Just bought a 997 GT3 RS, need some enlightenment

[adamr_ZA]

Hi All, im new to Porsche and have purchased a silver/orange 997 GT3 RS, the car has 11000km ... a few observations and i have been told these are normal and just need to confirm them

1. The car smokes on start up? told this is normal

2. The car makes a "glak glak" sound when idling, and when one depresses the clutch it goes away ... told this is normal due to the car having a single mass flywheel

3. Car has an "oil sweat" on the RMS ... seen the other posts wrt this and has there really been a solution? Should i have Porsche change the seal or just leave it?

What are the recommended oils to use in the car (excluding Mobile1)?

Castrol Edge or Castrol TWS motorsport? ... we dont get Mobile1 here in South Africa ...

any DIY links for this car?

Thanks

Adam

[Loren]

:welcome:

1. Pretty normal for flat six engines - especially if the car has set for a few days.

2. Yes, single mass flywheel will make for a rough/rattling idle until the clutch is depressed. 997 GT3 RS is as close to a "street-able' race as you can get.

3. fairly normal - if leaks more than a few drops overnight you likely want to fix it.

Porsche approved oil(s) for this car include:

Castrol

Edge 0W-40 or 5W-40

Edge Sport 0W-40

Formula RS Road and Track 5W-40

Formula RS Motorsport 0W-40

[patrickb]

Hi All, im new to Porsche and have purchased a silver/orange 997 GT3 RS, the car has 11000km ... a few observations and i have been told these are normal and just need to confirm them

1. The car smokes on start up? told this is normal

2. The car makes a "glak glak" sound when idling, and when one depresses the clutch it goes away ... told this is normal due to the car having a single mass flywheel

3. Car has an "oil sweat" on the RMS ... seen the other posts wrt this and has there really been a solution? Should i have Porsche change the seal or just leave it?

What are the recommended oils to use in the car (excluding Mobile1)?

Castrol Edge or Castrol TWS motorsport? ... we dont get Mobile1 here in South Africa ...

any DIY links for this car?

Thanks

Adam

Hi Adam,

2 is normal

1 + 3 cannot be qualified as normal, yet they are common and my GT3RS 2007/9000Km has experienced all that. For the RMS seal, i replaced it 2 times under warranty, although it start leaking again 200km after replacement, no big deal, but can not be defined as normal. Still arguing with Porsche

Patrick

[adamr_ZA]

Thanks for the welcome Loren ... :)

Am taking the car into a local Porsche specialist who will put the car on a maintenance plan and do the yearly service on the car which includes changing oil with Castrol Edge (that is why the oil question)

Will monitor the oil sweat on the car when the car is back ...

On the smoking:

Every single time i start the car up, it lets out a puff of smoke and thats it, after that she is fine (for the three days i have the car, its been doing this every single day when i start her up) ... so technically not really smoking, just that initial puff of smoke (have had the BMW ///M cars before and am not use to seeing this that's why the silly questions :))

@patrick, wonder if i should just tell the Porsche specialist to rather just leave the seal, if this issue has not been resolved ... will hear what they say

:renntech:

Edited July 4, 2009 by adamr_ZA

[patrickb]

Thanks for the welcome Loren ... :)

Am taking the car into a local Porsche specialist who will put the car on a maintenance plan and do the yearly service on the car which includes changing oil with Castrol Edge (that is why the oil question)

Will monitor the oil sweat on the car when the car is back ...

On the smoking:

Every single time i start the car up, it lets out a puff of smoke and thats it, after that she is fine (for the three days i have the car, its been doing this every single day when i start her up) ... so technically not really smoking, just that initial puff of smoke (have had the BMW ///M cars before and am not use to seeing this that's why the silly questions :))

@patrick, wonder if i should just tell the Porsche specialist to rather just leave the seal, if this issue has not been resolved ... will hear what they say

:renntech:

Well, Adam, if your car is still under warranty, it won't hurt changing the seal. Also according to some specialists poin1 and 3 might be closely related, as you solve one, you solve both. Anyway, each time you use the car (engine running oil temp at operating temperature), take the time to run the electronically

monitored oil level, so you can get an idea, that leak is consuming. To me last time, it was somthing like 0.5L for 3000Km....

patrick

[patrickb]

Thanks for the welcome Loren ... :)

Am taking the car into a local Porsche specialist who will put the car on a maintenance plan and do the yearly service on the car which includes changing oil with Castrol Edge (that is why the oil question)

Will monitor the oil sweat on the car when the car is back ...

On the smoking:

Every single time i start the car up, it lets out a puff of smoke and thats it, after that she is fine (for the three days i have the car, its been doing this every single day when i start her up) ... so technically not really smoking, just that initial puff of smoke (have had the BMW ///M cars before and am not use to seeing this that's why the silly questions :))

@patrick, wonder if i should just tell the Porsche specialist to rather just leave the seal, if this issue has not been resolved ... will hear what they say

:renntech:

Well, Adam, if your car is still under warranty, it won't hurt changing the seal. Also according to some specialists poin1 and 3 might be closely related, as you solve one, you solve both. Anyway, each time you use the car (engine running oil temp at operating temperature), take the time to run the electronically

monitored oil level, so you can get an idea, that leak is consuming. To me last time, it was somthing like 0.5L for 3000Km....

patrick

Check also the below link on the most recent findings on RMS....

http://forums.rennlist.com/rennforums/997-...rt-here-13.html

[adamr_ZA]

thanks Patrick for the info ... the car is now at the Porsche specialist and I will hopefully drive the car back home on Wednesday wiith a maintenance plan and fresh service having been done. (gonna be gritting my teeth waiting for my baby, already do miss her :()

I have already indicated to the manager that the RMS sweat is a common issue on these cars and he indicated that he will liaise with their Porsche specialist technicians on the matter,

1. Has someone who has tried the 996/993 TT seal still experience leaks? (seems to be the solution)

2. Has anyone tried the new 997.2 GT3 RMS? and what's the success on this seal?

(maybe its me but have not seen anyone commenting on the above two points as not having worked)

As per your link Patrick the vacum being faulty now just = more $$$. Sounds to me like people now guessing what could be wrong :) ... id think after two years of the car being on the market there would have been a solution to this problem

Edited July 4, 2009 by adamr_ZA

[patrickb]

thanks Patrick for the info ... the car is now at the Porsche specialist and I will hopefully drive the car back home on Wednesday wiith a maintenance plan and fresh service having been done. (gonna be gritting my teeth waiting for my baby, already do miss her :()

I have already indicated to the manager that the RMS sweat is a common issue on these cars and he indicated that he will liaise with their Porsche specialist technicians on the matter,

1. Has someone who has tried the 996/993 TT seal still experience leaks? (seems to be the solution)

2. Has anyone tried the new 997.2 GT3 RMS? and what's the success on this seal?

(maybe its me but have not seen anyone commenting on the above two points as not having worked)

As per your link Patrick the vacum being faulty now just = more $$$. Sounds to me like people now guessing what could be wrong :) ... id think after two years of the car being on the market there would have been a solution to this problem

I guess they have, because Porsche run Carrera Cup and GT3, but would they admit that officially, likely not because admitting it has far more implications

on Porsche reliability on public market.

Yet all the posts on 993/996TT seem to point to a solution yielding 5hp less....but it is worth when warranty will expire. You can recover easily the loss of hp by

putting simply light wheels. stock wheels front/rear are 12/14.4 kg, aftermarket ones are 8.8/9.9kg, it by far offset the 5hp

ciao

pb

[sheim911rs]

I would agree with having the rms replaced under warranty. Last december I had it replaced on my 07 RS and was told there was some updated spring with the seal and it's not leaked yet. I also have one of the last 08 RSs built (has the newer seal) and have had no leak. Also, when these cars sit the oil can seep around the seal causing the leak. When the car is run, the vacuum tightens the seal up and the leak many times stops. You may want to look for that as well. Good luck!

[adamr_ZA]

I would agree with having the rms replaced under warranty. Last december I had it replaced on my 07 RS and was told there was some updated spring with the seal and it's not leaked yet. I also have one of the last 08 RSs built (has the newer seal) and have had no leak. Also, when these cars sit the oil can seep around the seal causing the leak. When the car is run, the vacuum tightens the seal up and the leak many times stops. You may want to look for that as well. Good luck!

ok they replaced the seal with a 993/996TT seal ... the mech did his homework before choosing this seal ...

but honestly how on earth can a seal cause 5hp power loss, makes absolutely no sense ...

so lets see how the car handles the seal ...

V10 M5 vs GT3 RS ... how would the Porsche fair? ... im talking straights

[phillipj]

Go to You Tube and search for "GT3 vs M5." I saw a video where they raced many cars against each other at an airport in Europe. I saw one video where a 996 GT3 beat the M5 handily in a straight line.

On the English program "Top Gear" the draged the 997 GT3 against the BMW M3 and the V8 Audi R8 and the GT3 won both races.

[adamr_ZA]

ok ... so the car is now smoking daily on every single startup ... this is driving the car (admittedly over short distances 20km) once a day ...

cause for concern?

(i feel im beginning to sound like a little child, and just being so pedantic about the car)

[SimoPP]

ok ... so the car is now smoking daily on every single startup ... this is driving the car (admittedly over short distances 20km) once a day ...

cause for concern?

(i feel im beginning to sound like a little child, and just being so pedantic about the car)

I was worried also, until I heard the reasoning behind this smoke during startup. The difference with the flat 6 is that when engine is stopped, a small amount of engine oil collects into the cylinder which in this case is horizontal. Normal straight engines have vertical cylinders so it is a bit differents case. If there was some further reasoning for a GT3 & GT3 RS having this bad habit and "normal" P-cars not, I just don´t recall.

Anyway, this amount of oil is very small and should only produce one small blue cloud.

Or have I been mislead about this?

[adamr_ZA]

ok ... so the car is now smoking daily on every single startup ... this is driving the car (admittedly over short distances 20km) once a day ...

cause for concern?

(i feel im beginning to sound like a little child, and just being so pedantic about the car)

I was worried also, until I heard the reasoning behind this smoke during startup. The difference with the flat 6 is that when engine is stopped, a small amount of engine oil collects into the cylinder which in this case is horizontal. Normal straight engines have vertical cylinders so it is a bit differents case. If there was some further reasoning for a GT3 & GT3 RS having this bad habit and "normal" P-cars not, I just don´t recall.

Anyway, this amount of oil is very small and should only produce one small blue cloud.

Or have I been mislead about this?

just want to add to this ... it appears the smoking on startup has basically stopped !? ... still drive the car once a week for about 20km, so no change in the periodicity of when i do drive her ... but ive heard that after a certain mileage the car will stop doing this ... so all smiles here ... (just need to reset the service indicator arrrrrrrrrrrgh ... service rep forgot to when they did the service)

[edgemontvillage]

Adam, I'm interested in the comments about your RS smoking at startup. I have an 07 GT3 RS that has no history of RMS leaks (so far!) however as it is not my daily driver it tends to sit, sometimes weeks at a time. From my experience it will smoke on startup, often more if it has been sitting a while. You compared this to the smoking you experienced with your M series BMW. I previously owned an '02 E46 M3 which was prone to producing a small puff of blue smoke on cold starts.

[lwh]

Just a heads up. I bought a 2004 GT3 and had the Porsche dealer do a CPO inspection. They found a very small amount of oil from the RSM, so small that I didn't see any on the floor of the guy I bought it from. Car is still in warranty so I had it "fixed" and now it does leak on to the floor. Not sure where to turn from here, but maybe I should have left it alone. Just FYI.

Thanks,

[harmonyjim]

Yes, the smoking upon cold start up is usually accompanied by a large puff of blue smoke.  Leaves immediately, but part of the engine design.  The noise is part of the LWFW charm - just wait until you install Cup Cables - they will really increase the racket inside the cabin!!  The Turbo RMS worked great for my 2007 997.1 RS, and stopped the PITA dripping on my garage floor.  The techs I have spoken with (all very qualified to speak on this) say the loss of hp is ludicrous, and one has actually dynoed both seals - no difference.