996 c4S coolant problem....

[mechagran]

I know what you are thinking...."there are loads of these threads out there already" and "google it" - but believe me I have been.

However, I know there is a lot of knowledge and first hand experience out here in PH Land so please bear with me....

Just a quick run through of the background:-

I had the porker looked at by indie speshs at the start of June to get a couple of advisories sorted out from the last MOT in March. Minor stuff like handbrake sticking etc. On the way down i had an issue with the coolant light being on so they also looked at the tank and pressure tested it the car was running fine for a while. New cap changed, was told not to worry too much about the levels and the coolant level can drop a little and like a good little customer I paid my bill and off I went.

However very occasionally (perhaps 3 times over the last 6 weeks) I have had the little coolant light come on. A bit of coolant in the back and fine again for so many miles.

However, over the last two weeks the coolant light has come on almost every other trip. I know this is not normal but considering the recent pressure test I assumed it was not the coolant expansion tank itself which seems in good condition (not yellow and grotty at least) and no leaks from anywhere as far as I could see.

I therefore thought (having googled for many hours) that perhaps air had crept into the system somewhere (amazed that it has 40ft of pipes throughout the engine or something like that!) So on the basis of things other people have done on here, I tried filling the system with proper coolant and undid the bleed valve whilst doing so . Ran it from cold and did it a few times. It did a big gurgle which I assumed was the air escaping and thought "hurrah I have fixed my Porsche" - So far, so good(so naive)- last 3 trips it has been a lot better - ie no light, but still a noticeable drop in coolant level.

I stress that at all times the car temp needle has never climbed over a tiny bit past the 80 mark (ie directly upright or 1 o clock) .It has never given me any indication of overheating at all save for the red warning display coolant light whereupon I have added coolant as required immediately or within a couple of miles.

Anyway, today I went to see a turbo (as I desperately want to sell my c4S and buy an x50 manual TT, car running superbly). After stopping for brekkie with a mate we could smell coolant immediately and the front left (nearside) was just pouring coolant out from underneath the valance by the front wheel. It was really coming out fast - big puddle - probably like 2 litres worth and presumably that means the rad is shot.

I guess this might the answer to my problems as I understand these can fail and get tiny holes int them but usually only leak when under pressure - ie when driving which would explain why I get no leaks when it is idling at home.

Anyway it looks like I may need a replacement front left rad. BUT I wondered if anyone with similar experiences can tell me

a) how much they paid
b) whether they got all three rads done at the same time
c) if there is anything else I should get looked at whilst im at it?

Please let me know what your experience was and what you came across - my car is advertised on here so in some ways I am relieved this didn't happen after someone bought it as I would have felt awful and paid for the work anyway, however with people ringing me up fairly regularly it is bloody frustrating!

Many thanks all in advance (sorry no pics of the splurge either!)

[mechagran]

Off topic:- Oh actually I lied...here is a snap of my 996 C4S next a 997 C4S on Friday evening.

Mine may not be as wide but I do think the newer ones miss the lipstick line.

[mechagran]

indeed but this one didnt...

[mechagran]

Thanks guys, are the rads easy to replace at home? Ie not too technical as i feel like i shouldntry and do it myself.
In fairness ive been quoted £120 labour plua parts by indy spesh which isn't bad!

[mechagran]

Cheers dude thanks for the rad link. Ill probably have a little nose about!

[mechagran]

Thanks for your help chaps! Got
Bumper off in 45 mins tonight which i was rather smug about- majority of that was trying to
Find those last two cheeky philips nuts!

Am i right in thinking that the AC condensers are the smaller front ones sitting in front of the rads?
They look pretty new.

Pics to follow of the gak in the rads and the massive dent /
Hole!

[mechagran]

Brill thanks dude, i see you have some experience in these things- once you have swapped the rads, how do you refull the coolant system ( i know that sounds like a daft question) - should it be at an angle and just simply refilled via the rear expansion tank?

I guess now im this far it is worth doing both rads?

Any more tips on the process as a whole?

Also, sell swap your 996 tt for my c4s?
Many thanks!

[mechagran]

some pics form last night. On to the rads tonight once I have checked where the leak is actually coming out from.

I am guessing that thr fact that the radiator hadn't been bolted entirely to the chassy and that there is a huge dent in the rad weren't helping!






Luckily the car itself bodywork wise had thousands spent on it over the last 18 months so the wheels and the bodywork are superb condition.

[mechagran]

Thanks for your kind and helpful comments dude! In fact, with weather being so balmy (almost too hot!) i figured it was rude not to try- got tools, limited "skill" but a healthy positive attitude and an even more helpful wife (found the last two philips screws and even got at them for me last night) i thought what th heck.

Another chap above me suggested putting coolant in and running it to check where it was coming from so im doing that first. However, it is drip drip dripping all the time so i think i can narrow it down but thanks you for pointing that out as it is an easy and obvious assumption to make that it's the rads.

Re the c4s thing. Well for me i love the bum , and lipstick line. However since i was 6 i craved a pork with two (or one as per 930) turbos& im as close as ill ever be with a little borrowing thrown in! Main reason for turbo is (apart from Mezger fun) simply that i think they will climb quicker and higher and when i am finally forced to sell it (ie bambino arrives max two years i think!) i will at least hopefully have paid myself back for the ownership. Not strictly and investment as these take longer but something that i wont see depreciate.

[mechagran]

thanks dude, I hope to be thinking about refilling etc by Friday.

Last night I only had about an hour and didn't get very far, mainly as I had no idea how to undo the circlip thingies (3 ) on the side brackets.

I amazed no one has done an actual video of the C4S r/ Turbo removal. plenty of "guides" for boxsters but everything else including videos is utterly useless.

However, condensors have been removed to one side (well flopping about) and some bolts undone as well as wheel housing taken off. biggest issue is wheel removal, even with a breaker bar (short one) I cannot remove them even if my life depended upon it so if I proceed it will have to be with wheels on which will doubtless make it harder.

2 shiny new radiators picked up for a discount price of £345 which I am well chuffed about so tonight is all about removal and replacement!