How long does a 986 engine last ?

[WilliamsF1]

Hi'

I was wondering...

How many kms do you think is the typical lifespan of a 986 2.5l boxster engine ?

- I know its hard to say, but a qualified guess !

And what is the price of a new one if a engine breaks down ?

Kind regards

Morten

[Chris_in_NH]

there is no way to answer this question. any answer is just a guess.

some engines fail very early. some don't. some engines are well cared-for. others aren't.

that being said, i'm at 115K miles on my 2.5L. i know other people that are close to 200K. but then, some people have replaced engines at 30K miles. it's all in how you treat it and luck.

good ideas to prolong engine life are:

-frequent oil changes (at LEAST every 15K miles, but some people change it every 7.5K) including air/oil filters

-new spark plugs at recommended intervals

-premium gas

-don't let the car warm up to operating temp at idle

-don't go over 4K RPMs until the car is fully warmed up (10-20 minutes of 'normal' driving)

-when starting the car, wait 10-20 seconds before driving so that oil can get to where it needs to be

-running a bottle of Techron thru the engine prior to an oil change

a used 2.5L Boxster engine will run anywhere from $2K to $5K (USD) depending on mileage/condition.

Edited May 11, 2007 by Chris_in_NH

[WilliamsF1]

thats a great answer... I just got mine, a 98' boxster that had driven 120.000 - I actually never concidered that to be 'much' !

My parents have had VW Ventos that went 300.000 without eniges blowing :)

But I read on this forum and became a bit paranoid - Before I bought the car I read a newspaper article that the Boxster was the car with least 'big problems' of ALL cars between 8-9 years of age, but on this forum there are so many horrible stories even brand new cars go up in smoke and some people have had 2,3 and 4 engines so suddenly I though my boxster was on the verge of breaking down..

I will take mine to a super-checkup - I am sure they will find some stuff and I will make sure every bit gets fixed and ask for proper instructions on maintnence !

Thanks again for the reply...

Edited May 11, 2007 by WilliamsF1

[Rodger]

I actually sold my '99 Boxster partly because fo paranoia about the engine failing or the RMS leaking.

Then I bought my second Boxster and put the worries to the back of my mind. I take great care of my cars and I don't trust them to any mechanic other than myself. Anything that breaks, I pretty much know who to blame.

Besides, it's rare for someone to have an engine failure, but even more rare for people to post about how their engine didn't fail on a given day.

For the record, I drove my Boxster S yesterday, and the engine did great. :D

[rushrevisited]

thats a great answer... I just got mine, a 98' boxster that had driven 120.000 - I actually never concidered that to be 'much' !

My parents have had VW Ventos that went 300.000 without eniges blowing :)

But I read on this forum and became a bit paranoid - Before I bought the car I read a newspaper article that the Boxster was the car with least 'big problems' of ALL cars between 8-9 years of age, but on this forum there are so many horrible stories even brand new cars go up in smoke and some people have had 2,3 and 4 engines so suddenly I though my boxster was on the verge of breaking down..

I will take mine to a super-checkup - I am sure they will find some stuff and I will make sure every bit gets fixed and ask for proper instructions on maintnence !

Thanks again for the reply...

Hey William, welcome to the board.

One point I wanted to make - when you read the problems on this board you have to understand that people out there not having problems or questions, the average person, does not seek out message boards to get others advice and vent about problems they are having. I guess simply put, you will never see the people without engine failures coming to a place like this to say that they are not having engine failures...

[nick49]

I believe a motor in good condition with 75K miles has a better chance of seeing over 200K miles without issues than one with 20K miles. Most catistropic engine failures I have seen happen early on usually before 50K miles. These are porosity issues, cylinder and sleeve related problems and intemediate shaft failures.

[Topless]

I agree. Once you have made it to 50k the motor has proven itself and mfg defects are unlikely. Now the issue becomes heat and wear. Give her regular service and watch your temp gauge.

[atmorris]

Exactly, you only hear the bad stories on a discussion board.

If you look at the numbers produced by the engine failure survey done over on the Renlist board, among 255 respondents, the catastrophic engine failure rate was about 8%. First of all, I would suspect that 8% is not all that unusual for a performance car, no matter who makes it. Also, interestingly, the survey data showed a significant correlation between those 8% failures and pre-2002 models, which were driven throughout the wintertime, and were not usually allowed to warm up properly.

That data correlation says volumes to me....

Make sure you do proper maintenance, with quality parts. Use quality fuel of the proper octane rating. Let the car warm up properly, especially during cold weather. Keep your foot out of the throttle until the engine is fully up to temp. Your car should run for a long, long time.

Anyone see anything here that isn't just good old fashioned common sense?

Edited May 16, 2007 by Andy_M