Poorly boxster

[FreeLitres]

Can I just confirm - OP is Cameron Diaz?

[ORD]

I have two helpful contributions to make:-

(1) Please please please take it to Hartech or another Porsche specialist (rather than an OPC or a run-of-the-mill garage).

(2) Please please please be Cameron Diaz.

[RWA441]

My 03 Boxster S made some rather funny rough noises just before the IMS sheared and the engine catastrophically died....... Dumping a lot of oil out the back. Doesn't sound great but let's hope it's nothing quite so terminal.

[camdunc]

Just remembered - once car taken off low loader (covered in oil) - I locked it up and noticed although keys not in ignition and lights off the dashboard was still lit up (I.e. clock/speedo etc NOT warning lights). Is that of any significance?

Thanks for note re garage

Marvellous Mike is a real Porsche expert - I wouldn't think of going elsewhere with this pretty little number! Or the car!!! Ha ha ha

[The Vambo]

camdunc said:

Just remembered - once car taken off low loader (covered in oil) - I locked it up and noticed although keys not in ignition and lights off the dashboard was still lit up (I.e. clock/speedo etc NOT warning lights). Is that of any significance?

Thanks for note re garage

Marvellous Mike is a real Porsche expert - I wouldn't think of going elsewhere with this pretty little number! Or the car!!! Ha ha ha

[Ian_UK1]

camdunc said:

Just remembered - once car taken off low loader (covered in oil) - I locked it up and noticed although keys not in ignition and lights off the dashboard was still lit up (I.e. clock/speedo etc NOT warning lights). Is that of any significance?

Thanks for note re garage

Marvellous Mike is a real Porsche expert - I wouldn't think of going elsewhere with this pretty little number! Or the car!!! Ha ha ha

Sports & Classic in Knutsford by any chance?

[camdunc]

Yes that's him!

[Ian_UK1]

Mike's regarded as one of the best Porsche independents in the country, so your car's in good hands.

There are a number of possible issues that could cause the symptoms you describe. Whilst some are relatively simple and inexpensive to repair, this unfortunately isn't always the case. Whilst I don't want to be the harbinger of doom, the engine in the Boxster does have some known weaknesses that can, occasionally, cause catastrophic failure. If you've been unlucky and the car's engine has self-destructed, you're within easy reach of possibly the best Porsche engine restorer in the UK - Hartech in Bolton. I'm sure I've read that Mike uses this firm for engine rebuilds.

Have a look in the Porsche forum for posts by Hartech and on their website. Far from just slapping the engines back together, they've identified all the known weaknesses and their causes. This means they can literally engineer them out during the course of a rebuild. The result is an engine you can rely on - far better, even, than a new engine from Porsche that would still contain all the same design defects that have possibly lead to the failure of your engine.

Whilst the cost of a Hartech rebuild is high, the good news is it will be a lot less than the cost of an engine from Porsche. Hartech-engined cars are also making a premium now at resale time, with prospective buyers realising they won't have to worry about exploding engines in the future. This should eventually go some way towards offsetting the cost of a rebuild, if that's what's required.

[Backtobasics]

Any update on this?