New 996 Owner Here, Suggestions, FYI's Would be apprectiated..

[sgearyman]

Hello all, Just traded my 04 Cayenne in on my first 996.  its a 2004, one previous owner, 45K miles. This car is like new no kidding.

 

I have owned a 1970 911 targa and an 04 cayenne. Never a 'modern' 911.

 

Can anyone offer any advice or FYI's?  Storage for winter, things to do or not do, what to watch for, any easy upgrades I should go for, etc.?

 

Thanks ahead of time!

[bBunny]

Congrats on the 996.

To answer your question, spend time on this site. there are good folks here. if you have a serious question,

which you will, reach out to Loren directly.

[fpb111]

Look at these threads:

http://rennlist.com/forums/996-forum/809409-list-of-common-faq-fixes-issues-etc.html

[Loren]

There is plenty of information here in the DIY Tutorials for 996 series.

[sgearyman]

Anyone know what typical oil consumption looks like in these cars?  had mine about a month now, oil level checker on startup has dropped one bar.  No oil leaks that I can see. this normal?  does the oil in these need topped off every so often or what?

[Silver_TT]

If you do a search you will see plenty of information on oil consumption.  No leaks is good.  These cars consume oil.  What you have stated, one bar in one month, is nothing to be alarmed about.  I would frequently check your oil level and add oil as needed keeping the level above the minimum and below the maximum.

[fpb111]

One bar (1/4qt) is pretty good for 10k miles at 6000 rpm. Not good if you parked it 1 month ago and just went out to check it 30 days later.

The electronic gauge is often not exact. It really depends on, how warm the oil is, if you parked it in the exact same level spot, phase of the moon...

[dporto]

I find that a level surface is a must for accurate oil level readings via the gauge cluster. In my own driveway/parking area the meter can vary by two to three bars depending on where I'm parked. For this reason I always check the dipstick as well. Best of luck with your 996!

[Silver_TT]

The oil consumption tolerance on your engine is 1L per 1000km.  Most cars probably won't consume that much, but that should give you a frame of reference.  

 

Monitoring your oil frequently is very important.  I also mostly used the dipstick when I had a 996 but when I switched to a Turbo it only has the electronic gauge, no dipstick anymore, so it must do its job pretty well.

Edited August 20, 2015 by Silver_TT

[dporto]

"it only has the electronic gauge, no dipstick anymore, so it must do its job pretty well."

 

   Yes, the electronic gauge is fine and accurate, but it's very sensitive to slope - you have to make sure you're on a fairly level surface to get an accurate/real reading.

[Silver_TT]

Right, but I wouldn't measure with a dipstick on a slope and trust that either.  Sort of goes without saying that it's always best to measure when you're on a level surface.

[GromitInWA]

I echo the comments about measuring oil on a level surface. Do you have maintenance records? I would replace the oil and oil filter and check for particles. Doing so accomplishes two things: (1) You will have new oil and can start your oil change regimen, (2) You will have a baseline for monitoring any particles that appear in the oil filter. Some send their oil for analysis and monitor the results.

[JasonStern]

Hello all, Just traded my 04 Cayenne in on my first 996.  its a 2004, one previous owner, 45K miles. This car is like new no kidding.

 

I have owned a 1970 911 targa and an 04 cayenne. Never a 'modern' 911.

 

Can anyone offer any advice or FYI's?  Storage for winter, things to do or not do, what to watch for, any easy upgrades I should go for, etc.?

 

Thanks ahead of time!

 

Copy/pasted from a post I made on Oppositelock about Porsche Boxsters, but it's still relevant:

 

do yourself a favor with the cheap Boxster - save up an extra ~$2k-3k, and when you buy it, go to a local independent Porsche mechanic and have an LN Engineering IMS bearing installed, the clutch replaced, the rear main seal replaced, and the air/oil separator replaced. replacing the water pump and spark plugs would also be worth considering. the M96 is a solid motor once its weaknesses are addressed, and it costs a lot less to drop the motor once and address everything than it does to fix issues as they arise. plus, you'll have the peace of mind in knowing that everything has been addressed.

[judgejon]

totally agree with JasonStern above.  If the previous owner of your car did not have it done, then for your own peace of mind and to prevent the horror stories of blown up M96 engines, by all means do the LNE fix.  This is the best way to avoid IMS problems and to be able to sleep well at night.  The other suggestions are also good, especially the clutch and RMS when the LNE IMS is being installed.  

Don't think twice about this, do it.  

Then you can relax on those long trips when cruising along a challenging road at a good clip,  not thinking about your engine blowing up, but perhaps keeping your eyes and ears attentive to your V1. 

Enjoy.

[judgejon]

Also consider a trickle battery charger if you are storing the car for the winter.

The V1 is also good addition.

And at 45k miles you might think about new coil packs at next spark plug change.

Lots of good stuff on the forum about motor oil.  Check what others use in your area for the type of driving you do.

ok, that's it.