996 issue

[ ] Have now had my 996 (98/R) Tiptronic for a couple of weeks after upgrading my 964 (90/H) C4 and must say its pretty much what I expected and despite 88,000 miles its drives and feels really well. I need to take it back to the specialist dealer in a few weeks as there are a few things that need to be rectified. [&:] There is a wobble from the steering that appears at about 75 mph and stays above that speed but that is probably just balancing [&:] I have a PCM (1) system and the buttons at the bottom that select the vaious functions do not illuminate unless I press the panels slightly so this is probably a loose connection [&:] The passenger seat release lever doesnt always work All minor issues, however [ ] At moderate road speeds of say 30-40 when the car is crusing I can hear a mechanical sounding whining sounds that lessens when I apply a small amount of power. It is quite noticable but not intrusive and sounds like its coming from the front (maybe osf). Could this be a wheel bearing/driveshaft etc and is this a common problem? [ ] Also, at speed on steady or undulateing fast roads (m-ways/ a roads) the car doesnt feel as stable as the 964. It appears to wander a little and feels choppy. Is this a trait of the 996 or is there something that needs attention? Also, I am still looking for a newer SatNav disk, mine is 1999. I dont really want to spend £250 thru OPC for a disk that is 2 years out of date (2002 is the latest they have! [:-]) Many thanks, Rob

New car sounds great- on your nav disc, could be worth trying Navteq (www.navteq.com) since I think the pcm mapping comes from them in the first place...

Navteq dont supply the disks anymore. I spoke to them and they basically supply their database to Porsche and Porsche make the disks etc. The latest version they have is 2002 and is around £250. There was an a letter in PP this month and the chap implied that Porsche had no plans to create newer version. Hmmm

Beershark, the 996 should be nice & stable, more so than your 964, have you checked the tyres across the entire width to see if they have uneven wear, are they all N rated Porsche approved & the same brand front & back ? That's the first thing I'd check as uneven tyre wear can cause tramlining. Do you know what suspension is fitted (standard or modified) the standard shouldn't be "choppy" only the sports set ups & then the 10mm set up is still ok. If you don't know look in your service book (or under boot lid) for your list of option codes on the vehicle ID sticker & see if you have 030 fitted (10mm lowered) or X74 (30mm lower). With regards to the whine, the earlier car did have a sort of "engine whine" built in that you can hear in the cabin, but this wouldn't come from the front. I hope it turns out to be something simple & not wheel bearings, transmission . If you have doubts & aren't confident in the specialist why not pay £150-ish & have an OPC do 140-ish point check on it, whilst you still have come back, just an idea.

My C4 also has a whine from it . I have taken it to the specialist and local garage who both agree it is not the wheel bearings although they both claim they can't really hear it. But like most owners I can and it irritates me to the point I am considering changing the wheel bearings just to eliminate them. One thing the specialist did say was that it could be the front diff and that many cars in his experience have noises that were present from new . I am now wondering if the oil needs changing/topping up as it should have been done in the service at 96k. So I am keen to sort this one so if you find out anything let me know

Hi Grant and Grant, The suspension is standard from the factory and I have no documentation to suggest its been upgraded - it looks like the ride hieght is about right. The tyres all appear to be good - I saw it up on a ramp b4 I bought it - no uneven tyre wear and they were all the same make (cant remember what now though) The car feels somewhat choppy and even thought its a lot smoother and more together than the 964 C4, at 80-100 + I get a steering wobble and the car needs constant correcting which I am sure isnt right. As I have a RWD version, I guess I dont have a front diff so it would be something mechanical from the front as I am sure its not an engine noise. Good advice going to an OPC, get them to give me a full report and take it to the supplying specialist. I am realist that this is an old car (pretty new for me) and has done some miles but I dont expect any major items to need doing! Cheers guys, Rob

Sorry - Yes I thought you had a C4. So you have the a whine then it may be bearings - it may be that on mine. An OPC will do a check of your car and it can't do any harm so long as they don't err on the side of something being wrong when its not and involve you in a needless battle. The constant correcting at speed is not something I experience with mine so you are right to seek assistance with that. Let us know how you get on. all the best

To address the chopiness and wobbling i would suggest a suspension geometry check. The good tyre specialists will carry out a diagnosis for around £30 and then quote for any changes needed. I recently spent £125 on this at Elite in Dagenham. It made a great difference to my car. I also found that as the tyres got 2-3 mm the car started to feel less predictable, a new set of tyres cured that, my choice was Pirelli rossos. The car is now steady as a rock. regards Tim

Mine is like this on standard UK roads (rough ones) On good roads as described my car is steady as a rock well up to censored As most people have advised.... get the geometry checked.