Hey folks,

First time poster and first time Porsche owner here. Last month I purchased a '99 Cabriolet 6-speed with 60k miles. I've put about 1000 miles on it so far with no problems to report other than burning 1 or 2 bars worth of oil on my oil guage meter over 1k miles, and I get a little bit of a grind going into second on a cold tranny if I don't gingerly guide it in. It's fine once it warms up, though. I understand these are fairly typical symptoms?

Anyways, I unfortunately have no maintenance or repair history on the vehicle, so my first question has to do with the 60k service.

If I can save a few bucks by using my trusty local mechanic rather than the Porsche dealership, I'd opt for that. I'm just not sure exactly what gets done at 60k. I'd imagine a full fluid flush, check hoses and belts and change the plugs and air filters? Anything else I should keep an eye out for? Fuel filter change? Is there a timing belt change at 60k like I've had to do with Hondas, for instance?

Second question, and it's just cosmetic: The driver's seat's leather is fairly beat up and starting to crack (one small hole as well). Are there any tight-fitting seat covers that you'd recommend? I don't really want to reupohlster the thing.

Lots more questions in the future, I'm sure, but I think that'll get me started.

Having a blast, though! I can't get over how composed this 11 year old car feels when it's on the road.

thanks,

Dave from Melbourne, FL

 

You got a lemon, sell it ASAP!!! Your engine is going to blow up soon and your tranny synchros are going to shatter soon as well. These will be $15k+ added up later.

Did that scare you?

J/K but seriously, do the usual stuff you've been reading on these boards, but I would definitely at least try to change out the tranny fluid to see if it will take care of your cold grind issue. You might also want to check the Clutch Slave/Master just to make sure there's no leaks.

Make sure to check underneath for any signs of oil leak or sweat as the IMS and RMS issues can lead to engine failure.

I'm sure others will have a more detailed list but these are the top two imo.

 

www.renntech.org has a list of things to address in each service: 30k, 60k, 90, etc. You can also save some money and have some fun DIYing part of it. renntech has many of those DIYs. I suggest taking it to place for the first 60k, since the car is new and you do not know the car yet and what the status of things are.

Regarding the dealer: You can take to an indy shop that does pcars and the price will be considerably less than dealer, and probably around what you mechanic charges. I am in CA and most of the indys charge around $100/h, not bad at all compared to $175/h some dealership in LA area

I have two indy mechanics, one for my Mercedes, and one for my Porsche, which by the way is a 99 cab also. I realized that the little pcar engines, although very simple, are full of trickery. I'd suggest you try to find a Porsche outfit. I'd do the same with the Benz.

 

thanks for the info on the 60k service list on Renntech. I was a little suprised not to see fuel filter replacement on the list. Is that something that doesn't need to be worried about on 996s?

 

Fuel filter must be changed in 99's at the 90k service. Later cars do not need to replace it. You can check it in the 90k list

 

First of all, congrats on your purchase. These cars are enjoyable in so many ways and this board is a great place to learn all about your car.

I would be a little concerned about the second gear grinding. This is a fairly common problem on the 996's and what you are describing will probably get worse. The syncro's start to wear and that is irreversible. Changing the gear oil might help with the stickiness when its cold but will not resolve the problem. I'd give the guys at GBOX a call and talk to them about it. They are very knowledgable and spent the time explaining this all to me in great detail. They also now sell a small part that engages the gears deeper on the syncho's that may be helpful.

 

I agree, if it is indeed a synchro issue it will eventually get worse. I was trying to be optimistic as the OP stated he didn't have any knowledge of previous maintenance, and as such could've been attributed to the wrong type fluid used.

As a band aid, people have used fluids like Redline and Synchromesh(not specifically for p-cars necessarily) to extend out their syncrho issues. But once again, this was just a band aid to prolong the inevitable. Best thing is to have it checked out by a good Porsche Indie or Dealer to know for sure.

 

Air filter, pollen filter, spark plugs and new tubes with new orings, check brake pads/rotors and might was well flush brake fluid, tranny fluid flush, check tires, check shocks for leaks, check PS fliud level, check coolant tank and coolant flush, oil change and filter , check/replace serpentine belt. I'd start with the above stuff.

 

Welcome! I can't believe I'm the first one to ask for PICTURES!!

 

good list geetee. That's pretty much what I had in mind. Pollen filter... that's for the AC unit, right? Ahh, speaking of which, sometimes I get little bits of foam insulation shot out at me from time to time when the AC fan's blowing. Is this typical?

Sorry, I could probably do a forum search to get some of these questions answered. I'll get on that next time I'm bored.

And thanks for the welcome, Don. Can't believe I haven't snapped any photos of the thing yet. I'm slacking! I'll post 'em when I got 'em.

 

My car has the same 2nd gear grinding. Sometimes I think it is in gear but it is not, hence when I engage the gear there is a bit of grinding. Gets much better and is practically non-existent once the car warms up.

 

If it gets better when the car warms up, I would check your shift cable adjustments to make sure they are within spec. Do you have a SSK or has anyone ever touched your lever before?(damn, that didn't sound good)