Curious what problems snuck up on you and what it took/cost to be repaired.
Heater spontaneously shit the bed in my 991.1 4s, middle of winter driving to Switzerland. I WAS NOT AMUSED.
Mice love Porsches. Like $2,100 worth of love after eating a TPMS wire harness
997 C2S was way down on power. Cat converter core broke loose and was clogging exhaust. Fab Speed cats and mufflers fixed the problem. Best excuse to go full exhaust.
986 S - terminal engine cancer. A real bore.
2007 987.1 Cayman. Recently had the clock spring unit in the steering wheel go. Airbag warning light permanently on, clock spring found to be the cause. It was the original factory unit so 16 years old. Otherwise had nothing except servicing.
951, found chunks of metal and the metal milk shake during trans oil change, had to send off for rebuild.
‘19 Cayman S. I forgot to buy a $0.15 crush washer for the drain plug when changing my oil. Thought I could get away with reusing the old one. Was wrong. $100 worth of oil, $15 worth of engine degreaser, and an extra Saturday to resolve.
Thanks for confirming that I always need to buy new crush washers for my 996. Every time I change the oil, I debate whether it’s necessary but have always gotten a new one. Glad to know it wasn’t in vain
how easy was it to diy maintenance on 718 S? im thinking about it but wouldn’t want to mess anything up as it would be my first try on any car.
It’s the most difficult car to work on that I’ve ever owned… but it’s also the only mid-engine I’ve ever owned, and I don’t own a post lift so it was a PITA to get a good look at all the bits . That said, it’s not terrible and YouTube is your friend as always.
Back when I had a 996 it started running awful. Turned out a mouse had built a nest in the engine and gnawed enough wiring to kill a few O2 sensors. Luckily insurance covered part of that one.
Leaking oil into turbine and inter cooler in 991.2 Turbo S. $10k bill for replacement.
991.1 GT3:
- Windshield washer hose cracked - DIY $30
- Front Hood Struts - DIY $25
- Secondary Air Injector Pump - 2 weeks at dealer $1500
2022 Macan S. A small sensor that was part of the AC system failed right when I got the car. Porsche insisted they had to source the part from Germany. Took them 5 months, 3 of those just happened to be during the summer. Sucked.
Well, I know it’s coming up soon. Currently at 80k miles and my CV axel boot is cracked. About $1500 to fix
2014 981 S
2021 Macan GTS. Birds or rodents ate through the weather stripping on my panoramic sunroof in multiple spots while I was at work. No water intrusion thankfully as it was summer. Insurance took care of it but it was a few thousand dollar repair and the car was kept with the dealer for a few days to cure the sealants.
I just had my Annus Horribilis. My Carrera 4S had four visits to the shop. The first was new front brake rotors, new clutch, new flywheel, and new shifter cable ends: $6,000. Not really unexpected maintenance but a bill to shake you out of your routine.
The last three was chasing a ghost oil pressure problem. It included replacing the oil pressure sensor, a lifter replacement, and finally an oil pump regulating valve: $5400.
I also picked up a nail along the way so a fifth visit to the tire store. Too much wear to replace just one so $800.
Not really a maintenance item but Pirelli stopped making winter tires for my 18 inch wheels. So four new 19 inch wheels and four new Pirelli 19 inch Sottozeros. $5,000.
So only $5400 in unexpected maintenance but getting on a bad streak can get pretty bad. At my lowest points I considered a Toyota.
How do you like the Sottos? I hear mixed reviews. It’s between those and Alpines.
Going up steep icy grades or plowing though deep snow isn’t a problem. I’ve never gotten stuck. Where I like the Pirelli better is in changing conditions. I’m commuting up and down the mountains between Denver and ski country. Going from a blizzard to 70s and sunny isn’t uncommon. Coming down the twisty mountain road the Pirelli seems to handle better in cold, dry conditions. The other winter tires I’ve tried feel a bit “squishy” when I pushed hard and they can wear out in a hurry.
Realistically I’m not pushing things to the limit like the tire testers so a few percentage better performance in one category than another isn’t perceivable. At least not by me. If I lived in the mountains, or someplace like Chicago or Hoth, when is cold and snowy all season, I’d go for the Alpins. Because I transition between fall to winter to spring all in one day I stuck with the Sottozeros.
Wow, so no solution for 18” winters? I passed on a set of 19” used wheels/tires because I saw the prices for rears are insane.
991.2 Speedster. Clutch.