Todd in PA

I love this car, I have had a new '82 SC, a new '84 Carrera, a new '86 930 Turbo,
a new '95 993, a new '02 986 Boxster S, and now my new '09 C2S cab. This is the only Porsche I have had that puts out unbelievable amounts of soot and burns oil at the "Porsche approved" rate of one quart in less than 700 miles. I washed my car last weekend and have driven it these last 3 days in the nice weather. I tracked my previous cars and was a driving instructor for Riesentoter region. I drive enthusiastically and thoroughly enjoy the full rev band! I have a 6 speed manual transmission and don't drive for "mileage". For those who do not have any oil consumption or soot problems with your new 997.2s, please don't belittle or imagine that this is not a very disturbing problem for those who do. I can't understand how these tail pipe emissions are acceptable in this day and age! I am still in love with the car and am documenting these problems with my dealer. BTW my '09 BMW 535XiT, twin turbo, DFI engine does not have excessive oil consumption or soot.

964C4

Mine's the same as yours regarding soot and oil consumption

I even checked with my dealer their online recalls for all Porsche cars and nothing related to this appeared for my car

Other people have "normal" cars, but I've seen a couple reported here with excessive soot and oil consumption

But there is no final info from Porsche, so is this normal or not ?

ADias

I am not belittling anything. Perhaps you have a problem, perhaps not. If I were you I would talk with your service manager and study the situation. It may very well be that you have not yet broken in your engine and things will improve.

Todd in PA

Well, let me ask you, if this was your car and you needed to add a quart of oil every three tankfuls of gas or so, and after washing and detailing your car, have soot all over the rear end while the rest of the car looks clean and shiny, (only after 3 days of driving), would that be a problem for you? Is it fair to mention that hopefully this only happens to a few "problem" cars and is not across the board. If I knew ahead of time, pre-purchase, that my new 911, list price at well over 100,000 dollars would burn oil at this rate, and pollute the environment with soot, unlike my previous 5 Porsche cars, I would have delayed my purchase until this "perhaps a problem" was rectified. In all fairness though, if Porsche was to offer a buyback to me right now, I wouldn't take it! I love this car, there is no substitute.

utkinpol

honestly - i would do my best to get rid of such car. it is probably due to the way how engine was assembled so it eats oil and it may not be fixable.
dealer probably thinks with time those passages will get dirtier and less oil will be squeezing out, but, i do not know.

ADias

Did you read my reply #3? Work it out with your dealer.

Todd in PA

"I am still in love with the car and am documenting these problems with my dealer". What I didn't get in your reply was, how would you feel if this was your car? BTW, as you know, it has been clearly stated in the owners manual that the dealer and Porsche think this is NOT a problem. My car falls within factory specs, I am just greatly disappointed to not get a car like yours! See your pic attached........I wish my car had pipes like yours and a clean rear end, on a white car no less!

Mike in CA

Todd, I have experienced the little black spots of soot on occasion. My observation has been that this occurs when there is moisture in the exhaust system on a cold start up. The droplets of moisture collect soot from the exhaust and are spit out onto the floor of my garage. When the car is in motion, airflow under the car deposits the soot carrying droplets up onto my bumper. Once the engine and exhaust are warmed up, I see no evidence of continuing soot deposits. In cold climates, like in PA, this might be more of an issue, and a reason why more of that tailpipe soot is making it's way onto your car.

Of course, it's normal for some soot to be in the exhaust. One of the pics below shows my three fingers; one the left, I swiped my Porsche exhaust, in the middle my Audi S4 V8, and on the right my wife's Highlander Hybrid. This isn't scientific, but it's an indication that soot is being created even in an ULEV like the hybrid. The pic of my exhaust pipes is a little misleading because the PSE tip extensions are black.

Your case is different in at least one respect; you burn more oil than I do. I'm sure this is worrying so I don't mean to belittle your concern. Still, useage is within spec and I assume your car runs well. Moreover, you have a good warranty so hopefully any problems that come up will be addressed. It's unfortunate that this is detracting from the enjoyment of your car.

Edgy01

It's all the luck of the draw. Porsche isn't sharing their theories on why some engines do that while the majority do not.

DJ23

Keep a record of things. I have a new Turbo that at 1500 miles hasn't burned any oil to date and I have been breaking her in hard to seal in the rings. As Dan has said part of it is luck, the other part Porsche is keeping confidential. For what ever reason that may be. Hope your situation improves. Despite what Porsche says "your" oil consumptions doesn't appear to be normal.

Jay

4Scargo

Jeez guys, I don't own a 997 (996 owner) but would be totally pissed if that was my new car, Todd. Holy sh*t! I would be looking into "lemon laws". Not to fuel your fire, but that is NOT acceptable, or is it? Not to me. It's like buying a lame horse....yeah, it will get you there, but.......

BlackBear

It doesn't matter if you love the car or not. In the end this engine will fail sooner than a clean engine.

If you drive it enough it will fail within the four years and 50,000 miles and you get a new one.

However, if it is a garage queen it will fail after the four year warranty period and either you or the next owner has to pick up the tab.

I would get the car lemoned. That what the lemon law is for.

Mike in CA

Pennsylvania Lemon Law 1954 Repair obligations.

(a) Repairs required. The manufacturer of a new motor vehicle sold and registered in the Commonwealth shall repair or correct, at no cost to the purchaser, a nonconformity which substantially impairs the use, value or safety of said motor vehicle which may occur within a period of one year following the actual delivery of the vehicle to the purchaser, within the first 12,000 miles of use or during the term of the warranty, whichever may first occur.

Pennsylvania Lemon Law 1952 Definitions.

"Nonconformity."
A defect or condition which substantially impairs the use, value or safety of a new motor vehicle and does not conform to the manufacturer's express warranty.

The 2 issues in question here are specks of soot on the bumper and having to add a quart of oil every 700 miles. Porsche states expressly that using up to 1.6 quarts of oil every 622 miles is "normal consumption". That leaves specks of soot on the bumper as the only way to prove "nonconformity" in a car that is apparently running perfectly otherwise and would no doubt pass an emissions test. If it can't pass a test you might have a case. Otherwise, the lemon law route doesn't sound promising.

rijowysock

mine are 100x worse.. i polish them and 20 miles later black as night and bumper has two huge ovals of soot.

sandwedge

I wonder how "nonconformity" might apply in terms of deviating from most other identical cars. Clearly the OP's car produces more soot and uses more oil than other cars of the same MY so it's not conforming to the norm . Porsche may say that everything is within "tolerance" but they would also have to acknowledge that something about this particular engine is different although they obviously won't say what.

Which brings up the question of impaired value. What prospective buyer would choose the OP's car over another identical car that uses little or no oil and produces a minimum amount of soot? Impaired value due to "bad luck" buying a brand new $100K car?