New Owner Questions

Good morning all, Thank you to everyone who helped on my previous thread (Looking to join the club). Well yesterday, I purchased my first Porsche 996. As a concerned, perhaps slightly paranoid, car owner, I would like to change/flush motor and transmission oils in the car. As per manual, I was going to do Mobil 1 0W-40 and change again after 1,000 miles. The transmission, on the other hand, seems to be a bit more difficult. Mobilube PTX 75W-90 seems to be hard to procure so my thought was to change with Mobil Delvac 75W-90 and change to PTX when I get my hands on some. Please let me know your thoughts or your procedures in dealing with a new used vehicle. As always, I greatly appreciate everyone's help and look forward to being part of the community. E

My apologies, pictures or it didn't happen, right?...

Why change the transmission oil? And why be paranoid? You just acquired one of the most robust sportscars around!! Don't get hyped up with all the internet ladida, it is overrated. It looks like a nice early model, what year/mileage etc? BTW I always understood it is better to get the engine weight on the front end of the trailer, IOW reverse the car. Volkert

Quotes source post: 14043670

You bought the car because I assume it passed your used car check out and gives no indication of any problems. It arrived at this condition with probably what transmission fluid it left the factory. Why mess with success? My info is there are two transmission/diff fluids to chose from. Mobil (Mobilube PTX) and Shell (Transaxle). According to the info from Porsche these two fluids can be mixed. Not sure if other transmission fluids can be mixed. I think you need 3 liters so get 3 one liter jugs from a handy Porsche dealer parts department. If you are a PCNA club member you might be in for a discount. Ask. When it comes time to change the transmission fluid in my Porsches I just have this done at the dealer. The Boxster only requires 0.3 hour labor. The Turbo a bit more labor time because more panels have to be removed to get at the transmission but for either car the transmission fluid change is the least expensive service either of these cars gets. The dealer tech gets to deal with the foul odor of the transmission fluid and disposing of the old fluid. There is no need to change the oil then change it again 1K miles later unless perhaps you are trying to "flush" the engine because the previous owner may have used some other oil that may not be miscible with Mobil 1 0w-40 oil. Or you just want to. Your car and you can do what you want. For dealing with a new used vehicle I just bring all services up to date. This is based on what I manage to learn about the car's service history prior to buying the car. Generaly -- if necessary -- I start with engine oil/filter and other filters like the engine (and cabin) air filters, fuel filter, and brake/clutch fluid flushed/bled. Then have the other fluids: transmission and coolant drained and refilled. I have the plugs done to at some point. At some point I like to run a bottle or two of Techron through the engine but afterwards the oil should be changed. If you can get it just run Chevron gasoline which contains Techron and my experience is can make a difference in how the engine runs even after just a tank or two of gasoline. If the tires are showing signs of uneven wear that's a indication the alignment is out. A good alignment can mean the difference between getting 8K miles from a set of rear tires vs. getting 20K miles from a set of rear tires. Also, since the car is "new" you must keep a close eye out for any signs of trouble. Be sure you check the body water drains for any accumulation of trash. If you find any this must be *carefully* cleaned out to prevent water from backing up and overflowing into the cabin. Check the radiator ducts for trash build up and clean this out if you find any. After a washing or rain check the door bottoms for any signs of dampness. If you find some this is a sign the door membrane is leaking and the membrane should be replaced.

To ease the paranoia and to get a good feel of what's going on, dropping the sump off the car if you are changing the oil won't add a huge amount of time or expense. You will get to see the condition of the oil pick up and if there are any significant debris on/in the pan. A spin on oil filter adaptor from L&N might be worth ordering particularly if you are planning on the short 1000 mile duration between oil changes. Pulling the front bumper cover off helps you to find and deal with all debris, leaves etc from the radiators per Macster's post above. Congratulations on the 996.1 and good luck.

Aside from the solid advice given above to bring the service items up to date , just drive it. This will tell you what needs to be addressed. That said, I just finished my first oil change with a pan drop and installation of the LN oil filter adapter. Gained at least 5 hp😉 And a little more insight into the health of my car. Take your time, enjoy the journey. Pick the highest priority items and do those first. Drive it. Repeat.

If you plan to change the trans oil I would order the stuff you really want to use and only do it once - probably for the life of your ownership of the car. You can get PTX online from Suncoast.

1. Congrats. Correct color choice. 2. Before changing oil, call/email Roger at 928sRUS.com and buy a LN full flow oil filter kit and mag drain plug. 3. Use a better oil than Mobil-1. 4. Do plan to remove the front bumper cover, and clean the rads and AC condensers this spring. 5. Order the ign switch electrical connector and have it stored in the frunk. When it fails(and it will fail), you will have the part on hand to replace it. Cheap insurance, or you can do it proactive. 6. Put your location in your info pls.

Quotes source posts: 14043762, 14044105

It's a 1999 with just over 114,000 miles and you're absolutely correct about reversing the car; significant oversight on my part. Yup, ignition switch is already finicky, part already ordered. As for location, done as well. Thank you everyone for the great advice, I greatly appreciate the time and everyone's thoroughness. You have eased my concerns regarding the transmission, so I will proceed with motor oil, filters, and ignition. And, of course, driving like I stole it. Thanks again all. E

Quotes source post: 14044157

Kewl, When you swap it, there's an article on pelicanparts. You will need a small flashlight and a short and small blade screwdriver. Most mini screwdrivers you find will be too long to work with. Needs to be both short, and small blade.