16 captured repliesPartial discussion capture · Source accounts, not a confirmed diagnosis
THIS DISCUSSION / SOURCE-DERIVED OVERVIEW
Discussion summary
YOUR RESEARCHAny help appreciated in getting a much loved 996 back on the road.
Leading reported evidence
Check coolant
Performed · outcome unconfirmed
No successful repair reported for this finding.
0
Reported fixes
0
Unsuccessful attempts
1
Discussions
Read evidence and context
Explicit resolution reports before identified causes, performed actions and suggestions. Within each level, matching component labels precede direct query mentions and inherited thread context; successful versus unsuccessful discussion counts, owner confirmations and independent discussion support determine order. This is not a probability of success.
Discussions that performed work without a confirmed outcome
1
0 original-poster resolution reports. Counts can overlap; they are not unique people or a success rate.
0 discussions have direct query context; 0 report a fix in that context. Other evidence may inherit the discussion’s subject.
Performed · outcome unconfirmed · Original poster
I stopped it then and there, and later checked the coolant with had frothy brown stuff at the top, and then checked the oil and it had coolant in the oil.
Any help appreciated in getting a much loved 996 back on the road.
Read full discussion summary
Leading evidence: 'Check coolant' (no explicit attributable resolution; this is a reported action or suggestion). Across 1 matching discussions, The most frequently discussed action is 'Check coolant' (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.
Source reports, not a diagnosis or a success probability. Counts refer to discussions and can overlap.
Explicit resolution reports before identified causes, performed actions and suggestions. Within each level, matching component labels precede direct query mentions and inherited thread context; successful versus unsuccessful discussion counts, owner confirmations and independent discussion support determine order. This is not a probability of success.
Discussions that performed work without a confirmed outcome
1
0 original-poster resolution reports. Counts can overlap; they are not unique people or a success rate.
0 discussions have direct query context; 0 report a fix in that context. Other evidence may inherit the discussion’s subject.
Performed · outcome unconfirmed · Original poster
I stopped it then and there, and later checked the coolant with had frothy brown stuff at the top, and then checked the oil and it had coolant in the oil.
Any help appreciated in getting a much loved 996 back on the road.
Clean bill of health
Suggestion or failed attempt
No successful repair reported for this finding.
0
Reported fixes
0
Unsuccessful attempts
1
Discussions
Read evidence and context
Explicit resolution reports before identified causes, performed actions and suggestions. Within each level, matching component labels precede direct query mentions and inherited thread context; successful versus unsuccessful discussion counts, owner confirmations and independent discussion support determine order. This is not a probability of success.
Discussions that contain suggestions
1
0 original-poster resolution reports. Counts can overlap; they are not unique people or a success rate.
0 discussions have direct query context; 0 report a fix in that context. Other evidence may inherit the discussion’s subject.
Suggestion · Original poster
It was serviced 3 weeks prior and given a clean bill of health.
Any help appreciated in getting a much loved 996 back on the road.
Run temp
Suggestion or failed attempt
No successful repair reported for this finding.
0
Reported fixes
0
Unsuccessful attempts
1
Discussions
Read evidence and context
Explicit resolution reports before identified causes, performed actions and suggestions. Within each level, matching component labels precede direct query mentions and inherited thread context; successful versus unsuccessful discussion counts, owner confirmations and independent discussion support determine order. This is not a probability of success.
Discussions that contain suggestions
1
0 original-poster resolution reports. Counts can overlap; they are not unique people or a success rate.
0 discussions have direct query context; 0 report a fix in that context. Other evidence may inherit the discussion’s subject.
Suggestion · Original poster
Symptoms were a very sudden overheating of the engine, I was waiting at the lights and in the time it took to go from red to green the engine had gone from normal running temp to boiling over.
Any help appreciated in getting a much loved 996 back on the road.
Use around 188k
Suggestion or failed attempt
No successful repair reported for this finding.
0
Reported fixes
0
Unsuccessful attempts
1
Discussions
Read evidence and context
Explicit resolution reports before identified causes, performed actions and suggestions. Within each level, matching component labels precede direct query mentions and inherited thread context; successful versus unsuccessful discussion counts, owner confirmations and independent discussion support determine order. This is not a probability of success.
Discussions that contain suggestions
1
0 original-poster resolution reports. Counts can overlap; they are not unique people or a success rate.
0 discussions have direct query context; 0 report a fix in that context. Other evidence may inherit the discussion’s subject.
Suggestion · Original poster
It's been well used around 188k on the clock and a few recent track days might have helped speed things along - but worth it - kind of
Any help appreciated in getting a much loved 996 back on the road.
Frequently discussed actions (5)
These are separate views of the same evidence. Frequency alone does not establish a fix, and these counts must not be added together.
Check coolant
No successful repair reported for this finding.
0
Reported fixes
0
Unsuccessful attempts
1
Discussions
Read evidence and context
Discussions that performed work without a confirmed outcome
1
0 original-poster resolution reports. Counts can overlap; they are not unique people or a success rate.
0 discussions have direct query context; 0 report a fix in that context. Other evidence may inherit the discussion’s subject.
Performed · outcome unconfirmed · Original poster
I stopped it then and there, and later checked the coolant with had frothy brown stuff at the top, and then checked the oil and it had coolant in the oil.
Any help appreciated in getting a much loved 996 back on the road.
Check oil and it had coolant in the oil
No successful repair reported for this finding.
0
Reported fixes
0
Unsuccessful attempts
1
Discussions
Read evidence and context
Discussions that performed work without a confirmed outcome
1
0 original-poster resolution reports. Counts can overlap; they are not unique people or a success rate.
0 discussions have direct query context; 0 report a fix in that context. Other evidence may inherit the discussion’s subject.
Performed · outcome unconfirmed · Original poster
I stopped it then and there, and later checked the coolant with had frothy brown stuff at the top, and then checked the oil and it had coolant in the oil.
Any help appreciated in getting a much loved 996 back on the road.
Run temp
No successful repair reported for this finding.
0
Reported fixes
0
Unsuccessful attempts
1
Discussions
Read evidence and context
Discussions that contain suggestions
1
0 original-poster resolution reports. Counts can overlap; they are not unique people or a success rate.
0 discussions have direct query context; 0 report a fix in that context. Other evidence may inherit the discussion’s subject.
Suggestion · Original poster
Symptoms were a very sudden overheating of the engine, I was waiting at the lights and in the time it took to go from red to green the engine had gone from normal running temp to boiling over.
Any help appreciated in getting a much loved 996 back on the road.
Coverage and how to read this overview
Counts describe captured discussions, not unique people or a diagnosis. Author identities are not reliably stored. Exact duplicate evidence is counted once across matching discussions; one discussion counts at most once per action/state. Multiple repairs reported together remain a combination. Suggestions and failed attempts do not establish a fix. Matches cover whole discussions and can include related faults, model variants and incomplete threads.
16 eligible posts · 0 unverified posts · 1 discussions match the subject in their title or opening post.
Porsche Forum Australia: 1 discussions
0 evidence records excluded for query context · 0 excluded by outcome qualification · 0 adjusted by outcome qualification.
0 acknowledgements have no verified action link; they do not establish a repair result.
Generation: 20261026T120458Z · outcome-qualification-6. Deterministic extraction; no AI model inference. How we use sources
Hi Unfortunately my 1998 Porsche Carrerra had an engine fail last week. I've been told by Porsche that it either has a head gasket failure, or damage to the head, lining or cylinder. Estimates for repairs have been between $10k and $33k depending on the damage and location of the repair.
I can't really afford the repairs and don't know what other options I have. Does anyone have any ideas on how I can extract some value from the car, where can I sell it as a rolling chassis? are there any cheaper options I haven't thought of. Body and interior are in great condition, it seems a shame to scrap it for next to nothing, but that seems the only option I can find so far. I'm Melbourne based.
Any help would be much appreciated, I'm devastated to be out of the porsche community, hopefully there's some way back.
Ouch. How many km were on the engine when it decided to kick the bucket?
I would definitely go for a replacement from the US or if your lucky find one from a write off over here.
http://www.vertexauto.com/showitem.aspx?&id=293712&name=Porsche%20996%20Rebuilt%20Engine%203.6%20L%20-%20Years%2002-04
$15k for a rebuilt one plus freight from the US. Ring some of your local independents, in particular
SPYDER (he advertises on here) never know what they may have a lead to.
Unless a HGF led to some serious secondary damage, I can't see how head gasket replacement would run to $10k.
I'd be talking to a trusted independent Porsche specialist with a view to getting a diagnosis of exactly what the problem is and work from there. Reading between the lines, it looks like absence of compression on one or more cylinders has led to a speculative diagnosis.
If you've got no compression on two adjacent cylinders, that would point towards HGF. A single cylinder without compression may be something more serious.
(None of the above should be mis-construed as a pop at the OP or the Porsche dealership.)
It's been well used around 188k on the clock and a few recent track days might have helped speed things along - but worth it - kind of
Looks like I've found someone who will diagnose it properly, will repair it cheaper and will take it of my hands for a fair price if I can't afford the fix, so it looks like I've found the best solution I can. Thanks all for your help! Here's hoping I get it back on the road where it belongs!
As has been said , get a proper diagnosis.
This company
http://www.flat6innovations.com/index.php/engines/stock-parts-a-services
have the right idea - fix the faults and supply "bulletproof" motors. Hopefully get at least 188k out of a rebuild.
have you talked to anyone apart from Porsche?
Have you talked to Autoart?
http://www.autoartaustralia.com/
Give them a call, shouldn't be that hard.
Head gasket failure... shouldn't be that expensive!
When you say engine failure, what exactly were the symptoms?
Thanks, yes I've spoken with Jacarro and they agree The quotes seem way off. He'll have a look at it in the new year and we'll see how we go. Symptoms were a very sudden overheating of the engine, I was waiting at the lights and in the time it took to go from red to green the engine had gone from normal running temp to boiling over. I stopped it then and there, and later checked the coolant with had frothy brown stuff at the top, and then checked the oil and it had coolant in the oil. Engine had been running great prior to that, no prior warnings of a failure at all. Temp and oil pressure normal, starting fine and running fine. It was serviced 3 weeks prior and given a clean bill of health.
We'll see what the others guys think when they get a proper look at it. Hopefully it is just a gasket, but everyone I spoken too seems to think that's the least likely scenario so it seems odd porsche suggested it, maybe they were just trying to ease the pain, or thought I'm too ignorant to understand more complicated head issues so just explained it that way.
All that cost saving might have made them the most profitable car company on the the planet, but it sure has given their reputation for solid engineering a kicking.
Seen more IMS bearing failures and cracked cylinder liners than blown head gaskets on the 996s. $10k for just a head gasket replacements is way too much.
I would say they have factored the worst case scenario into their quote and simply said it is a head gasket. Replacing liners is not a small task particularly if they need to be honed in situ.
Good luck with it mate, let's us know how it unravels.
