Ck986

I am looking at a certain car that has had its ECU tuned by a porsche dealer and is producing 530hp. Do you guys think this is possible on a stock set-up and if so do you think the motor and stock components are stressed at this level of power. I'm trying to decide if I should continue pursuing the car.

Thanks

judd944

Stock clutch will not handle the torque in the long run

Macster

An increase of 110hp over stock with just an Ecu tune is I think hyperbole, to put it mildly.

If the dealer did this it should be able to provide you with the details. The brand of tune, the level, etc. Get the details and post here for comment.

Remember: Anything a car salesman tells you is intended to get you to buy the car as soon as possible and to pay as much for the car as possible.

If you proceed with this car be sure to treat the car to a thorough test ride then test drive to verify as best you can the engine, indeed the car, is in good running order.

As for extra stress, of course the engine (the car) is more highly stressed whenever the extra output is used. This includes of course under full throttle but also even those times during part throttle acceleration for instance during which time the engine makes more hp/torque than it would have had it been left stock.

Ck986

This is actually a private sale, one owner car. The car appears to have been serviced annually, but I have to dig into the records. It was my understanding that with stock components the car is good for about 450-490 hp. I'll see what I can find. I'm going to go see it in a week.

It will definitely go through a ppi. What does it cost to replace the clutch on a turbo?

Macster

What I said about a car salesman applies even if the car is being sold by a private seller.

A one owner car the owner then should be able to supply you with service records, details on what Ecu tune was applied, when, and by what shop.

fly2low

If the car has been maintained, the ppi will reflect it. Make sure the ppi is done by a different mechanic if you have a choice.
The engine can certainly handle the increased power of a tune, but as judd944 said, the clutch will not handle it for long. It has been a while since I did mine, but I believe it was $2-2.5k total. Now if you want to go lwfw, add more $$

wross996tt

Many folks have had their stock clutch last quite a long time even with a tune. Of course your mileage will depend on how you drive the car.

EVOMS

The stock engine and transmission can handle much more power than that without issue. As others outlined, about the biggest/most costly item that may wear out more quickly due to tuning at this level is the clutch.

There are a number of other items that commonly have shortened service lives due to the tuning, and may require attention depending on their service history/age/mileage. This includes the spark plugs and ignition coils, diverter valves, F-hose, and mass air flow sensor.

Most of the other issues you'll see with the car are going to exist regardless of the car being tuned. This is things like the water pump, coolant pipes, clutch slave/accumulator, etc. As always, a PPI is highly recommended for any used car and especially with a Porsche.

Ck986

The mass air flow sensor was replaced. The car has about 40k miles. Do you think taking the car to the dealership it was serviced at is a problem. I realize it's not optimal.

fly2low

I would prefer different eyes on it
The dealer may have more loyalty to the seller than to you, and you are asking him to judge his own work - not optimal
where are you located?

"02996ttx50

i would never go to a porsche dealership for an inspection. they use the cpo checklist and while it is comprehensive in the numbers of things it looks at, and ensures they are all are within *acceptable* spec ( eg tread depth/pad wear etc ) they do NOT look for known trouble issues that ANY reputable and experienced indy would know to look for. eg spoiler issues clutch/accumulators/2nd gear popout ( if MT ) etc etc.

the only reason EVER to have a porsche dealer cpo/ppi a car is if one is buying it with an accompanying two year factory warranty as part of the porsche cpo certification. but then it's an add'l $3k tacked on to the purchase price of the car, if not *already* cpo'd by them. just find an indie that works with these cars daily.

Ck986

I may be buying a car in NYC. My shop is autohaus in peapack nj, but there aren't really any indies in the city, just manhattan porsche.

adam_

Anyone else find this odd?

I would not trust the NYC dealership for the PPI. The whole mindset in NYC seems to be 'we screw you, you pay us- you complain, we screw you more. Capische?"

"02996ttx50

yeah, thats odd, and so are porsche dealer ppi's. porsche dealers hate messing with ANYthing not oem, and of course a flash isn't. they are also capable of missing items about to fail, and then, what would be the point?

but if that's all ya got in manhattan. it's better than no inspection at all. i've always wondered what it would be like to drive a p turbo in manhattan. it would have to be speed yellow for me, with an "available" light on the roof lol

blackboy

Driving a Turbo in Manhattan SUCKS just like any other car.