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Discussion summary
YOUR RESEARCHConsidering a 996 C4S... concerns?
Reported or suspected cause
ims flange seal leaking
Reported cause
No successful repair reported for this finding.
1
Identified cause
0
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Leading evidence: 'ims flange seal leaking' (1 discussions report identifying this cause; no attributable repair resolution). Across 1 matching discussions, the most frequently mentioned possible cause is 'ims flange seal leaking' (1 discussions; 1 report identifying it and 0 suggest it). The most frequently discussed action is 'Check fcp euro....they have a lifetime no questions asked warranty' (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.
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Performed · outcome unconfirmed · Original poster
Supposedly the rear main seal has been replaced and is dripping still.
Check fcp euro....they have a lifetime no questions asked warranty
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Suggestion
Check FCP Euro....they have a Lifetime No Questions Asked warranty on every part not matter what.
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.
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Suggestion
There are other options but again do the research, the replacement bearing still have a recommended service life and will need to be replaced again (unless you did the Solution).
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24 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.
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Generation: 20261026T103553Z · outcome-qualification-6. Deterministic extraction; no AI model inference. How we use sources
Just like the title says, I�m looking at getting an 02 996 C4S manual. Current owner has records of maintenance. Appears to be a very clean vehicle. Supposedly the rear main seal has been replaced and is dripping still. Is there something I need to be looking at when I go see this car? Any concerns? Any help is appreciated.
Lots and lots of info here on the forum, so I�ll let you dive in and review the many similar threads that have already discussed this topic to nauseam.
The cliff notes are simple, spend the $$ for a PPI by a reputable third party shop and let that reveal what your getting into, what the car needs and provide you some ammo to apply costs of needed repairs against the asking price. Drive the car. Drive a few others as well. This will further guide you to finding the right one (or identifying the wrong one).
The known issue you mentioned means that either the repair was done poorly or there is something else wrong with the car. My C4s with almost 109k on the clock is bone dry underneath, so a leaking rear main seal is not normal.
Well, I would love to drive as many as I can. However, there aren�t many within 200 miles of me. My biggest concern is the leak. I found out about it after talking to the owner after a few times. He neglected to tell me about it until I asked.
Just a point. It could also be the IMS flange leaking. Both are next to each other. One could have been fixed and it was actually the other leaking? or the other is now leaking?
thanks for the added info. But my statement remains the same. I understand it is no longer under warranty so it makes sense that the dealer won't cover it. My point was that if they had in fact replaced only the rear main seal under warranty, no one knows what actually is leaking at this point. The rear main seal and the IMS flange seal are both between the engine and the trans. The only way to determine which of the two is leaking is to pull the transmission out of the car. You cannot visually inspect these two with the engine and trans bolted together. I'm just saying if they had replaced the rear main seal back then, it may not be leaking now. It could be the IMS flange seal leaking. If either leak it will look identical under the car.
And the ims is what�s know on these to cause the engine to seize?
Yes - if you listen to the drama
Is it basically caused from what this vehicle is doing? Leaking oil.
No a leaking seal has nothing to with IMS failure.
Short version - The IMS bearing can fail for many many reasons. Too many to list here. However the seal in which i am referencing is only the flange seal and technically has nothing to do with the operation of the IMS bearing.
In the image below you will see the IMS Bearing Cover. The flange seal only seals this cover from leaking. that seal serves no other purpose in life. You will see the Rear Main Seal above it (black seal around crankshaft)
The image below show the IMS Bearing cover/flange removed. The seal for it is orange in the picture.
Ahhhh. I see. So it could just be the seal for the ims that�s leaking. And the only way to know is to drop the transmission ? So whether it�s the ims seal or the rear main seal, they will be leaking under the engine/transmission in the same spot because they are right by each other? Am I understanding that right?
You sir, are 100% correct. The symptom will be exactly the same.
And if it make you feel a little better about considering the car.....My car had a IMS Bearing and rear main seal installed june of 2018 because the IMS was the original and both seals were leaking (done as part of the purchase from the dealer). Fast forward to December of 2018, i did an oil change and noticed and very very small amount of oil coming from this spot. The guys who did it were more than happy to repair it under warranty. It was the IMS flange seal leaking. Fast forward to June of this year i did another oil change and guess what......A very small amount of oil again. I don't feel like aggravating the guys to warranty it again. and technically its out of warranty now. If you do enough research you will find it is not uncommon for people to replace the 2 seals multiple times in the life of the car. Some cars will never ever have an issue. And to add to that, The tech who did the repair is a Porsche certified mechanic who has the factory tools to install it.
Don't let the IMS issue discourage you either. Honestly i am really happy about the negative publicity about these cars. It's how i can afford to own one.
That makes me feel better knowing it might not be a huge concern. He has been driving the car for s while like this and he said it�s a tiny drip of oil on the floor apparently. Maybe something to address when a clutch is needed.
My suggestion is this. Have a PPI done by someone who
KNOWS
these cars. Not any shop in town. But an actual Porsche expert. If the car checks all the boxes of what you want and the PPI comes back good then work from that point. Has the car had an IMS bearing replacement? You may want to read up about the the IMS info by clicking
here
. Do tons of research. Then my personal opinion is to have the clutch, IMS and rear main seal all done at the same time. I personally suggest the IMS Solution. It is a permanent repair. There are other options but again do the research, the replacement bearing still have a recommended service life and will need to be replaced again (unless you did the Solution). My car had the LN dual row bearing put in it. I am very happy with it. Had i know about the LN solution i would have had that done instead. But all i can say is research research research...
The IMS bearing cannot be inspected per say. Same rule applies that the transmission would have to come out and special tool would have to used to remove the bearing. At that point you would be an idiot to put the old back in as its very labor intensive of a job. Flat Six Innovations has a Youtube Channel called Rennvision. Jake Raby the owner is actually the man who invented and patented the LN engineering IMS Bearing and Solution. He has a video
here
that will show you how to pre-qualify a car for his bearing. This info may help you understand a little more. Watch all of his videos. This particular video is one way to see if you potentially have an IMS bearing issue but it is not 100%. The ONLY way to know for sure is to pull it.
Finally getting time this week to go check out this C4S. It�s still running the original clutch. Assuming I�ll chsnge the ims and gaskets, clutch might as wel be done at this time. Who has best deals for oem clutch or aftermarket similar?
Sachs is the OEM. It would seem that most people agree that it is the best. Prices vary but if i recall correctly around 500.00 for the clutch kit is average.
Check FCP Euro....they have a Lifetime No Questions Asked warranty on every part not matter what. If it wears out...... they replace it.
Below are the pics of the bill for my C4S when i purchased it. As previously said..... i negotiated me and the dealer splitting the repair cost. This will atleast give you an idea of what it would cost at a reputable shop.
Yupp. I paid 1500, dealer paid the rest so it really worked out for me. I requested the shop send me pics of the repair and they were nice enough to send these.
Wow. That�s awesome. How long ago was that? I�ve talked to places about doing the ims and rear main and they said 2500. Shouldn�t be too much more for the clutch I would think, right?
June of 2018......and all the clutch components have to come off to do the IMS and RMS. So the only additional cost would be the price of the clutch kits/components.
I would highly suggest you consider some "while your in there" parts like the clutch cylinder. You will see on my invoice they did mine at the same time. I had to deal directly with the dealer and technically didn't own the car at that moment so i wasnt able to deal directly with the shop. Had i been able to i would have requested the IMS Solution be installed and asked how much extra to do the AOS at the same time.
