Another RMS Failure

Well, now I can join the "club." Today the dealer called to tell me that my RMS was leaking. Said that the clutch is OK and that the car would be ready tomorrow evening. Car is still under warranty with 23.8K miles.

Just got a call back from the dealer. He says that they need to install a Porsche remanufactured engine because the bore for the RMS is not round. He said that the seal is replaced and it does not leak but it will eventually start leaking again. One of my concerns is that the engine number will not match the original build sheet for the car. What will this do to the value of the car? Just what is in a Porsche remanufactured engine? Do they use all new parts, or will there be a mixture of old and new parts with odd sized bearings for the crank and rods? Also, what about warranty on the remanufactured motor? Will I just have a warranty that lasts for the remainder of the original factory motor or will I get an extension for engine-related problems? Advice on what to do would be appreciated.

those are all valid questions to ask the dealer, and regardless if the numbers match or not it will de-value the car's resale

Porsche will update the engine number in their database and no one will really know that it is a new engine. There is a portective coating sprayed on the underside of the engine when the car is shipped from Germany. Then new engine will not have this coating and that is a tell-tale sign that your car had its engine replaced. I thought Porsche always gave new engines and not re-manufactured engines. I got a new engine or at least that was what I was told. I would hold out for a new engine and ask for an extended warranty. You should contact the PCNA rep for your area and bitch and moan. The dealer is not able to make such judgements but you do want the dealer on your side. Tell the dealer what you want and then make you own complaint to PCNA. I had my 2001 cab engine replaced when it had 7000km on it. I got a new engine and extended warranty. Having a new engine is not a bad thing once you get over the psychological feeling that it is like a transplant. Good luck and keep us posted on what happens.

Picked the car up this afternoon and talked to the service tech. He replaced the crankshaft seal and the intermediate shaft flange seal. He explained the problem as a lack of concentricity between the crankshaft and the rear main seal bore. There is a fairly recent service bulletin where Porsche instructs dealers to check this condition if the car has a RMS leak. The limit for the measurement is 0.3 mm. On my car, the measurement was 0.4 mm. He also told me that the engine is already ordered. He said that it is a virtual drop in as the engine comes complete, even with oil already in the engine.

Well, I just got the car back this evening with the "new" remanufactured engine. No offer from Porsche to extend the warranty on the engine beyond the warranty end date in April of 2005. Other than that, the process went smoothly. A side benefit is that I now have a "new" engine including all accessories. This means that I have a year until maintenance is due.

Look at the engine part number on the repair order and see if it ends in the letter X. Jeff

Could you please tell us what the letter X is a designation for ?

Is that 0.3 mm concentricity, or 3 thou.? (.003 inch) 3 mm is about 12 thou. which is scary stuff

Tool Pants, On the repair order, it lists the "replacement engine" part number as 996-100-996-NX. I know that this is a remanufactured engine. The engine serial number is M96/04 AT66165113. Does anybody know how to interpret the serial number? The tech told me that the spec was 0.3 mm. This seems reasonable because lip seals can take quite a bit of misalingment before they fail. It also states on the work order that the measurement on my OE engine is 0.4 mm.

Perhaps temporary misalignment, also if the seal flange is out that much where's the bearing alignment at?

Ask me how I'd feel if I were actually in your position and now just posting opinions!... but I think the idea of a remanufactured engine to replace a 24,000 mile, three / four year engine isn't that bad. I don't know how Porsche does it, but a rebuilt engine seems to be more of a "hand crafted" affair where you have a technition paying a little more attention to the process. And on top of that, most of your "wearable" motor components are now brand new; zero miles. If my warentee was about to expire, I'd be annoyed (but very lucky at the same time) - however - your 4/05 timeframe seems to be enough to cover any defects the new motor might have. Go enjoy your car!

Scott5, I am enjoying the car. In fact, I was out this afternoon dodging the snowflakes.