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THIS DISCUSSION / SOURCE-DERIVED OVERVIEW
Discussion summary
YOUR RESEARCHHow often do engines need replacing ?
Leading reported evidence
Install longer vanos bolts as the short ones sometimes sheared
Performed · outcome unconfirmed
No successful repair reported for this finding.
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0
Unsuccessful attempts
1
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Performed · outcome unconfirmed · Original poster
For example on S50 engined M3's & M roadsters BMW fitted longer Vanos bolts as the short ones sometimes sheared.
Leading evidence: 'Install longer vanos bolts as the short ones sometimes sheared' (no explicit attributable resolution; this is a reported action or suggestion). Across 1 matching discussions, The most frequently discussed action is 'Install longer vanos bolts as the short ones sometimes sheared' (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.
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Performed · outcome unconfirmed
had the coolant header tank replaced due to a slight leak and a good service,ive used the car every day and she`s never missed a beat ,sailed through the mot.
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Performed · outcome unconfirmed
So depending on when the engine was replaced, will dictate how good the new one is.
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Suggestion · Original poster
One with engine replaced by Porsche would be a good bet.
Discussions that performed work without a confirmed outcome
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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
had the coolant header tank replaced due to a slight leak and a good service,ive used the car every day and she`s never missed a beat ,sailed through the mot.
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.
8 eligible posts · 0 unverified posts · 1 discussions match the subject in their title or opening post.
911uk: 1 discussions
0 evidence records excluded for query context · 0 excluded by outcome qualification · 0 adjusted by outcome qualification.
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Generation: 20261027T020439Z · outcome-qualification-6. Deterministic extraction; no AI model inference. How we use sources
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Hi,
I have a BMW M Roadster at present. I'm thinking about changing to a 996. I see on Autotrader there are a couple of 1998 ones described as having had replacement engines. One says due to loss of coolant problem !
You can guess what I'm thinking. How common is this problem ?
If it's relatively common, say greater than 2% of 996's, then an extended warranty would be essential I guess.
Cheers for any replies.
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Migration info. Legacy thread was 131110
Robin - it is hard to know exactly how many engines have gone, but quite a few of the early ones had problems (say 5%) and to a lesser extent the newer one's.
As the engine aged Porsche made a number of changes, so the late 3.4s (2001) are a much stronger engine than the first one's (1998). So depending on when the engine was replaced, will dictate how good the new one is.
Generally if it has been replaced you are getting a car that has seen the worst and so should have some happy motoring ahead.
One thing to be aware of is that you can only put an OPC Warranty on until the cars 9th birthday. So this is the last year you will be able to put a warranty on a 1998 car.
Welcome to the forum!
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Migration info. Legacy thread was 131113
Many thanks SP for that info. A 2001 model would be beyond my budget. At least as authorised by the other half that is. In addition to improvements in the engine design, I wonder if any mods were done on recall to overcome the problem of loss of coolant on the early 996's. For example on S50 engined M3's & M roadsters BMW fitted longer Vanos bolts as the short ones sometimes sheared.
Migration info. Legacy thread was 131124
To be honest, I haven't heard about the loss of coolant as a major problem. One of the more technical guys may know a bit more.
One that has had a new engine may be a good buy, what is your budget and what are you looking for?
Migration info. Legacy thread was 131127
based on the no's produced a very small % but the 3.4's are now reaching 10 years old so have the same issues of any modern supercar
Migration info. Legacy thread was 131224
Robin- time will tell but i bought a 99 c2 in May 06 48000m for 24 grand. had the coolant header tank replaced due to a slight leak and a good service,ive used the car every day and she`s never missed a beat ,sailed through the mot. i rekon they hold money much better than your bmw too. get one bought - you wont regret it!
Migration info. Legacy thread was 131597
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