logray

With the key on, try pressing the lock unlock button on the dash several times, each way. Then try to use the levers on the sill (with the doors unlocked/red light on lock switch OFF obviously).

You removed the sump plate IIRC, so perhaps more oil drained than the normal service fill which is normal. The total engine oil capacity is usually a little more than the oil change amount. When the engine has a long time to drain, and with sump removed it is possible more than the "oil change amount" drained out. I would add 1/4 of a liter at a time until it registers on your dash display. If you prefilled the oil filter, then fill until about 3/4 of the way between min and max. If you put the new oil filter on dry I would fill to the top line. Start it briefly for a second or two, then shut it off, then start it up again. One nice reason to have an older model with a real dipstick. ;)

My two cents: don't pay someone to do most of these things. Do them yourself and save that money. Paying a dealer $1500 to do these things is just ridiculous [*]replacing air filter - A $25 part. This is a 15 minute job for someone experienced. For someone with no mechanical abilities, maybe 1 hour tops.http://www.pelicanparts.com/cgi-bin/smart/more_info.cgi?pn=996-110-131-52-M67[*]replacing particle filter - The cabin filter is cheap and is easier than changing a vacuum cleaner filter or home ventilation filter.http://www.pelicanparts.com/cgi-bin/smart/more_info.cgi?pn=997-571-219-01-M63[*]cleaning out radiator ducts - Take your house vacuum and put on an extension, stick it through the large holes in your front bumper in front of the radiators and suck all the stuff out. Don't touch the radiator fins because you don't want to bend them. [*]changing spark plugs - I would skip this until about 40-50k on the car. [*]changing brake fluid - pay your local shop to do this. It is just like any other brake system. I recommend ATE super blue or ATE Gold About a 1 hour job. You only need one liter at $15.http://www.pelicanparts.com/cgi-bin/smart/more_info.cgi?pn=706302-M4 I wouldn't touch the drive belt until 40-50k miles Also you may want to pay your indie to replace your transmission fluid and flush your coolant, if both items are original to the car... based on 6 years old car. ONLY use Porsche fluids for those two items.

Yes, it will work after the battery is reconnected.

1999 is a great year for Porsche, my 996 is a 1999. I would try 0389 and if that doesn't work try 0399.

Also Durametric lists their authorized distributors in the following link: http://www.durametric.com/distributors.aspx You definitely would want to buy a genuine cable, and if it is a used enthusiast version, that it has at least one slot remaining for a VIN otherwise you'd have to pay Durametric to clear them out (IIRC). I believe enthusiast gets to read three VINs. Note that there could be fake cables going around. In fact, Durametric has a special notice about this on their ebay seller page: http://cgi3.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewUserPage&userid=duramp "We do not have any other distributors or resellers that sell on ebay, if you find another listing for a new tool that claims the same functionality it is likely to be a counterfeit of our product. These counterfeits are very low quality and are not eligible for software updates or support."

Pulling from a stop in 2nd gear there should be no slippage. Or when downshifting, the engine speed should change. As far as a flywheel test in car, I've not heard of any way to do this. It is a good idea to solve the problem you describe. The engine has only the dual mass flywheel to absorb vibrations, and if it is broken it is going to put a lot of extra stress on the thrust shims/etc. I would recommend sticking with stock mounts if this is a DD or you aren't tracking it. The semi solid mounts are GREAT (for example if you track the car), but they transfer a lot of the engine vibrations to the chassis.

If there is no service history on the car, then it's time to change it and start one. The engine operation can be "felt" on this car more than most cars. If you add a lean or rich condition then a poor running can amplify that affect. I would try to fix the source of that code and reset the DME (pull the battery for 5 minutes). In fact, you can reset the DME now (write down the code number first), that is a good way to see if fuel trims are playing a role in the problem. If it clears the problem up and then comes back within 20-40 miles that is a good indicator of what the computer is doing. I've never liked using the engine to jack the car. I use the crossmember in front of it. When the mounts fail, typically they emit/ooze out the fluid inside. Another indicator is one side of the engine will sit lower than the other. If the car has that many miles on original mounts, then replacement is not a bad idea and is a simple job... but certainly don't expect it to solve the problem if something is wrong with the trans, clutch, or engine. Do you know when the last clutch/flywheel job was? It could be the DMF is on it's way out, and there is a simple procedure to check the deflection of the springs when you have the transmission out. There could be other clutch related problems as well.

You can buy Durametric cable directly from the company, through a few resellers, and occasionally they show up used for sale on sites such as RT.org or ebay (but not that often). I'm sure an ELM327 bluetooth adapter can be purchased anywhere worldwide. I bought mine on Amazon for about $15 USD.

Hah! That's very interesting! A battery that I purchased at WalMart was made by the same company (Johnson Controls) that made the battery sold at Autozone and CostCo. The Walmart JC battery I had lasted longer than the red top at Autozone. I guess it depends on what brand you select, and how much you pay... Thus far, only the Moll battery has proven to be the ultimate champion. When I bought my 1999 996 in 2007, it still had the original battery. Maybe next time I will buy a Trojan.

Certainly if you need to do something more complicate than read/reset codes or "OBD2 extrapolated" values, then you need something such as a Durametric, PST2, or PIWIS. In fact, if you just need to read codes or even read some basic values, an ELM327 BT adapter and an app such as Torque works great. Then again, so does going to your local Autozone and having this stuff read for free. I guess it comes down to what you are after. Want to read FRA/TRA, cam deviation, actual angles, etc.? Reset the airbag light? Access the Porsche specific modules? Code/program features? Then a generic scan tool is not going to work for those things. I have extensive experience monitoring the 996 and can also tell you that the info provided by the generic OBD2 interface can be different than those provided by the protected areas of the DME... which is another aspect to consider.

Actually, you have that backwards.The LNE bigfoot drain plug is "machined" out of a billet piece of high strength hard anodized aluminum. It is MUCH harder than the standard OE stock drain plug. If you've ever held the two in your hands you can feel the difference.If you apply more torque to the higher strength metal plug against the sump, it is going to have a tendancy to damage threads in the plate or plug. if you apply less torque to the lower strength OE plug, it might not seal as well. If I managed to get myself in this position and unable to remove the sump plug, I think I would simply remove the sump plate and take it to my local machine shop. I think I would replace it with another LNE drain plug, however in the case you mentioned above, I would more likely be replacing my sump plate.

clorgio if you don't want to spend a ton of money and are not opposed to doing something besides stock, take a look at the aftermarket solutions... there are tons of write ups/DIY articles.

It's wonderful to see a fellow 1999 996 owner with so many miles. Let's take this in steps. For starters I would ask/wonder: 1.) is the engine oil level OK? 2.) When was the last time the transmission oil changed? 3.) Do you have a OBD scan tool (or visit your local parts store who has one), are there any codes from the computers?

Durametric is a great piece of software.

I finally got around to doing this. It isn't that difficult to do and requires no special tools, but I would budget a good 2-4 hours depending on how quickly you work. Dramatic improvement in the comfort of the seat. This thread helped some... http://www.renntech.org/forums/topic/42641-broken-seat-cushion-spring

4-6 hours

If you truly have misfires and those unexplainable symptoms without any codes and can verify this with another scan tool, I would highly suspect your DME and/or tiptronic computer. I have seen a faulty DME with a bad flash randomly cut out while running and do other strange things before and not throw codes. That being said, I would double check there are really no codes using another scan tool before replacing the DME. Also, your symptoms do sound like a possible variocam issue based on this "1'500 and 2'000 rpm (rpm important)", since this is around the range variocam advances valve timing. That being said, you could be facing multiple problems.

Maybe some water still stuck/trapped in the drains due to a blockage... leaking slowly over time.

"The [OEM] center bearing support stud was manufactured with an o-ring groove cut into it, reducing its cross-sectional thickness to less than the diameter of the threads used to secure the IMS bearing assembly. As such, it is common to have the center bearing support stud break during operation, resulting in a large oil leak, and is often an indicator of a failing or failed IMS bearing." - http://www.imsretrofit.com/ims-101 "If you add the cost of a new [OEM] flange ($144.67 current retail price), o-ring ($2.42), nut ($2.78), and bolts ($3.48) you are at $476.35, not including the center stud, for the Casper kit. Shops won't reuse the original parts, they want new ones. Yes, that's cheaper than the LN kit, but figure shops won't even consider buying and selling a part without 20% markup. You're already at $595.44 before adding in the cost of the center stud. Now add in what the wholesalers have to make to distribute to the shops. I'll let you do the math." - http://www.renntech.org/forums/topic/41886-who-makes-the-upgraded-ims-bearings-other-than-ln-engineering/page-2#entry235909 The original LNE IMS website did publish some of these details, including the mfg they sourced the bearing from and the capacities of each kit. If you go for the LNE IMS Upgrade (i.e. tube out of car), I believe the LNE flange is revised to accommodate the triple row, although now that they offer the IMS Solution I'm not sure the IMS upgrade is an option unless you have a dual row or larger unserviceable bearing.

Yes it looks right, in the "top" of both mounts you'll see there is rubber to insulate in a "bottom out" condition.... so if you look at your picture they are both correctly oriented, the engine would be suspended "above" in your picture. If you had it the other way around the weight of the engine would cause the inner metal portion of the mount to contact the outer metal part, rendering it useless.

Cutting corners on a $15,000 engine leads to $$$ headaches.

Hah! Great news... glad you got it sorted.

That price does seem steep, and yeah it really sucks the DIY community is left out... but on the flip side I would like to believe that cars with the IMS solution should hold their value better, and possibly even demand more at resale time. Say you take a gamble on a less-widely adapted bearing and/or make a mistake with installation, you are risking much more than $3500. Then again, if you are competent and the install is flawless, then you are certainly better off retrofitting with a stronger bearing than the original (single row cars), regardless of provider. My biggest concern with the Pelican solution is the shorter life-cycle and changing more often, the risk of a mishap goes up the more you perform the procedure, not to mention possible insertion/extraction wear/tear on the tube and coolant guide/oil pump console. Although I've read and re-read the Casper thread many many times over, it's still a slight head scratcher why they don't include a strong center stud, despite them saying there's no need for one. LNE has a larger install base, and it seems to me if center LNE studs were failing we would have seen a post about it by now... but LNE does mention failure of the OE center stud... doesn't something seem out of place there? Maybe there is a little bit of "if it costs more it must be better" anxiety to overcome. I just have a hard time doing that with a $15,000 engine, and shelled out the extra few hundred dollars for the solution that is widely adopted and has very few instances of failure (not attributable to the installer).

Skip the bearing retrofit, the headache, question about viability of other solutions, possibility of failure, and the need/expense to do it again in 40k miles. If it were me and I had a single row car at this point the only option I would consider is scheduling the once and done with it solid bearing retrofit, a.k.a. the IMS solution. Just my opinion though, I do not work for the company that makes the IMS solution, or have any affiliation with them or other shops. I am just an enthusiast who has rebuilt my own engine, and has also been following the IMS debacle from the beginning (and has retrofitted my own car twice!).