11 captured repliesDiscussion pagination complete · Source accounts, not a confirmed diagnosis
THIS DISCUSSION / SOURCE-DERIVED OVERVIEW
Discussion summary
YOUR RESEARCH03 996 4S - more maintenance?
Reported or suspected cause
car not being driven daily, i find i have
Reported cause
No successful repair reported for this finding.
1
Identified cause
0
Suspected cause
0
Reported fixes
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 report identifying a cause
1
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0 discussions have direct query context; 0 report a fix in that context. Other evidence may inherit the discussion’s subject.
Reported cause
The only "negative" I've found is due to the car not being driven daily, I find I have to use a battery tender to keep the battery up to snuff.
Leading evidence: 'car not being driven daily, i find i have' (1 discussions report identifying this cause; no attributable repair resolution). Across 1 matching discussions, the most frequently mentioned possible cause is 'car not being driven daily, i find i have' (1 discussions; 1 report identifying it and 0 suggest it). The most frequently discussed action is 'Check can be made' (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
There's the extra diff which gets its fluid changed on the same schedule as the rear but the "extra" maintenance is negligible in the overall scheme of things.
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
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Suggestion
Follow this with a PPI that among other things gets the car in the air so a careful check can be made for any issues.
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
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Suggestion
CV boots are a "wear" item but when they will need replacement with possibly a cleaning of the CV's and packing with grease varies.
Replace driver's window regulator, two regular oil/filter
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
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Suggestion
So far I've had to replace the driver's window regulator, two regular oil/filter changes.
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
There's the extra diff which gets its fluid changed on the same schedule as the rear but the "extra" maintenance is negligible in the overall scheme of things.
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.
11 eligible posts · 0 unverified posts · 1 discussions match the subject in their title or opening post.
Rennlist: 1 discussions
0 evidence records excluded for query context · 0 excluded by outcome qualification · 0 adjusted by outcome qualification.
1 acknowledgements have no verified action link; they do not establish a repair result.
Outcome without a verified action link
60K miles, no change in IMS, RMS - but owner claims to have no issues (I'm still worried anyway).
Noobie here - is a 4S appreciably more maintenance than a RWD?
I'm looking at a used one in a few days and welcome any and all advice!
60K miles, no change in IMS, RMS - but owner claims to have no issues (I'm still worried anyway).
Thanks to you all!!
Not really.
As Groove said, get a PPI.
Obviously, there is an additional front differential that could need attention long term.
The VC does have wear components, but it shouldn't be enough to dissuade you from buying the car.
I'll be honest, if you are already 'worried,' this hobby may not be for you. Things will break. A Porsche will cost you money, more money than a Honda. You can bank on that as a fact.
With that said, get a thorough PPI from a good shop - and not one that has serviced the car previously. Don't get ahead of yourself. Be prepared to walk away if it doesn't pass muster. And finally, get what you want, not what you can find. Be patient and find the car with the right options in the color you want. It may take a while, but you'll be glad you did. My advice is to find a car with lots of options, like full leather, PSM, and Bose/Litronics. Of course a base C4S has all that, plus the turbo bodywork. Great car if you find a good one.
Good luck!
Let me add I bought an '03 C4 Cab early this year with only 31k miles. So far I've had to replace the driver's window regulator, two regular oil/filter changes. Oh, one other thing re PM - I had them clean out the radiator openings
in the front. Lots of crap had wound up in there.
The AOS was done under dealer warranty. The IMS is original. What I've done to allay my fears is to have the oil filter replaced every 2k miles - and I have them cut it open to look for any metal fragments.
The only "negative" I've found is due to the car not being driven daily, I find I have to use a battery tender to keep the battery up to snuff.
As others have said "Not really."
There's the extra diff which gets its fluid changed on the same schedule as the rear but the "extra" maintenance is negligible in the overall scheme of things.
But be aware there are more things to go wrong. Front diff seals can leak. The front axle boots can require replacement and if these fail and let dirt in the CV's you could be facing new half shafts.
The front diff could fail.
Also, the viscous coupling could fail.
But most front diffs and most viscous couplings don't fail. CV boots are a "wear" item but when they will need replacement with possibly a cleaning of the CV's and packing with grease varies.
Be sure you give the car a thorough road test and verify the diff (front and rear) are quiet and there are no other issues.
After the road test check that all the car's subsystems are working.
Follow this with a PPI that among other things gets the car in the air so a careful check can be made for any issues. The biggie is leaks. But of course bent/damaged suspension hardware, signs of accident damage, etc. need also be checked for.
also, grind the hell out of the seller - show fear of no replacement IMS bearing and how everyone is telling you to stay away from the car - grind on seller like there is no tomorrow - if you do it right and be persistent, it can pay for 1/2 the IMS/clutch bill.
put seller in a holi-daze
then yer sittin pretty!
You should not have to use a battery tender if you keep the car fully locked every time you leave the car. Even inside your own garage. I drive mine at least 10 miles every 2 or 3 days during the day light hours. Hardly ever use the disc or radio and never had to use a tender. The engine kicks up first time, every time.
It might not hurt to "insinuate" that the seller may just be selling so as to avoid having to bite a $3000 bullet for a clutch/IMS/RMS job. Not at all unusual for the clutch to be on borrowed time at 60K miles, and many owners choose to also do the IMS & RMS at the same time as the clutch.
And although I agree that a PPI should not be done at the same shop the seller has been using, it might be worthwhile to find out what shop the seller has been using, and "quietly" contact them to get their feedback on the car. The prospect of getting the next owner of the car (i.e., you) as a future customer may persuade them to confide to you about past work and pending issues.
But that said, it's a great car.
This is a source reference. Confirm exact model applicability in the original material.
