Redux...Advice to New 996 Owners

I see that recently there are several new 996 Owners. Welcome all! Over 3 years ago, I posted this on Rennlist and thought now would be a great time for an update. Please feel free to add on. 1. They smell funny. Whether it is bits of burning tire on the exhaust or cosmoline (look it up), they smell like burning oil/rubber even after a short drive. The consensus is this is perfectly normal (some even call it "Porsche Perfume") so you can quit worrying. Your engine is not about to blow up. 2. After a few weeks you will begin to think something is wrong with your car. It is not as quick as it used to be. Is it a major engine problem? Do I already need to replace the plugs, coils, throttle body etc? Probably not. You are just getting used to the car. It only feels slower. You will now start thinking about getting that turbo. 3. IMSB-Intermediate Shaft Bearing-You will no doubt read all about this issue. But...it isn't as prolific as you would be led to believe. No one knows the true failure rate but the best thing you can do is replace the bearing as scheduled maintenance, change your oil every 5k miles, and enjoy your car. Oh...and there are still over 25 modes of failure. Relax! 4. If you have a 6-spd (mine did...so no tips on tips here), you will up shift at a much higher rpm than that old Honda you used to drive. Shifting at 3000rpm will spoil your P-car experience. The fun starts over 5000rpm. Go there often. 5. Tires are expensive and don't last as long as the tires on your old car. 10k-15k appears to be the average life. Remember that when you are buying a new set. 6. There appear to be a lot of great, dedicated and fastidious Indy shops out there. I had an extended warranty and took my car to the local dealer to get some non covered items taken care of. The estimate was almost $3k. My Indy fixed everything that actually need to get fixed for under $500. 7. Speaking of money, everywhere you go to get something done for your car, from the paint and body shop to the audio installer, they will attempt to charge you more since "after all, it is a 911". 8. A lot of Porsche enthusiasts don't like the 996. They have their reasons, but you now own one. Love it like its one of your kids. 9. If you drive around town with your spoiler up, most P-car owners will scratch their head. Best to let it do its own thing at 75mph. And yes, it is very cool to look at your reflection in that panel van you just passed to make sure your tail is actually up. 10. Fister D exhaust. Just do it. 11. 90% of all electrical issues are due to a bad ignition switch ($12) or mice. 12. Replace your coolant cap, your oil pressure sending sensor and your ignition switch, and keep mice traps in your garage. 13. Read every page of the sticky, "Things you didn't know about your 996". You'll be glad you did. 14. If your battery dies you will not be able to open your frunk (that's Pcar speak for the front compartment where the groceries go), to access your battery. It can be done but it's better to know how BEFORE you need to know how. 15. Your friends and relatives think you paid a lot more $$$ for your car than you really did. Just smile and say, "Yes, it is a great car!" __________________

Quotes source post: 11901447

Great words of wisdom. Bought my first Porsche almost 1 year ago, a 996 AE and wish I had found your post when I first joined RL as you are spot on my friend! Happy holiday!!

Great post Gonzo...couldn't agree more

Thumbs up

Amen

As one of the new owners - thanks for the post!! Already enjoying the heck out of this great car!

Gonzo, MOST of those Hit Waaaaay to Close to Home! Good Post!

Amen...

Amen!

FACT: The general population only knows your car to be a 911. Only true Porsche enthusiasts know the 911 models are broken down 993, 997, etc FACT: When I owned a 928, I read "Oh that's a front engine, not a real Porsche." When I owned a Boxster, I was not driving the real iconic 911 model. If I could afford to buy a 2015 991, I would read on here that's not the 918 Spyder, the latest and greatest. The lesson is.... you can spend another 10k and upgrade to a 2005+ 997 -or- Adopt my plan: Use the same 10k spread out in fifteen years, and put an antique tag on it and outright own an antique 911 . Enjoy your 996, many others wish they had it, and play this on your next drive! http://youtu.be/HH3ruuml-R4

Brilliant post. I agree fully. I would add this: It seems owning a Porsche places one in a rather(perceived) elite group of society (or so they say). With that comes the downside of "one upsmanship". I find it appalling, frankly...but I digress... Reminds me of driving my old vintage BMW around Phoenix (with the trunk full of spare parts and proper tools and fluids) and being scoffed at by some kid in a late model BMW example. In their young minds, newer was better, therefore more desirable. Try telling that to the 356 guys. lol Personally, I'm a "get your hands dirty" kind of owner, as are many or most here in the 996 forum. I like that about this group of owners. Just remember, people who buy just for the badge will always find a reason why their Porsche is "better" than yours. If you bought it for it's driving experience (like most of us) you can tune that out and enjoy your car. Said differently, rather than celebrate what you have in common, some people will say you have the "wrong Porsche" for whatever reason. Ignore those people and drown them out with RPM from your Porsche . Congrats and welcome to the club

Thanks.

Nice Gonzo. Even though you have upgraded to a 997, you still stand with your brothers in the 996 forum.

Agreed. What's the best Porsche? The answer is always, 'the one in your garage'.

Thanks for re-posting this, Gonzo. It's good stuff. For those interested, I started a blog a while back to document my 911 experience. The blog is pretty basic at this time & very much a work in progress. My hope is to provide an unbiased view of what it's like to live with the car on a daily basis & it should answer some of the basic questions new folks have: http://alpenworks-automotive.blogspot.com/?view=sidebar Merry Christmas.

Gonzo nailed, easy and simple this should be part of the manual!!

Nice one Gonzo! Especially the first one. I was worried when I bought my car but I have come to appreciate that smell.

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For me, the 911 was THE car as a kid. It was so unique and for most of my life, the thought of actually owning one was equivalent to me standing on the moon. When the time was right, the 996 was the perfect choice. Price was right and it is a great DD, which allowed me to have that experience everyday. The sweet Flat 6 firing up in my garage set the tone for my day. I bought it for me and for me alone. My choice was a Guards Red cab and the snarks from my friends about my "Mid Life Crisis" were met with smiles, but the truth is, it was the culmination of a life long dream that started many, many years before "mid life" set in. I don't keep my cars long, but I know this. As long as I can drive, I will always have a 911 in my garage.

In my case, 911 was always the CAR. I've always been a car nut - the same way my dad is. I remember having this black 911 miniature car on my window sill in my room back in the day. I used to look at it all the time thinking if/when I could own one just like that one day myself. Here I am 30 years later having two 911s in my garage. If you ask my wife, I'm crazy and this makes no sense. My neighbors probably think the same. Oh well, I guess we only live once...

Quotes source post: 11901447

THIS. Every time I see a Porsche - mostly Caymans and Boxsters - driving around town with the spoiler up, my first thought is "what a douche". The only time mine comes up below 75 is when I'm cleaning the car; I make it a point to lower the spoiler when I'm done. We should call it "peacocking" from now on. Great list Gonzo!

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You mean the bird or pea size....

I never understand the notion that a taco wing is cool but deploying the automatic spoiler makes you a douche.

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All of the above. The taco wing is fixed, and, IMHO, therefore acceptable (along with other fixed varieties). It may not be to some peoples' taste, but that's not the question here.

Great initial post Gonzo and great additional input. Spot on. I had one outlier event occur a few months after purchasing my 02 C2. Hope it never happens to anyone else but just makes me a little more aware that I am not driving a run of the mill car. No need for a lot of details, but a guy attempted to ram me twice in a residential neighborhood. Luckily I was scanning all mirrors and moved left of center and stomped on it. Came the second time and just went left of center at the last second and he shot by. Got the license plate and other details. No previous incident. Turns out he didn't like me because I was driving a Porsche. Didn't go well for him in court. My point is that many of us are middle aged and can now finally swing buying what we have wanted for many years. Be vigilant and just realize how we are viewed by the uninformed public. Stay safe and enjoy!

<runs out to garage to put spoiler down> lol...sorry for the newbie move...I'm still learning...

Some things never change! When I posted this 3 years ago, the spoiler comment was the most discussed. The purpose of the factory spoiler is to improve aerodynamics at speeds over 75mph. That little flap of a spoiler just doesn't look right deployed when the car isn't moving. To me it just doesn't compliment the lines of the car like aftermarket fixed spoilers and wings. IMHO, the turbo spoiler is perfect. Just enough...but not too much. But it is your car and there is a reason they have an up/down switch* (*So you can prove to the PoPo you weren't going 75 in the 55 zone just because your tail was up)

I'm not an aero fan so I don't like fixed wings but can live with the turbo wing since I have one. I wouldn't deploy my auto spoiler, but its your car and was designed to do so;so whatever floats your boat!

If the Porsche God didn't want you to raise the wing manually, he would not have put a switch there allowing you to do so. It's your car, and if you think it looks good then it does.

This should go to a new thread Spoilers

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The two bold passages are exactly why I'm here. I know I've told the story too many times but... The Blue Targa that was parked in the lot of the Standard grocery store in Speedway, IN where I grew up transfixed me. Every time I rode my bike through the lot I looked for it and stopped to look when it was there. From that time on, the 911 owned me. I never thought I'd be able to get one. I also had a substitute teacher a couple of times in H.S. who drove a burgandy Targa AND flew Learjets. At the time, I thought both of those dreams were out of reach. Now, I have both my dream job (Well, not really...I was shooting for Blue Angel 1, so I kind of did fall short. ) and my dream car. I am really lucky. Great list, Gonzo! TC

I think that the smell comment is by far and a way the most important. It scared the bejeesus out of me for the first week I owned the car, I even posted about it. Once I learned it is normal I am learning to love the porsche perfume!

Ah, yes - #2....that's when you know you're losing touch with reality... R

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Could you please provide some additional information here? Replace these with what? An OEM standard, that I can order from the dealership, or is there a non-faulting aftermarket supplier? Or part numbers? If this recommendation is because a part is faulty, there is usually a new part number given to a second/third iteration where a fault has been engineered out of it, but you don't want to go to a shop and get the old dusty faulty part pulled off their shelf. Sorry to be so specific, hopefully that isn't looked down upon with a German car forum And many thanks for the information, I'm a new 996 owner and trying to read up as much as I can, so I appreciate people taking the time to provide consolidated and concise information for everyone's benefit!

New Porsche owner here! Thanks for the post.

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Everything OEM except the mouse traps. Oil pressure sensors are archaic and malfunction all the time. Ignition switch could leave you stranded. But these are not emergency items. I haven't done mine.

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The coolant cap was superseded with new versions at least once. So look for the part number on your cap, plug it into google and you'll see whether it still shows as current on one of the various parts sites (dcautomotive, vertex, sun coast, etc)

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<myopinion> The button is there for raising it when you have to, i.e., to clean or to fix. It's not there to give your car the "little blue pill" effect. And while it looks purposeful on a car at speed looking to pick up a little more intake air from the slipstream for the rear engine, it's downright ridiculous to show off your rubber accordion baffle at rest. </myopinion>

Gonzo comes through with yet another excellent post. In my opinion, it should be "Sticky Post #1." Everything in the original post applies to me. Ha, first week or two of ownership, I even raised the rear spoiler when parked, because it seemed "cool." The only thing he missed: Thank goodness my car came with the pumpkin side markers already replaced with clears, so I never had to know the shame of appearing in public with the pumpkins.

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I have 2 sets of pumpkins in my garage. One from the 996 and one from the 997. I am tempted to throw them out but figure, "you never know"...they could always come back in style!

I also have two sets of pumpkins in my garage! In fact, I have a plastic tub filled with old 996 stuff that I should probably consider selling or tossing... I agree with the comments about leaving the spoiler down. I think the car looks better with it down and it lets you see the lines of the car.

I think that the spoilers/ wings look better down, but it concerns me not one iota that someone else may prefer to deploy their's static or at low speed.

Thank you Gonzo, Rubik, and Bal!

While searching for the radiator cap, everything came back as "expansion tank cap". Are those the same thing? Also, after spending several hours looking around, there are many different forum topics and parts for the "ignition". Several posts on this forum say that replacing the switch is a cheap temporary fix, and the long term solution is replacing the "Ignition lock housing" https://rennlist.com/forums/996-foru...ng-switch.html However, when looking for that part, what comes back are replacements for Ignition Switch, Steering Column Lock, and Ignition Lock. Nothing for Ignition Lock Housing. And the "Ignition lock assembly" appears to simply be an ignition switch imbedded into an additional mechanical device: http://www.redlinemotive.com/store/r...+Lock+Assembly Which makes me wonder, if the switch fails after a year, why is the switch embedded into an additional assembly considered a "permanent fix"? I apologize for my ignorance, but this is my first experience working on Porsche before and it seems all of my previous car experience goes out the window with this brand.

Funny, the "cost" bullet points are apparently a matter of perspective. Previous to my 40AE I had an AMG Mercedes, and that car ate tires MUCH faster than my 911. And Porsche maintenance seems cheaper. Well, at least I've had to deal with less. My first AMG was traded in while it was on the lift getting repaired AGAIN. :-)