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YOUR RESEARCHTransmission "kaputt"?
Reported or suspected cause
coming
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Read evidence and context
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Reported cause
My noise turned out to be coming from the diff, not the tranny.
Leading evidence: 'coming' (1 discussions report identifying this cause; no attributable repair resolution). Across 1 matching discussions, the most frequently mentioned possible cause is 'coming' (1 discussions; 1 report identifying it and 0 suggest it). The most frequently discussed action is 'Clean ver light amber (80,000km)' (1 discussions). For that action, 0 discussions report a resolution and 0 report an unsuccessful attempt. 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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Reported cause
Ron, we have had some PMs on this subject, and I fear that my problem is the same as you have described.
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I guess I assumed that it was magnetic, since many cars (including my first Porsche, a 1969 911T) were fitted with magnetic plugs.
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Performed · outcome unconfirmed
And then since the transmission was being replaced I got the clutch replaced and only had to pay for parts.
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Performed · outcome unconfirmed
Reason I mentioned it, is because I just replaced all liquids in my C4S,
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Suggestion
I also nerver believed in "lifetime" fluids starting with my bimmers, so I already changed my 996 transmission fluid when I just got the car at ~30K miles and plan to change it again at 60K miles.
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Suggestion
I know this is hard to accept but just because the Porsche owners manual doesn't schedule a transmission fluid change doesn't mean you can't ignore and have it changed at some reasonable interval.
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Rennlist: 1 discussions
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My 2000 996 C2 convertible with 81, 000 miles, always properly serviced, started producing grinding noises in its engine. An independent porsche mechanic whom I consulted suggested (after driving the car for a couple of minutes around the block)that maybe the bearings are worn out. He told me that I was at least the 10th person with problems that he thinks are due to the fact that Porsche does not recommend a transmission fluid change until the 90, 000 mile service.....went to my dealer, had them drain the fluid, they found shavings in it and would take $9,500 for a transmission replacement....if the other expert is right, couldn't that have been avoided by an earlier fluid change? If so, shouldn't Porsche foot the bill (or at least split the costs with me?).
How frequent are problems like mine? Anybody else who experienced something similar?
Michael, was the transmission noisy for a long time before you had the oil drained out? My C4 makes a very noticable noise when applying light throttle in 5th or 6th gear. The noise goes away when letting up on the throttle. However, in my case, when we drained the oil, it was clean as a whistle. Not a thing on the magnetic drain plug. However, it has this noise which worries me. Just wondered if your transmission noise got louder and louder with time, or stayed the same until you drained the oil?
....Rickker
Personally, I would NEVER wait 90K before I change my tranny fluid but that is not what let to your gearbox going. Second, the gearbox on these cars is not $9.5K unless you are paying full retail markup. You can have a full rebuild with cup gears (steel NOT brass) for less than that. Talk about blowing sunshine up your ***. Frickin dealers! And lastly, no, these are NOT "common" in these cars.
And no, the potentially busted tranny is NOT a result of a 90K fluid interval rec'd by PCNA. Nice try but no, that is not something you can pin on PCNA.
I would start by contacting somebody like Sunset Porsche up in Oregon to see what they will sell it for since they have dealer cost+15% on their parts.
Where are you located? I am sure many of us here could rec'd a good shop to REALLY diagnose this for you.
By the way, how long have you had the car?
Now that you mention it, I'm not sure. I guess I assumed that it was magnetic, since many cars (including my first Porsche, a 1969 911T) were fitted with magnetic plugs. Does anyone have the definitive answer on this?
...Rickker
warrant a transmission replacement. Transmissions, especially manual ones and I don't know from your post which type your car has, are notorious for having metal debris present in a fluid drain, especially the 1st one.
Now if the drained fluid has a metallic sheen this indicates metal to metal contactd and wear.
The noise though could and probably is significant. However, if car equipped with manual transmission noise could come from another source.
An automatic (Tip) equipped car the noise might come from low or just old fluid. Depends upon the noise and if any other symptoms present.
Car out of warranty. If transmission due to be replaced it will be on your tab, not Porsche's. If you can convince the dealer/Porsche to extend you some goodwill towards the repair more power to you.
Too late now, but transmission fluid is a vital fluid, vital to the proper and continued trouble-free operation of the transmission. I know this is hard to accept but just because the Porsche owners manual doesn't schedule a transmission fluid change doesn't mean you can't ignore and have it changed at some reasonable interval.
Porsche and other car makers have begun, have actually been engaged in for some time what M. Miller who writes for a BMW mag. calls "global war on maintenance". Essentially these cars are seen as simply buy and drive and requiring as little maintenance as possible. 15,000, 20,000 (or more with cars equipped with "oil change" computer) engine oil changes and "life time" coolant and "life time" transmission fluid.
Well, if you don't plan on keeping the car very long and if you plan on selling it privately and can convince a prospective buyer the lack of agressive service is nothing to be concerned about then there is no need to deviate from the schedule Porsche recommends.
However, if you plan on keeping the car and continue to enjoy it as trouble free as possible, more frequent vital fluid/filter services are a must.
Sincerely,
Macster.
I also nerver believed in "lifetime" fluids starting with my bimmers, so I already changed my 996 transmission fluid when I just got the car at ~30K miles and plan to change it again at 60K miles. That way I really hope that I won't have severe transmission problem later on... Cheers,
In my case, it is sort of a humming or moaning noise when applying light throttle at low rpms in the higher gears. This noise may very well also be there at higher revs, but is then masked by exhaust and intake noise. The main characteristic of the noise is that it is present under load and goes away when the throttle is lifted.
...Rickker
Ditto, more humming, and quite loud but definetly not a "grinding sound" as a missed shift, and as I mentionned in my first post it was off load sound and quiet "on load".
Pete
The diagnosis at this time is that the noise is differential related.
I have put the car down for the winter, but it will be the first thing to do in the spring.
The Indy thinks that it may be as simple as changing out bearings?
I'll repost on this in April.
Cheers, Pete
Reason I mentioned it, is because I just replaced all liquids in my C4S,
transmission included, and the plug is NOT magnetic.
Either way, the oil was very clean, ver light amber (80,000Km).
It took 3.2L, and I will probably wont replace it again.
Brake fluid is hygroscopic, and that I will replace often.
Also, as far as I know, it is the only hygroscopic (so it absorbs water) liquid in the car.
So what happens to trans. fluid over life of car? I have read that since there is no combustion residues like engine oil, it can last the life of the car. Does it lose viscosity, or is it micro debris that degenerates the fluid?
Not a transmission expert.
I can tell you that after I changed my tranny fluid (75k miles), my grinding into 2nd gear ceased, as in it's never happened since. I now have 88k miles on it.
Also, I recommend letting the tranny warm up before getting fisky with it. For me, that's at least 10 minutes of very easy shifting and only shifting above 3500 rpm. But that's me. I like keeping the car running above 3500 rpm anytime.
I'm no expert either, but I'm sure it get heat cycled and degrades just like another other fluid. For my use, I plan on doing it soon, or at my 45k service.
FWIW on the 996 Cup car, Porsche wants you to change the transmission fluid every TEN HOURS. I change mine annually just in case and on the RS about every 10 hours of track time.
My '99 made the same kind of noise, only under throttle. After a lot of looking and misdiagnosis, they finally figured out that it was the clutches on the limited slip differential. As a result my transmission was replaced under warranty. The good news was that before they figured it out, all of the bearings on the serpentine pulley and the alternator got replaced under warranty. And then since the transmission was being replaced I got the clutch replaced and only had to pay for parts. Labor was covered under the warranty.
Ron, we have had some PMs on this subject, and I fear that my problem is the same as you have described. Unfortunately warranty coverage has long expired on my '99 C4. In the meantime, my engine expired, and the issue of a noisy transmission became trivial in comparason. I am just hoping the transmission will hold together until I recover from the cost of the engine replacement.
....Rickker
I was selling two transmissions about 6 months ago and couldn't find any buyers for months and months and months, including on this board. I was only asking $500 ! Ended up selling them to someone in Ireland. He installed them both and was very very happy. Saved him literally $7000 euro. Over there transmissions were about $4000 euro.
