This car is so much trouble but its still great

[djohnson]

Please forgive the rant re my 911 (996 C4S) however:

- April 06 : RMS work done
- May 06 : Car using coolant at a alarming rate = many inconclusive visits to dealer
- Nov 06 (ish?) : Engine out and stripped coolant issue finally sorted
- Jan 07 : RMS work done again
- March 07 : Massive increase in amounts of white deposit at top of filler cap
- March 07 : Service done - deposits at top of filler cap "nothing to worry about."
- April 07 : Breakdown in Grimsby of all places. New coil pack required. Dealer then says "By the way your RMS is leaking and probably needs doing and your coolant is very low even though it was fine when serviced two weeks ago." Ahhhhhhhhhh.
- Last night : won't start. Not tried it yet this morning. Ahhhhhhh.

All this work has be done under warranty so not a penny of cost. Car is still great but once again I'm getting tempted by a new M3/M5 as much as anything else because I'm fed up of the reliability issues. However I do really love the drive in the 911s - if I sold this one and went for a 996 Turbo am I likely to get a more reliable car or are they all the same?

[domster]

As a general rule, Turbos normally have more reliabilty issues and running cost issues than a normally aspirated car... more to go wrong and higher performance levels, basically. However, the 996 Turbo is a solid car and well maintained examples should cause little trouble.

[MaKSiNG]

domster said:

As a general rule, Turbos normally have more reliabilty issues and running cost issues than a normally aspirated car... more to go wrong and higher performance levels, basically. However, the 996 Turbo is a solid car and well maintained examples should cause little trouble.

Do you say this with any experience or are you just talking through conjecture?

[domster]

I always speak from a mix of:
- Personal experience
- Professional experience
- Experiences of other car owners I know personally

You cannot give definite answers to most questions or issues on Pistonheads, so a little conjecture will always apply. Also, the experiences I draw a conclusion from may or may not be the same as for other people.

That is why threads are so useful. If I am wrong, 25 people may subsequently post calling me an idiot. If I am generally correct, those 25 may agree.

[dazren]

djohnson said:

if I sold this one and went for a 996 Turbo am I likely to get a more reliable car or are they all the same?

I've had my 996TT for five years from new. I've done 34k miles at a rather brisk pace and have only had a couple of minor reliability issues.

Problems making the car undriveable:
1 - gearshift linkeage broke (warranty)
2 - turbo pipe blew off once whilst changing from 5th to 6th at 1.55 leptons (had to drive at <2.5k revs). (OPC reattached and other side checked FOC)
3 - car wouldn't start one day as it needed a new battery. (I had to pay for this!)

Surprise issues:
4 - needed new rads due to internal corrosion (warranty, if stone chips I'd have had to pay for them)
5 - replaced sunroof mechanism due to rattling. (warranty)

[MaKSiNG]

I thought the TT would be more reliable due to using the GT1 block. It is a supercar, so the costs of anything failing will be more but it is more robust so the chances of this in first place are slimmer.

Dazren - Those things under warranty, is that the warranty from new or extended warranty?

[domster]

MaKSiNG said:

I thought the TT would be more reliable due to using the GT1 block. It is a supercar, so the costs of anything failing will be more but it is more robust so the chances of this in first place are slimmer.

I believe there were some issues with the block on 996TTs but I can't remember the exact details. It is true that the 964 derived block is stronger as a whole but the added complications and problems in Turbos are mainly to do with the turbo system itself... turbo oil lines leaking, boost pipes, turbos, sticking wastegates, detonation, heat soak/cooling problems etc.

[slippydiff]

domster said:

MaKSiNG said:

I thought the TT would be more reliable due to using the GT1 block. It is a supercar, so the costs of anything failing will be more but it is more robust so the chances of this in first place are slimmer.

I believe there were some issues with the block on 996TTs but I can't remember the exact details. It is true that the 964 derived block is stronger as a whole but the added complications and problems in Turbos are mainly to do with the turbo system itself... turbo oil lines leaking, boost pipes, turbos, sticking wastegates, detonation, heat soak/cooling problems etc.

Mine's a skinny latte if you're doing a brew Dom
But seriously, the GT1 based block engine assembly seems to be of a better design and more durable than the NA engine.

The Turbo/GT3/GT2 engine very rarely suffers from RMS issues, the intermediate shafts/bearings don't have a habit of self destructing and to the best of my knowledge the cylinder liners aren't made out of chocolate
Yes there are more ancillaries to go wrong, but even they seem to be more durable than the NA bits. Apart from the radiators that is.......

[dazren]

MaKSiNG said:

Dazren - Those things under warranty, is that the warranty from new or extended warranty?

First two years warranty came when I bought the car. I've subsequently extended it with Porsche each year, used to cost £725 pa, now £895 pa. Dates of what went wrong and when are all in my profile. All in all I regard it as a very reliable car, especially for the performance it offers.

[domster]

Wasn't there a 'porous block' problem with the 996 Turbos, or did I imagine it? I probably imagined it. My mind is overloaded with many useless facts, like Henry's particular coffee specification, and the info blurs into one or gets forgotten

[dazren]

domster said:

Wasn't there a 'porous block' problem with the 996 Turbos,

From memory affected a small number of early cars. Porsche replaced all the engines under warranty.