996 questionss....

Happy Christmas to one and all. I'm conssidering returning to the Porsche Brand, I previously owned a 1979 911SC which I regret selling now and certainly can't afford to get back into one of those again. However I've been offered a 2002 996 Carrera 4 but I've heard tails of Engine Problems so I'm curious to know of the experiences existing 996 owners have come across. I look forward to hearing your thoughts.

More folks will chime in... but I would just get a PPI done including a bore scope check for bore score. Then have a contingency fund for the works that will probably need doing. EG suspension refresh, brake pipes etc. These are great cars to work on if you like doing that and you can save some pennies this way too. If the car has a history file then take a look to see what the clutch was last done and what works have been done in the last few years. Hopefully its had at least regular servicing. Good luck!

Here are some notes I made when I started looking: Porsche 911 2S is slightly cheaper than 4S but has the narrower rear. Targa versions are all 4wd 4S are 44mm wider Light bar connecting rear lights denotes a 4wd S version car IMS bearing issue 99-06 m96 / M97 affected. 9A1 engine resolved the issue Bore score is 996 and 997 964 (1989–1994) Out of budget!! 993 (1995–1998) the last air-cooled 911. Prettiest one? 996 (1999–2004) all-new body and water-cooled engines. 997.1 (2005-2008) Carrera 3.6L 6-cylinder from 996 321 hp and 273 lb-ft 6spd Manual or tiptronic. Carrera S 3.8 355bhp possibly has PASM suspension Avoid 2004 and 2006 models due to IMS issues? 3.6 engine number up to m96/05 69507475 has the smaller bearing. Engine number from m96/05 69507476 has the larger bearing. 3.8 engine up to m97/01 68509790 has the smaller bearing. Engine m98/01 68509791 onwards has the larger bearing. For a low temperature thermostat to avoid bore score. Run heavier oil 5w40 or 10w40 millers oils Always warm up between 1500 and 2500 rpm to min 90C Bore score issues - tapping noise / sooty deposits on exhaust / excessive oil use. 2008 is the best year? 997.2 (2009-2012). PDK no ims issues? https://imsretrofit.com/ims-101/ https://www.hartech.org/images/downloads/Hartech Buyers Guide 2021.pdf 991 (2012–2019) all-new body. 992 (2019–) Carrera is the base model with 2 exhausts S is the next one up with quad exhausts. Full buyers guide: 997 Carrera Owners UK - Buyers & Owners guide. Everything herewith is based upon real-world experience & knowledge: ownership/talking to owners/dealing with OPC technicians & independent Porsche specialists. It is not designed to endow you with encyclopaedic knowledge, there’s not a lot here that’d stand up in a court of law & the admin team take no responsibility for errors or omissions. However, if you read through, you may find answers to questions you hadn’t thought of yet! ——————————————————— Porsche built some 200,000 examples of the 997 between 2004-2012: today its blend of modernity and driving characteristics, historically typical of the 911, make it a firm favourite with owners. Below we note a few details regarding 997 Carrera buying and ownership. It’s not chapter & verse. It’s not intended to cover every detail in full. But it’ll give you an insight into a car which many believe to be the last of the analogue 911s. Carrera and Carrera S, gen 1 and gen 2: The ‘base level’ Carrera featured a 3.6 engine, 6 sp manual gearbox or tiptronic auto in gen 1 format (pdk auto gen 2). Standard wheels were 18” and headlights were halogen bulbs. The Carrera S featured a 3.8 engine, a 6 sp manual gearbox or tiptronic auto in gen 1 format (pdk auto gen 2). Wheels were 19” and headlights were HID with headlamp washers. ‘S’ models can be spotted from a distance by their red painted brake calipers. Both Carrera and Carrera S were available as rear wheel drive in what is known as ‘narrow body’ format or four wheel drive in what is known as ‘wide body’ format: the wide body is 22mm wider at each rear wheel arch, so 44mm at the hips overall. Note - all Carrera GTS models were wide-body regardless of rear wheel drive or four wheel drive. Gen 1/gen 2: early 997’s arrived on U.K. roads in 2004 through to 2009 when the ‘facelift’ gen 2 cars arrived. Externally, the front bumpers are different, the rear bumpers are different and also the rear lights. On 4wd cars, the gen 2 saw the reintroduction of the famed full-width rear reflector. 997 Carrera’s were available as a coupé, a targa or a cabriolet. Note that ALL 997 targa’s were 4 wheel drive and were badged ‘targa/targa S’ rather than ‘Carrera’. The vast majority of 997 GTS models (coupé or cabriolet) were spec’d from the factory with ‘centre-lock’ (single wheel nut) wheels BUT there are a few of ‘em out there with ‘normal’ 5-bolt hubs. Oh, there was a very limited run of 997 Speedsters, and the glorious 997 Sport Classic but they’re somewhat specialised and a little beyond the scope of these notes. The 997 turbo and GT3/RS cars were never badged as ‘Carrera’ and as such are not included here either. Possible problem areas and topics to note. Condition, condition, condition: when considering a purchase, condition and history should be everything to the prospective 997 owner. Just because a car has only done 20,000 miles from new in ‘05 doesn’t mean it’s not still a 16+ year old car. And just because another ’05 car has done 100,000 miles doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a pup. Evidence of thorough servicing and maintenance carried out as and when required are what you want to see. And, if you don’t know what you’re looking at, find someone who does when you’ve spotted a car you like the look of. How do I warm up my car properly: Perceived wisdom says that whatever you do, warm your 997 engine carefully. This means keeping the revs below 2500-3000, but above 1500 or so when the engine is cold. Avoid ‘labouring’ the engine and using WOT (wide open throttle) until the oil is fully warm. Once the oil is fully up to temperature (90 degrees minimum) you can do whatever you like! Should I fit a Low Temperature Thermostat: Low Temperature Thermostats are generally considered to be A Good Thing. They allow coolant temperatures to run a little lower within the engine, especially in the far reaches of the water jacket near cylinder number 6. The added benefit is that oil temperatures are reduced, by about 10 degrees across all operating conditions. If bore-score concerns you, fit an LTT. Best oil: everyone has an opinion on engine oil. Fully synthetic is obvious, and Porsche currently recommend Mobil 1, 0w30. There are many pundits who believe that a 997 Carrera/S responds well to a slightly heavier oil; 5w40 or 10w40. Miller’s oils are recommended by many independent Porsche specialists. Oil and coolant temperatures: If everything is working normally, a 997’s coolant temperature gauge will sit steadily at 80 degrees and this writer wouldn’t expect to see the needle move much across all normal operating conditions (it’s designed that way). HOWEVER the oil temperature gauge WILL move, and sometimes quite significantly, across a range of operating conditions. When fitted with the original (coolant) thermostat expect to see an oil temperature of about 100 degrees in day to day driving. When a low temperature thermostat is fitted expect to see an oil temperature of about 90 degrees. If you decide to drive your 997 a bit harder, ahem, or on track or over the Swiss Alps at an enthusiastic touring gait Do Not Be Surprised to see the oil temperature rise by as much as 15 degrees over its ‘normal’ temperature. Bore scoring: this is A Big Deal for gen 1 cars. It’s difficult to be exact or precise because no one knows the full story/all the numbers. But the fact is that the gen 1 997 Carrera/S engines can score their bores, or at least some of their bores. In the simplest of explanations, cylinder 6 is prone to getting a bit hot and bothered and the piston will pick up on the cylinder wall and they’ll make a mess of each other. If you’re unlucky you’ll also have problems with up to 5 other cylinders... Tell-tale signs of bore-scoring are a distinct tapping sound from the running engine. Sooty deposits on the exhaust tailpipes. Excessive oil consumption. Now, you can do a few things to help your engine survive: a low temperature thermostat is very sensible. A slightly heavier engine oil is sensible. A water-less coolant is worth considering. But for this writer, the most important thing is how you actually drive your early 997: every owner with an opinion worth listening to will say that the engine needs to be carefully and FULLY warmed up (oil temperature) before it’s revved hard. The engine should not be laboured when cold. Wide open throttle should not be used when cold. Also worth considering when the engine is VERY hot, after perhaps sitting in a traffic jam or at slow traffic lights, is pulling away gently and without using very high revs to let the water pump get up to speed and to get the coolant shifting around the engine - here’s where the aforementioned low temperature thermostat comes in. You want to avoid hot-spots near cylinder 6 particularly. If you are considering purchasing a gen 1 997 most pundits would advise contracting a recognised marque expert to carry out a borescope test (simply: put a camera down each bore through the spark plug hole) to check the cylinder condition. The important bit is knowing the difference between a good bore, a reasonable bore and a knackered bore. Only experience can help here so consider who you’re gonna use and how many times they’ve done the job. Beware anyone who wants to take your money for a 997.1 pre-purchase inspection who doesn’t include a borescope test. Of course, 997’s are all about fun - so once your engine is fully up to temperature, this writer sees no wrong in using all the available performance whenever conditions allow and, as someone who has owned a Carrera S since early 2012, I’m happy to use our car in a ‘sporting manner’ on road and track as often as possible. It’s worth mentioning the bore-score situation with regards the 997.2 engine. Most pundits agree that the gen 2’s are far less troublesome but this writer has seen examples of excessive scoring so the suggestion has to be: if in doubt, get it checked. For more on this, visit the Hartech website. IMS: Gen 1 997 engines have an intermediate shaft inside them, known as the ‘IMS’. The IMS runs on a bearing. Sometimes the bearing collapses/breaks and causes catastrophic engine damage. There were ‘small bearings’ and ‘large bearings’: 3.6 engine number up to m96/05 69507475 has the smaller bearing. Engine number from m96/05 69507476 has the larger bearing. 3.8 engine up to m97/01 68509790 has the smaller bearing. Engine m98/01 68509791 onwards has the larger bearing. There are a few ‘fixes’ available: a simple new bearing, an aftermarket ceramic bearing and an aftermarket oil-fed bearing kit to name just three. Consult a recognised marque expert for more information. RMS: The Rear Main Seal (crankshaft seal) can leak! Not normally catastrophically, but more of a gentle weep. This writer’s understanding is that the seal has been modified over the years to perform better than it used to. If your gearbox is split from your engine for some reason, it’s probably worth fitting a new RMS if there’s any sign of oil where it shouldn’t be. Manual gear change from cold: Manual gearboxes can often be difficult to select gears when cold. One solution for first gear at a stop junction is to go into neutral, let the clutch out before depressing again and selecting the gear. This is a common problem on all models including the GT versions. Tiptronic gearbox: If ever there was a divisive 997 feature, the tiptronic auto is it. The haters will tell you that it sucks every drop of enjoyment out of 997 ownership, and is suitable only for the most boring of congested city driving. In reality, the ‘box is generally considered to be pretty robust and reliable. If you are prepared to learn how to get the best out of a tiptronic ‘box (and you’ll not do that on a quick 10 minute test drive) they really aren’t too bad. Start by reading the notes in the owner’s manual so that you understand how to ‘enliven’ the ‘box when in ‘D’. In ‘M’ the steering wheel mounted shift buttons give the enthusiastic driver a high degree of control. Again, learn how to get the best out of the gearbox over time and miles and it’ll reward your enthusiasm. PDK gearbox: the automatic gearbox option offered on the gen 2 997 is Porsche’s double-clutch masterpiece. Lots of gears, fast changes and considered to be fairly reliable. Tech has moved on a bit since the 997 PDK ‘box was introduced, but these early PDK’s are still pretty good. Note that the ‘basic’ PDK steering wheel is not well loved - the ‘lozenge’ buttons for manual gear changes are considered by most to be awkward and unergonomic. The ‘sport’ option ‘wheel is much preferred with its far more usable ‘paddles’. Tyres: Porsche recommend that all their cars are fitted with what’s known as ‘N rated’ tyres. For any 997 covered by an extended Porsche warranty or Porsche Approved Used warranty you’ll need your 997 to have a set of 4 matching N rated tyres. However, if your car is not under any kind of official Porsche scheme, fit whatever you like. This writer has never heard of any insurance company requesting that N rated tyres be fitted to a 997 - they’re more interested in the tyres being in good condition and of a suitable speed rating. In the U.K. at the time of writing, it is generally considered that Michelin Pilot Sport 4S is just about as good as it gets for general road use and a few track days. If you want a bit more performance try Michelin Cup 2’s - but don’t expect them to be hugely inspiring in the wet. Most pundits feel that Pirelli P-Zero tyres are a bit iffy in the damp. There are many different tyres available, but the performance and longevity offered by Pilot Sport 4S makes them hugely popular. Tyre scrubbing: many 997 owners get a bit of a shock the first time they reverse with full lock applied and they feel and hear the front tyres scrubbing ‘across’ the road surface. This is nothing to worry about - they all do it and it’s a side-effect of the way these cars are built to handle the way they do when going forwards. For full details, just check Google for ‘Ackerman effect’ or ‘Ackerman angle’. Tyre Pressures: The factory-recommended pressures can be found on the tyre pressure sticker inside the car or within the owner’s manual. However, less is sometimes more and dropping to 28F/34R has more benefits of grip, especially on track and fast road. It can also help with the ride. Experiment away, it’s just air, but it’s best to use the same gauge every time, and check pressures ‘cold’. 95 or 99 RON fuel: 997’s are designed to run on what we generally call ‘high octane’ U.K. fuel. If you’re stuck in the Scottish highlands or somewhere equally remote, ‘normal’ will be fine, but sticking to ‘Super’ is probably best. There’s no real evidence to suggest that supermarket fuel is worse than any other forecourt fuel - it’s your choice what brand you favour, but best stick to high octane. Update: E10 unleaded petrol is now the default ‘standard’ fuel on uk forecourts. Your 997 was designed to cope with 10% ethanol fuel so don’t panic about it. However, as above, stick to Super - which for the meantime at least - remains at or up to - 5% ethanol. Condensers/Radiators: 997 Carrera‘s have two air conditioning condensers, 1 under each headlight when viewing the front of the car. Behind each condenser is a radiator for the water-cooling system. On cars fitted with the tiptronic auto ‘box there’s a third radiator fitted - it’s in the middle of the front bumper under the number plate. Because Porsche decided not to fit any kind of mesh or grill in front of the condensers all sorts of rubbish ends up going through the ‘holes’ in the front bumper (leaves, twigs, cigarette ends, dead birds etc) where it collects, gets wet and starts to both block the condensers and radiators, and - perhaps worse - rot the delicate aluminium of the condensers and radiators. As such, this is a known problem area: any savvy owner will ensure that either the accumulated rubbish is regularly cleaned with a vacuum cleaner or is protected by an aftermarket grill/mesh solution. Some owners and workshops like to remove the front bumper and fit a mesh to the back of the bumper to provide protection. Without removing the bumper a grill kit from Zunsport can be fitted. Both solutions have their pros and cons, but most Carrera owners feel that either solution will extend the life of the condensers and radiators sufficiently to warrant fitment. Coolant pipes: basically, they rot. More specifically, they corrode worst where the different pipes fit together. There are rubber hoses, aluminium hose and plastic hoses and they can all give trouble. With the engine at the back and the rads at the front you can guess there’s a lot of pipe work and swapping them is not the work of a moment. There’s even pipes over the top of the engine: changing them is an engine out job. Brake pipes: 997 steel brake pipes rot for a pastime. Check them carefully, especially the lines hidden under the plastic undertray. There’s one brake pipe that runs over the engine: changing it properly is an engine out job, although some owners will be happy with a ‘Goodridge’ type flexible hose threaded over the engine to save a few bob... Tandem pump: the tandem pump sits near the end of a Carrera engine and is exposed to the elements. As such, the pump cover corrodes badly, as can the related pipe fittings. The pump is responsible for oil scavenging within the engine and also plays a part in brake boosting performance. Ignore it at your peril. Can I retrofit cruise control?: Yes. You need the ‘hardware’ which is basically the stalk assembly which control the ‘on/off, ‘set’, ‘cancel’ and ‘resume’. Once the stalk is fitted to the steering column you’ll need it switching on electronically - i.e. coded to your car via an On Board Diagnostics interface - an official Porsche workshop or Porsche independent will likely use the PIWIS system. Rear Wiper: some 997’s are fitted with the optional rear windscreen wiper. Note that the rear wiper is JUST a wiper: there is no rear washer jet. It’s the way Porsche make ‘em! Alternator/Starter motor wiring harness failure: Over the years the wiring for the alternator and starter motor can suffer damage through being exposed to repeated heat cycles within the engine bay. The problem can present itself as failure to start, complete lack of power when the ignition is switched on or false symptoms of a ‘flat battery’. The relevant replacement wiring is available from Porsche parts departments. Battery charging/conditioning: In general terms, if your 997 isn’t in regular use (i.e. being used at least once a week for more than a few miles) there’s a good chance that the battery will suffer. The modern way of coping with this is to use a battery ‘conditioner’ that is designed to supply a low rate of charge as and when required and to be left connected/switched on all the time that the car is not being used. Battery ‘conditioners’ are available from several manufacturers, but here in the uk the ‘go to’ brand is ctek. Just about any of their ‘car’ conditioners will be fine for use with a 997 but it’s worth thinking about any other vehicles in your ‘fleet’ before making a purchase: if you have a more modern car with ‘stop/start’ technology (as well as your 997) it might be worth buying a ctek (or similar) with an AGM setting so it can be used reliably on an AGM battery (as often found on stop/start cars) should the need arise. Beware the shutdown! If you’ve a 997 that’s not a ‘daily’ don’t panic when you try to unlock it by pressing the button on your usual key and nothing happens. Furthermore, don’t panic when you’ve spent ages finding your spare key and the car is equally unresponsive to a button press on that as well. Chances are that the car has gone into hibernation after 7 days or more of inactivity. Just compose yourself, walk to the car and simply lift and release the driver’s door handle once. That’ll be enough to take the car out of hibernation and your keys should unlock the car as usual.

Better to give us all the details you have on the car and we can better advise from there.

Quotes source post: 2716253

+1 on this.

+2 . Iirc the.2 996 has single row bearing, 98-2000 had double row bearing and alot more sturdy...check out the charts on hartech's website. Good luck with your search and merry Christmas.

It’s a great time to buy. Like you I had an ‘86 3.2 for over 20 years. I sold it a few years ago and replaced with an SL55, which I am now bored of. So I researched the classifieds for a few months. I kept coming back to the 996 C4S, a cab with tip and preferably not silver. Most cars I was looking at come up at around £20-25k but nothing is selling. Cars were listed for a year or more in some cases. Then one came up on eBay without reserve and I took a punt as it was a nice spec (atlas grey and only 88k miles). I won it for £13,800 (sight unseen) and have been enjoying it for the past few weeks. I’ve booked it in for a post purchase inspection in January. I figured for that money, if the engine develops issues I can afford to get a Hartech rebuild Good luck. Ps and the auto box is great. I believe it’s the same as my SL55, and very strong and reliable - my knees are shot so manual is out of the question

Have a good scroll down of all the 996 sub forum topic headings and click on any that look of interest. There's over 20 years worth to catch up on so it might take some time but any questions you're ever likely to ask have probably been asked and answered before. Have fun.

Thanks for the various replies. Much reading to be done indeed. So the car in question is a 2002 Carrera 4 but I'm assuming it's not a "S" model as there are only two exhaust pipes and not two twins (if I read that correctly as to the obvious external difference). It's tiptronic which whilst initially I wasn't looking for as I'm getting older then it's beginning to look more appealing as I recall the clutch was really heavy on my previous 911SC.... and something to think about which my youngest son pointed out that most cars now (EV's etc) are automatics so the younger generations won't know how to drive manuals and eventually that will affect prices. I'll get some more phot's of it soon and post those.

The C4S has a wider back end and big red rear reflector across the back, also big bumper on the front same as the turbo. Like so@

it's certainly not an S then. I've attached the only photo I have of the car in questioon atm.

Do you have the registration?

Quotes source post: 2716873

Yes but I never post photo's with reg plates on them. it's on an 02 plate

The only thing I can comment on from that picture is that it's wearing 997 lobster claw wheels.

Quotes source post: 2716876

It's only to check the previous history of the car so we can advise you correctly. 2002 plate 3.6 tiptronic is more prone to bore score than any other model in the 996 range, so without any other info, that's the best advice I can give you. Look for a left sooty tailpipe and tapping from the right hand side (driver's side) of the engine.