Porsche reliability ?
Discussion
Anyone else here like me - beginning to doubt Porsche's reliability reputation ?
For starters the sunroof mechanism is on the blink and won't shut the SR properly. The battery keeps draining dangerously low so went for a spin last night just one junction up the motorway and back to recharge it a little.
The SR now makes a hideous wind noise at anything above 45...
And, when I went up to 60 or faster the car felt decidedly nervous. I guess this could be the tracking (knocked out no doubt due to the third world state of our town's roads)
So this week's problems include getting the tracking and the SR sorted. Seems every couple of weeks something goes wrong and I spend most of my driving time thinking about what not to do in case I spark off another problem. And I keep reminding myself I've got circa £30k tied up in this thing...
I'm getting fed up and thinking of buying something like an Audi TT (gasp) or Lotus (gasp !).
Anyone else going/gone through this ? Anyone here deserted ship and bought something newer and less expensive ?
For starters the sunroof mechanism is on the blink and won't shut the SR properly. The battery keeps draining dangerously low so went for a spin last night just one junction up the motorway and back to recharge it a little.
The SR now makes a hideous wind noise at anything above 45...
And, when I went up to 60 or faster the car felt decidedly nervous. I guess this could be the tracking (knocked out no doubt due to the third world state of our town's roads)
So this week's problems include getting the tracking and the SR sorted. Seems every couple of weeks something goes wrong and I spend most of my driving time thinking about what not to do in case I spark off another problem. And I keep reminding myself I've got circa £30k tied up in this thing...
I'm getting fed up and thinking of buying something like an Audi TT (gasp) or Lotus (gasp !).
Anyone else going/gone through this ? Anyone here deserted ship and bought something newer and less expensive ?
911newbie said:
Anyone else here like me - beginning to doubt Porsche's reliability reputation ?
For starters the sunroof mechanism is on the blink and won't shut the SR properly. The battery keeps draining dangerously low so went for a spin last night just one junction up the motorway and back to recharge it a little.
The SR now makes a hideous wind noise at anything above 45...
And, when I went up to 60 or faster the car felt decidedly nervous. I guess this could be the tracking (knocked out no doubt due to the third world state of our town's roads)
So this week's problems include getting the tracking and the SR sorted. Seems every couple of weeks something goes wrong and I spend most of my driving time thinking about what not to do in case I spark off another problem. And I keep reminding myself I've got circa £30k tied up in this thing...
I'm getting fed up and thinking of buying something like an Audi TT (gasp) or Lotus (gasp !).
Anyone else going/gone through this ? Anyone here deserted ship and bought something newer and less expensive ?
To be honest, these aren't major problems. Even if they feel like they are at the moment.
The sunroofs on 911s are well known to be a bit iffy. Anyone that owns a 3.2 with one normally has fun with it at some time, but I must admit to thinking they were sorted by the 993. Why do you think they put a zip in the headlining to make it easy to access the mechanism
A tech could sort the sunroof relatively easily and it's a known weak spot. Battery problems affect all cars, and can be due to something like an alarm or tracking device prematurely draining it. Have you had the loom of your 993 checked? This is another weak spot in early cars and they shorted out, sometimes causing a fire. It may be worth getting loom condition checked.
As for the tracking, again, anything with 4 wheels can suffer from this problem. I have driven a 911 at 160 without any nervousness, apart from on my part
If you sort the known niggles on a 911 (there are only a couple on a 993, many more on earlier ones) it should be pretty bulletproof.
Should you really want to know how bad running problems and reliability can get, you could chop the 993 in for a Lotus Carlton. Mine spent 12 or 18 months off the road for one reason or another, at a cost of nearly 8k in repair bills. The sunroof worked, but feck all else did. The TVR forums also have some interesting tales.
Please don't let these niggles marr the ownership experience for you. An Audi TT door doesn't clunk like a 993 door, nor does it have the character overall. I'm sure they also suffer from niggles as well.
Cheers
Domster
I don't know if you bought the car privately or from a specialist in Porsches. Bu these things sound like nothing a couple of days with a good specialist would not fix.
If you got the car from a good independent or an OPC, then take it right back. Wheel alignment is a big deal with 993's and they can get out of whack - many specialists have the kit to measure and correctly align the wheels and generally fettle the suspension. Again, such a specialist will also be well used to niggles with the roof.
I reckon that a few hours with these guys would nail your glitches. The alignment session will transform the car.
Once done, I am confident that the car will settle down and you will love it!
And don't get a Audi TT for gods sake ! Not only are they a 4 wheeled cliche they ae essentially a Golf.
And not that reliable either - they ( and many other Audi's) are subject to one of the largest and most widespread faulty component cock ups in motoring history -
new ignition coil packs anyone?( Oh, there's 3,000 people in the queue ahead of me...bugger
)
If you got the car from a good independent or an OPC, then take it right back. Wheel alignment is a big deal with 993's and they can get out of whack - many specialists have the kit to measure and correctly align the wheels and generally fettle the suspension. Again, such a specialist will also be well used to niggles with the roof.
I reckon that a few hours with these guys would nail your glitches. The alignment session will transform the car.
Once done, I am confident that the car will settle down and you will love it!
And don't get a Audi TT for gods sake ! Not only are they a 4 wheeled cliche they ae essentially a Golf.
And not that reliable either - they ( and many other Audi's) are subject to one of the largest and most widespread faulty component cock ups in motoring history -
new ignition coil packs anyone?( Oh, there's 3,000 people in the queue ahead of me...bugger
)Porsche are very reliable...compared to other specialist makes.
But when people expect them to behave like a Ford (one of millions made, had many millions of miles of development testing, millions of drivers in millions of weather situations) then they are not, by comparison reliable.
The trick with a Porsche is to stay ahead of what needs to be done: prevention is better then cure. Taht way, they will be reliable.
But when people expect them to behave like a Ford (one of millions made, had many millions of miles of development testing, millions of drivers in millions of weather situations) then they are not, by comparison reliable.
The trick with a Porsche is to stay ahead of what needs to be done: prevention is better then cure. Taht way, they will be reliable.
how old/worn are your tires?
My handling started to deteriate badly and I thought it was tracking/allinment in the end the front tires were about 2.1 mm and rounded edges, when these were changed the car was back to normal.
If you drive hard, the tyres do wear and even though may still be legal, the hadling has gone from them.
My handling started to deteriate badly and I thought it was tracking/allinment in the end the front tires were about 2.1 mm and rounded edges, when these were changed the car was back to normal.
If you drive hard, the tyres do wear and even though may still be legal, the hadling has gone from them.
Dom, thanks for the tip about the sunroof, I'll speak to the local expert (Crispin Manners) about it. I may book my car into the local OPC for the alignment check (£200 gone).
I know they aren't major problems, but it's the frequency of having to get this or that sorted - that's what's annoying me.
Topstuff, I bought the car a year and a half ago (I should change my login name to '911jaded'
) privately.
As you say a few hours with these guys should sort these thinsg out... but its been a few hours with a specialist rather too many times over the past year and a bit, for my liking at least.
I reckon I've spent more than £3k on it so far, and not incl tyres etc, just on servicing and repair.
Williamp - I reckon Porsche should be a lot better than Ford, as the 911 has, in various guises, been knocking around for 40+ years now and each car costs many times that of a Ford car. I expect my 993 is indeed more reliable than a similarly aged and used Ford, but I expect it to be better still, i.e. 'bulletproof' (as Dom describes them). I don not expect things to drop off, need sorting every couple of weeks.
Prevention is better than cure but I'm not sure how preventative one can be about sunrooves and wheel alingment...?
Having said that if my wheel alingment is off I am positive its becasue the roads round here are in such diabolical shape. I reckon I may have a go at claiming some of the money back.
Suprlighter - tyres are almost new, only a few hundred on them, and no hard use at all.
Alingment it is then...
I know they aren't major problems, but it's the frequency of having to get this or that sorted - that's what's annoying me.
Topstuff, I bought the car a year and a half ago (I should change my login name to '911jaded'
) privately. As you say a few hours with these guys should sort these thinsg out... but its been a few hours with a specialist rather too many times over the past year and a bit, for my liking at least.
I reckon I've spent more than £3k on it so far, and not incl tyres etc, just on servicing and repair.
Williamp - I reckon Porsche should be a lot better than Ford, as the 911 has, in various guises, been knocking around for 40+ years now and each car costs many times that of a Ford car. I expect my 993 is indeed more reliable than a similarly aged and used Ford, but I expect it to be better still, i.e. 'bulletproof' (as Dom describes them). I don not expect things to drop off, need sorting every couple of weeks.
Prevention is better than cure but I'm not sure how preventative one can be about sunrooves and wheel alingment...?
Having said that if my wheel alingment is off I am positive its becasue the roads round here are in such diabolical shape. I reckon I may have a go at claiming some of the money back.
Suprlighter - tyres are almost new, only a few hundred on them, and no hard use at all.
Alingment it is then...
911newbie said:
tyres are almost new, only a few hundred on them, and no hard use at all.
Alingment it is then...
Actually, I've heard quite a few reports of new tyres causing nervous handling for several hundred miles (depending on usage). The mould release agent can take a while to wear off (S02s in particular). A few laps of Bruntingthorpe might be in order ......
Cheers, Maurice
Maurice,
in present condition I wouldn't dare take it up to high speeds. Its booked in at the local OPC for Friday and they'll do a full geometry check.
(Only £200 ... goddamn)
On a different tack Maurice, I think you are the owner of a certain mailing list - titanic ?? If you are can you amke me a member ? I am sure I filled out the forms etc online but when I send an email off I always get one back telling me it will be held for approval as I'm a non member.
in present condition I wouldn't dare take it up to high speeds. Its booked in at the local OPC for Friday and they'll do a full geometry check.
(Only £200 ... goddamn)
On a different tack Maurice, I think you are the owner of a certain mailing list - titanic ?? If you are can you amke me a member ? I am sure I filled out the forms etc online but when I send an email off I always get one back telling me it will be held for approval as I'm a non member.
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