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THIS DISCUSSION / SOURCE-DERIVED OVERVIEW
Discussion summary
YOUR RESEARCHHow should rear spoiler warning light work?
Leading reported evidence
Check light cancelled itself
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Performed · outcome unconfirmed · Original poster
The spoiler was down when I got out and checked, light cancelled itself after I set off again.
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Suggestion
Wouldn't worry about kerbed alloys (providing the dealer refurbs them before delivery), but I would get the car checked by a Porsche specialist before you buy it, and I would want the Porsche warranty on it rather than a Merc.
Leading evidence: 'Check light cancelled itself' (no explicit attributable resolution; this is a reported action or suggestion). Across 1 matching discussions, the most frequently mentioned possible cause is '996 and spent yesterday looking at possible cars' (1 discussions; 0 report identifying it and 1 suggest it). The most frequently discussed action is 'Check by a porsche specialist' (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 · Original poster
The spoiler was down when I got out and checked, light cancelled itself after I set off again.
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 suspect a cause
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Suspected cause · Original poster
I'm looking to buy my first 911, probably a 996 and spent yesterday looking at possible cars.
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Suspected cause · Original poster
I walked away from what turned out to be the best car of the day due to some kerbed alloys and a warning light the dealer couldn't explain (Merc dealer) but now think it might be worth a second look.
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.
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Suggestion
Wouldn't worry about kerbed alloys (providing the dealer refurbs them before delivery), but I would get the car checked by a Porsche specialist before you buy it, and I would want the Porsche warranty on it rather than a Merc.
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Check by a porsche specialist
No successful repair reported for this finding.
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Reported fixes
0
Unsuccessful attempts
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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
Wouldn't worry about kerbed alloys (providing the dealer refurbs them before delivery), but I would get the car checked by a Porsche specialist before you buy it, and I would want the Porsche warranty on it rather than a Merc.
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.
Suspected cause · Original poster
I walked away from what turned out to be the best car of the day due to some kerbed alloys and a warning light the dealer couldn't explain (Merc dealer) but now think it might be worth a second look.
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
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0 acknowledgements have no verified action link; they do not establish a repair result.
Generation: 20261027T192637Z · outcome-qualification-6. Deterministic extraction; no AI model inference. How we use sources
Hi,
I'm looking to buy my first 911, probably a 996 and spent yesterday looking at possible cars. I walked away from what turned out to be the best car of the day due to some kerbed alloys and a warning light the dealer couldn't explain (Merc dealer) but now think it might be worth a second look.
I'm fairly certain the light is something to do with the rear spoiler from the picture. It comes on with the ignition and then went off as I drove away. The thing that worried me is that it came on during the test drive and then stayed on when I pulled over. The spoiler was down when I got out and checked, light cancelled itself after I set off again.
The dealer claims this is normal operation and demonstrated the spoiler going up and down with the manual control. I'm not convinced as he knew nothing about the light until we got back to the garage and then claims everything is fine, lets talk money.
Is this normal or could i be looking at a faulty mechanism / sensor?
Hi Stuart. It sound like he is talking out of what he should be sitting on. On the 964, the spoiler light comes on when you start up and goes off after you move away (I think it is at 6 mph which is the speed the spoiler goes down) The 996 doesn't have this trait - the spoiler deploys at 75 mph and retracts at 38. The warning light only comes on when to spoiler fails.
You should get the car inspected either by an independent specialist or an OPC and use their findings to negotiate the price. Spending a few hundred at this stage can save you a rather expensive bill once you have bought it.
Light shouldn't come on while driving, but should come on when you start off (goes out at about 5mph)
If it came on when you are driving, was it when you were accelerating through about 60 mph? If so, that sounds like a fault - maybe the spoiler couldn't lift for some reason?
By the way, that's b****s about the manual control, and it's not normal for it to come on by itself when driving!
Wouldn't worry about kerbed alloys (providing the dealer refurbs them before delivery), but I would get the car checked by a Porsche specialist before you buy it, and I would want the Porsche warranty on it rather than a Merc. one.
Be careful... You can easily end up spending £5,000 on a 911 without there being any visible difference - will they do that before you buy it? Or will their warranty stand it later? There is usually a reason that they cost a bit more at a Porsche dealer - and not all of it is profit!
Good luck, and welcome :thumbs:
The spoiler light is no big deal in the schem of things and should be fixed easily, as can the alloys.
Watties spot on, get the Porsche 111 point check and get the dealer to pay for a Porsche warranty - that way you'll have peace of mind! Good luck
Ray
:thumb:
I had exactly the same concern with the 996 C4S I bought.
To quote the handbook:
"The warning light lights up for a lamp check when ignition is switched on and goes off when the vehicle moves off. The warning light comes on if the rear spoiler does not extend or does not reach its final position at more than 120km/h(75mph)"
So in normal operation it lights up, then its normally the last light to go out as seems that you have to be moving at walking pace for it to extinguish. It certainly shoudn't come on during normal driving. Worth getting it checked.
Kerbed alloys are a maximum of £100 each to get sorted (£50-70 for non split rim), factor it into the negotiations.
I had exactly the same concern with the 996 C4S I bought.
To quote the handbook:
"The warning light lights up for a lamp check when ignition is switched on and goes off when the vehicle moves off. The warning light comes on if the rear spoiler does not extend or does not reach its final position at more than 120km/h(75mph)"
So in normal operation it lights up, then its normally the last light to go out as seems that you have to be moving at walking pace for it to extinguish. It certainly shoudn't come on during normal driving. Worth getting it checked.
Kerbed alloys are a maximum of £100 each to get sorted (£50-70 for non split rim), factor it into the negotiations.
Thanks for all the replies.
I'll ask the dealer to add repair of the spoiler as a condition of sale now that I know for certain it's not normal behaviour. I think that's easier than trying to guess a repair cost and have him deduct that from the price or a warranty claim immediately after purchase. After speaking to my local OPC it sounds likely to be a sensor or wiring fault somewhere between the spoiler and instrument cluster.
As for speed at the time the light came on, I don't know. I was pressing on in third having just passed a derestricted sign and mostly concentrating on how weak it makes my S2000 feel in comparison. Who says big revs can compensate for displacement!
Stu
Not sure how old the car is, but I'd ask him to buy on condition it passes an OPC 111 point check and get the OPC warranty, rather than the dealers (and factor that into the price).
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