Tell Me About Your 996

Hi Everyone! So I'm about to pull the trigger on a 2003 966 with 80,000 miles on her. PPI has shown typical issues for a twelve year old car. The one that concerns me the most is the catalytic converters are failing. Here in Fl, they don't check emission anymore. So, should this be a major concern, or just bypass the code? Other than the IMS issue, what other things have happened while owning your 996? Also, state how long you have own the car. Thank you, -T.J.

why are the converters failing? this is the question I'd be asking typical issues? please expound I'd be interested Macster and Ahsai's comments on this...

Cat failures are quite common. Most cases I think the catalyst element just knock loose from the can (the welding failed) and then it's pounding the O2 sensor and blocking the exhaust gas to it. That affects the O2 reading even though the the element itself may still be working fine in terms of cleaning the exhaust gas. The net effect is you get a rattling cat and maybe accompanied by a CEL. The tech should be able to check if the cat elements are melted (by sticking an inspection camera via the pre-cat and post-cat sensor holes), which could point to other issues such as engine running too rich. Since smog is not an issue for the OP, he has many choices. Cat bypass, sport cats, direct-fit aftermarket cats, etc. I'll leave the next 5 pages for Macster

So off the top of my head... 2001 996 cab 70k miles, picked it up almost a month ago. - One of the passenger seat adjustment ***** fell off and needs to be glued on. - Missing two small covers for when the top is down (one round one and one where the windscreen goes in) - Muffler rattles - 2nd gear maybe just starting to act up, but it still shifts fine. - hinges broke off of the back of the center glove box thing No idea on the IMS, clutch, or engine other than it seems to have been taken care of and I have to see what the oil filter looks like before planning on my next steps. Clutch seems fine, and the gearbox has been removed according to carfax, so I think IMS was taken care of - the RMS was replaced, so have to see. As far as Cats, the big problem really isn't driving it but is selling it. So if they are failing and can't be fixed then for resale it may be worth getting the upgraded ones from one of the sites selling performance parts, if for nothing else to save some hassle down the road and to pick up some extra hp. Depending on engine stuff that's what may happen to mine this winter, and straight pipes off of the new cats. Should add that I didn't get an inspection as the place I talked to said they mostly could have told me if it was a track car or not (who is going to track a cab?) and some other stuff that would have come up anyway after a test drive and listening to it. Plus, all the really scary stuff wouldn't be a part of an inspection anyway. So not too worried about it.

Anything the service records do not show having been done is now on your nickel. Any of these items that has not been done in the last 5 to 10 thousand miles you should take care of. Change brake fluid, spark plugs, oil and flter, transmission fluid, motor mounts, filters, coolant, inspect all coolant hoses, brake pads and rotors, all suspension bushings and tie rods and shocks, battery, wheel balance and alignment. Be prepared to spend 4 to 7 thousand dollars on things that prior owners did not do even though they should have. Expect winow regulators and door locks to be getting old and needing replacement, immediately give the leather in your car a treatment, and look at the windshield when the sun is blasting into your eyes and decide if it needs to be replaced. Low miles and high miles mean very little. It is all about what service has or hasn't been done.

I've owned my 1999 C4 for close to three years now, and I owned a 986 Boxster (which uses the same M96 motor, albiet with a lesser displacement) for several years before acquiring the 996. Despite the dire warnings about reliability, neither car cost me significantly more than any other non-warranty vehicle I have owned in the past. The only outright failures on my 996 have been the fuel pump and water pump. I replaced the clutch at 60K miles, and some other odds and ends (passenger-side window regulator, coolant expansion tank, coolant tank cap) have been replaced. While the 996 has cost more in repairs than my other old car, a '96 Corvette, it's also at close to 70K miles, whereas my Corvette has just 29K. I recommend doing as much preventive maintenance as you feel is necessary to assuage any concerns about reliability that you may have developed after seeing the paranoia/fear on the Interweb. As far as your catalytic converters, you can't just "bypass the code" once - the emissions equipment code and accompanying "check engine" light will continue to be reported until you do something about it. If you are unconcerned about the emissions, adding a "spark plug anti-fouler" - also referred to as an O2 sensor bung extender - on the failing cat(s) can help reduce or completely eliminate the diagnostic trouble codes without the expense of a new or refurbished catalytic converter. You can also find catalytic converter bypass pipes, but in my opinion the car was unacceptably loud with bypass pipes installed.

I stupidly bought my car with no PPI (just a carfax w/service work that had been done) Also they replaced the Alt, new brakes + rotors all around, wheel bearing , tranny pinion , headlights, + other stuff before I drove off the lot. I did not ask about IMS or clutch like a fool. Yes I lived in a world of bliss. I must be lucky, it's been over a year and still runs strong and solid! knowing what I know now; I never would have do it again without a PPI . No problems aside an axle going bad, I replaced squeaky idler/tension bearings and replaced the water pump as a preventative measure (which was still original @120k miles). - normal stuff for a 15year old 120xxx mi DD! Some times luck smiles upon a fool

Bought my '02 C4S right after the 1st of this year. When I bought it, the car had just had the RMS, LN IMS, clutch, fluids, filters, and belt done. In the 3 months I've owned it, I've done: Battery (as soon as I got it home) Coolant tank cap (had the older part number, and I thought it was bad...might not have been) Coolant tank (started leaking right after I replaced the cap) Replaced the frunk shocks (had it hit me in the head one too many times) Repaired the broken cupholder (which I will likely never use) Water pump and LN low temp thermostat (preventative measure) Airbag light is currently on, most likely due to the passenger seat belt buckle (This triggered the light once before. Have a Durametric on the way so I can shut off the light myself. Will try cleaning up the buckle with contact cleaner before replacing it) I've done other non-repair items, like install a double din navigation unit, update the cigarette lighter plug and some other odds and ends, none of which were necessary. Hopefully, I'm about done with maintenance items for a little while. There will always be a list of things I want to do to the car of course.

My '99 C2 has just 70k miles and was purchased in 2006 and has shown to be one of the most reliable fun cars I've owned. I drive only 4k miles a year and do most of the maintenance myself, but the internet has magnified the problems and has undervalued the product. I have owned 2 other Porsches and this one has outlasted those based on years owned. I'd recommend owning a 996 Porsche, but be sure you perform due diligence. GL

sold 2003 C4S with 68K...on clock 6 years ago when warranty ran out due to IMS time bomb factor and no desire to do the upgrade....nice car that eventually detonated in 2013........with the IMS issue and 80K on the clock.......new motor and back on the road......with 3rd owner......who bought it cheap......

'04 Coupe, 6-spd. Bought with no PPI in Aug. '13 with 69k on the odo. I had a service history for the first 39k mi. Two or three RMS issues/replacements. Other nuisance or appearance items fixed. Last summer with 77k, the water pump failed. Around that time, the left side motor mount gave up. (Sneaky Pete guided me through that fix.) Last fall, the brakes spoke to me and said they needed replaced. Again, Pete helped me through the pad replacement. In November, the clutch began slipping. 80k mi. and in she went for the IMS/clutch/AOS. Now at 83k-ish miles, it's doing fine. Interior looks good. (Other than a crappy job of fixing a tear in the pax seat--maybe TexasRider or Rocket Rob were previous owners of this car and one of their GF's spikes gouged the seat during a spirited parking session... ) I posted another thread on my Secondary Air pump acting up but I'll just replace it if it keeps messing with me. Enjoy! It's a friggin' blast! TC

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Wow so PO only got 12k mileage out of it before he had to spring for a new motor? 2013 motor price ~$20,000/12,000mi = $1.67 per mile.

2003 996 with close to 70k on the clock. I have owned it for almost 6 years. Had a cat code once, reset it with the durametric and the code never returned. I'm sure the cats will go bad eventually as they seem to crap out early on many a 996. With the Euro in the crapper now is a great time to get the 200 cell conversion from Gert at Carnewal. The car may not run very well once the cats completely fail so you may not just be able to bypass the code. On the cheap end you need catless bypass pipes Supposedly for off road only but we know how that works) or you can do the 200 cell upgrade from Carnewal or a fabspeed x pipe with 200 cell cats or the FVD version of the xpipe. Lots of options but you will most likely have to do something.

'02 4S with about 103K KM on the clock. I have had this car for about 4 years and I am the 3rd owner. Previous maintenance, aside from the typical fluid changes, from past owners was an updated RMS, a clutch and spark plugs. Maintenance has been fairly expected for a 13 year old car. Outside the typical fluid changes, the maintenance I have in my ownership has been: - the clutch along with IMS was replaced with the IMS Solution installed last year - the battery was replaced 2 years ago - brake pads were replaced last year - engine mounts replaced last year - sway bar end links were replaced last year - spark plugs replaced earlier this year I had the water pump and a low temp thermostat to be done this year, however I recently discovered all cylinders in bank 2 have been scored. This will require a replacement engine or an engine rebuild. From my understanding it is a more likely problem for individuals who drive their car year round in cold climates. However I am not sure if your PPI checked for that, but it might be worth while to check if it was not as it is still a potential issue from what I have read. As some have mentioned previously, a low temp thermostat and water pump would be good preventative measures if it was not done recently, or in the very least a low temp thermostat. Hopefully you find a 996 you can call your own

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This goes over scoring pretty well - http://www.hartech.org/docs/buyers%2...20part%205.pdf Seems more of a cooling issue when they went from the 3.4 engine to larger sizes.

2003 C2; 54,000 miles so far. I have owned it for 10 years, was a CPO car. No IMS issue, replaced RMS when I replaced the clutch a few years ago. Water pump went kaflooey last year. No major probs, knock on wood. Still goes like stink and looks amazing.

since I am a spanner type of person I took the challenge and purchased a grenaded car (98 Carrera 2) I own the car for 8-9 months now, have done lots of things to it, mainly because of my own interest in the engines and technology of this car (it is also a high-mileage one) 1. so repaired reconstructed the engine (cause of death - spun bearing) new chains/ new gaskets/ new bearings/ etc 2. AOS failure (the coolant leak, temprorary fix at the moment) 3. stretched engine mounts - new stock ones replaced (no more vibration and resonating) 4. cleaned the front radiators (full of leaves) 5. replaced the coolant temp sensor (the front cooling fans didn' come on - fixed now) 6. replaced a cam sensor, (got terrible misfires on one side of the engine) 7. replaced engine compartment temp sensor 8. new 71 degree C thermostat ordered 9. cupholders from a facelift car will be retrofitted (parts arriving at the moment) 10. the tiptronic will be ditched, and the manual transmission is getting ready to be installed (preface tiptronic - works but is an utter pece of ---t) 11. rebuilt starter motor 12. rebuilt alternator 13. replaced rear stabilizer bushings (powerflex) 14. replaced the exhaust cans (fit directly from a 997.1 and are usually cheaper and in a lot better condition) and so on but all of this is normal as the car has 383000km on the clock and I have to say it basically has no signs of that kind of mileage.