to guesstimate the cost to buy myself some confidence in the longevity of a 65K mile car. Work would be performed at an independent shop.
I've been DD'ing mine for almost 2 years now, and almost 13k miles. You hear 'catastrophes' on forums like this and many others (guns, music instruments, etc.) bc people need advice when something goes wrong. The majority of us are just driving and don't need daily updates that our cars still work just fine.
My major services have been:
Pads and brakes
Battery
Ignition/steering lock assembly
transmission mount
CV boots
water pump
engine mounts
All of this (besides the brakes) have been in 2019. 2018 had nothing other than basic services. Otherwise just been oil changes, fluids, other misc items. It handles just fine as a DD. I just threw some Michelin Sport 2s on them and wow, compared to 5 year old Sumitomos, it's like a new car. I do not worry as much about IMS/RMS, personally, based on multiple techs I trust locally who service my car. If it gives you peace of mind, do it, keep it serviced by a good tech, and rack up those miles. I have no worries about anything happening when I fire up the flat 6 each morning and just enjoy driving it. Hell, my 2014 Lexus RX350 just had BOTH front door lock systems fail that I had to replace. My 2003 911's locks work just fine, so I'm at this point more worried about that 'reliable' car failing...
I bought mine at roughly the mileage of the one you're looking at, and have mostly just followed Porsche's recommended maintenance schedule. Things like spark plugs, filters, fluids, etc. Have done other things as they've showed themselves to need attention, e.g. motor mounts, trans mount, suspension bits, etc. Have done other preventive things when it makes sense, e.g. water pump, thermostat, and fragile plastic coolant fittings during a regularly-scheduled coolant change. I'm at ~90k now, and about 3500 of the miles have been spent on racetracks. Don't fix it if it ain't broke and don't create maintenance that doesn't need to be done. Just buy a reasonably-priced car and drive it and enjoy it. If you want to spend more money to have a more reliable car with fewer worries, a better bet would just be to buy a newer, less-interesting car! I hear Toyotas are reliable
Have an oil analysis done to see how things are inside the engine yearly. (Drop the sump for inspection during PPI if you can and do a bore scope). Change oil at least once a year, the Porsche recommendation is way too infrequent.
Good point, I should have clarified that's the one part of the recommended maintenance schedule that I ignore. I change my oil every 2-3 track weekends.
Two things:
1) see the attached file.
b)
https://rennlist.com/forums/996-foru...e-tune-up.html
Oh - and as mentioned, change the oil at least every 5000 miles or six months (whichever comes first).
I would double check that. All M96/97 engines have an intermediate shaft (with associated bearing) and a rear main seal. The difference is that you'll need to drop the engine and transmission to service both, whereas 6MT cars can have those items serviced with only a transmission drop...
True. I saw that and couldn't decide if I'd read it right. The transmission type is independent of the engine. What you don't have with a tip, is a clutch (and flywheel, pressure plate, release bearing). Other than that -
all of these engines
have an IMS (and the suspect bearing) and a rear main seal.
Mine (2002 with 75K miles) is a daily driver.
My daily commute is 52 miles, so it HAS to be reliable too.
I suggest doing the following:
IMS Solution, water pump, thermostat, AOS, and clutch.
Change oil (Driven DT40) every 5K miles or 6 months.
If you're in a hot climate, I would add the center radiator too.
I'd been thinking about this same topic - my 996 has been very reliable, but "reliable" and "trouble-free" are not the same thing.
My car has been VERY reliable, in that it has left me stranded a single time in 6 years. That's a solid record for a new car, let alone one that is now 20 years old.
In that same time period, to keep the car running reliably and/or to address failures in progress, I've replaced/serviced more than a few items - those marked with "F" were in the process of failing; those that were entirely preventive are marked "P."
Dual-row IMSB retrofit (P)
Starter (x2) (F)
Water Pump (F)
AOS (P)
Coolant tank (F)
Coolant tank cap (x2) (F)
MAF sensor (x3) (F)
Coil packs (1 set)(F)
Spark plugs (1 set)(P)
Coolant return hose (F)
Fuel pump (F)
Shifter bushings (F)
Shift cable clips (F)
Brake pedal switch (F)
Clutch pedal switch (P)
Clutch (F)
Ignition switch (x3) (F)
Center brake light (F)
Rear lower control arms (F)
Motor mounts (F)
Mufflers (originals rusted through @ seams) (F)
etc...
Uh, you're seriously misinformed. I don't even know where to start
Don't panic, just start reading everything you can get your hands on regadring the M96.xx engines. Hopefully you've got decent reading skills/comp.
Whaaat!???? You don't have an IMS or RMS because it's a Tiptronic auto?
I just fell outta my chair!
In the nutshell all 996 Carreras have an intermediate shaft and IMS bearing... and rear main seal. Like dporto alluded to, read up a little more on the M9X engines before offering that level of advice.
I do agree with one thing you said. That is, we shouldn't worry over these cars and should go out and enjoy them. It comes down to choosing preventive steps or reactive steps. I prefer the former.
Based on that very first statement, I totally agree with 808Bill... send it to F6I.
The engine needs to be corrected for the well known modes of failure if "utterly reliable" is the top priority. At least during the PPI, make sure they bore scope the cylinders. I'd also recommend replacing the clutch, flywheel, RMS, AOS, and IMS (go with the IMS Solution). Things like the water pump, coolant expansion tank, etc. can be done as a DIY job. If you're going to open up the engine to change out the timing chains, then you might as well rebuild the engine with Nickies and high performance pistons and connecting rods, etc.. Rebuild the heads with Hoffman. On and on it goes.
Good luck!
In addition to what others have shared I wanted to add some tidbits I came across while watching a few of Jake Raby's YouTube videos re: M96 engines.
1) Don't let the engine sit too long idling after a cold start. His recommendation was "Put your seatbelt on, turn the ignition, and then drive." He recommended against letting the car idle after a cold start in order to "warm up." He essentially stated that the M96 engine does not start warming up oil until the transmission is engaged.
2) Try to keep revs around 3k RPM while cruising. Although these engines are not air-cooled, they prefer to be driven at higher RPMs. 3k was Jake's suggestion.
Although I don't see too many outright say it, but getting underneath the car every few months is a good idea. If you change the oil yourself every 6mo then you'll notice changes under the engine, which would hopefully identify a problem before it becomes catastrophic.
Proper maintenance is thus replacing worn items/fluids in a timely manner as well as paying mind to driving style and the state of the engine bay.
I edited my post. I am fully aware that YES, the Tip transmission doesn't make the IMS/RMS any different, ALL engines have it for our car. What I've read in 2 years of being here, plus advice from both tech shops I use (quite reputable in the Houston area) suggested I not worry about replacing it, due to mileage without failure and failure rate being lower on Tip transmissions, which I've read here as well in numerous places. It's about as reliable as the IMS poll, but it's what I've seen and of course, we don't have posts for how many people's cars don't fail.
If you buy a roller, ship it to an engine builder, wait a year, get it back, and get rear-ended, you've got nothing but sour chunks in the bottom of your milk jug. If you buy a runner, spend a year driving it, and it explodes...you have a roller and a year of memories. You also have a year of time with a car to decide if you like it enough to mess with the time and expense of putting it back on the road vs. finding the next 996. Or 997.
All of this stuff about building the engine to make it perfect assumes we have control over every aspect of the vehicle. There are LOADS of ways to take out a 996, only some of which involve the motor imploding.
The previous owner of my 996 spent tens of thousands of dollars trying to make it into a car it wasn't. He installed the Aerokit II, 19" wheels, suspension, an IPD plenum...and eventually traded it in for the Turbo he really wanted. I'm glad he did...I wouldn't have done it.
If you need it to be an utterly reliable DD, I believe you are looking at the wrong car. IMHO this should be a reliable second car. I don't think one would generally consider a 20yr old car "utterly reliable" daily conveyance.
Funny you say that. My roller has an engine from someone that had his IMSB grenade and replaced under warranty. He then took that new motor and spent $$$ for the track... then got rear ended and threw in the towel (he never made it to the track), I got that motor for $6K and with only 50k miles on it!
Keeping my fingers crossed...
Tips probably see much lower RPMs than calf exercisers; ours shifts at 1800-2200 until on freeway then 2800 at 75 mph, so not normally above 3000.
Tip may put a different load on crankshaft; shifts are pretty smooth except downshift to really low first gear is more like a bang.
We're at 103k miles on original single-row ISB, we'll see how that goes...
This is a source reference. Confirm exact model applicability in the original material.
