Now What? 03 4S, metal chips in oil filter, rodent damage to wiring

I have a black/black 2003 4S with 71,000 miles, bought used in 2007. I'm now retired so I need to sell the car. Two weeks ago it would start but not rev over 1100 rpm, so I AAAed it to a local Porsche specialist -- firguring one of the electronic gizmos had failed. And I'd get a PPI so I could sell it with confidence. Well, they found metal chips in the oil filter, and the engine problem was traced to a rodent damage to the wiring harness (maybe just the engine harness, maybe not). My question: how to get the most money out of what I'm now left with. (My son recommends getting a second opinion -- there's a Porsche dealer about 40 miles from this shop, so it is a possibility.) The owner of the shop recommended an engine rebuild for $18-20,000, plus a new engine wiring harness, maybe $1200 plus labor. Adding in taking the engine in & out, the total comes perilously close to the value of the car. True, cars with fresh rebuilds do sell for higher prices -- $4-5,000 -- at least on one sold example on eBay. The shop owner offered me $5-7,000 for the car (and there would be no charge for the labor so far). Used engines go from $8,000 on up, and the shop owner has had lots of bad experiences with them. Salvage companies will put "totaled" 2003 4S's up on eBay in the mid-teens but usually it is collision damage that is the culprit. There was one with an engine fire in that price range -- near twin to mine. I was thinking of just putting the car up for sale on this list, on Cars.Com and on eBay Motors as a "Mechanic's Special" with an opening bid of say $10,000 or a "Buy It Now" price of $15,000. So what's the smart move? And why? Hilary Smith Pacific Northwest

There are a lot of threads on metal chips in the filter....they are quite normal as long as they are not ferrous (i.e. they are aluminum). Are they ferrous or non-ferrous? I will find a recent thread and post a link. Additionally, without more info on the wiring harness, like what is physically wrong with it and where the location is, it's hard to tell. Why can't a repair be made to the harness? It's probably just a few wires. Sit back, drink a beer, and wait for the answers to come in.....good chances that it might not be that bad.

Skip the dealer, all they will do is recommend a factory replacement ($$$).

Here's two threads.....one of them mine. https://rennlist.com/forums/996-foru...in-filter.html I totally over reacted and everything is fine....I think what I thought was metallic really wasn't. And here is another recent thread....I don't see an end to it though.... If you search "ferrous" or "metallic" you can find more threads. https://rennlist.com/forums/996-foru...in-filter.html

Take it to someone who can do the following. Check for borescore in the sylinders 5 and 6 with a borescope. If the mech is happy change the imsb and rms seal. Do the cluch and reinstall/fix the wiring loom. If pt nr 1 is a nogo then rebuild. Here in Norway SSP is charging 7 - 10 000$ for a complete rebuild with stronger Nicasil bores. And Noway is a really expensive country.

I still don't see how wiring damage leads to rebuilding engine... I would get a second opinion as well.

I think it's interesting your mechanic would steal the car from under you for only $5,000-$7,000. He puts a new engine in for $10,000 and he can sell it for $30,000. Not a bad return for him. I'd get a second opinion and not deal with that mechanic again.

Reread the initial post. So there are two problems: 1 - metal in the filter 2 - rodent damage to the harness making the engine not go above 1100 rpms. Two separate problems with recommendations for 1 - rebuild the motor - 18-20K 2 - replace the wiring harness 1200$ Before you can make a decision you need lots more information. For example, I had the IMS go, lots and lots of metal in the filter - but car drove fine. I chose a refresh for $7500. Still not cheap but not 20K. Get a drink and relax. Post your location and get some recommendations for a trusted mech in your area. The "your car needs and engine, but I can take it off your hands for 5K" seems a little shady. Maybe not. But maybe.

Never trust a mechanic that says your engine needs to be rebuilt and then offers to buy the roller off your hands for cheap. The only mechanic I trust to some degree is my uncle.

I agree that a second opinion and more diagnostics on the flakes in the oil filter are needed to make a completely informed decision. I wouldn't jump the gun and sell for a low ball offer. However, if the engine is really in need of replacement you may want to take the cash and wipe your hands of it since you were planning to sell it anyway. An engine replacement can go smoothly, but there is no guarantee that a few other issues won't pop up that will add to the cost.

One of the "givens" from the original post was this one: " True, cars with fresh rebuilds do sell for higher prices -- $4-5,000 -- at least on one sold example on eBay." This CAN be true depending on who does it and what exactly is done, but there is no guarantee that the sale price is going to be appreciably higher after a rebuild. It would suck to see OP go through all of the work (if a rebuild is actually required, which doesn't seem certain at this point) only to be worse off than if he'd sold the roller. As Paul suggested, it's a good time to slow things down a little to avoid making rash / expensive decisions...

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your post lacks so much important information it is impossible to make a useful assessment. - how long did the car sit? - show a photo of the metal in filter - almost all 996 oil filters have some metal bits in them - rodent damage to wiring usually occurs under the MAF in engine compartment and is easily repaired within a 3-4 hour timeframe of splicing wires back together or re-insulating exposed wires. **so if you want any useful recommendations, do a better job at describing the actual condition of the car and include photos of interior/exterior, options, etc...

Before you have that drink get that car out of the hands of that mechanic! Sorry for your bad luck, but I agree with most of the posts saying this probably isn't as bad as your mechanic has made it out to be! Sounds like the rev lock is an electronic thing.

Like others have said, it would be best to see the metal in the filter for yourself - the mechanic may know what he is doing and you could very well need an engine, but I would want to verify that. Regarding the rodent damage, check with your homeowners agent, it would usually be covered.

I cannot express how grateful I am for all these replies -- very generous of everyone who took time out of their day to help me out. I've been exposed to a range of opinions and options -- I am so much better off. Thank you all! Anyone have recommendations for good Porsche shops in the Seattle area? Hilary Smith Pacific Northwest

AKERS porsche on capitol hill - they are the most honest and most experienced.

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Obviously a comment from a noob who doesn't know that everyone here is lurking around all the time looking for questions to reply to. Especially those that have an element of entertainment.

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Clearly, this is very offensive. So your disclaimer is total BS and you break that promise all the time!

Just to add my voice to the others. Metal flakes in the oil filter do not necessarily mean the engine's toast or in need of a rebuild. I say this without having seen the flakes nor knowing if they are ferrous or alum. As for the rodent damage, I have come upon several modern Porsches in the shop for this and the repairs can be substantial. Interior damage -- carpets, seats, trim, in-dash damage -- the critters chew through the A/C and heater vent plastic -- and exterior damage all the way from the radiator duct rubber sheeting being chewed up to the plastic vent/vapor lines that run under the car from the fuel tank to the engine being chewed on and holed to damage at the engine compartment, specifically the wiring harness, but other plastic and rubber items can be damaged too. In the case of suspected or id'd engine compartment damage generally the engine has to come out and almost invariably the wiring harness replaced. You will probably not find a Porsche dealer willing to risk attempting to repair a wiring harness -- to much risk from electrical problems, shorts, fires even. In all cases I'm aware of the car owner had to resort to using his homeowners insurance to pay for the car damage from the rodents. My advice would be to get this damage repaired then look into what if anything the flakes in the oil filter mean. If it is not too late an oil analysis can help id if the flakes are just normal debris or if they signify more serious trouble a-brewing. Trying to sell the car as is will be difficult unless you just give it away as no one wants to risk buying a car with a possibly very sick engine and who knows how much damage from rodents.

I had a good experience with Akers as well.

Not trying to push the panic button yet, but sounds like you may have some serious engine issues. If I were in your position of having no mechanic skills, I would at least give Jake a call, give him what info you have, answers his questions, and send him some pics. At least you will get an honest opinion and not some idiot trying to screw you. Ask anyone, Flat Six's reputation is great and he will tell you the truth even if it hurts.

Akers is a good choice. Chris's German in Bellevue is another. Best of luck.

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good point - my disclaimer should read for OT forum only! i'm updating now!

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LOL! Just f-in with you dude!

i appreciate the humor but also realized it wouldn't be a bad idea to add the OT to my disclaimer