new 996

Evening all. I have been lurking for a while dreaming about a 911. I was watching one on ebay and my wife bought it for me for father's day, and now I think we made a huge mistake. I would love some input and I have a few questions. We live in Ohio and the car was in NJ. 1999 Carrera 4 Cab, 6 speed, with 36k miles. My wife purchased the car and after she committed I spoke with the dealer. I have bought many cars in my life and should know better, but here it goes. I asked if I could get the car inspected and the salesman said no, the car was mint. I asked if it had any leaks or lights on from 3 people at the dealership and they assured me no lights and no leaks. They had their mechanic check it out and it was perfect. Ok, so $26,000 later (including shipping and taxes and dealer made up charges) the car was delivered. My wife brought it to me at work and first thing I did was check the oil. There was no oil. She had to drive to the auto parts store to get 2 quarts of mobile 1 0w 40 and it brought it up to almost full. I got one key and no manuals. And when I closed the truck I noticed the warning light for open trunk was on. Also the car had multiple dents and scratches. Oh and the previous owner was a smoker ( not a big deal, I can get that out). So here are the questions 1 - trunk light - is it easy to fix? do you usually have to close the truck pretty hard? There is no latch except the one next to the drivers seat 2 - do I have to go to the dealer to unlock the radio 3 - Am I screwed? Any one know about New Jersey law for used car purchases 4 - anything besides an RMS leak cause the oil to go low 5 - I have the money put aside to so the RMS update and new clutch. Does the RMS get replaced with that? (Porsche specialist an hour from my house that is LN certified will do the IMS and clutch for 2500 - is that about the going rate?) Sorry for the rambling but I feel like I just got taken. I had dreams of a perfect 996 with 36K miles for $22000 and I am now stuck in reality

You only made one mistake giving them the money without a PPI (Pre Purchase Inspection). You could have backed out anytime before you gave them the $$$. Take it to a mechanic recommended by others here on RL. If the car is in such terrible shape, then you need to contact an attorney in NJ and check out their "Lemon" Law. Good luck Keep in mind, you just purchased a 14 year old car.

Check the label under the trunk lid for the radio code...no guarantees, but people sometimes write the code there. That's where I've found mine on 2 different cars. Otherwise, join RennTech.com and Loren will find your code for you. Don't try to force the trunk to latch. Lots of Porsches have dents on the crest from pressing on it with the heel of the hand. And paintless dent repair isn't that expensive. Lotsa luck. It's normal to have post-purchase remorse. Just hang in there and don't get discouraged. I'm in Ohio, too. Who is doing your IMS work?

Two choices: 1. Dig in, fix the stuff that needs fixing and then enjoy the car. 2. Eat the loss and sell the car. I suspect the money is about the same either way. Whichever you choose, do it and don't look back. Good luck.

Which dealer in NJ? NNJRPCA has a dealer liaison that helps members with problems like this. Get another key as soon as you can. To close the trunk press with both hands between the crest and the edge of the trunk lid, right above the latch. If you press on the crest you will bend it. Get a can of your favorite wax, clean the car and wax it. You will feel better when you have stroked her flanks. Oh, and kiss your wife and thank her a bunch. She is definitely a keeper.

Kraftworks is doing the IMS. They are between Akron and Columbus. They can't do it until July, but I can wait. The car is actually in fair shape for being 14 years old. I have no problems with dents, etc. I expect that, just wish they did not lie about it. The low oil is what concerns me. Body work is cheap compared to an engine. That's why I picked one with only 36,000 miles. Still love the car. Can't wait to actually drive it, but my wife says it drives like a dream

Dealer in New Jersey was thrift auto sales. Wife agreed on price and detailing package before she told me about it and gave a big deposit. On the plus side, my wife bought me a Porsche. She may be the greatest wife of all time.

Get a filter and some oil and do an oil change. Cut the old filter open and check for debris. That is part of getting acquainted and assessing your new car.

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Thrift on Ridgedale Ave in Morristown? Not one of the dealers that NNJR supports.

Low oil is probably because they never checked it or if they changed it probably shorted the fill.

Your going to be ok Hang on there and make it work out

Thanks for all the support. I think this is going to be my latest addiction. I was just on yahoo and it had an article about best cars for under $25,000. It had a bunk of econo cars. And I got a 911. Anyway, more updates. the biggest dent was on the rocker panel behind the drivers wheel. And it is big. I looked at the ebay pictures and it was not there. So the shipper did it. Now the question is can I prove it. Will a BMW oil filter wrench work for the 996 or do I need a different one? And mobile 1 0W 40 seems what every one uses. My whole life every car had 5w30. Now I have two cars that use 5w20 (Miata and excursion) and 3 that use 0w-40 mobile 1 (Audi, 535, and the 911) At least wall mart sells it

oil is a personal preference type of thing. There are some oil threads with many hundreds of heated posts. My preference is to use a 5-40 class V oil like Motul 8100XS. some oil opinions http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/forums...oard=53&page=1 http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/forums...Number=1249719

Are you a do it yourself person or send to dealer person? 1. Give the car a oil change and new filter immediately. 2. Go to RennTech.org and do a search for radio codes, there's a thread. 3. Low oil: bad AOS, long time since oil change, person not paying attention while doing oil change, ringlands, leak somewhere, etc 4. make sure the trunk is closed and completely down, mine takes more effort than I expected to fully latch. You got a 996 with 33k miles for $22k, that's not a bad deal. You just have to work through some unforeseen issues. PPI isn't always required, it's just a nice way to know exactly what you're getting into. I too didn't get a PPI on my 996 (or Lambo, or Viper, or M3 or. . . ) and have found some things along the way, but nothing major.

Thanks for the replies. Does the AOS burn through oil quickly? I usually try things myself first. The IMS seemed above my head though. I can't imagine bad rings at 36K. It was 2 quarts low. And the oil was brown and not black when I checked it. I assume this means the oil is new. I got my fingers crossed it is just low from lack of adding oil. I had to work all night last night and until 5pm today so the only time I have seen the car is when my wife drove it to my work yesterday. I hope that no damage was done driving with low oil for 14 miles. The oil pressure was good but I know that does not mean much. It is killing me to get home and actually see if there is a leak.

Take a deep breadth, hug your wife and relax. Good advice above from others. After an oil and filter change, monitor the oil by checking with the dipstick, and place some clean cardboard under the engine to see if you have any oil leaks after sitting or a long ride. It will also help you pinpoint where the oil might be leaking from. Don't let all of the internet horror stories about the 996 Porsche convince you otherwise. GL and be sure to post some pics.

Bottom line, you own it. Lemon Laws don't apply to used cars if I'm not mistaken, but frankly, I woudn't assume yours is a lemon. Every car this old needs some sorting, but the good news is that I think the price you paid leaves you some room. Take your time, get a game plan together for maintenance/service and do one thing at a time. I'm sure you'll be fine!!! I also bought my 48K 99 C2 sight unseen. Definitely had some odds and ends, but the nice thing about low mileage cars is that when you're done sorting them, you have a pretty fresh car overall. Good Luck and post some pics!!!

A bad or failing AOS, Air Oil Separator, could increase oil consumption quite a bit. Don't assume the worst about anything until you have lived with the car for a few weeks/thousand miles. As suggested do the oil change and monitor. Oil & filter Change the serpentine belt & check all pulleys Top up and monitor the coolant level Check the area under the battery and clean the drains. Check tire pressures ETC...

I know you're worried, but step one is taking a big breath and slowing down. If your oil pressure was fine then I wouldn't worry much about the missing oil. Keep the oil level in the right range in the future, and figure out if you're burning it or leaking it. You just bought a 14 year old car. There will be issues. Accept that and move on to rectifying them. If you freak out about every issue you're going turn what could be a fun experience into a nightmare of stress.

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This.

Welcome, and post some photos of the car!! Does the "trunk" light go off after you start driving? Could be the rear spoiler warning light that is supposed to come on and stay on until the computer verifys the rear spoiler is working properly. As for the oil, do a change (like others have said), and monitor the handy LED oil level indicator before you start the car. Unless you see oil dripping out, I am betting the lame dealer didn't fill it all the way.

Remember this car requires 9 quarts. That was not a mis-type. 9 quarts. Nine. You were down 2. Thats about what I burn on a DE. And you prolly over-filled so your going to get some blow-by. It sounds like you got a good deal so just drive the crap out of it. For what it's worth I know a bunch of guys well north of 100k miles who have never dropped the engine so the IMS thing is really optional. If you do pull yours out let us know what condition it was in.

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+996 You got a great support group here so you should be good. Try not to let car problems be your wife's problems or else she might feel bad about getting it for you. Hell, I still eat my wife's cooking without complaining(most of the time), haha.

You guys are probably the best therapy ever. I do appreciate it. I was also concerned about the price. I kept seeing the TMV on Edmunds or KBB that these are only $14000 cars. SO you guys made me feel a ton better. Still can't wait to get home after work and drive it.

Way too many posts and too much time so... THIS...

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Usually those mid-teen cars all have over 100k and in rough shape. One might get lucky here and there with a good example for that price but it's definitely not the norm. No sense in looking at price anyhow after the sale. Just concentrate on getting all your maintenance in order and enjoy the car.

When I bought my C4 it had dings all over it. I found a great PDR guy. He went over the entire car and now the body looks great. It was more encouraging to work on the rest of the car seeing it look so nice.

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+1 and you can buy the Motul for a reasonable price at amazon.com in 5 liter jugs.

I purchased my car from a high end used car dealer. They had the oil and all of the filters changed. The oil was low because they didn't add enough. I bet that's what happened to your car.(hope)

Something amazing happened after work today. I got home and got to drive the 911. And all of my concerns went away. It may have the body of a 100k mile car, but it drives like the 36k mile car it is. No oil leaks overnight. I checked the oil and the oil is completely clean now. I am hoping that they just did no add enough oil. I can't see the dings an scratches from the driver's seat. Few more questions oil pressure at max (at 5 of what ever units they use) when rpm's get high, is that normal Is there anyway to tell if clutch is close to going. It feels tight but man is it a lot of effort. All of the automatics we have made my left leg weak. At stop lights I actually put it in neutral and let the clutch up I put a new battery in the key but you still have to be close to the car for it to work and hold the button for a sec. Is this normal 1999 technology? I am used to the BMW's long range action

Give your wife a big kiss, I am sure she was stressing the purchase

Sounds like you over-paid a bit. But, that being said... welcome to Porsche ownership! It's not like owning a Prius or Ford Focus... every decision isn't necessarily based on whether it makes the most financial sense. Feel grateful that you have a cool wife that bought you a Porsche. It was not a "huge mistake". Just a bit misguided to buy it without more research. Find a good local shop that specializes in Porsches. Throw some more cash at it to fix the various problems. Then, enjoy the dream that you said you had about owning a Porsche. It will bring you immense pleasure.

Edit: And, regarding your comment that Edmunds or whatever source saying it is a $14,000 car... ridiculous. Welcome to the real world. For $14,000 you can maybe find one that's been in a wreck and needs the entire front or rear quarter rebuilt.

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The car can probably run around town on 5 litres of oil when they need nine. as long as oil pressure is good and you are not driving like you stole it. It very much sounds like the dealer said fvck it I'm not putting any more oil in there. If the oil was clear and brown , yes, would be new oil. These values are what has been going through the dealer auctions at the time it was published. So they don't reflect retail values.

The short distance for the remote unlock is normal. There is a TSB on Renntech.org that explains how to increase the distance. The "trunk" light that you're seeing is probably the spoiler light, which is normal. If you feel more comfortable with 5w 40 synthetic oil, then use that - many 996 owners do. You have a great wife. You have a great car. Life is good.

The oil pressure goes up with revs, normal. As for the clutch, maybe you are missing your clutch pedal helper spring? Search for the thread "dramatically improved my clutch..." to get more spring info.

Long read much info https://rennlist.com/forums/996-foru...matically.html Clutch assist spring #9 in pic. It is shown with a pin in the rod. That is only for install/remove no pin for operation.

Appreciate the clutch info. You guys are great. Now time for the fun. Now, lets start with I try to DIY anything I can, end up ruining it, and then have to pay a lot to fix it. But first a pic of the car when my wife gave it to me.

Ok. Now I got the picture thing down. Take picture with phone, email to myself, go to my computer and download, then go to photobucket and upload, the go here and post. Man is that a lot of steps. So first repair when I got home was to pain the license plate bracket and get rid of the rust. I contracted the work out for a ride in the Porsche. The painter wanted to ride in the front instead of the back. Then I unloaded the hood. Have pieces from the tool kit, a spare tire, no inflator, and some pieces I am not sure what to do with. Where is the jack? Anyone know what these are? Now the fun part. One corner of the cover with the roll bar covers was loose. So I tried to pry it up. Broke the other front bolt and part of the backside and it looked worse than before. The I took the seats and the back carpet out. Saw where it was broken and rigged it with a washer and screw. Now it is barely bolted on and I need a new one. Looked up prices and they ate $450 shipped to my house. The worst part is that if I would have taken the seats out and the carpet out before using the force method I could have fixed it easily. Oh, well. Sick to my stomach, but live and learn. This post it getting long and I got a lot more questions, so I will keep posting. Sorry.

So I did not get a manual with the car so I am flying blind. I was cleaning the car and saw this: What is it? Oh, and the car same with this, it says iSimple If I plug phone into it then it charges my phone, but no music plays. I figured out how to turn on the Aux and still no luck. I did get the radio code. Shout out to Loren and Renntech. OK last game. It is called what options does that car have. I can look at any year BMW e60 and tell you what year and options is has, so I figure there are some guys like that here. Here are some pics. If you need pics of anything else let me know. Can you guys list the options for me?

Nice looking cab with hard top! As for options, look in the fronk and there should be a sticker with all the option codes.

The first black plastic piece in your photos is the cover for the hardtop latching mechanism, where it attaches to the the windshield frame. You only use it when the hardtop is on. Put it in your "frunk" for the summer. The jack should be behind your spare tire. If you have wheel locks, the key should be stuck into a hole in the Styrofoam behind the tire. That little round switch looks like an aftermarket add-on of some sort. You'll have to figure that one out for yourself. Try Suncoast Porsche or Ebay for an owner's manual. Btw - You may want to stop "modifying" stuff until you get a better handle on how these cars work.

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Would you be surprised if I have heard that before

Congrats and welcome to 911 ownership! I understand the "not as fabulous as the sales jackwad said it was" feeling. I think all of us who've bought cars via the internet (including me) have had that happen at one time or another. Sounds like you'll be able to shrug it off, put a few bucks into the cosmetics, and a year from now you won't remember any of it! I'd flush the brake fluid. I'll bet if it's ever been done, it's been a while. It should be done every two years regardless of miles for street-driven cars. Get a look at your brake pads and rotors while you're in there flushing fluid. Get your wheel alignment checked -- if it's off, it can eat your relatively expensive tires. (It's not just a matter of how the car tracks; excess camber or toe-in can eat tires even if the car tracks perfectly straight.) If you didn't already, you might pull a Carfax on it just so you have a history of the car's ownership, any reported accidents, etc. Cheers, man! Better to have a 911 that needs a little TLC to come up to snuff than no 911 at all!

I bought mine from International Auto sports in NJ. I had a PPI on and all checked out. Then I get car and find the IMS was not replaced as told. 2500 dollars later I have the RMS and IMS LN Engineering done. The dealer was not truthful, yet I love my car. Still 500 dollars less so far than the 3k per year maintenance I figured to own.

Great wife! Nice 996! Now the fun starts!

Time for the almost 1 month update. 1000 miles on car, oil still clear, and non burned. Did have a few interesting things happen. First, while cleaning the car opened the hood and trunk with the soft top half open. Cleaned the seals in the hood and the rest of the car. Tried to put the roof down and would not go. So for I opened and closed in manually. Then found out the trunk was open. By the time I figured this out it was out of sync. Went to Porsche of North Olmsted and they fixed it for $250. Plus they inspected the car. Found a loos break line and dirty air filter. Said mechanically the car was perfect otherwise. Had a 2 week vacation and spent the entire time in the garage with the car. I replaced seals and cleaned drains. Changed break fluid (found some air) and the car stops great. Then changed the air filter. The car was running good prior to this but I was only getting about 15 mpg. Figured this was because it was all local stuff, no highway driving. Car also idled a little funny. Was told it was just adjusting the air fuel mixture. This is what I found under the air filter. Now the car idles perfectly and runs even better and the fuel mileage has improved. Other stories. Took off tires for the brake fluid flush and tire fell forward and scratched the tire. I learned how to refinish wheels and can make them look stock with spray cans. However color is a little off. I used the 1Z spray cause it was cheaper than the Wurth. When I was doing the rims I noticed a cut in the sidewall. Tire place said no structural damage, just the skin, but they can't guarantee it. Left it up to me to replace. Guess I am getting new rear tires. Oh, and figured out what this is: I think it cuts the antenna. I get no radio reception, but then the ipod plays clearly through the radio. And this: It is to hold the manual. And I fixed the roll bar cover with epoxy and good to go. So to sum up: Love the wife Love the car 3 mistakes so far only costing me $300 Another $500 in misc expenses trying to get manuals, tools, jacks, seals, etc.

Thanks for the update. So many threads die out unresolved. Glad to see it seems to be working out well for you!

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If I'm understanding this correctly, he dealer billed you $250 to: Connect a PST2 to your car and set the cabrio top calibration (5 minutes tops). Do an 'inspection'. But the inspection wasn't thorough enough to spot a bag of tobacco left under the air filter? Wow.... I'm glad you are enjoying your car though, and starting to work on it yourself. With dealers like that, best to make friends with the Porsche service manual.