Just finished IMS Guardian Install!

Okay rennlisters, I finally finished the IMS Guardian install. Pretty easy and straight forward, between the manual and the video lots of things are covered. Took me about 2.5 hours from start to finish. Including many cigarette breaks and a few beers. My oil pan looked very clean and had no ferrous material. My filter on the other hand had several small pieces of plastic. Also in my pan I found a small piece of amber plastic about 1/4" long and 1/8" wide. Very brittle but that was all I found. Things to look out for... When fishing the wire to the other side, don't have the white clip on it as it comes from the factory. Mine fell out while fishing and I had to go and hunt for it. The diagram on the manual is incorrect for where to tap the other switch. It says to use Slot #3 but the slot that is marked 3 is not the same as the one in the video. I ended up just following the video and it worked out fine, nonetheless the wire that is in the video is #2. The lighted switch itself only works one way. My switch only sounds and turns red when applying pressure to the side with the light on it. Making it difficult to see if it turns red when pressing. The other side of the switch does nothing. Other than that, man this kit is complete and the hardware is amazing. I've never seen a kit that worked so hard at not having to splice a single wire! Everything was very factory and I was extremely happy with the completeness of the kit. Anyone have any issues or need any help in the local area, Orange County, I'm more than happy to assist. P.S. I have a oil sump skid plate so its not much of a concern for me but perhaps it would be wise to invest in one if you don't already have one.

Thanks for the tips on installation. I am planning same in the near future. I am not sure about what to do about the plastic pieces you describe, which I also have. What level or amount of plastic pieces in the oil filter would push you to do some replacement measures? I am hoping this IMS Guardian detects the critical ferrous elements that predict IMS failure. The plastic pieces from seal breakdown and VarioCam Pad according to my searches seem to be normal and warrant work at the 100k mile mark.

Glad you found the install straight forward and the instructions and DVD assisted you. We have enhanced both the instructions and DVD from the first generation already to cover some specific questions that we didn't expect from installers. Those are normal, but are signs that you should consider chain rail replacement. We install those so the installer knows where they are to be attached in the harness.. It should be removed before fishing the wires through the dash. The majority of cars use slot#3; EVERY unit we have installed here has used #3, but other installers have found what you have and its variable dependent upon what switched circuit you are tying in to. Thats by design. Since the switch used is a Porsche seat heater switch it's internal circuitry on the opposing side is only designed to interrupt a connection to a relay. Because of this that side of the switch does nothing and isn't supposed to. Thats what we worked very hard to achieve.. The wiring portion of the install is so simple and comprehensive that literally all you need is a small screwdriver. People can't understand how difficult this was do! Seamless integration into the dash was one challenge, the second was the wiring. I know that at least 20 kits ended up in SOCAL, so you might have some calls. Though the MCD sensor is lower than stock, it is still not the lowest point of the car. Glad the install went well for you.. But you did make one mistake and that was calling the IMS Alert Hotline with an installation question as no technical installation assistance is given on this hotline. It is ONLY for those who have received an IMS Alert and are on the side of the road needing a lifeline.

P.S. I have a oil sump skid plate so its not much of a concern for me but perhaps it would be wise to invest in one if you don't already have one. I have a skid plate as well. How did you accommodate the wiring and connector under the plate when you re-installed the plate?

In situations where the skid plate is employed I have ran the connections on top of the plate since everything related to the wiring and connections is side exiting. Install the MCD, then install the skid plate.

When installed my skid plate fits virtaully flush with the sump cover, leaving no clearance for the connector fitted about 6 inches from the MCD plug. Any thoughts?

Some plates install closer to the engine. I'd say that some mods might be necessary to your skid plate to fit the sensor. I have yet to experience one of those situations. As we install more units into local cars I am sure we'll see this at some point.

I use the porsche optional skit plate and have no problems with clearance with the sensor or the wire.

and jake, I apologize for that phone call my friend called the number while i was working on the car to talk to tech and he must have called the # on the card. sorry about that.

I just finished my IMS Guardian install and have a suggestion for those about to do theirs. Consider installing the warning switch on the right hand bank of switches(right of radio rather than on the left side). Mine is on the left and I have difficulty seeing it because it's behind the steering wheel and blocked from view. I'm going to move mine to the right of radio so I can see it.

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Good point... If the dash has open slots in the right side the warning light is much easier to see.

Or in the slots near the hand brake?

I put mine on the right myself. I felt the same way having it on the left.

Jake, Mine was #3 different location but your instruction for pin 3 for 12v was spot on. I was a bit of a **** however! and tried to test switch before MCD was connected to the sump and obviously there would be no ground if you were to do that. Doh' +&- = :-) + = :-( Shame on me.

would it be wiser to chaulk up the extra $1500 and have the IMSbearing and RMS replaced for both peace of mind and resale comfort?

If IMSB is a major concern of yours for potential failure, yes.

eh i figure it was cheap insurance for many different possible failures so whatever ill pay the money and do it.

I agree with groov dude. Just bite the bullet and fix it right. Installing a "warning system" to tell you when the engine is going to blow seems kind of like your just putting off the inevitable. I think thats what the guages are for. Why not just get a magnetic plug and check the filter for particles? And,, what does this "warning system" patched into wiring do to warranty and resale value?

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Basically.. However it gives the driver that can't afford the retrofit right now the sense of security they desire. It also monitors every other ferromagnetic component within the engine. Can you do that while driving your car? With the IMS Guardian you can. Conventional drain plugs equipped with magnets are great for catching debris, but with even a 5K mile service interval the person servicing the car is only seeing the drain plug every 5K miles. The majority of engines with bearing failures degrade severely and progress most from the stage 2-3 portion of the failure which seems to take only about 1,000 miles of use. Unless you pull that drain plug every day 99% of people won't ever benefit from the magnetic drain plug saving their engine. I have only experienced two engines that were saved by magnetic drain plugs, but one saw so much collateral damage already from foreign object debris that it was wasted even though the bearing was retrofitted. You have not done your homework. NOTHING is patched in! The system uses an OEM Porsche switch, it integrates seamlessly into the factory unaltered dash cluster. The wiring is not patched together. We devised an add a circuit arrangement that ties the system in to any fuse within the fuse panel so power is provided with no splicing. Remove a fuse and install the circuit adaptor. Replace the fuse that you pulled into the adaptor and the original circuit and the IMSG circuit are both protected. No splicing, no tools and if removed there are no traces that it was ever there. For resale value: We have already been selling these units to sports car boutiques all over the world as a selling AID to help them sell vehicles because people are afraid of IMSB failure. The IMSG is the quickest and simplest method of adding value to your Porsche with the word being out on IMSB failures. For warranty: The system is absolutely non-invasive, the MCD sensor installs just like a drain plug, so engine warrantees are not effected. The wiring is only a matter of a simple connection to the fuse box and jumping one wire (using OEM Porsche spade connectors even!) to enable the factory dimming feature of the LED with the rest of the dash instruments and switches. Because of this we have yet to read the fine print from any warranty company that states a warranty would be compromised with this added feature. In fact wiring in an amplifier, or Ipod is more invasive than the addition of the IMSG. My sales staff is in touch with aftermarket warranty companies and at least one of them is willing to offer the holders of their policies a discount of the IMSG is utilized in their vehicle. The most wise owners couple the IMSG with a bearing retrofit. We installed two systems last week into cars that featured IMSB retrofits because the owners wanted all the protection they could get from any mode of failure that can be monitored.

this is only my opinion but with all the information on the various forums and internet regarding the RMS/IMS failure, i just would not drive a car without these upgrades for $2K. i can somewhat understand installing a warning system if you have owned your car since new and have been checking your oil sump pan/filter religously however if a car is for sale how does anyone know exactly what state the bearing is in? ......the oil pan and oil filter can be cleaned and replaced by a seller prior to purchase and would be a time bomb waiting to happen. if $ is an issue for the proper upgrades, i would sit the car in the garage and wait until i had the extra cash saved to do so.

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thats the worse thing you can do to the car.... drive it and enjoy, do the imsr when its time to pull the clutch or other maint when required or when the money comes up. Do not let it sit, drive it hard and change oil often.... the odds are in your favor when it comes to the IMS, Like Jake said... there are other modes of failure.

i don't think a car sitting for a month while one saves his $ will hurt anything do you??...5-6 months maybe start drying out seals like all the east coast cars that sit 5 months thru winter.

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Huh? Fix it right? Porsche engineered a bearing that was intended to last far longer than 50K miles...which is when LN suggests that you replace their replacement bearing. The value of the IMSG is that for a few hundred bucks it allows you to continue using your car as Porsche intended without requiring you to (completely) succumb to the fear of IMSB failure. On the off-chance that something DOES go wrong, the IMSG will/should warn you in time for you to replace your bearing. A magnetic plug doesn't give you readings on the fly. It waits until you drain your oil every 5K miles or so...assuming you get that far. If something goes wrong between 0 and 5K miles (or, God forbid you wait longer) then you're screwed. Also, it doesn't tell you what the metallic pieces are from and if you've ever changed oil before you know that there are metallic bits in the oil...especially newer engines. Is there a flaw in the manufacture of some of the Porsche bearings? No doubt. But, while the risk is catastrophic, the actual failure rate is extremely low and MOST 996es have not had their bearings replaced. In fact, I'd venture a guess that most 996 owners are probably clueless to the problem -- it's the Internet where the fear thrives. I'm not knocking the LN bearing or anyone who replaced theirs. I get it. Fear of IMSB failure can be an unsettling if not overwhelming thought, especially since the cost of repair is so significant when and if it does happen. I just don't get knocking the value of a warning system that may save owners thousands of dollars on a potentially needless repair! Finally, the warning system isn't for resale purposes. If you're replacing your IMSB or getting an IMSG for resale then...well...I'm not sure what to tell you. Personally, I care for my car for ME. I'm not worried about the next owner. And, warranty? It's basically a standalone system that doesn't interfere with anything. Assuming your 996 still has a warranty, what's it going to void? Ever hear of Magnuson-Moss? Check it out. -Eric

I would fit a Gaurdian in any make or model of Car!. It lets you know that theres METAL EEK! where your oil should be!. Don't take much thinking about. I have to pay that amount of money every year to the Government for taking care of the roads here! which they don't do so that's what I call a waste of money. Whether a vehicle had an uprated Bearing or not I would still use it. Sleep good now too.

I installed the IMSGuardian system and it works well. I do wish the buzzer sound was louder and the red light was brighter. Overall, I think Jake’s system is great and the installation was a simple. No cut or splicing; reminded me of when I installed the Porsche sport exhaust wiring but much simpler. I added flex loom plastic tubing around the wire for extra protection from the sensor to the interior of the car. I would also like to buy additional washers and the metal skid plate when they become available. I wonder if two factory washers would work. In my case, this system is perfect because I believe I have the updated 2005+ IMS which cannot be changed unless I tear down the engine. I wish I had this Guardian years ago because it would have saved my original engine. My original engine’s IMS bearing broke at 23,000 miles when the car was still under the factory warranty. I had about six months left and got the remanufactured engine. The odd thing was I had a full inspection and oil/filter change at the dealership about five months or 3,000 miles before the IMS broke. I’m sure the Guardian would have alerted me a few hundred miles prior to the complete breakdown.

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I also considered doing that but when its wet its just going to hold water and stay wet for ages. The cable already has heat shrink round it and if it did get damaged just replace it with some 3 core Automotive flex. I do want to make a custom skid plate though to cover as much as possible especially if the snow is coming.

Sorry guys but theres no logic in this. Spend $500 for a warning system or spend a little more and fix it yourself, which is not much harder than a clutch install. Im speaking from an extensive mechanical background and dont let anyone fool you, other than the electronics, the flat 6 is really fairly easy to work on compared to some of the new gasoline and diesel engines. If the IMS failure is such a small % of 996's, whats with the mass hysteria about buying the IMSG? It almost sounds like 996 owners are falling for the latest "must buy gadget" wether its a CAI, tuner, or fuel saver device gizmo. Maybe Im just a wrench turner that believes in "fix it right, fix it once". Learned these lessons the hard way. Please dont take offense but not all of us on the forums are dupes behind a PC screen. Oh and before you bash me as just another dupe, my brother competed and went to nationals in mechanics competitions and I went to state. Collectively, we probably have about $30K or $40K just in hand tools, including a 4 bay shop just for personal, not business use.

For me. I just feel better now that I have the IMS Guardian. Worth the <$400.

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The IMSG is under $400 and the install shouldn't take more than a couple of hours. It's a straight forward fix that could be undertaken by just about anyone. An IMSB retrofit kit is $619 + $189 for the tool kit and is not by any stretch of the imagination a quick fix (especially for the inexperienced). You need the right tools and experience to do the job and perhaps, most importantly for the inexperienced and experienced alike, you need the time. As you say later in your post, you and your brother are extremely experienced mechanics. What makes you think for a second that most IMSG buyers have similar backgrounds? Given that most won't undertake the task for themselves it often becomes a $2K repair...5x that of that the IMSG and then you've replaced your lifetime bearing with a 50K mile bearing. I'll see that and raise you what's the mass hysteria about the IMSB in general? There's a lot of online fear mongering around the IMSB that fuels people's "hysteria" around failure. I'm not saying the IMS bearings don't fail or that the result isn't catastrophic if they do. It's a known risk and issue. Does it get blown out of proportion? IMHO, yes, although plenty of people will disagree. Personally, I feel like the fact that it's a risk with a significant repair cost, makes the ease and simplicity of the IMSG a cheap no-brainer. Could I replace the clutch in my 996? Sure. Will I? Hell no. I can count the number of times I've replaced a clutch on a car on one hand and I am still not going to pull apart the engine/transmission on my 996. Unlike you, I didn't "go to state" in mechanics competitions and what takes you an hour will take me a significant multiplier in time in order to ensure that I'm "doing it right." Unfortunately, that's time that I just don't have. I, too, am all for "fix it right, fix it once" but you've obviously bought into the claim that the "50K mile" LNE bearing is superior to the "lifetime of the engine" bearing engineered by Porsche just because there's a small failure rate. Who says the LNE bearing is definitely the right fix? The beauty of the IMSG is that it allows you to fix your IMSB if or when, in fact, it's going to fail. What if you're in the 95%+ [I don't think anyone has suggested more than a 5% failure rate] of owners with M96 engines in which the IMSB will last for the life of the engine? In that case, if you just go the LNE route, then you've replaced a lifetime bearing with one that is engineered to be replaced within 50K miles. Since my C4S has about 25K miles on it and I don't plan on getting rid of it any time soon, that means I'm in for, at least, two IMSB retrofits. NOW, if I was going in and doing a clutch replacement then MAYBE I would consider doing it. It would certainly be a much different consideration since I'd already have the car apart but my clutch is brand new and so is my RMS seal. I don't criticize people who replace their bearings, buy Guardians or decide to live with their M96 "as-is" without any protection. Whatever floats your boat. People have different reasons for their decisions. If I'm going to criticize anyone it would be those who seem to enjoy perpetuating the fear of failure. -Eric

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Maybe you could ask him then why the IMSG might help with engine wear?. Lots of metal to go wrong in an engine?.

I value your opinion. You need to remember that the constant calls we were receiving from those who did not want to carry out the IMSR to gain a sense of security concerning engine failure. The logic that has lead to hundreds of units selling thus far (we are almost out of stock AGAIN!) is the following: - The IMSG can be installed quickly and easily as a DIY. - There is no removal of a transaxle required. - Even if a shop is contracted to do this work its a 150.00 expense to do the job due to the simplicity of the system and how well we have developed the product. - The system allows constant monitoring of the engine while in operation. - Those that don't wish to apply the IMSR can utilize the Guardian for security. - Those who apply the IMSR or already have it gain added scurity against other modes of failure since the IMSG monitors EVERY ferrous component within the engine. Changing the IMS bearing addresses one mode of the 23 modes of failure. The IMSG monitors 8 more modes of common failure. They may not be as well known, but do exist and are monitored by the system. Not much harder for what level of enthusiast? I understand that you have experience and you need to understand that the majority of those who own these vehicles don't have that experience. They also don't have a shop, don't have a lift or a tranny jack. These are the people who greatly benefit from the simplicity of the IMSG installation. This isn't a Gizmo. Its based from technology that saved my life in 1996, it also has saved the lives of many others. The technology has impressed those in other worlds so much that we have orders for every kind of vehicle from tractor trailers to NASCAR. The Engineers at Joe Gibbs Racing hadn't seen one of these and neither had the technical Editors from Excellence Magazine who requested a unit simply after hearing that it was being developed. The best part about all of this is that none of us have to agree if the system is necessary or not, but I think we will all agree that having security options is refreshing. No bashing necessary. You just verified what I suspected... That you have the work area and experience to carry out an IMS Retrofit. You would also benefit from an IMSG along with that IMSR, but you may not believe so, and thats your opinion. And now a quote from Edison that I hold very near and dear: "Anything that won't sell, I don't want to invent. Its sale is proof of utility, and utility is success." 300 IMSG units sold in just over 18 hours without a single advertisement being made. I believe that those sales are also the proof of the system's utility. I'll close by saying that the IMSG actually began development BEFORE the IMS Retrofit was available. It took many months to perfect the retrofit and that pulled time from the IMSG perfection. Prior to the IMSR being a possibility there was no use in the IMSG existing because the IMS Bearing was said to be "non-serviceable" by the manufacturer. I proved that wrong when my hands extracted the first one utilizing an improvised puller made from junk laying around the shop.

Jake, I congratulate you on your business acumen and ability to develop and market a product but I think you prove my points. A. The 996 aging platform is not meant to be a DD. B. If you dont know how to work on / are not willing to learn how to work on the 996, you have no business owning one. C. A 996 owner (or any model) should have the complete service manual(s) and learn to use it (them). If your not willing to read, once again, you have no business owning a Porsche. Sorry but thats just the facts for any Porsche. They were never meant to be DD cars. They are specialty vehicles and not for the mechanically disadvantaged or lazy.

Wow, talk about ignorance.

sounds like a winner but I have to agree with the other poster, putting off the IMS upgrade seems foolhardy. I can't really think of many other gambles that can end up being so costly. Whenever I read about a new owner wanting to spend on x,y,z mods I scratch my head. Is there a benefit to those who have already done the IMS upgrade? I wonder about what else is lurking in there. Having just spent ~10K on some fixes, updates, uprgrades, etc. for a car whose book value is not far from that amount I guess I'm in for the long haul now. Not that I mind, despite having the typical disconnected feel of a modern Pcar, it does what it does perfectly. Not going to get something better at these used prices. Btw, the original IMS was pristine but you don't wait til you seem them cockaroaches until you start fumigatin'.

I think we should agree to somewhat disagree and not bicker. I believe that your post may have characterized you as an individual, but I believe that your 996 peers will not agree with this post any more than I have. From what we see the 996 is actually in it's prime for a daily driver. The majority of cars we see are daily drivers. I drove one today, I could have chosen another of the other 15 cars in my stable but it was rainy and nasty so I just drove the 996. The car isn't a 356 or 914 that is simple enough to be repaired with a 13mm wrench. I disagree with your statement. Reading a manual is one thing, carrying out the work with the proper tools, work area and etc is another. Lets see a show of hands of those who can pull their own engine tonight without having to buy a single tool to do so... No it isn't. I drove a 912E 160,000 miles in 8 years. I drove that car everyday, in the snow, in the rain and 100 degree July heat. It performed flawlessly. Some people do not drive their Porsche daily, but some do and it can be done. In 2007 I racked up 32K miles on my Boxster and didn't touch it except to install the first IMS Retrofit bearing into that engine. Yet again a show of hands for those who can dictate to me the 4 strokes of an internal combustion engine, in succession without the use of reference material? Who can pull that engine out in their Garage tonight again? All these people could install an IMS Guardian and last time I checked that was the topic that originated this thread~ Yet again, this is all opinion and no hard feelings if we disagree.

After reading all of the pro and con IMSG posts and seeing my car was up at the FSI Skunkworks anyway and I am totally mechanically disinclined, I asked them if they would install it for me. They were happy to do so. Photos of the installation are (I hope) attached. Not only did the do the work, they sent it back to me attached to a 3.8 Stage II motor!! They can't be all that bad, now can they? https://rennlist.com/forums/images/icons/icon12.gif Hoping to share my experiences with the new motor as I get some miles on it, change & test the oil and take it to Sebring in December. Attachment 583468 Attachment 583469

And it made 320HP at the rear wheels.... If it lasts longer than two laps it'll exceed the "other' engine's longevity :-)

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"So you cant own a car unless you can rebuild it"?. According to you. LOL. Everyone can have an opinion. Why do you see that the IMSG only relative to the IMS bearing???.

I have to disagree with Krazy K's logic. After all, I am a human being but I pay doctors to keep me well. I have dogs but I pay veterinarians to keep them well. I own a house but I pay contractors, electricians and plumbers to work on it. I own clothes but I sometimes pay dry cleaners to care for them. Why wouldn't I pay someone more experienced and more knowledgeable to take care of my Porsche? Besides, if Porsche ownership was limited to people with the knowledge, facilities, skills, tools and reference materials to repair and maintain them, Porsche would have gone out of business during the 356 model run. Then again, if that had happened there would be no 996s and therefore no IMS bearing issues.

LOL. I'm fed up pulling my own teeth out too.

There must be a DEAD HORSE around here.

KrazyK get off your high horse. I get it, you and your brother have tons of tools and 4 lifts for personal use. Woo hoo... All Porsche owners need to own a service manual and learn how to use it blah blah... Seriously man, if it was up to you and your gestapo porsche owners rules, none of us would own one. And judging by your 40th anniversary thread, you're a big time n00b yourself. Going back and forth, any qualified body shop would be able to see why it was repainted and check for bondo and crash information. Maybe you should read a body shops service manual and know that thing inside and out too.

OK, Phil, Guess you didnt read the post right. You calleded me the n00b because I found the repaint in 30 seconds and the Porsche tech missed it completely? Hope you dont do your own work.

You're replying to a thread where I just stated I did my own work. Way to notice. Second, you don't even own a 996 yet do you? Do you even own a porsche?

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That is a remarkable post.... Quite presumptuous telling people what they may or may not have the "business" to own.

KrazyK..... you crazy!

Troll.

(6aR,9R)- N,N- diethyl- 7-methyl- 4,6,6a,7,8,9- hexahydroindolo- [4,3-fg] quinoline- 9-carboxamide My guess.

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I hope you have a chemistry book and a cache of test tubes.

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Suck, Squeeze, Bang, Blow.

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Am I reading this right? The ceramic IMS bearing provided by LN is only rated for 50K miles? And the Porsche one was supposed to last for the life of the car, but some have not. I thought I read that the LN bearing is 5X stronger than the stock bearing. Wouldn't that make it last longer?

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Yes, you are reading it right. The LN IMSB is considered a "service" item. They have a lot of good information on their web site.

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Translation = Intake, Compression, Ignition, Exhaust. God, how do I remember things I learned in school 40 years ago but still choose to pay the dealer to change my oil? But I still wash my cars with my own hands.

And to further John's post, the stock bearing is ALSO a service item... will any bearing last "forever" and what is "forever"?

I don't know who said "forever" (hopefully I didn't say so in an old post! lol). Nobody expects an engine or its components to last forever but the stock Porsche bearing was certainly engineered and intended to last the life of the engine. As for serviceability, Porsche didn't create tools to service the stock bearing. The only reason it can "serviced" is because the engineers at LNE developed the tools and replacement bearing to allow technicians to replace it. -Eric

Sorry to bring this thread back to topic. Finally installed my IMSG this week. Installation was fairly easy. I went through the video a number of times. I like the fact that it is available online as well (my DVD times out on "pause mode", whereas utube doesn't. When I had to come back to review where I was at, I was spending too much time getting back to section I was on.) - One suggestion here is to divide the video into chapters for easy reference from the main menu. As it is, there are only two sections. Being somewhat new with the mechanical side of things, it was good to find the jack points discussions on Rennlist. I found it easier to remove the driver's side rear wheel when fishing the wire from inside to outside. Regarding fishing the wire: This was somewhat confusing in the video. I couldn't tell where in the world they were fishing the wire. May consider spending a bit more time on this, as it's kind of a blurr in the video. Newbie installers might get stuck at this point, as I did. I don't know, maybe its just me... The other section I got a little stuck on was the wire from the defroster switch. It took me a while to realize there were two clamps holding the wire in: One on the side and one on the top. Once I opened the one on the top, all was good. Otherwise, an easy install. I do agree, the alarm is kind of low on test. If I'm driving with top down, stereo ablazin and the Fister D's roaring, it will be difficult to hear the low alarm. Would be nice to have a loud alarm to alert driver. After all said and done, it was nice to see the amber light come on. I do feel a bit more at ease having it in place. Yes, it is only a temporal solution. I plan on replacing the IMSB (or imSOB). The local Porsche dealership has done a couple of IMSB replacements recently and quoted me a price of $2400 for the IMSB & RMS work. The tech I spoke to wasn't aware that the LNE solution wasn't permanent (only the 50K). He made a mental note of that. That's all for now.

$2400 seems a bit steep... I would shop around. But great work on the IMSG install!

Glad to hear.. This week must have been the time to install the IMSG as we numerous voicemails from installers...Unfortunately we were shut down and could not answer the calls. The video being online helps in a lot of ways, some guys even watch it on their phone while doing the install. With youtube we'd have to break up the video in multi-parts to do this.. I have recently reconfigured the video to make it more clear and I added some content that we were getting questions about. Easy install and you didn't need support, so we must have done something right! But how loud can it get before it becomes too loud? The latest batch has an external output of 12V so you can add another buzzer externally if you'd like. Its just a one wire hook up. Exactly! Always apply both the IMSG and IMSR when funds allow, one picks up where the other leaves off and your engine is protected aging the most routine modes of failure. IMSR avoids one mode of failure, IMSG helps avoid a dozen more. Glad your experience was good.. The feedback we have gotten has been 95% positive and any deficiencies have been addressed. The IMSG saved it's first engine in the fleet on December 10th.. That was a good day. One engine saved was worth all the work we put into the development.

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This would be very cool to hook up to an aftermarket head unit's mute wire (not sure if that requires ground though?)... which would mute the music and all you would hear is the buzzer! Awesome stuff.

Jake! The new ones have an output now!!!? I was thinking the same thing about the loudness and how I will never hear it since I am ALWAYS blasting my stereo hahaha! How much to change mine to output?

as far as install cost for IMS/RMS $2400 seems very high: - the IMS bearing is $620 - RMS $20 labor should be no more than $800 so total cost for parts and install should be around $1400-$1600 max. my IMS/RMS, flywheel and clutch was a $2800 price tag at my local indy shop

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Hahahahah! I know the feeling, last time I did my own coloscopy I was good halfway through the upper intestine then I passed out because I was watching the monitor through my legs while I stood up.... Must have been all that blood rushing to my head.

I just finished installing my IMS guardian as well. Very straightforward, just follow the instructuins. I tapped pin 3 and all works well. The car took almost a full extra quart of oil but that's probably about what I drained from the pan after I took it out so it makes sense. All in all very nice and seamless product, I would reccomend it!

I also did my install a few weeks ago, and thought I'd chime in. I installed the switch on the right side of the horseshoe, for easier viewing. The problem with this is that it makes the cable JUST long enough to reach the engine. Even 6 more inches (of cable, get your mind out of the gutter) would have made my life easier in the install. I had to pull the radio and HVAC unit to get the wiring neatly installed and the alarm box/electronics module in to the empty niche, as shown in the installation diagram. Locating the plug in the face of the footwell area of the seat was a royal PITA. There is so much rubber undercoating it was invisible. You have to remove the plastic under shield in that area to access it. That area looks NOTHING like either the instuction video or the booklet, on a 2002 C2. The IMSG and plug fit easily under the Porsche oil pan skid plate. When I installed the fusebox connection, I unscrewed the cover with the carpet piece, so that I could run the wire behind & through an existing opening in the cover, so the wire would be totally hidden. To fit it, I cut the wire at the splice and then crimped it back together. I wish they had used the same larger gauge wire through out, but it lookes like the fuse doubler they used, only came in that smaller gauge. After I located the 7.5 A accessories fuse and installed it as shown, I noticed the snap on cover would no long stay snapped on. There is a small tab that helps center the multilaguage fuse diagram to the cover, that hits smack on the fuse doubler. I cut that tab with a pair of dykes. I also removed some of the pages, and left the english version and attachments. Cover snaps in place fine now. I have to say that even though I felt I was not worried about my IMS, and dropping my pan showed no metal at all, nor did the filters, I have a greater feeling of reliability about the car, and have been driving it more aggressively. Of course also adding the tranny mount B&M undercarriage short shifter, doing the PSE MKII hack to the mufflers, and installing PSS9s and FVD wheel spacers, all help to enhance the new driving fun!

I got mine done a couple of weeks ago. I didn't really want to drop the sump plate and try to get it back on straight without the benefit of a lift. I brought it to http://epe.com/ No affiliation They did a great installation, took 3.5 hours labor. I now have peace of mind.

Finally did mine as well. Found a lot of comfort in the fact that the sump was clean, now have the added benefit of the guardian monitoring. Given I waited to install, wishing I waited for the later model with audio output. Too much rock music as a kid, i'm not sure I will hear the audible alert. Any upgrade retrofit possibility here?

What sort of louder buzzer would be recommended? I just had the IMS Guardian installed and its got the extra 12V output...but I'm not sure what type of buzzer to put in so I might be able to hear the IMS Guardian warning go off while the top is down and the stereo is kinda loud. Also, where could the buzzer be placed so that it's aesthetically pleasing but is in a place that's easily heard with all the road noise.

they sell a shock neck collar over on the pelican website

Quotes source post: 13195116

Any generic piezo buzzer element should work. Here's one example: Amazon.com: DC 9-15V HYD-4218 Active Piezo Electronic Alarm Buzzer: Electronics Amazon.com: DC 9-15V HYD-4218 Active Piezo Electronic Alarm Buzzer: Electronics

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Thanks Alpine003, Any ideas where you'd place that? For both looks and being to be easily heard (when the top is down and the radio is playing)

Quotes source post: 13195648

Only you can determine that with your radio listening habits and some trial and error but I would start with some double sided tape and place it next to the manual holder underneath the dash and see how it works there first.

Quotes source post: 13195648

Bend over and he will show you.