RMS Mystery Solved
Discussion
After extensive research I have put the following facts together which should cure potential & actual 996, boxster & 997 purchasers concerns regarding the infamous RMS issue.
The RMS facts: -
The Chance of experiencing RMS Failure.
996,997 & Boxster owners have an approx. 35% chance of suffering RMS (rear main seal) failure (40% Reenlist poll, 30% PCGB Survey + misc other evidence).
An unlucky 5% of owners will require more than one RMS replacement.
The Symptoms:-
In the vast majority of cases an RMS failure will mean a small but noticeable sweating of oil & possibly a small film of oil will be seen when the car is on the ramps or worst case scenario a few drips will appear on the garage floor.
The potential & actual results of an RMS failure:-
Oil spots on your garage floor.
In theory the clutch could be contaminated with dripping oil although in practise there are no (or very, very, very few) reported cases of this ever happening..
There are no other problems associated with having a failing RMS, it has never, repeat never caused engine failure.
The cause
Many, many theories but no actual evidence, I would imagine Porsche’s silence on the issue means they don’t even know or they would have cured it by now.
The Solution.
The very rich & very unlucky owner that has a carpeted garage & had an RMS failure outside of warranty can get it replaced for approx £700, $1,000.
The very unlucky owner that does not have a carpeted garage or more money than sense can wait until the clutch needs replacing at which time a new RMS can be installed for the price of the seal (£$ no money)
60% of owners will never experience the problem.
The vast majority of the 40% of owners that have experienced RMS failure have had it replaced under warranty & have never experienced the problem again.
The unlucky 5% that have had multiple RMS failures have had their engines replaced if they live in the USA “for a very small oil leek !”, where as Porsche UK seems to think their UK customers are less likely to have carpeted garages & therefore can live with a small oil leek.
I must surely being missing something, the RMS issue very nearly put me off buying a 996 & I am sure it is one of the causes for the depreciation experienced on these cars.
Thank you internet RMS hysteria, you have has saved us second hand Porsche owners a fortune.
The RMS facts: -
The Chance of experiencing RMS Failure.
996,997 & Boxster owners have an approx. 35% chance of suffering RMS (rear main seal) failure (40% Reenlist poll, 30% PCGB Survey + misc other evidence).
An unlucky 5% of owners will require more than one RMS replacement.
The Symptoms:-
In the vast majority of cases an RMS failure will mean a small but noticeable sweating of oil & possibly a small film of oil will be seen when the car is on the ramps or worst case scenario a few drips will appear on the garage floor.
The potential & actual results of an RMS failure:-
Oil spots on your garage floor.
In theory the clutch could be contaminated with dripping oil although in practise there are no (or very, very, very few) reported cases of this ever happening..
There are no other problems associated with having a failing RMS, it has never, repeat never caused engine failure.
The cause
Many, many theories but no actual evidence, I would imagine Porsche’s silence on the issue means they don’t even know or they would have cured it by now.
The Solution.
The very rich & very unlucky owner that has a carpeted garage & had an RMS failure outside of warranty can get it replaced for approx £700, $1,000.
The very unlucky owner that does not have a carpeted garage or more money than sense can wait until the clutch needs replacing at which time a new RMS can be installed for the price of the seal (£$ no money)
60% of owners will never experience the problem.
The vast majority of the 40% of owners that have experienced RMS failure have had it replaced under warranty & have never experienced the problem again.
The unlucky 5% that have had multiple RMS failures have had their engines replaced if they live in the USA “for a very small oil leek !”, where as Porsche UK seems to think their UK customers are less likely to have carpeted garages & therefore can live with a small oil leek.
I must surely being missing something, the RMS issue very nearly put me off buying a 996 & I am sure it is one of the causes for the depreciation experienced on these cars.
Thank you internet RMS hysteria, you have has saved us second hand Porsche owners a fortune.
Stats come from Rennlist & PorscheclubGB both of whome have done surveys, the PCGB survey was more scientific & from memory had approx 500 replies to its survey, where as Rennlist was based on a smaller sample size & only included people visiting their forum (probably more likely to have issues).
There is also a lot of circumstanstial evedince from Porsche forums & dealers that seem to correspond to these poll results.
Hence the stats are probably not exact but I would imagine they're about right.
There is also a lot of circumstanstial evedince from Porsche forums & dealers that seem to correspond to these poll results.
Hence the stats are probably not exact but I would imagine they're about right.
Intresting. I had a '98 996c2 which I bought in feb '99. It had a RMS oil leak in '99 @ 6500 miles. Porsche demanded the engine back to the factory to investigate and supplied a new engine. I guess mine was one of the first, that's why they wanted it back to the factory. So 8 weeks later and 4000 miles on a loan 996 I go my car back. Never had a leak again.
Its good to see a positive approach to the so called 'rms issue'.
Don't mean to p1ss on anyone's parade tho , but in my mind the much bigger issue with the 996 is the hyped S.E.F. (sudden engine failure!!)
On a separate thread recently a specialist suggested that a 996 engine may need a rebuild at approx. 80k miles (costing between £1200-4000 I think).
I have attempted to build up stats on high mileage 996's on earlier threads with little results. It IS an issue that will have to be at least clarified if not resolved , before people start resting easier with Porsches water cooled technology.
(I DO hope I haven't contributed to putting you off 996's again , your Lordship!!)
Don't mean to p1ss on anyone's parade tho , but in my mind the much bigger issue with the 996 is the hyped S.E.F. (sudden engine failure!!)
On a separate thread recently a specialist suggested that a 996 engine may need a rebuild at approx. 80k miles (costing between £1200-4000 I think).
I have attempted to build up stats on high mileage 996's on earlier threads with little results. It IS an issue that will have to be at least clarified if not resolved , before people start resting easier with Porsches water cooled technology.
(I DO hope I haven't contributed to putting you off 996's again , your Lordship!!)
Lord P said:
The unlucky 5% that have had multiple RMS failures have had their engines replaced if they live in the USA “for a very small oil leek !”, where as Porsche UK seems to think their UK customers are less likely to have carpeted garages & therefore can live with a small oil leek.
I must surely being missing something, the RMS issue very nearly put me off buying a 996 & I am sure it is one of the causes for the depreciation experienced on these cars.
Thank you internet RMS hysteria, you have has saved us second hand Porsche owners a fortune.
Good idea with regards to the stats etc...
With regards to the oil leaks
Maybe its got more to do with the fact that a car that costs upwards of £60k (996) or upwards of £30k (Boxster) SHOULDN'T BE LEAKING OIL 
If consumers wanted a driveway with oil spots, a cheap XR3i can be found in Autotrader. 
Steve
>> Edited by Merritt on Sunday 26th March 14:31
>> Edited by Merritt on Sunday 26th March 14:31
Sod it, I'll just have to trade mine for a Tuscan now... If you have the RMS replaced along with the clutch it'll add about sixty quid to the cost and keep your motor lovely and oil tight.
As for sudden failures, I bet they are no worse than any other engine producing around 100BHP/litre.
Stop fretting.
As for sudden failures, I bet they are no worse than any other engine producing around 100BHP/litre.
Stop fretting.BliarOut said:
Sod it, I'll just have to trade mine for a Tuscan now... If you have the RMS replaced along with the clutch it'll add about sixty quid to the cost and keep your motor lovely and oil tight.
As for sudden failures, I bet they are no worse than any other engine producing around 100BHP/litre.
I absolutely agree .. But I think that instead of 'betting' it would be real nice to have the cold comfort of statistics.
By the way , I don't fret , the porsche warranty man does that for me...
I have to agree that the RMS is a none issue with regard to my possible purchase of a 996 BUT after seeing the pics of the engine on another thread with the tops of the middle cylinders cracked, this engine issue HAS put me off, this is IMO a design fault and porsche know it, why else would they use a different block on the Turbo GT2 and GT3. When and if i move up to a 996 from my beautiful 993 C2 coupe i would only consider one of the cars above from the 996 range at least the have a race proven engine block. Ok now i can be told that these engines are not without their problems too, right im ready for tales of woe.
Surveys are meaningless unless everyone responds.
I will wager that 100% of RMS suffers responded and a much smaller percentage of suffers bothered to respond.
I would suspect that the percentage of failures is much smaller and if it does go, Porsche seem to be fixing it if the car is in warranty or not.
I will wager that 100% of RMS suffers responded and a much smaller percentage of suffers bothered to respond.
I would suspect that the percentage of failures is much smaller and if it does go, Porsche seem to be fixing it if the car is in warranty or not.
Raven Flyer said:
Surveys are meaningless unless everyone responds.
I will wager that 100% of RMS suffers responded and a much smaller percentage of suffers bothered to respond.
I would suspect that the percentage of failures is much smaller and if it does go, Porsche seem to be fixing it if the car is in warranty or not.
35% my arse.
Ballcock you spotted the deliberate mistake (congratulations) the thread should of course read ON instead of UP, I was thinking of the greater outlay, oh and by the way i am not a blinkered aircooled addict. There your sh%t stirring plan has worked, By the way i still think you should not have to prepare yourself for an engine rebiuld at around 80000 miles and that looks like the case if you own a boggo engined 996, i only wish things were different as a 4S would look V nice in my garage. Boxin993.
warmfuzzies said:
Tell me what the mystery was if it's been solved.
I find no mention of the solution here........
Kevin.
Well if the mystery was how many of the wet porkers suffer from RMS then the answer would appear to be at least a third. Personally I don't find that very reassuring, but I do recognise that a weeping seal giving the odd drip is hardly the end of the world.
itsalovelycolour said:
Ballcock you spotted the deliberate mistake (congratulations) the thread should of course read ON instead of UP, I was thinking of the greater outlay, oh and by the way i am not a blinkered aircooled addict. There your sh%t stirring plan has worked, By the way i still think you should not have to prepare yourself for an engine rebiuld at around 80000 miles and that looks like the case if you own a boggo engined 996, i only wish things were different as a 4S would look V nice in my garage. Boxin993.
Damn .. Sh1t stirred me right back ole mate! .. Me and my boggo 996 .......... Ah well , its a kingdom to me seein it's all I can afford .. (Priced out of the 993C4S market by hype!)
Well ballcock me matey as it happens i dont like the wide bodied 993s but IMO the 996 looks better in wide body form if only the 996 4S had a GT1 block. I know its all about personal taste but i suspect i am like you and cannot afford to rebuild engines when they should not be going pop in the first place. Oh and i am not into opc warranties IMHO you should not need them, Bl%ody hell my old scooby has been nailed and the engine is bomb proof as is my mates evo 8. Ok it will expire in spectacular fashion now ive said that. 
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