In the market for a Cayman 2.7 but have concerns...

[wave2k]

So im in the market for a Cayman 2.7 and was completley sold untill i started to do some deeper research,

Great looking car, great handling great engine and reliable, or so i thought anyway.

Now its common to have a concentrated amount of problems on forums which exaggerates a problem.

But the more i search the more common it seems, there are a few third parties which offer rebuild packages too !.


Now i didnt expect running a Porsche to be cheap, but having to shell out £700+ a year for peice of mind warrenty is a bit too far.

My question is, how common are they ?

What should i look out for ?

I still would like to own a Cayman, but need to know how common the problem is, if its a design faluire wont it eventually effect every car ?



I have other cars in mind like the MK2 Audi TT 3.2, BMW Z4 coupe 3.0 (Z4m is a bit too much) and even a TT TDI

[markiii]

It's a real problem

However buy a well looked after car, treat it well, use good oil and change at reasonable intervals, and it wouldn't put me off

If it helps the problem gets more likely as capacity in crease and 2.7 is the baby of the bunch

Wouldn't put me off

[nickfrog]

Catastrophic failures on M96/97 engines are not common but obviously very expensive to fix. There are 3 main areas of weakness in the design : IMS, scoring of the bores and d-chuck piston failure.

There are no statistics available on failure rates so no one knows if 0.1%, 1% or 10% of engines are affected and I guess no one will ever know.

The 3.4, 3.6 and 3.8 (997) seem the most affected but issues can happen with all M96/97 engine family.

I assumed the 2.7 was the most robust hence my choice of engine (no warranty) but some here say the 3.2 is actually more solid (I don't understand that BTW, as I assume that 2.7 wall thickness was greater). I haven't heard of 2.7 engine failures which does not mean there are none but it might be an indication of potential reliability.

There are no obvious patterns of usage that leads to failure but some trends and theories, particularly developed by Hartech who are one of the top specialists on these engines. Changing the oil more often than the absurd 20k miles / 24 months official interval seems a good idea as well as looking after the cooling system of the car religiously and having the car checked for obvious IMS/RMS area leaks (RMS would not be a big issue but an IMS leak may show the same symptoms). I do think that low milers are a little more exposed to issues. Others will surely add to this.

I can't think of a better or more cost effective car in the 13K to 18K price range than the 2.7 987 or Cayman so I am "happy" to run the risk, although if I was based near Hartech I would use their warranty/servicing scheme thingy.

The other cars mentioned may be very competent but very very far behind in terms of handling, grip, balance, noise, steering, specialness etc etc

HTH.

Edited by nickfrog on Thursday 13th October 21:02

[FisiP1]

2.7 seems to get less issues reported than the 3.4, lower loads given the lower power and torque outputs I would presume is a factor, but things can still happen to them, as can they on any car. Hartech has great buyers guides for these cars, that are more informative and specific than most members on here will be able to be, but don't be too put off by the scare stories, its certainly no foregone conclusion that 'if you buy a used Porsche you will suffer engine woes until the end of time'.

The TT 3.2 is an outdated engine with some specific issues of its own(it was always reported to have a far too sensitive throttle), although less linked to reliability. I'd avoid those for a start, the lower capacity new petrol turbos are almost as powerful too.

Few random cayman specific things to check: check the spoiler motor works, rear exhaust clips have a tendency to crack so check those too, boot support piston thingys can stick or wear out after some time.

I have had mine for going on 3 months now and love it, its a perfect daily drive, 0 issues so far, and so so rewarding to drive well.

Edited by FisiP1 on Thursday 13th October 20:25

[Paul O]

Just buy one

I ran one for 3 years, no problems with anything other than a £10 clutch sensor and a £100 temperature sensor.

Absolutely brilliant car.

If you get one where the engine goes bang, then you have been unlucky but if your worried about it get a warranty for piece of mind. If you buy from an OPC then you will get a 2 year Porsche warranty anyway.

[mollytherocker]

You have 3 choices.

Get an OPC warranty.
Get on a maintenance plan like Hartechs.
Risk a £6k rebuild.

The question you want answering is, what is the risk? Some say they will all go eventually and some say it is only 2%. No one knows for sure, but the longer you keep it the more likely it is to happen.

There is no right or wrong answer, its up to you!

MTR