996 Ownership after one year... I'm Out!
09-04-2012, 01:06 PM
#1
Intermediate
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2011
Posts: 34
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
996 Ownership after one year... I'm Out!
Well, I'll try to keep this short but I think it's important to tell my story for those that might stumble upon this thread contemplating purchasing a 996.
I bought my '99 Carrera 4 6-speed coupe almost a year ago. It had 94k miles on the clock yet was in pretty good condition. I paid a bit below the market value for the car ($15k) from a private owner and did not have a professional pre-purchase inspection done on the car... just went over it myself on a lift and while driving it.
I ended up doing an AOS when that failed and decided to do some maintenance at the same time... plugs, coils, tubes, etc. After that, I began losing coolant and installed a new expansion tank and cap. It continued to happen along with a CEL mis-fire on cylinder #2. I finally gave up and brought the car up to PowerTech in Rockaway, NJ.
Mike originally suspected a head gasket because while the car was running pretty well, it was burning coolant yet did not have any intermix. After checking the cylinder with a borescope it was determined that I had a crack in the cylinder wall ... a fatal diagnosis.
As you can imagine, I was not a happy camper. This is a $90k car who's engine could not even make it to 105k miles. Speaking to Mike and reading a ton online, it seems like these 3.4L and to a lesser extent the 3.6L WC Porsche engines really have some issues. Cracked heads, cracked blocks, IMS bearings, etc... it's pretty scary if you ask me.
I was interested in moving up to a 996 Turbo, but this experience has really soured me towards Porsche (yes, I know that Turbos have a different engine that don't suffer from these issues). I really enjoyed the car, but I could not see putting $10+ into a car with that kind of mileage that I only paid $15k for originally.
The fairly happy ending.... I was able to drive the car into the local Chevy dealership and get $12,700 for the car as a trade in on a 2010 2SS Camaro RS with 5k on the clock. The LS3 make 426hp and comes from a line (LSx) of pretty dependable engines. The Camaro is certainly not a 911... no comparison.
I want to thank everyone for their help in my other threads on here and especially to Mike at PowerTech who was very knowledgeable and friendly throughout the process... highly recommended! Maybe I'll be back someday. Good luck to everyone else here... may you have better luck then me!
-JRW
I bought my '99 Carrera 4 6-speed coupe almost a year ago. It had 94k miles on the clock yet was in pretty good condition. I paid a bit below the market value for the car ($15k) from a private owner and did not have a professional pre-purchase inspection done on the car... just went over it myself on a lift and while driving it.
I ended up doing an AOS when that failed and decided to do some maintenance at the same time... plugs, coils, tubes, etc. After that, I began losing coolant and installed a new expansion tank and cap. It continued to happen along with a CEL mis-fire on cylinder #2. I finally gave up and brought the car up to PowerTech in Rockaway, NJ.
Mike originally suspected a head gasket because while the car was running pretty well, it was burning coolant yet did not have any intermix. After checking the cylinder with a borescope it was determined that I had a crack in the cylinder wall ... a fatal diagnosis.
As you can imagine, I was not a happy camper. This is a $90k car who's engine could not even make it to 105k miles. Speaking to Mike and reading a ton online, it seems like these 3.4L and to a lesser extent the 3.6L WC Porsche engines really have some issues. Cracked heads, cracked blocks, IMS bearings, etc... it's pretty scary if you ask me.
I was interested in moving up to a 996 Turbo, but this experience has really soured me towards Porsche (yes, I know that Turbos have a different engine that don't suffer from these issues). I really enjoyed the car, but I could not see putting $10+ into a car with that kind of mileage that I only paid $15k for originally.
The fairly happy ending.... I was able to drive the car into the local Chevy dealership and get $12,700 for the car as a trade in on a 2010 2SS Camaro RS with 5k on the clock. The LS3 make 426hp and comes from a line (LSx) of pretty dependable engines. The Camaro is certainly not a 911... no comparison.
I want to thank everyone for their help in my other threads on here and especially to Mike at PowerTech who was very knowledgeable and friendly throughout the process... highly recommended! Maybe I'll be back someday. Good luck to everyone else here... may you have better luck then me!
-JRW
09-04-2012, 01:52 PM
#3
Burning Brakes
I would delete this post unless you told the dealership about the leak or had the leak fixed. Laws vary by state but most dealership will have you sign something to the fact that you did not know of any issues with the car before you sold it to them.
09-04-2012, 02:02 PM
#4
Every prospective new owner should read your post. Porsche ownership can be fraught with danger. Things like extensive maintenance records, a detailed pre-purchase inspection, a good mechanic, relative financial resources, a sense of humor, and an understanding spouse are often required... and even then it might all go sideways.
There is a big difference between a passenger car designed for performance, like the Camaro, and a true performance car, such as a 911. You probably will never get Mustang/Camaro-like reliability from a 911. But then... you also won't have a Porsche.
There is a big difference between a passenger car designed for performance, like the Camaro, and a true performance car, such as a 911. You probably will never get Mustang/Camaro-like reliability from a 911. But then... you also won't have a Porsche.
09-04-2012, 02:04 PM
#5
In my experience the only declaration usually required is related to odometer disclosure. Anything else is on the buyer unless specifically noted in the sales contract. If it were otherwise, dealerships (and private parties) could go after prior owners at will.
09-04-2012, 02:12 PM
#6
Every prospective buyer of ANY car with nearly 100k miles on the odometer should know that it can be a crap-shoot.
09-04-2012, 02:20 PM
#7
Unfortunately the cost of purchase is just the price of admission into the game, and it usually goes up from there, even for routine maintenance unless you can turn a decent wrench. And while anyone of us can get hit with the "big ticket" isues such as IMS or cracked cylinder walls, I believe the risk increases exponentially with age and miles. I also believe much of this can be attributed to Porsche becoming more focused on profits and less focused on durability and engineering in recent years.
Trending Topics
09-04-2012, 02:25 PM
#8
Drifting
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Prince George's County, MD
Posts: 2,481
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like
on
1 Post
I understand your frustration but why didn't you purchase a 10yr old Camaro with 94k so you can get a good comparison? I'm sure a 2010 Carrera with 5k on the odo will not be much of a problem either.
Well, I'll try to keep this short but I think it's important to tell my story for those that might stumble upon this thread contemplating purchasing a 996.
I bought my '99 Carrera 4 6-speed coupe almost a year ago. It had 94k miles on the clock yet was in pretty good condition. I paid a bit below the market value for the car ($15k) from a private owner and did not have a professional pre-purchase inspection done on the car... just went over it myself on a lift and while driving it.
I ended up doing an AOS when that failed and decided to do some maintenance at the same time... plugs, coils, tubes, etc. After that, I began losing coolant and installed a new expansion tank and cap. It continued to happen along with a CEL mis-fire on cylinder #2. I finally gave up and brought the car up to PowerTech in Rockaway, NJ.
Mike originally suspected a head gasket because while the car was running pretty well, it was burning coolant yet did not have any intermix. After checking the cylinder with a borescope it was determined that I had a crack in the cylinder wall ... a fatal diagnosis.
As you can imagine, I was not a happy camper. This is a $90k car who's engine could not even make it to 105k miles. Speaking to Mike and reading a ton online, it seems like these 3.4L and to a lesser extent the 3.6L WC Porsche engines really have some issues. Cracked heads, cracked blocks, IMS bearings, etc... it's pretty scary if you ask me.
I was interested in moving up to a 996 Turbo, but this experience has really soured me towards Porsche (yes, I know that Turbos have a different engine that don't suffer from these issues). I really enjoyed the car, but I could not see putting $10+ into a car with that kind of mileage that I only paid $15k for originally.
The fairly happy ending.... I was able to drive the car into the local Chevy dealership and get $12,700 for the car as a trade in on a 2010 2SS Camaro RS with 5k on the clock. The LS3 make 426hp and comes from a line (LSx) of pretty dependable engines. The Camaro is certainly not a 911... no comparison.
I want to thank everyone for their help in my other threads on here and especially to Mike at PowerTech who was very knowledgeable and friendly throughout the process... highly recommended! Maybe I'll be back someday. Good luck to everyone else here... may you have better luck then me!
-JRW
I bought my '99 Carrera 4 6-speed coupe almost a year ago. It had 94k miles on the clock yet was in pretty good condition. I paid a bit below the market value for the car ($15k) from a private owner and did not have a professional pre-purchase inspection done on the car... just went over it myself on a lift and while driving it.
I ended up doing an AOS when that failed and decided to do some maintenance at the same time... plugs, coils, tubes, etc. After that, I began losing coolant and installed a new expansion tank and cap. It continued to happen along with a CEL mis-fire on cylinder #2. I finally gave up and brought the car up to PowerTech in Rockaway, NJ.
Mike originally suspected a head gasket because while the car was running pretty well, it was burning coolant yet did not have any intermix. After checking the cylinder with a borescope it was determined that I had a crack in the cylinder wall ... a fatal diagnosis.
As you can imagine, I was not a happy camper. This is a $90k car who's engine could not even make it to 105k miles. Speaking to Mike and reading a ton online, it seems like these 3.4L and to a lesser extent the 3.6L WC Porsche engines really have some issues. Cracked heads, cracked blocks, IMS bearings, etc... it's pretty scary if you ask me.
I was interested in moving up to a 996 Turbo, but this experience has really soured me towards Porsche (yes, I know that Turbos have a different engine that don't suffer from these issues). I really enjoyed the car, but I could not see putting $10+ into a car with that kind of mileage that I only paid $15k for originally.
The fairly happy ending.... I was able to drive the car into the local Chevy dealership and get $12,700 for the car as a trade in on a 2010 2SS Camaro RS with 5k on the clock. The LS3 make 426hp and comes from a line (LSx) of pretty dependable engines. The Camaro is certainly not a 911... no comparison.
I want to thank everyone for their help in my other threads on here and especially to Mike at PowerTech who was very knowledgeable and friendly throughout the process... highly recommended! Maybe I'll be back someday. Good luck to everyone else here... may you have better luck then me!
-JRW
09-04-2012, 02:26 PM
#9
Drifting
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Prince George's County, MD
Posts: 2,481
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like
on
1 Post
Don't forget transmission..
Unfortunately the cost of purchase is just the price of admission into the game, and it usually goes up from there, even for routine maintenance unless you can turn a decent wrench. And while anyone of us can get hit with the "big ticket" isues such as IMS or cracked cylinder walls, I believe the risk increases exponentially with age and miles. I also believe much of this can be attributed to Porsche becoming more focused on profits and less focused on durability and engineering in recent years.
09-04-2012, 02:33 PM
#10
Intermediate
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2011
Posts: 34
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Thanks for the replies. I'm actually a little bit surprised about some of the comments... thought I might get bashed for my statements.
Every car is a crap shoot... I get that... especially a performance car with such mileage... but I don't expect to have major structural failures to parts like the engine block or frame especially in the numbers that are being reported. Maybe it it were a Kia, but not from a manufacturer such as Porsche.
I am a car guy and have a bunch of other performance cars that all have their own issues, but I am disappointed in what I (and many others) have gone through. The Camaro can't even be compared to the 911... I just needed to trade the car in ASAP.
During the trade in process, I signed a paper stating that the car had never been in an accident or had the mileage rolled back that I knew of... During the test drive, the service manager stated that they could not give me the full value of the car due to some 'blow by'. I accepted his diagnosis and his best trade-in offer. To be honest, until the engine is out of the car and disassembled, no one really knows what the issues are 100%. I wasn't going to let it get to that point.
-JRW
Every car is a crap shoot... I get that... especially a performance car with such mileage... but I don't expect to have major structural failures to parts like the engine block or frame especially in the numbers that are being reported. Maybe it it were a Kia, but not from a manufacturer such as Porsche.
I am a car guy and have a bunch of other performance cars that all have their own issues, but I am disappointed in what I (and many others) have gone through. The Camaro can't even be compared to the 911... I just needed to trade the car in ASAP.
During the trade in process, I signed a paper stating that the car had never been in an accident or had the mileage rolled back that I knew of... During the test drive, the service manager stated that they could not give me the full value of the car due to some 'blow by'. I accepted his diagnosis and his best trade-in offer. To be honest, until the engine is out of the car and disassembled, no one really knows what the issues are 100%. I wasn't going to let it get to that point.
-JRW
Good luck with your Camaro
09-04-2012, 02:47 PM
#12
Intermediate
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2011
Posts: 34
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I really wanted people to understand that too many 3.4L WC engines are seeing catastrophic issues that no PPI will be able to find. Look on ebay... there are a ton of MK1 911's for sale between $10k-$15k. People need to go into such a purchase with an understanding of what can and probably will happen at some point. That's all... not hating Porsche... just disappointed.
-JRW
09-04-2012, 02:55 PM
#13
Race Director
Sounds like you got out of a your Porsche with a healthy downpayment towards the Camaro. Until my 3.4 self destructs, I'll still believe that most of these 'issues' are not widespread. Too bad you didn't get a chance to really bond and enjoy your Porsche.
09-04-2012, 02:58 PM
#14
Drifting
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Prince George's County, MD
Posts: 2,481
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like
on
1 Post
Understood.
Dealers don't keep 10 year old Camaros on the lot... doesn't take a genius to figure out why. I'm sure 10 year old Camaros have their issues as well. This seriously wasn't meant to be a comparison of the two cars. I would have traded it in for just about anything honestly due to my situation.
I really wanted people to understand that too many 3.4L WC engines are seeing catastrophic issues that no PPI will be able to find. Look on ebay... there are a ton of MK1 911's for sale between $10k-$15k. People need to go into such a purchase with an understanding of what can and probably will happen at some point. That's all... not hating Porsche... just disappointed.
-JRW
I really wanted people to understand that too many 3.4L WC engines are seeing catastrophic issues that no PPI will be able to find. Look on ebay... there are a ton of MK1 911's for sale between $10k-$15k. People need to go into such a purchase with an understanding of what can and probably will happen at some point. That's all... not hating Porsche... just disappointed.
-JRW
09-04-2012, 03:05 PM
#15
Intermediate
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2011
Posts: 34
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
... and let me add two more things:
1) The Porsche community (on this site and others) seems to be a pretty mature and helpful group of people. While I may not have had the best experience with the car, I did learn quite a bit about it with the help from other Porsche enthusiasts.
2) I can't stress enough how helpful Mike and the guys at PowerTech have been. From lots of follow up emails to lengthy conversations on the phone about the situation, they helped me throughout the entire ordeal.
-JRW
1) The Porsche community (on this site and others) seems to be a pretty mature and helpful group of people. While I may not have had the best experience with the car, I did learn quite a bit about it with the help from other Porsche enthusiasts.
2) I can't stress enough how helpful Mike and the guys at PowerTech have been. From lots of follow up emails to lengthy conversations on the phone about the situation, they helped me throughout the entire ordeal.
-JRW