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New 996 Owner & Noob Mechanic... Replacing the AOS!

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8 captured repliesDiscussion pagination complete · Source accounts, not a confirmed diagnosis
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YOUR RESEARCHNew 996 Owner & Noob Mechanic... Replacing the AOS!

Reported or suspected cause

common expansion tank crack problem

Suggestion or failed attempt

No successful repair reported for this finding.

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Identified cause
1
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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

If by rear driver side it is likely a common expansion tank crack problem.

New 996 Owner & Noob Mechanic... Replacing the AOS!
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Leading evidence: 'common expansion tank crack problem' (no explicit attributable resolution; this is a reported action or suggestion). Across 1 matching discussions, the most frequently mentioned possible cause is 'common expansion tank crack problem' (1 discussions; 0 report identifying it and 1 suggest it). 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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1 matching discussions · 8 captured posts examined · 0 partial discussions

Reported and suspected causes (1)

These are separate views of the same evidence. Frequency alone does not establish a fix, and these counts must not be added together.

common expansion tank crack problem

No successful repair reported for this finding.

0
Identified cause
1
Suspected cause
0
Reported fixes
Read evidence and context
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

If by rear driver side it is likely a common expansion tank crack problem.

New 996 Owner & Noob Mechanic... Replacing the AOS!
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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.

8 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: 20261027T053112Z · outcome-qualification-6. Deterministic extraction; no AI model inference. How we use sources

POST 1 / ORIGINAL POSTEROriginal post

Alright, 2 weeks ago I bought an '03 996 Cabriolet from a physician friend of mine... After driving it for two weeks I noticed a large puddle of coolant on the garage floor. The coolant leak was coming from the back drivers side of the engine (pics to follow) After researching this topic thoroughly over the weekend I am confident that I can execute his repair myself... But first, let me stress to everyone that I AM NOT A MECHANIC, nor have I ever attempted any "mechanics" except for oil & filter changes. There are some really great write-ups that gave me the confidence and know-how to tackle this job. I'll be sure to give credit where it is due when this proj is complete... About the only thing I didn't find was a video documenting the process step-by-step so I figured this would be an excellent opportunity to make one and provide it to our forum community. Here it goes... Step-by-step diy video instructions soon to follow!!!!

POST 2Original post

Good luck... most (if not all) internet documentation for the AOS replacement is for the 3.4 cars so be aware of that, as it's not the same as the 3.6 motor.

POST 3Original post

What makes you so certain it's the AOS and not the expansion tank?

POST 4Original post

Coolant on floor is not typical of an AOS problem. It's an Air/oil seperator (AOS). Where is the water on the floor located? If by rear driver side it is likely a common expansion tank crack problem. These cars have a lot of coolant hoses and possible areas for leaks of coolant are numerous. Just dont tell me the "coolant leak is at the middle front of the car, where the A/C condensation drain is. You should investigate this more, tell us where the water is puddling, and some pictures?

POST 5Original post

Definitely sounds like the expansion tank, and not the AOS, to me. Don't fix things that aren't broke...especially things that take a lot of time and patience. S.

POST 6Original post

Had the same leak in the same location. AOS. Good luck

POST 7Original post

I have a leak in the same location and it is the AOS. It gets changed out this week.

POST 8Original post

Welcome to Rennlist. Either AOS or expansion tank, they're both a bitch....

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