Pelican Parts

Any way to diagnose an IMS problem at test drive?

Add to repair workspace

New repair projectOpen repair workspace

Original source

7 captured repliesDiscussion pagination complete · Source accounts, not a confirmed diagnosis

THIS DISCUSSION / SOURCE-DERIVED OVERVIEW

Discussion summary

YOUR RESEARCHAny way to diagnose an IMS problem at test drive?

Leading reported evidence

Check manometer would also be

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
Borescope, code check, manometer would also be on my list.
Original post Read captured discussion
Any way to diagnose an IMS problem at test drive?

Read full discussion summary

Leading evidence: 'Check manometer would also be' (no explicit attributable resolution; this is a reported action or suggestion). Across 1 matching discussions, The most frequently discussed action is 'Check manometer would also be' (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.

Read captured replies

1 matching discussions · 7 captured posts examined · 0 partial discussions

Compare 2 other evidence results

Replace owner is cheaper than an engine

Suggestion or failed attempt

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
Cutting a filter only gives you a half story I'd drop the sump, free oil change for the owner is cheaper than an engine.
Original post Read captured discussion
Any way to diagnose an IMS problem at test drive?

Test drive

Suggestion or failed attempt

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
Is there a way to tell if there is an IMS problem with a 996 at a test drive?
Original post Read captured discussion
Any way to diagnose an IMS problem at test drive?

Frequently discussed actions (3)

These are separate views of the same evidence. Frequency alone does not establish a fix, and these counts must not be added together.

Check manometer would also be

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
Borescope, code check, manometer would also be on my list.
Original post Read captured discussion
Any way to diagnose an IMS problem at test drive?

Replace owner is cheaper than an engine

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
Cutting a filter only gives you a half story I'd drop the sump, free oil change for the owner is cheaper than an engine.
Original post Read captured discussion
Any way to diagnose an IMS problem at test drive?

Test drive

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
Is there a way to tell if there is an IMS problem with a 996 at a test drive?
Original post Read captured discussion
Any way to diagnose an IMS problem at test drive?

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.

7 eligible posts · 0 unverified posts · 1 discussions match the subject in their title or opening post.

Pelican Parts: 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: 20261026T161109Z · outcome-qualification-6. Deterministic extraction; no AI model inference. How we use sources

POST 1 / ORIGINAL POSTEROriginal post

Is there a way to tell if there is an IMS problem with a 996 at a test drive? I know you can cut apart the oil filter to look for debris but that's not gonna happen when you meet someone to see their car. If they don't have records of cut apart oil filters or of the bearing being changed is there anything else to go on? Can you hear a pending problem with a stethascope?

POST 2Original post

IMS bearings fail without warning. You can measure cam deviation as part of a PPI. If the car checks out, negotiate in the IMS and clutch as part of the deal.

POST 3Original post

Agreed. Hidden time bomb issue unless you cut the filer looking for shavings, or have receipts for IMS upgrade or maybe even oil analysis reports. As to lore about IMS failings, frequent oil changes and higher mileage engines seem to have less issues than garage queens. I believe the class action lawsuit reported about a 10% failure rate issue.

POST 4Original post

Make the deal conditional on passing the inspection Then either renegotiate based on what was found or walk away

POST 5 / ORIGINAL POSTEROriginal post

So it looks like the short answer is no, as I thought. Thank you

POST 6Original post

The problem with diagnosing a pending IMS failure has always been timing; it could look perfect on Monday and make your engine a boat anchor on Wednesday….

POST 7Original post

I wouldn't consider a '98-2005 without a PPI from a shop that knows these cars. If an owner won't let you get a PPI walk away. Cutting a filter only gives you a half story I'd drop the sump, free oil change for the owner is cheaper than an engine. Way more issues than just IMS, scored bores are a bigger issue here. Borescope, code check, manometer would also be on my list.

This is a source reference. Confirm exact model applicability in the original material.