16 captured repliesDiscussion pagination complete · Source accounts, not a confirmed diagnosis
THIS DISCUSSION / SOURCE-DERIVED OVERVIEW
Discussion summary
YOUR RESEARCHNeed Opinions: Buy or Pass on 01 996
Reported or suspected cause
starter
Reported cause
No successful repair reported for this finding.
1
Identified cause
0
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 report identifying 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.
Reported cause
PPI at dealer said it was low battery, but turned out to be the starter.
Leading evidence: 'starter' (1 discussions report identifying this cause; no attributable repair resolution). Across 1 matching discussions, the most frequently mentioned possible cause is 'starter' (1 discussions; 1 report identifying it and 0 suggest it). The most frequently discussed action is 'Clean battery terminals and perhaps' (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.
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.
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.
Use grommet underneath the passenger side rear seat
Performed · outcome unconfirmed
No successful repair reported for this finding.
0
Reported fixes
0
Unsuccessful attempts
1
Discussions
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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
I used the grommet underneath the passenger side rear seat to get access.
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
clean battery terminals and perhaps clean ground strap under engine ..
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.
16 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.
1 acknowledgements have no verified action link; they do not establish a repair result.
Outcome without a verified action link
Mine used to slow crank but once I started using it every other day the problem went away ...
Thanks in advance for the help. I'm new to Porsche (and certainly the 996), but I
have been looking for a sports car and was amazed with my test drive on an 01
996 last week. I no longer have the desire for a Corvette (which was my first
choice before last week).
Here's the problem:
This is an 01 996, and the IMS bearing has not been replaced. It has 91,500
miles on it. It also has upgraded 19" porsche wheels/tires. The current owner
just had the clutch replaced last year (at 88,000 miles), and he did not have the
IMS bearing upgraded. He said that his mechanic said that was not necessary
unless the car is raced... He is the 2nd owner and used it as a DD on a short
highway commute.
The car is beautifully kept (as far as I can tell), but I'm reading that the IMS
problem seems random. With a new clutch, my next chance to combine
maintenance will be at over 150,000 miles.
On a side note, the car cranks a little slowly. It starts every time, but it has
somewhat of a slow sounding crank. He said it has done this the entire time he
has owned it (4 years), and his mechanic said some porsches sound that way
because of the high engine compression.
1. Would that scare you away from the car?
2. What else should I check for?
3. Is 18,000 a good price?
$18K is a certainly not a bad price at all if everything checkes out, the important part is what does YOUR mechanic say after a thorough PPI, find a well known and trustworthy shop that knows well about these cars and get it checked out first.
If the IMS scares you, peace of mind can be found in the "other" LN Engineering solution, that is the IMS Guardian.
KBB puts you right around $18K for a good to excellent example. There is plenty of car buying advice out there. As a minimum have a specialist do a pre-purchase inspection and use any work that needs to be done as bargaining chips on the final price.
I purchased my 03 last year. It also just had the clutch replaced without IMS. I installed the IMS Guardian.
18K sounds like a good price to me. Oddly, mine also cranked slowly. PPI at dealer said it was low battery, but turned out to be the starter. That should not be a deal killer IMO.
The cost of the kit is around $400. I did the install myself and the hardest part is getting the cable routed from the passenger compartment to the engine compartment. I used the grommet underneath the passenger side rear seat to get access. All in all a good 3-4 hours work.
My indy
http://epe.com
charged 3 hours.
Well worth the piece of mind.
I enjoy my car so much more now that I am not afraid to drive it
waiting for the can of marbles noise.
18k is not a bad price .. If u sleep better at night budget the 1200 or so to do the ims ..you don't need to wait for clutch ..and take picture of old one so everyone here can tell you .. See , nothing wrong ! While u r there you might also consider aos and water pump if that wasn't done yet ...
How many miles can I realistically expect to get out of a 996? Let's assume that I would spend the money to get the IMS replaced right off the bat... If this car already has 91K miles on it, how much more can I expect before a major engine rebuild is required?
Of course, assuming it has been well maintained.
I bought my 1999 996 C4 Cab with 93,000 miles, and promptly replaced/upgraded the IMS bearing and rear main seal while I had the 90,000 service done. Best peace of mind. The car runs great, and properly maintained, I see no reason why this car couldn't do 200,000+ miles.
Gil
I would spend money on IMS upgrade along with water pump and AOS unit OR buy an extended warranty. Theres a high chance theres nothing much wrong with the IMS at that milage but who really knows. Get things covered one way or another for your own peace of mind. Sounds like a fair price BTW.
Back to the slow crank - most if not all of them do that.
I've heard it's because one of the cables running to the starter is close to a heat source. Moving it or shielding it solves the "problem".
Can't remember the specifics...it's in a thread here somewhere.
Mine used to slow crank but once I started using it every other day the problem went away ... clean battery terminals and perhaps clean ground strap under engine .. if that is corodded it could contribute to the problem ....
We recently made a similar decision and budgeted an IMS upgrade (LN Eng) as part of the overall budget - seller was aware of the cost of the upgrade and we agreed on a fair 996 purchase price. Got the upgrade done soon after purchase and independent of a clutch job. I hope this helps your decision - but like many problems, there are likely multiple solutions.
This is a source reference. Confirm exact model applicability in the original material.
