996 buying guide
Discussion
Going to look at a 996 shortly, a 99 996 C2 cab. What should I be paying attention to besides the obvious bits of paper.
RMS, what to look for and where? (Not opening up the 996 can of worms thing again, I had a Boxster for the last two years and it was faultless.... :scratchchin: Although I never did get to see the engine!)
Any common problems with this model apart from the aforementioned seal?
Should the 996 be the same as the Boxster under the hoods, ie satin finish?
RMS, what to look for and where? (Not opening up the 996 can of worms thing again, I had a Boxster for the last two years and it was faultless.... :scratchchin: Although I never did get to see the engine!)
Any common problems with this model apart from the aforementioned seal?
Should the 996 be the same as the Boxster under the hoods, ie satin finish?
I'd say the only important thing to have is a Porsche extended warranty. About £1000, inc. inspection and warranty. This will cover RMS (done to death else where) and potential small (though very expensive) risk of a blown engine.
Oh, and a sports exhaust, especially in a Cab.
Congratulations on your choice, you are obviously gorgeous to choose a Cabriolet. The ugly blokes go for the Coupe.
Oh, and a sports exhaust, especially in a Cab.
Congratulations on your choice, you are obviously gorgeous to choose a Cabriolet. The ugly blokes go for the Coupe.
rob,
had mine (C4 coupe so ugly bloke i guess!) since sep '02. clutch slave thingy went after about 1 year (opc said this was 'very rare'); had an oil leak last year that was fixed under warrantee (black smoke coming out the back - very scary at the time but not serious in the end). the extended warrantee will give peace of mind but it's a bit pricey (having said that i got one)
i think the main thing to look for is a car which has been looked after (difficult to quantify and pretty obvious i know) - look for fpsh; i think that makes the extened warrantee easier/cheaper if you go for it.
i guess also a '99 car maybe be heading for some bigish 'routine' service items - not sure what but i'm sure someone on hear will know.
also, there's a few threads on here about skitish handling over bumps - mine's not too bad - something to look for on the test drive (geometry gets knocked about by speed bumps, etc.)
si.
>> Edited by simon138 on Tuesday 23 August 11:32
had mine (C4 coupe so ugly bloke i guess!) since sep '02. clutch slave thingy went after about 1 year (opc said this was 'very rare'); had an oil leak last year that was fixed under warrantee (black smoke coming out the back - very scary at the time but not serious in the end). the extended warrantee will give peace of mind but it's a bit pricey (having said that i got one)
i think the main thing to look for is a car which has been looked after (difficult to quantify and pretty obvious i know) - look for fpsh; i think that makes the extened warrantee easier/cheaper if you go for it.
i guess also a '99 car maybe be heading for some bigish 'routine' service items - not sure what but i'm sure someone on hear will know.
also, there's a few threads on here about skitish handling over bumps - mine's not too bad - something to look for on the test drive (geometry gets knocked about by speed bumps, etc.)
si.
>> Edited by simon138 on Tuesday 23 August 11:32
coil packs, make sure these have been replaced in the past year.
the plastic on them cracks in the winter (I was told change all 6 yearly) and expands to let in water when it rains, causing engine missfire when wet but runs 100% once they have heated up and then the water has evaporated.
im no expert though, just had a problem and found out from a few people that the coil packs need replacing every year or so.
wont break the bank to replace them (£300 fitted MAX by a specialist) but might help your bartering on price
from a ugly bloke in a coupe
the plastic on them cracks in the winter (I was told change all 6 yearly) and expands to let in water when it rains, causing engine missfire when wet but runs 100% once they have heated up and then the water has evaporated.
im no expert though, just had a problem and found out from a few people that the coil packs need replacing every year or so.
wont break the bank to replace them (£300 fitted MAX by a specialist) but might help your bartering on price
from a ugly bloke in a coupe
It makes no difference.
I had a Porsche warranty put on my 996 C4S & I bought that from an independant.
They have to do a multi-point check & address any issues before they go ahead & put a warranty on it.
In my case they found a leaky RMS (surprise surprise) & the car was just out of 2 year warranty.
After some "debate" they Porsche agreed to fix it FOC & the car then had a warranty put on it.
Ro.
I had a Porsche warranty put on my 996 C4S & I bought that from an independant.
They have to do a multi-point check & address any issues before they go ahead & put a warranty on it.
In my case they found a leaky RMS (surprise surprise) & the car was just out of 2 year warranty.
After some "debate" they Porsche agreed to fix it FOC & the car then had a warranty put on it.
Ro.
So if after inspection the OPC come up with a list of things that need attending to, do they have to be done by an OPC or can they be done by an independent? I ask as I have just been through this.
I bought a car from a (well known) independent who declared it to be one of the best they had seen in a while. I knew there may be one or two issues, and just for piece of mind I had my local OPC do an inspection with a view to getting a warranty. During the inspection they said the RMS was leaking and that the variocams needed replacing - a total bill of over £3000!
I had the RMS, clutch and flywheel replaced at another independent (the one I bought the car from was too far away, even if I could have got them to do it under their warranty) and a diagnostic check of the engine showed no issues.
So could I now go to the OPC and "demand" my warranty or would they still insist on over £2000 of repairs which don't seem to be necessary?
I bought a car from a (well known) independent who declared it to be one of the best they had seen in a while. I knew there may be one or two issues, and just for piece of mind I had my local OPC do an inspection with a view to getting a warranty. During the inspection they said the RMS was leaking and that the variocams needed replacing - a total bill of over £3000!
I had the RMS, clutch and flywheel replaced at another independent (the one I bought the car from was too far away, even if I could have got them to do it under their warranty) and a diagnostic check of the engine showed no issues.
So could I now go to the OPC and "demand" my warranty or would they still insist on over £2000 of repairs which don't seem to be necessary?
Oh man. Bad situation.
They can insist on doing the work I think, as Porsche will then underwrite the car. They can't say that a pre existing warranty in invalidated by non OPC work, but they can insist that you have them put the car right before they agree to stand behind it.
Sorry to hear of your trouble.
They can insist on doing the work I think, as Porsche will then underwrite the car. They can't say that a pre existing warranty in invalidated by non OPC work, but they can insist that you have them put the car right before they agree to stand behind it.
Sorry to hear of your trouble.
This OPC warranty sounds like dental insurance - they won't touch your teeth / car until it's in perfect condition... I thought you might get a replacment 996 3.4 engine for £5K now - one of the benefits of mass production. BTW, OPC's won't warranty 993's - too old .......... (& too expensive?)
Correctomundo.
They are, I would suggest, completely entitled to sort the car out to their satisfaction before they warrant it.
As I have said before, IMHO £725 per year is cheap as CHIPS for peace of mind on a car which originally cost £70k. That's £15 a week. Compare that to what the finance payment is, and also to the cost of a major problem if the worst happens.
The warranties are now underwritten by Porsche themselves, not some call centre based insurance company (we know how keen they are to pay out - not)
Personally I couldn't bear the stress of running a 996 without the Porsche warranty - I would worry too much.
New engines are around £6.5k exchange from OPC at the moment - plus fitting plus VAT, so around £9k I guess...... Buy a warranty.
They are, I would suggest, completely entitled to sort the car out to their satisfaction before they warrant it.
As I have said before, IMHO £725 per year is cheap as CHIPS for peace of mind on a car which originally cost £70k. That's £15 a week. Compare that to what the finance payment is, and also to the cost of a major problem if the worst happens.
The warranties are now underwritten by Porsche themselves, not some call centre based insurance company (we know how keen they are to pay out - not)
Personally I couldn't bear the stress of running a 996 without the Porsche warranty - I would worry too much.
New engines are around £6.5k exchange from OPC at the moment - plus fitting plus VAT, so around £9k I guess...... Buy a warranty.
Tbh, I've got to say I'm not that bothered really. The independent I took the car to have given the car a good looking over and have given it the thumbs up. If I'd got the OPC to replace the clutch and flywheel at the same time as the RMS (sensible, obviously) the total bill would probably have been over £4000 and then the cost of the warranty on top would have pushed the total outlay to nearer £5000. Now, given that a new engine is in the region of £6000 I don't think I would have been getting great value for money. And remember the warranty is only for 1 year.
All in all, I think I went the right route. As has been said before, a warranty is an insurance policy and insurance companies do not lose money. So on the balance of probability as long as I buy as well as I can I'm better off not getting a warranty from an OPC and just getting a good independent to fix whatever goes wrong.
The only thing I'd do differently next time is buy closer to home. That way at least if I do have an issue I can take the car back to them to fix.
All in all, I think I went the right route. As has been said before, a warranty is an insurance policy and insurance companies do not lose money. So on the balance of probability as long as I buy as well as I can I'm better off not getting a warranty from an OPC and just getting a good independent to fix whatever goes wrong.
The only thing I'd do differently next time is buy closer to home. That way at least if I do have an issue I can take the car back to them to fix.
Fair enough I can see your point. I too would eb dubious about buying from a dealer a long way away.
The warranty can be extended up to 10 years or 120,000 miles though (albeit for £725 per year), and isn't backed by an insurance company it is underwritten by Porsche GmbH. You can always elect to buy it of course, should you feel the need.
And to be fair I probably paid about £3k too much for my car - so we're even stevens.... when you think about it.
Cheers
>> Edited by Vesuvius996 on Thursday 25th August 18:03
The warranty can be extended up to 10 years or 120,000 miles though (albeit for £725 per year), and isn't backed by an insurance company it is underwritten by Porsche GmbH. You can always elect to buy it of course, should you feel the need.
And to be fair I probably paid about £3k too much for my car - so we're even stevens.... when you think about it.
Cheers
>> Edited by Vesuvius996 on Thursday 25th August 18:03
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