2005 Carrera Gotch'yas?

[Ponch]

Folks,

Leaning towards a manual 2005 Carrera; anything thing that should make me think twice, or look at 2006 instead?

Lastly, I would appreciate input on after-market warranties - I've seen a bunch of different companies (US Fidelis, National, etc.) on TV these last few weeks - google searches tell me bad things. Is there anyone out there with such a policy that has filed a high value claim with good or bad results?

Many thanks,

Paul

[Loren]

Folks,

Leaning towards a manual 2005 Carrera; anything thing that should make me think twice, or look at 2006 instead?

Lastly, I would appreciate input on after-market warranties - I've seen a bunch of different companies (US Fidelis, National, etc.) on TV these last few weeks - google searches tell me bad things. Is there anyone out there with such a policy that has filed a high value claim with good or bad results?

Many thanks,

Paul

Yes, buy a MY2006 or newer - the engine problems were sorted by then.

[Hamad]

Folks,

Leaning towards a manual 2005 Carrera; anything thing that should make me think twice, or look at 2006 instead?

Lastly, I would appreciate input on after-market warranties - I've seen a bunch of different companies (US Fidelis, National, etc.) on TV these last few weeks - google searches tell me bad things. Is there anyone out there with such a policy that has filed a high value claim with good or bad results?

Many thanks,

Paul

Yes, buy a MY2006 or newer - the engine problems were sorted by then.

I have an 05 and its running fine, but can never drive without warranty.. engine failed last year and was replaced under warranty

all the best

[number9ine]

Folks,

Leaning towards a manual 2005 Carrera; anything thing that should make me think twice, or look at 2006 instead?

Lastly, I would appreciate input on after-market warranties - I've seen a bunch of different companies (US Fidelis, National, etc.) on TV these last few weeks - google searches tell me bad things. Is there anyone out there with such a policy that has filed a high value claim with good or bad results?

Many thanks,

Paul

Yes, buy a MY2006 or newer - the engine problems were sorted by then.

If an '06 is out of your range, doesn't hurt to look at the 05s so long as it has (or you buy) a warranty. Not speaking from personal experience, but I made sure my C2S had a warranty (CPO) and would've bought one if it didn't. After seeing some of the failed bearing, d-chunk and other lovely pictures of grenaded low-mi engines here it was imperative.

For your warranty choices, ask your local OPC sales guy for a brochure on what they sell. They'll mark it up $1000 or more, so talk them down to something reasonable or buy it directly if that's possible. Going with the OPC's choice of warranty means you're less likely to get hassle if your car is towed in dropping oil and parts.

M.

[AIB]

Folks,

Leaning towards a manual 2005 Carrera; anything thing that should make me think twice, or look at 2006 instead?

Lastly, I would appreciate input on after-market warranties - I've seen a bunch of different companies (US Fidelis, National, etc.) on TV these last few weeks - google searches tell me bad things. Is there anyone out there with such a policy that has filed a high value claim with good or bad results?

Many thanks,

Paul

Yes, buy a MY2006 or newer - the engine problems were sorted by then.

If an '06 is out of your range, doesn't hurt to look at the 05s so long as it has (or you buy) a warranty. Not speaking from personal experience, but I made sure my C2S had a warranty (CPO) and would've bought one if it didn't. After seeing some of the failed bearing, d-chunk and other lovely pictures of grenaded low-mi engines here it was imperative.

For your warranty choices, ask your local OPC sales guy for a brochure on what they sell. They'll mark it up $1000 or more, so talk them down to something reasonable or buy it directly if that's possible. Going with the OPC's choice of warranty means you're less likely to get hassle if your car is towed in dropping oil and parts.

M.

I second everyone's opinion. I currently own a 2005 CS2, and it runs perfectly fine with 35,000km on it (haven't had any problems with my engine), however after everything I read on the internet I wouldn't be caught dead without a warranty on it!!!

[tekky]

Folks,

Leaning towards a manual 2005 Carrera; anything thing that should make me think twice, or look at 2006 instead?

Lastly, I would appreciate input on after-market warranties - I've seen a bunch of different companies (US Fidelis, National, etc.) on TV these last few weeks - google searches tell me bad things. Is there anyone out there with such a policy that has filed a high value claim with good or bad results?

Many thanks,

Paul

Yes, buy a MY2006 or newer - the engine problems were sorted by then.

If an '06 is out of your range, doesn't hurt to look at the 05s so long as it has (or you buy) a warranty. Not speaking from personal experience, but I made sure my C2S had a warranty (CPO) and would've bought one if it didn't. After seeing some of the failed bearing, d-chunk and other lovely pictures of grenaded low-mi engines here it was imperative.

For your warranty choices, ask your local OPC sales guy for a brochure on what they sell. They'll mark it up $1000 or more, so talk them down to something reasonable or buy it directly if that's possible. Going with the OPC's choice of warranty means you're less likely to get hassle if your car is towed in dropping oil and parts.

M.

I second everyone's opinion. I currently own a 2005 CS2, and it runs perfectly fine with 35,000km on it (haven't had any problems with my engine), however after everything I read on the internet I wouldn't be caught dead without a warranty on it!!!

Good thread,

I have owned an 05 C2S cab for about 3 weeks as well, engine and all other drivetrain comps run perfectly, few issues on having

1) heated seats dont work

2) homelink doesnt work

3) my CD is stuck in the PCM! as of a couple of days ago and wont eject (this seems like a common problem)

now get this, my warranty expired Apr 31st 2009, the car has 40,000km (25,000 mi) on it... what do you guys suggest? can I buy extended warranty from porsche? any pricing on this?

Sam

[AIB]

Folks,

Leaning towards a manual 2005 Carrera; anything thing that should make me think twice, or look at 2006 instead?

Lastly, I would appreciate input on after-market warranties - I've seen a bunch of different companies (US Fidelis, National, etc.) on TV these last few weeks - google searches tell me bad things. Is there anyone out there with such a policy that has filed a high value claim with good or bad results?

Many thanks,

Paul

Yes, buy a MY2006 or newer - the engine problems were sorted by then.

If an '06 is out of your range, doesn't hurt to look at the 05s so long as it has (or you buy) a warranty. Not speaking from personal experience, but I made sure my C2S had a warranty (CPO) and would've bought one if it didn't. After seeing some of the failed bearing, d-chunk and other lovely pictures of grenaded low-mi engines here it was imperative.

For your warranty choices, ask your local OPC sales guy for a brochure on what they sell. They'll mark it up $1000 or more, so talk them down to something reasonable or buy it directly if that's possible. Going with the OPC's choice of warranty means you're less likely to get hassle if your car is towed in dropping oil and parts.

M.

I second everyone's opinion. I currently own a 2005 CS2, and it runs perfectly fine with 35,000km on it (haven't had any problems with my engine), however after everything I read on the internet I wouldn't be caught dead without a warranty on it!!!

Good thread,

I have owned an 05 C2S cab for about 3 weeks as well, engine and all other drivetrain comps run perfectly, few issues on having

1) heated seats dont work

2) homelink doesnt work

3) my CD is stuck in the PCM! as of a couple of days ago and wont eject (this seems like a common problem)

now get this, my warranty expired Apr 31st 2009, the car has 40,000km (25,000 mi) on it... what do you guys suggest? can I buy extended warranty from porsche? any pricing on this?

Sam

I think you should go ahead and buy an extended warranty... I've read some threads about 2005 CS2's whose engines broke down after 30K and 40K, buy it so that when the day comes you don't kick your self in the *** and wish you had. It cost me around $1,800 to get a warranty on mine after the fact that it had expired and then re-newels cost $1,500 every year (Prices in the Middle East) So yes you can buy an extended warranty, your car just need to go through a 111 point check at the dealer for warranty approval and then you can renew it every year before it expires... Consider it an extra insurance policy.....

[phillipj]

Excellent advice!

[bobgollihur]

:o Oh, man, geez guys, what are you doing to me!! I saw all the warnings elsewhere about 996 engines, which scared me into the direction of a 997. I bought a 2005 coupe last year that went out of warranty last month.

Now I need an extended warranty on it!?!?

I bought a '04 Cayenne V6 new, and all I read is "stay away from 2004 Cayennes" — I've had nearly zero problems (knock wood) with mine. Does that mean I'm universally lucky or a sign that the odds will catch up to me with the 997?? :eek: ****!

[355bhp]

:o Oh, man, geez guys, what are you doing to me!! I saw all the warnings elsewhere about 996 engines, which scared me into the direction of a 997. I bought a 2005 coupe last year that went out of warranty last month.

Now I need an extended warranty on it!?!?

I bought a '04 Cayenne V6 new, and all I read is "stay away from 2004 Cayennes" — I've had nearly zero problems (knock wood) with mine. Does that mean I'm universally lucky or a sign that the odds will catch up to me with the 997?? :eek: ****!

Get an extended warranty, so you'll sleep better. Also, increase your oil/filter change frequencies to 5-10K miles, avoid frequent short trips, and don't be afraid to drive it vigorously in the higher rev ranges. If it's gonna blow, it's gonna blow, but the motors are happier and seem to be more reliable when driven hard. It's more fun too.

Cheers.

[phillipj]

+1 Rick!

[geoff]

2005 997 tip - 4+ years old, 53K miles - out of warranty on both time and mileage. My wife's daily driver. Zero engine problems. The car has been basically bulletproof mechanically. I don't have an extended warranty, nor do I have one on my 2001 Boxster. I change the engine oil every 7.5K miles on both cars. Drive it and enjoy it!

[Hamad]

:o Oh, man, geez guys, what are you doing to me!! I saw all the warnings elsewhere about 996 engines, which scared me into the direction of a 997. I bought a 2005 coupe last year that went out of warranty last month.

Now I need an extended warranty on it!?!?

I bought a '04 Cayenne V6 new, and all I read is "stay away from 2004 Cayennes" — I've had nearly zero problems (knock wood) with mine. Does that mean I'm universally lucky or a sign that the odds will catch up to me with the 997?? :eek: ****!

Get an extended warranty, so you'll sleep better. Also, increase your oil/filter change frequencies to 5-10K miles, avoid frequent short trips, and don't be afraid to drive it vigorously in the higher rev ranges. If it's gonna blow, it's gonna blow, but the motors are happier and seem to be more reliable when driven hard. It's more fun too.

Cheers.

I have heard this many time. Is it really better for the car if you drive it hard? can you guys please explain more?? Since I had the intermediate shaft problem and got the engine replaced on my MY05 C2S I've been very careful how I drive it and always trys to drive on low RPM. I push it rarely and only drive it on weekends

please advice.

Thanks

H

your advice is really appreciated

[355bhp]

Get an extended warranty, so you'll sleep better. Also, increase your oil/filter change frequencies to 5-10K miles, avoid frequent short trips, and don't be afraid to drive it vigorously in the higher rev ranges. If it's gonna blow, it's gonna blow, but the motors are happier and seem to be more reliable when driven hard. It's more fun too.

Cheers.

I have heard this many time. Is it really better for the car if you drive it hard? can you guys please explain more?? Since I had the intermediate shaft problem and got the engine replaced on my MY05 C2S I've been very careful how I drive it and always trys to drive on low RPM. I push it rarely and only drive it on weekends

please advice.

Thanks

H

your advice is really appreciated

Sure: moderate RPM's during the break-in period, but with the new motor and its revisions that addressed the IMS problems, you can then drive it even HARDER! I'm guessing that higher revs at longer periods means reduced sludge and better lubrication all around. Besides, these are honest-to-goodness SPORTS CARS! Don't be afraid to DRIVE it!

I'm gonna track mine this Sunday at a high performance driving class. You'll be the first to know if I had to walk home!

Cheers!

Edited May 16, 2009 by 355bhp

[Hamad]

Get an extended warranty, so you'll sleep better. Also, increase your oil/filter change frequencies to 5-10K miles, avoid frequent short trips, and don't be afraid to drive it vigorously in the higher rev ranges. If it's gonna blow, it's gonna blow, but the motors are happier and seem to be more reliable when driven hard. It's more fun too.

Cheers.

I have heard this many time. Is it really better for the car if you drive it hard? can you guys please explain more?? Since I had the intermediate shaft problem and got the engine replaced on my MY05 C2S I've been very careful how I drive it and always trys to drive on low RPM. I push it rarely and only drive it on weekends

please advice.

Thanks

H

your advice is really appreciated

Sure: moderate RPM's during the break-in period, but with the new motor and its revisions that addressed the IMS problems, you can then drive it even HARDER! I'm guessing that higher revs at longer periods means reduced sludge and better lubrication all around. Besides, these are honest-to-goodness SPORTS CARS! Don't be afraid to DRIVE it!

I'm gonna track mine this Sunday at a high performance driving class. You'll be the first to know if I had to walk home!

Cheers!

I get the point! :) I have to say after having the engine failing last year, I am definitely very gentle with it but still enjoying it.

Do you have any specific advice when driving it? (e.g. I read in other posts that over reving especially in gear one is not recommended and down shifting on high speed is also something to avoid)

I love driving it on sports mode but I'm not sure how much is too much? Is there any harm in over using the sports mode?

Thanks

[355bhp]

I get the point! :) I have to say after having the engine failing last year, I am definitely very gentle with it but still enjoying it.

Do you have any specific advice when driving it? (e.g. I read in other posts that over reving especially in gear one is not recommended and down shifting on high speed is also something to avoid)

I love driving it on sports mode but I'm not sure how much is too much? Is there any harm in over using the sports mode?

Thanks

There's a rev limiter that prevents over-revving on up-shifting through the gears, but one has to be really careful in down-shifting or mistakenly selecting 3rd when aiming for 5th after pegging the tach in 4th, which I've done, but fortunately caught my mistake in time. A good (well, fun at least) way to determine the rev limits when down-shifting, is to note the rpm drop when up-shifting from a particular gear. Can't tell you anything about the Sport Mode usage, but probably the only thing that suffers is your fuel economy!

Cheers

[Hamad]

I get the point! :) I have to say after having the engine failing last year, I am definitely very gentle with it but still enjoying it.

Do you have any specific advice when driving it? (e.g. I read in other posts that over reving especially in gear one is not recommended and down shifting on high speed is also something to avoid)

I love driving it on sports mode but I'm not sure how much is too much? Is there any harm in over using the sports mode?

Thanks

There's a rev limiter that prevents over-revving on up-shifting through the gears, but one has to be really careful in down-shifting or mistakenly selecting 3rd when aiming for 5th after pegging the tach in 4th, which I've done, but fortunately caught my mistake in time. A good (well, fun at least) way to determine the rev limits when down-shifting, is to note the rpm drop when up-shifting from a particular gear. Can't tell you anything about the Sport Mode usage, but probably the only thing that suffers is your fuel economy!

Cheers

This is helpful advice! The only advice I got from Porsche when getting my car back (after new engine installed) is avoide down shifting on high speed ('don't down shift from 6th to 2nd!')

Thanks

:renntech:

[355bhp]

Just got back from a track session on the Streets of Willow (at Willow Springs Int'l Raceway); I didn't crash, and tho I redlined it numerous times, and hit the rev limiter twice, the motor didn't explode. The car stood up well against the school's race-prepped Toyota Celica GT's, and I whomped a guy in his Lotus Espirit S4. The infamous M96 held up well.

Cheers, and I'm absolutely exHAUSTED!

Edited May 18, 2009 by 355bhp

[Hamad]

Just got back from a track session on the Streets of Willow (at Willow Springs Int'l Raceway); I didn't crash, and tho I redlined it numerous times, and hit the rev limiter twice, the motor didn't explode. The car stood up well against the school's race-prepped Toyota Celica GT's, and I whomped a guy in his Lotus Espirit S4. The infamous M96 held up well.

Cheers, and I'm absolutely exHAUSTED!

I read this post this morning and it made me drive my car to work, on sports mode all the way! :drive:

I am thinking of trying my car on the track sometime but is there anything I should worry about? (e.g. tires, brakes, oil, maintenance)

[AIB]

Just got back from a track session on the Streets of Willow (at Willow Springs Int'l Raceway); I didn't crash, and tho I redlined it numerous times, and hit the rev limiter twice, the motor didn't explode. The car stood up well against the school's race-prepped Toyota Celica GT's, and I whomped a guy in his Lotus Espirit S4. The infamous M96 held up well.

Cheers, and I'm absolutely exHAUSTED!

I read this post this morning and it made me drive my car to work, on sports mode all the way! :drive:

I am thinking of trying my car on the track sometime but is there anything I should worry about? (e.g. tires, brakes, oil, maintenance)

I hit the track occasionally but I never track my own car (don't have the heart to :) )..... This summer I'm going to Leipzig to attend the Porsche Racing School... Hitting the track is the most fun ever!!! and surprisingly it makes you drive your car on public roads much slower because you get all the racing out of your system on the track and start to understand that public roads aren't made for racing, the track is!!!! Would definitely advise going to the track but don't know what you should look out for if you track your own car...

[355bhp]

I read this post this morning and it made me drive my car to work, on sports mode all the way! :drive:

I am thinking of trying my car on the track sometime but is there anything I should worry about? (e.g. tires, brakes, oil, maintenance)

I hit the track occasionally but I never track my own car (don't have the heart to :) )..... This summer I'm going to Leipzig to attend the Porsche Racing School... Hitting the track is the most fun ever!!! and surprisingly it makes you drive your car on public roads much slower because you get all the racing out of your system on the track and start to understand that public roads aren't made for racing, the track is!!!! Would definitely advise going to the track but don't know what you should look out for if you track your own car...

Just check your oil level (I wouldn't have anything over 5K miles on the existing oil and filter), and make sure you have at least 50% brake pad thickness. Do a search; Loren posted a nice list of minimums for C2's and C2S's. I think rotor minimums are in there as well. Also, have more than the minimum tire tread depth, and inflate them about 5 psi over the recommended pressures. If you want to explore the handling limits, turn off the PSM.

Cheers

Edited May 18, 2009 by 355bhp

[roblazar]

I couldnt find the link with the minimum brake rotor thickness. Can you send me the info as i have a 997 also. Thanks

Robert

[mkaraoglan]

66,ooo miles and so far zero mechanical engine problems.

niggles:

peeling fan/temp buttons out of warranty

homelink buttons came apart had to reattach and use crazy glue

slight vibration from front wheels. dealer cannot fix

intermittent cd stuck in radio

intermittent random dash lights dealer can't find in black box

rear torsion bar tightened after dealer found it loose

besides these annoyances the car has run amazingly well.

CPO runs out in August 2010

[Oakland_Stan]

I have a 2005 base C2 3.6. No problems whatsoever. Mine only have 11k miles. I think you will hear more people talk about it when they have a problem as opposed to when they don't have any problems. I believe overall reliability for these cars is very good.

[sausage]

Oh, man, geez guys, what are you doing to me!! I saw all the warnings elsewhere about 996 engines, which scared me into the direction of a 997. I bought a 2005 coupe last year that went out of warranty last month.

Now I need an extended warranty on it!?!?

I bought a '04 Cayenne V6 new, and all I read is "stay away from 2004 Cayennes" — I've had nearly zero problems (knock wood) with mine. Does that mean I'm universally lucky or a sign that the odds will catch up to me with the 997?? :eek: ****!

Yep - everyone just regurgitates what they heard other people say. Hence a Boxster has a rep as a hair dressers car or not a proper Porsche - totally bollocks, but so many people say it. Porsche are fastidious with thier testing, and yes problems do happen as they do on all cars. The severity of the engine issues and costs involved is what resulted in the negative press towards any of the 996 or 997 engines, not the frequency of occurence. After all, 75% of all Porsches ever made are still on the road - that stands for something.

As for advice on driving it - make sure its warm, got fuel oil and water and then hit the loud pedal and hit it hard. :-)

Mark