Where to go from here? Lots of issues

OK, so if anybody has been following my saga then you will know that I recently purchased a 2001 C4 with 75K miles on it. The engine blew after a month or so of ownership and I had it replaced over Christmas with a re-manufactured engine. Everything should be peachy then? Not exactly.... The 996 is sat in my garage right now, and has been sat there, undriven, for over a week. I just have no interest in driving it. The car has some issues that bug me so much I refuse to drive it. Firstly, it squeaks. I bought some Wurf lube and sprayed the crap out of the A arm bushings. Did nothing. Can I just replace the A arm bushings or do I need to replace the whole arm? It is so loud it's embarrassing to drive. Secondly, it's too low. Car came with X73 suspension and I cannot correctly set the camber at any corner to within spec because there just isn't enough play. The bump steer at high speeds is both terrifying and dangerous. Plus, my headlights don't work worth a **** (too low). It's mainly the bump steer that concerns me as the car just floats along with me as a passenger rather than a driver. Thirdly, am I not adjusting the headlights correctly? When I turn the tool the whole assembly angles up and the beam barely moves, then the lights go out. WTF? The car has many other issues, but these are my primary concerns. I'm quite possibly the most **** car owner ever so every little niggly thing will get to me. But, basically, I need to sort out the above issues for the least amount of money possible. I hate to admit that I need to do this on a bargain basement budget but the new engine's raped the car toy fund dry. Suggestions?

Find a good independent shop and go over the car with them. My 02 cab has had some issues as do all porsches but nothing a good mechanic cannot sort out. Good Luck

OK, sorry to hear about your troubles. Glad to hear you got the engine squared away. - A-arm bushings, don't know, guess is you would have to replace the whole a-arm OR look for an aftermarket bushing solution - what specs are you using for the x73 kit? I have the x74 (for two wheel drive cars) on my car and it aligned perfectly. Make sure you are using x73 specs (I will post below) rather than stock specs. I have not noticed any bumpsteer issues with my x74 kit. Perhaps your springs were cut down? - Headlights: are they halogen or HID type? The HID do self leveling. As far as I know there is not an external adjustment. The tool you are using sounds like the one used to remove the headlight, that would cause it to move a little before going out (un-plugged). Have the bulbs been modified(HID)? The higher temp HID bulbs 8000K and above will reduce visibility. Stick to 4300K (stock) or nothing over 6000K. I don't think the x73 is going to put you so low that it is causing the headlight issues you are describing. My x74 didn't cause any problems. Do you know the full history of the car? Mods done to it? Good luck.

See chart below for camber (alignment) specs for x73/x74:

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I'm using the specs off the chart you posted . The camber setting is an eliptical type bolt that is at its extreme and the camber is still too much. I have no idea if the springs are stock length or cut down and I also have no clue if they were swapped for different spring rates. I have the Litronic lights that do the self levelling. I could have sworn the manual said I could adjust them with that tool but what you are saying makes sense. I also have no clue what bulbs are in there. All I know about the car is this: it has X73 suspension, a new engine, SSK, cat-back exhaust (name escapes me), it squeaks, and I got ripped off. Here's a pic that sort of show just how low the car is:

If your camber is too much and cannot be adjusted and something is squeaking from the A-arm, could the vehicle have been in an accident that bent one or more of the suspension components? Is the toe link bent at all or...?

The tool you're using on the headlights is supposed to be used to remove the assembly, not adjust the beam horizontal and vertical position. Refer to the owner's manual for the correct adjustment locations (which don't use the removal tool but instead a hex key), but if the car came with Litronic lights you really need to use the factory tester to get the lights correctly adjusted because they're self-leveling.

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I am 99% certain the car hasn't been wrecked and there are no apparent anomalies with the suspension components. Well, other than the custom made sway bar end links:

for the first question, it could be the lower control arm bushing, but u need to replace the whole lower control arm. search the forum, it has been covered before.

that droplink is questionable!

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Big time. I don't know where you got your PPI done, but damn. More and more issues keep coming up on this 996. I'm truly sorry man. C.

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+1 That scares the hell out of me.

WTF???? - that is horrible... UFO - call Michael Caulley at European Auto Techniks - his number and address are on the LSRPCA site: http://www.lsrpca.com/P-Naut/advertisers%20page.htm - he is the only one I will take my 930 and 996 to.

I have no problem with the drop link, as long as both sides are the same, It was cut and welded with a sleeve. It would of been better to make it adjustable if you have to weld. IMHO But what I do see as on issue is why does the axle have wear on it??? I can shoot you a pick of my set up no wear. The bushings on the anti role bar (sway Bar) can cause squeaking as well, If the car Squeaks with you pushing on the fender, disconnect the sway bar and push and see if it stops. Jerry

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You know, as stupid as it sounds, I've just been assuming it's the A arm bushing and have not tried to isolate it. I'll disconnect the sway bar and see what happens this weekend. I'm really not sure where the wear on the axle came from, but the fact it is covered in surface rust at least showed that whatever was rubbing previously isn't rubbing anymore .

To me it looks like an x73 was installed and a GT3 swaybar added and "custom" end links used. I second the idea of isolating the end links and checking for a squeak. I'll try to find a pic of my cars ride height with x74.

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It's like the gift that just keeps on giving . I'm so far passed being pissed at it now that it just makes me laugh every time something new pops up. Oh, and I forgot to mention that the air bag light's on too. Probably going to yank that bulb this weekend . (Had the light turned off, moved the seat and it came back on, so at least I know what that problem is).

My car sit more level than yours. Yours seems lower in the front to me. Here is a pic of my car.

The pic showing the car looks right for an x73 x74 ride height. Those are really low, maybe someone with an x73/x74 can compare. Am I wrong or are you doing your own alignment? Disconnect one end of each of the drop links and drive around to see if the noise is still there. Very common cause.

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try some elec. contact cleaner to clean up connection in the seat, but u have to go to the dealer to turn off the airbag light

It seems that when they put the new suspension and lowered the car, the sway bar was hitting the front drive shaft, so the they made the drop links longer by the welding the section in place... wow that car is low

Here is some pic of mine, It was in the lift, hope this will help see how much grease is on the bushing, that was 1/2 the amount they gave me for the job I am running PSS9 Jerry

UFO -- sorry to hear more troubles for you man. Can I ask where you got your reman engine and how much it ran you?

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Oh, no, I don't have the tools to do my alignment. I am using the same shop that tuned my Evo's suspension and he pointed out to me the reason he can't adjust it further. I will be disconnecting the sway bar this weekend. Yeah, it's the least of my worries right now. The stealership turned the light off when they replaced the engine but it came on as soon as I got in and moved the seat back . That light sure is bright though!!

UFO, Hang in there, she'll be all fixed soon enough. Nearly anything can be fixed. I just recently went through this as well (putting in a new engine) and I can relate how the next thing that went wrong after fixing the engine really annoyed the hell out of me.

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The dealer actually did all the work and sourced the engine. Out the door total was something like $12,300 and the engine was $9K or so. If you want exact numbers then drop me a PM and I can give you exact numbers when I have the invoice in front of me.

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I've asked this before but nobody seemed to know the definitive answer: Do the C2 and C4 use different drop links? You can see that mine mount much higher than yours do in a completely different location. If I decided to go adjustable then could I use the sorter ones like yours?

UFO007 Yon need to keep your sway bar in between your drive line and lower bar, and the top bolts to the top you can not change the length that much. But why would you want a shorter one???? an adjustable one is only good if you want to get a little more out of your 4 corner balance. Jerry

the C2 and C4 do indeed make different drop links. i make them for the C2. if you can take some measurements for me, i'll make them for the C4 as well. all i need to know is how long the links are from bolt to bolt. the rest i can see in the photo.

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All I ever see for sale are the shorter ones.... There was obviously a rubbing issue at some point so going adjustable seemed the right way to go. If the length of the link does not effect the position of the bar then I didn't see it being an issue....

Yes, but the ability to adjust the height is limited by the space between the axle and the lower arm The top point can not move, it is mounted on the shock tower. jerry Lets see a pic. with your wheel off

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You are correct. I am an idiot. I didn't even think about that. I'll take some more detailed pics this weekend when I pull the wheels and undo the sway bar (which is about the only thing I haven't greased thus far).

If you are located near 1960 & Cutten road you should contact the mechanic I use for my Porsche.... His name is John & phone number is [phone removed] Tell him Cam sent ya......

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I'm poor . Need to resolve as much of this by myself as possible. I also forgot another issue: ABS. If I hit a bump, of any size, when braking the ABS kicks in. Not sure if it's due to the limited suspension travel (unlikely I'm guessing) or not.

On a few occasions, I have gotten a little ABS "chatter" (ABS engaging) when braking on a very uneven surface, such as a stamped concrete "cobble stone" design on a driveway entrance at a business where I used to work. I don't think that your situation is unusual, unless the bumps are very small and the ABS kicks in quite often.

That's not unusual where a suspension is 'stiff' because it's been modified. When a suspension is lowered properly, damping has to change because there's less travel to work with, making it (assuming it's not just wrong) better suited to smooth roads. A good bump actually causes the wheel to unweight slightly. Rotation slows for a split second and the sensors think the wheel is sliding... ABS kicks in. Dunno if I explained that very well, but the point is that it's probably not broke.

UFO, I feel for you. It's a shame that there doesn't appear to be any warranty from the previous owner. You have only had this car running for approximately 2 months. I would contact the previous owner or dealership and bring this to their attention. I'm not sure what legal options you have, but if finances are an issue and you want this car tuned to where a 996 should be at 76,000 miles then that is an options that can not be overlooked. My last question, is who did your PPI? That company is culpable as well for not disclosing the obvious issues that you have had with the suspension and bushings. Good luck. You deserve better than this. Jay

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You did a fine job of explaining it sir . It's kinda what I was thinking but was unsure if I was on the right path. I had a local mechanic look over the car. He's a friend.... I never knew Porsche dealerships did PPIs and I didn't become active here until after I bought the car. Partly my own fault really. The seller won't talk to me anymore as he considers me 'unreasonable.' I bought the car off of eBay and it took over a week to get here, then I didn;t drive it for 2 weeks or so, and it blew up (not literally of course) shortly after. Ebay have a 30 day policy after auction ends; the car blew on something like day 33. SOL. However, I did leave the seller bad feedback. That will show him!!!! I bet he'll think twice before ripping off the next eBay sucker! I knew the car needed a little bit of work, but the $12.5K hit after purchase means toy funds are light. I'm actually trying to sell the Lancer (something I thought I'd never do) to raise money to make the 996 'right.' But, you know, it seems all my posts are doom & gloom. Everyone here must think I am the most miserable person on the planet. So, just to prove that I do have a lighter side, I'm going to post some pictures. For some reason, it all feels like water off a duck's back when you're heel/toeing through the downshift while trail braking and hitting that oh so perfect apex....

WOW - your story makes me want to vomit. That is a serious bad beat, and it sounds like you are a ways away from making the car right for you. I know this is slim, but at least you can enjoy the motor worry-free for a while thanks to the warranty. I put a motor in mine and I remember what you are feeling. Instead of driving it I mostly snarled at it and gave it the bird. It gets better after a while.

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Haha, that made me laugh out loud. I swear on my word that I have actually stood in my garage and flipped off the 996 while muttering obscenities under my breath. More than once.

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I think there are several million car owners who would argue that anyone who keeps a car that needs a new engine at 75k miles is anything but **** about his cars.

UFO, The front drive shaft on my C4S was touching the swaybar when I first intalled the GT3 swaybar and it squeaked when I made turns. The droplink was a bit too short. But you don't want the droplink too long in order to get the best geometry for the swaybar. When the car is on the ground, you want the tail ends of the swaybar to be horizontal to the ground. So, is your car squeak when you turn? Well you don't need to take the swaybar off to find out. You can put a piece of tape on the swaybar and see if it is rubbing the drive shaft. The bushings that hold/secure the swaybar are rubber and they should not cause squeak! For OEM C2 and C4 droplinks, I believed the different is the lenght. For after market droplinks, since they bolted to the pinch bolt, for C4, C4S or Turbo, TRG uses bended droplink to avoid touching the drive shaft.

UFO, Have been following this thread and feel bad for you. Unfortunately, I am not smart enough to help out with teh technical stuff, but many others here can. Very happy to see your post with the track pics... they do look great and glad to hear there is a positive side to the story as well. Good luck!!

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Argue away, but I can't afford to sell it....

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I think the poster was congratulating you for your patience, saying you'd be too hard on yourself to call yourself **** about it.

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Actually he was making fun of the 996's potential to lose an engine. It was more of a wise crack.

All I can add is they're are plenty of us reading this thread, feeling for you, and wishing you the best! The only difference between UFO and many of us is luck, IMHO. The best PPO in the world can miss a major failure "about" to happen. I think I speak for almost all of us wishing you only the very best. Keep us posted...I'm hoping there's something that will come up I can help you with!

Keep your head up, brother - Once she's sorted out, you'll love her!

OK, so I disconnected the sway bar. Not that. Got the car on the ramps and it's the bushing at the pointy end of the A arm (nice description, huh?). I sprayed the crap out of it with Wurth's, again, and it didn't make a squeak. Got it off the ramps and sat on the fender: nothing. Pulled it out of the garage and squeak, squeak, squeal.... Bummer. Did manage to adjust the lights after I read the manual and found the right hole. It's still light so I can't report back if it made a difference. Got some touch up paint from some online place for the few scratches that are bugging me and it's too dark . I'm considering having the car repainted. Hell, I've thrown so much money at it already, what's a few thousand more? Discovered my fenders have been rolled. It's not a perfect job but they didn't botch it by any means. Had to take a baseball bat to a few places. Starting to think this car has seen more track time than street time. Oh well, it's not like I don't beat on it too . So, it's probably going to sit again for a few weeks until I get the A-arm and install it. I just don't like driving a squeaky car. However, I'm also thinking of swapping out the suspension too, so might just wait to do it all in one foul swoop. I still have the Lancer for now so it's not a huge inconvenience to have the car down for such a long period of time. Really do need to sell the Lancer though to help pay some bills. There's light at the end of the tunnel. It's pretty dim, but it's there.

Amazing what the manual tells you RE: headlights. I'm sure the manual says other stuff about the car too eh? I wonder.

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Oh, I've already learned my lesson there after arguing that the 996 doesn't have rear fog lights.... I tried looking for 'squeak' in the index but it isn't listed .

All I can say is that I hope this works out for you. Best of luck. Find a trustworthy Indy to give it a close look.

UFO, Good luck man. Hope you get it back into the shape you bought it. Keep updating us. Best wishes.

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Haha, this is the shape I bought it .

UFO, pretty amazing stuff. You are very persevering and honestly you have been really practical about the whole thing. Congrats on the fantastic attitude bud, you my friend, are a true enthusiast (and a sucker for punishment) But seriously, a couple of your posts made me laugh- yo have been very, very pragmatic and a little tongue in cheek sometimes- your comment about repainting even made me chuckle... seriously hope you get it all sorted.

I think you should take out a loan....and get all your problems fixed at once!!! Find a good independent and get it done.....the way you are working you are going to HATE your car and will never enjoy it at all. it sucks to have to pay, but you already put in 12.5 put in some more and start enjoying...I know it is easy for me to say... I spend about 10k in changing things I didn't like visually.....you got to just bite the bullet.

I feel for you too - after I put the motor in my car, my buddy stopped by his indie and met a guy with a 99 996 who had almost 200K on the clock and had never done any work but brakes, oil, and alternator. He LOVES putting that in my face. My theory is that guy is lucky - damn lucky. His theory is that mine was the exception. good luck getting it all straightened out. Give it one bird for me in the morning to start your day out right!

Somebody may have mentioned this book already, "The Gold Plated Porsche". It's a fun read. Here's a quote from the preface: "I took to explaining that I was simply spending two years and $70,000 to make a brand-new 1983 Porsche that would never in my lifetime be worth more than twenty grand, tops. It was like the MasterCard commercials: "Car, $10,500. Parts, $59,900. Experience, priceless." A few people got it, most didn't. This book is for the people who Get It. "

UFO, I really feel you about this car. The more I read about your follies, the more I am apt to stand by my first thought. As a result, let this be a fine lesson to those thinking about buying a used Porsche. When buying a used Porsche, always, ALWAYS have the car checked by a qualified technician. Get the PPI. Pay the $200-300. It will save you a hassle like this one. Terribly sorry for you UFO. Truly. I learned my hard lesson too. My 1st Porsche looked fantastic. And I bought it without getting it checked. After buying, I learned the car was stored for 5 years in a heated garage. Upon simply doing an oil change, I learned what I bought was not a good as I first thought and had to spend around $4000 to fix it. Engine seals, connecting rod bearings, CV boots, etc. It was a hard lesson learned. While our friend UFO has had to learn the hard one, let's hope this lesson can reach out to others. Good luck... C.