Crown

Board: Porsche - 911 - 997 Language: English Region: Worldwide Share/Save/Bookmark Close

Forum - Thread


    997 S engine - not really new

    I have to apologize for the false information I posted a few days ago but it was based on a technical info I received.
    To make things clear: the 997 S engine is an overworked M96 engine, it is practically the same engine as in the 997 Carrera but not only with a displacement increase but some other minor differences too. Overall, it is the same engine, not a completely new development.

    I'm sorry for the false information but the 997 is very new and I just started to "collect" all available official and unofficial infos and trust me, this isn't easy.

    I'll post more details about the 997 S and 997 Carrera engine tonight and maybe this weekend.

    Actually I'm very happy to hear that because this means the 997 Turbo/GT3 engine will be based on the "bullet proof" current 996 GT3/Turbo engine.
    Of course this doesn't mean the 997 engine is bad and surprise, surprise, I've been told the the RMS leaks have disappeared, even if it wasn't a very common M96 problem.

    BTW: the technical improvements of the 997 S are very interesting, I'll post details over the next few days.

    Re: 997 S engine - not really new

    No need to apologise RC, there is an explosion of "unofficial" official info on the 997 and its only normal some things might get mixed up

    I not surprised since it didn't make sense to develope a new F6 engine for the 997S instead of increasing bore just like in 2002 996 facelift.

    Quote:
    I've been told the the RMS leaks have disappeared, even if it wasn't a very common M96 problem.



    wasn't very common? you are kidding me right? can you think of any other mechanical complaint that plagued more all the 996/boxster boards of the net over these years? every week I see is a confused new owner asking worried about the oil he found on his gargare floor

    Anyway, the fact that the RMS issue has been solved remains a mistery since Porsche has lied continuously about this and its not the first time they say this along the life of the 996 too, remember the "new" RMS ring in 2002 promised to solve the RMS issue too for example? well, it didn't, they kept on leaking just the same on the new 3.6l engines and 3.4l fitted with that new seal. I will only believe that its solved when I see no complains of RMS from the new 997 owners during the first year of production,and many of us will be watching very closely. Of course officially such a problem doesn't exist for Porsche which makes me wonder why a new seal was developed in 2002 for it and Porsche lied to the dealers so they would tell the owners that it fixed it (because Porsche can't say anything themselves on the RMS since it doesn't exist in the first place ) and why a new tool was especificically developed for this issue for the measurement of adecuate crankshaft bore concentricity, and why some RMS are repaired for free out of warranty (not in Spain), etc.

    Any info at least on what they changed in the 997S engine to fix the RMS issue to back up that claim again? though its not very confidence inspiring if they start by saying that "it wasn't very common anyway"

    Re: 997 S engine - not really new

    RC, thanks for the info. I think most of us have some appreciation for the hard work you put into this site, and can only imagine the difficulty in sorting out everything you hear. Your willingness to share good and bad news makes rennteam.com an actual resource, not just a place for enthusiasts to post pure hype and rumors (not that I don't lurk on those sites too).

    mcdelaug

    Re: 997 S engine - not really new

    Quote:
    mcdelaug said:
    RC, thanks for the info. I think most of us have some appreciation for the hard work you put into this site, and can only imagine the difficulty in sorting out everything you hear. Your willingness to share good and bad news makes rennteam.com an actual resource, not just a place for enthusiasts to post pure hype and rumors (not that I don't lurk on those sites too).

    mcdelaug



    I second that , thanks RC.

    Re: 997 S engine - not really new

    Yes Rc is the man

    Re: 997 S engine - not really new

    Have been viewing this forum for quite a while but this is my first post.
    The new 997 looks like a logical development to me and should be a great success but if it has the same basic engine as the 996 then I am very concerned. The RMS issue is very serious. There have been many, many documented failures reported on this and other Forums around the world. If Porsche do not acknowledge and fix the problem then they deserve any bad press they get (or worse - lost customers and potential legal action etc).
    I have been a Porsche fan all my adult life and currently own a C4S (no RMS problem so far). I really hope Porsche stand up to this issue or I for one will not be buying a 997.

    Sorry if this sounds negative but I really want to continue to believe in Porsche engineering.

    Re: 997 S engine - not really new

    The "funny" part is: I owned two 996, a 996 C2 and a 996 C4 Powerkit. I know many many people who owned various 996 models, I'd say at least several dozens of people which I know personally, not just through a forum. That said, neither me nor these dozens of 996 owners ever had a RMS leak problem. I also asked my mechanic if any cars at the dealership had these problems and he denied.
    I also was a "deputy" on a Porsche car forum for more than two years before Rennteam.com started and I never heard of these problems. It seems that some people have carried their RMS leak frustration from one forum to the other and this leads people to believe there actually is a general RMS problem. I don't see it, sorry. If 50 or even 100 cars out of 30000 have a RMS problem, this is no problem.

    Re: 997 S engine - not really new

    I recall seeing some polls on this issue and the number was well in excess of 50-100 cars (don't remember the exact number). And I think a relatively small percentage of owners use these forums. I think the problem is definitely in the "very significant" category

    Re: 997 S engine - not really new

    I shall say that I'm as surprised as RC is, I have had about 4 different Porsche model range '99 and '00 and currently another '00 model. I personally never experieced this RMS leak (knock on wood) nor heard anything about it from Porsche friends or my brother-in-law whom has had many variants of the 996.

    I know Carlos has had problems with RMS, sorry to hear, but compare to other brands this is very minor.

    If I were to write about the mechanical problems that I had with 4 previously owned Mercedes cars, it'll take a book to write it.

    Re: 997 S engine - not really new

    Maybe we should start another poll...

    Re: 997 S engine - not really new

    RC,

    We could go on all day about the percentage of RMS leaks on the Boxster, I frequent other boards and there is a "new guy" with RMS leak every week. And the poll in rennlist was not statistically significant but alarming to say the least. Also how many miles did you put on those 996's or the other people you know? I didn't get a RMS leak till 50,000 miles so those who haven't got one are not clear of the woods... imagine waiting for the mechanics to tell you if you need a new engine or not after you had taken the car in while out of warranty? There is a saying among sportbike riders "there are those who have got in an accident with the sportbike and those that haven't had one yet"

    Let me ask you this, can you think of any other mechanical failure issue on the 996 carreras or Boxsters that is more frequent or you heard more cases of than the RMS leak? If you still don't see it, it means that you are simply not looking. I suggest you visit rennlist right now and you will see two different threads of new owners with the "non-existant" RMS leaks asking about the issue just in the first page that is displayed in the 996 forum, and another one in the Boxster forum.

    As far as I'm concerned, it wouldn't be a problem if Porsche would take responsibility of it and extend the warranty on RMS leaks. Thats all it takes! if they haven't been able to fix the problem with their inherently RMS leak prone M96 engines. Its their responsability and independantly of the frequency of incidence too, but instead they "wash their hands" officially, and expect people to trust them on the 997? If they would just cover it out of warranty (like other makers have done with other issues), a lot of people wouldn't give a second though to the RMS issue nor the issue on the 997.

    Re: 997 S engine - not really new

    I know that there have been RMS leaks in the past but especially on older cars. Honestly, I didn't hear of RMS leaks on newer models, starting with the 996 facelift and "overworked" Boxster models.
    I didn't say they don't exist and I didn't say they're not happening but I doubt this is a "common" problem.
    Regarding warranty: my experience in the past has been that Porsche is very generous regarding warranty issues, especially in Europe because we "only" have a 2-year warranty.

    Re: 997 S engine - not really new

    RC,
    Thats another misinformation Porsche tried to spread, first it was said that it only affected first 6 month production newly introduced 996, then up to '99 models, then with the "new" 3.6l engine and seal in the 2002 facelift the RMS was fixed, now it turns out 2003 and 2004 models are in the shop with RMS leaks just the same and being reported in the boards as well.

    Quote:
    RC said:
    Regarding warranty: my experience in the past has been that Porsche is very generous regarding warranty issues, especially in Europe because we "only" have a 2-year warranty.



    Well, speak for Germany cause here in Spain you are on your own on the RMS issue. I haven't heard anything final from them about covering the RMS and my leak was 6 months ago. Hardly generous and or professional way of handling warranty issues, again, Germany could be different though.

    Re: 997 S engine - not really new

    RC,

    I know I'm posting pretty late.........well, fortunatelly only sometimes, I have no hours if work is involved...in any case:

    I have to read the rest of the posts, but I can't afford not sayng in an explicit way, before doing so, that any mistake done in any info you've transmited, regardless statics (and those are almost allways accurate), is just "courious souvenir".

    Once again thanks for your valuable opinions and knoledge. Beleive it or not, this 44 year old catalan really appreciates based opinions (For instance, the advice you gave me on the new SLK AMG regarding traction and handling: I had to be sincere with myself, to change my mind, and reject sudden "temptations".....maybe we'll purchase a "basic" one, because (also) my wife,prefers a "real hard top"

    In any case, RC, any mistake your info could occur with has no importance............thanks for your time and permanent worry to all questions.........

    Sincerely.

    Re: 997 S engine - not really new

    I agree with Carlos and Grant on the RMS issue. I can personally think of about 50 people with Boxsters on PPBB which have had RMS leaks, some more than once. Of the people polled in 2002 who actually had RMS failures, 23% of those had more than one failure!

    And this is just on a forum of people who are enthusiasts and actually reading it on a regular basis. As you know, the average owner don't use Internet forums , so it's easy to know why these #s are MUCH higher in real use. This is a big problem for the M96, especially when these "hand-built" engines can come from the factory with non-concentric crankshafts? And several iterations of the seal design... Amazing that they cannot fix it.

    Re: 997 S engine - not really new

    I remember alot of people on Funcars also who had multiple repairs also...

    Re: 997 S engine - not really new

    Hi,

    i had a BoxsterS for 3 years ... it had 3 (!) RMS leaks. When i bought the Carrera ... first thing to be done was ... guess what ... the RMS leak ... ?! And i know a lot of different people from different Boxster boards ... once we had a poll on a quite small board (150 members) concerning the topic ... nearly 35 % had the problem ?!?!?!

    It seems to be a severe problem ...

    Re: 997 S engine - not really new

    I have had the problem on my actual 996 C2 Conv. twice!

    My father on his 996 C2 Conv. - once!

    L@rs

    Re: 997 S engine - not really new

    I've had a Boxster during six years. Never had RMS failure on the two engines the car had.
    Now I've a 996 C2 and till now zero RMS failure. But ideed it's a known problem among M96 engines, at least by reading the internet Porsche boards.

    J.Seven

    Re: 997 S engine - not really new

    Quote:
    J.Seven said:
    I've had a Boxster during six years. Never had RMS failure on the two engines the car had.
    Now I've a 996 C2 and till now zero RMS failure. But ideed it's a known problem among M96 engines, at least by reading the internet Porsche boards.
    J.Seven



    What was the reason for your second engine?

    Re: 997 S engine - not really new

    The issue for me with the RMS problem is that it is a well documented and known problem to Porsche owners and enthusiasts hence the number of Forums referring to it. However as Carlos points out, Porsche do not want to acknowledge it or cover it outside of the 2 year warranty. Given that many of the cars with the problem have done low mileage, often less than 10K miles, then Porsche needs to step up to their responsibility.
    I know of a specific case with another German car manufacturer who tried to wriggle out of a similar situation until they were threatened with a Class Action Law Suit in the US by a disgruntled (and wealthy) owner and Hey Presto the problem was fixed.

    Re: 997 S engine - not really new

    Aaaah....the US' uniquely obnoxious plaintiff's lawyers....the world's most bloodthirsty and wealthy lawyers sometimes do provide a useful service in keeping equally nefarious auto cos. in-line....but I wonder why some hungry lawyer in US hasn't deemed RMS issue lucrative enough for a class-action lawsuit vs Porsche?

    Re: 997 S engine - not really new


    Easy answer .... it's because most of them own at least 1 Porsche .... so it's difficult to drive one ask for rebates and then sue Porsche ....

    Re: 997 S engine - not really new

    Lmao...ownership would only serve to bolster their Class Action filing..after all they could act as lead plaitiff....

    Re: 997 S engine - not really new

    Quote:
    Rookie said:
    ... once we had a poll on a quite small board (150 members) concerning the topic ... nearly 35 % had the problem ?!?!?!

    It seems to be a severe problem ...



    Dude,

    How does 52 known incidents out of several hundred thousand M96s constitute a "severe problem?"

    Even the leak itself is no big deal unless the clutch gets sodden, and I've yet to hear of that happening.

    Look at it this way: The M96 is just one more in a long tradition of leaking Porsche engines!

    Re: 997 S engine - not really new

    Quote:
    brickers said:Even the leak itself is no big deal unless the clutch gets sodden, and I've yet to hear of that happening.



    Dude,

    Lets get our facts straight. When there is an RMS leak they have to measure with a special tool they developed for this (since RMS are so commmon) the concentricity of the crankshaft bore, this is because sometimes its not within specs, and if so you need to replace the entire engine. Also another thing that can happen is that the oil can leak into the tranny, if so you need to replace the transmission. Neither happen all the time, in fact its in a minority of the RMS leak cases but I'd consider that a big deal, especially if out of warranty.

    Re: 997 S engine - not really new

    Yes, let's get our facts straight.

    1. The RMS is a piece of rubber. It does not cause an engine to fail.

    2. An RMS leak is a result of one of three things: a bad rubber seal, an improperly installed seal, and as you point out, an out-of-round crankshaft tunnel, making it impossible for the rubber seal to fit properly. In the latter case, the leak is a symptom, not a cause, of an engine manufacturing defect.

    3. I have yet to hear of anyone charged for an engine replacement under these conditions, even some out of warranty.

    4. It would be a real neat trick for oil from a very small leak such as the RMS to get into a transaxle since it would have to pass through the rubber clutch and the pressure plate, resisting the gravity that puts it in your driveway.

    5. I've had two RMS replacements. The second one has been in place for two years and approximately 27,000 miles--dry as a bone.

    Here's some additional info for you if you're truly interested in getting your facts straight. web page

    You might also e-mail Bruce Anderson, the technical editor of Excellence--he's addressed the issue of M96 reliability/longevity several times. (There's an item in this month's issue if you want to pick it up). He also answered my email on the topic two years ago.

    A leaking RMS by itself is no big deal.

    But you can complain anyway . . .

    Re: 997 S engine - not really new

    I don't know were you got your info but this has been already covered way too many times over the boards, I will try it one more time:

    Quote:
    brickers said:
    1. The RMS is a piece of rubber. It does not cause an engine to fail.



    Who ever said it caused an engine failure? pay attention: "If cranckshaft bore concentricity is out of spec you need a new engine", the reason is if you don't, you can go on fixing RMS leak till the cows come home and it wil still leak.


    Quote:
    brickers said:
    2. An RMS leak is a result of one of three things: a bad rubber seal, an improperly installed seal, and as you point out, an out-of-round crankshaft tunnel, making it impossible for the rubber seal to fit properly. In the latter case, the leak is a symptom, not a cause, of an engine manufacturing defect.



    Actually no one knows the cause of the frequent RMS leaks in only the particular engine of the 996 carrera and Bosxter's its based on, because Porsche does not reveral this info. The two most favoured threories are inadecuate support for the crankshaft or manufacturing defect in the case.

    Quote:
    brickers said:
    3. I have yet to hear of anyone charged for an engine replacement under these conditions, even some out of warranty.



    Engine replacement is covered under warranty when under warranty, when out of warranty it will probably depends on the country you live in, thanks to Porsche not making an official stand on it and imposing a uniform consensus. Like I said in Spain its not covered. But we will know when 996 start to run out of warranties.

    Quote:
    brickers said:
    4. It would be a real neat trick for oil from a very small leak such as the RMS to get into a transaxle since it would have to pass through the rubber clutch and the pressure plate, resisting the gravity that puts it in your driveway




    Well, guess what? that real trick is not such a trick and it happens. Sometimes some owners discovered they have an RMS leak because their clutch starts to slip badly, and RMS is the first thing thats checked in that case. And if under warranty you get a new tranny.

    Quote:
    brickers said:5. I've had two RMS replacements. The second one has been in place for two years and approximately 27,000 miles--dry as a bone.



    Glad to hear that.

    Quote:
    brickers said: Here's some additional info for you if you're truly interested in getting your facts straight. web page

    You might also e-mail Bruce Anderson, the technical editor of Excellence--he's addressed the issue of M96 reliability/longevity several times. (There's an item in this month's issue if you want to pick it up). He also answered my email on the topic two years ago.

    A leaking RMS by itself is no big deal.

    But you can complain anyway . . .



    I did my research when I got an RMS out of warranty, and been around the boards long enough, since I see you reffered to the ppbb boxster board, ask "Jeff/Tool pants" who knows his way around a Boxster for example and get this info again. Or do a search at rennlist in 996's forum.

    Re: 997 S engine - not really new

    And to think I was trying to be nice . . .

    Quote:
    carlos fromspain said:
    I don't know were you got your info



    I told you where I got my information from. If you didn't read any of it, understand any of it, or check any of the sources, that's your problem. I didn't make up anything I wrote.

    Quote:
    carlos fromspain said:
    Who ever said it caused an engine failure?



    At least let me know if English is your second languange. If I say, "The RMS by itself is not a big deal," and you answered that statement by saying "People have had to have their engines replaced," the implication is that it's CAUSAL (look it up, genius).

    Quote:
    carlos fromspain said:
    pay attention: "If cranckshaft bore concentricity is out of spec you need a new engine", the reason is if you don't, you can go on fixing RMS leak till the cows come home and it wil still leak.



    Yes, that's true, which I acknowledged. (You don't miss a trick, do you?) But if there is not a problem with the casing, and the RMS leaks, you need a new RMS--not an engine, and a replacement RMS isn't a big deal.

    Quote:
    carlos fromspain said:
    Actually no one knows the cause of the frequent RMS leaks in only the particular engine of the 996 carrera and Bosxter's its based on, because Porsche does not reveral this info. The two most favoured threories are inadecuate support for the crankshaft or manufacturing defect in the case.



    No, we do know. it's either an engine manufacturing defect, a bad seal, or an improperly installed seal, with the engine manufacturing defect being by far the least prevalent.

    What we don't know is how truly frequent an RMS leak is.

    Quote:
    carlos fromspain said:
    Engine replacement is covered under warranty when under warranty, when out of warranty it will probably depends on the country you live in



    Then don't make universal statements.

    Quote:
    carlos fromspain said:
    Well, guess what? that real trick is not such a trick and it happens. Sometimes some owners discovered they have an RMS leak because their clutch starts to slip badly



    Um, didn't I already say this before you started your rant? ("Sodden clutch" ring a bell?) Why don't you pay attention?

    Quote:
    carlos fromspain said:
    And if under warranty you get a new tranny.



    Name one person who got a replacement transaxle solely because of a RMS leak. Not a new clutch, a new transaxle.

    Quote:
    carlos fromspain said:
    Glad to hear that.



    How can that be, since you obviously enjoy trying to be some kind of Porsche Cassandra. (You can look that up too.) What's more, it shows, as with the vast, vast, vast majority of RMS leaks, the problem is solved by replacing the seal--not the engine, not the transmission.

    Quote:
    carlos fromspain said:
    I did my research when I got an RMS out of warranty, and been around the boards long enough, since I see you reffered to the ppbb boxster board, ask "Jeff/Tool pants" who knows his way around a Boxster for example and get this info again. Or do a search at rennlist in 996's forum.



    Why don't you have someone read my post to you and explain it? I said:

    1. We don't know how many cars have had these leaks, and on the scale of M96s in service, we don't know if it is "frequent."

    2. The most serious problem resulting from from an RMS leak is oil contaminating the clutch.

    3. A small leak from an RMS by itself isn't a big problem.

    Please note, I never said a bad engine wasn't a big problem.

    Jeff's expertise notwithstanding, my mechanic's, others' mechanics', and Bruce Anderson's word is quite enough for me. And anyone who stays away from these cars for what is essentially a minor problem is missing out.

    I'll repeat it slowly--an RMS leak, in and of itself (maybe someone could explain that to you, as well), is not a big deal.

    You can go back to complaining without reason, I'm through.

    Re: 997 S engine - not really new

    brinkers,

    I know you are new to this forum, but I hope you realise this isn't the ppbb boxster forum, if you can't keep it in a respecful tone, then this ends right here as far as with me its concerned.

    BTW, since you wanted me to let you know, no, though I speak four languages, english is not the first language of Spain.

     
    Edit

    Forum

    Board Subject Last post Rating Views Replies
    Porsche Sticky SUN'S LAST RUN TO WILSON, WY - 991 C2S CAB LIFE, END OF AN ERA (Part II) 5/15/24 8:44 AM
    art.italy
    854774 1808
    Porsche Sticky OFFICIAL: Porsche 911 (992) GT3 RS - 2022 3/12/24 8:28 AM
    DJM48
    294406 323
    Porsche Sticky The new Macan: the first all-electric SUV from Porsche 1/30/24 9:18 AM
    RCA
    103244 45
    Porsche Sticky OFFICIAL: Taycan 2024 Facelift 3/15/24 1:23 PM
    CGX car nut
    22624 50
    Porsche The moment I've been waiting for... 7/27/24 8:44 PM
    Pilot
     
     
     
     
     
    921490 1365
    Porsche GT4RS 4/21/24 11:50 AM
    mcdelaug
    446081 1454
    Porsche Welcome to the new Taycan Forum! 2/10/24 4:43 PM
    nberry
    433630 1526
    Porsche Red Nipples 991.2 GT3 Touring on tour 5/12/24 6:23 PM
    blueflame
    307047 669
    Motor Sp. 2023 Formula One 12/19/23 5:38 AM
    WhoopsyM
    150694 685
    BMW M 2024 BMW M3 CS Official Now 12/29/23 9:04 AM
    RCA
    140254 303
    Porsche 2022 992 Safari Model 3/7/24 4:22 PM
    WhoopsyM
    97510 239
    AMG Mercedes-Benz W124 500E aka Porsche typ 2758 2/23/24 10:03 PM
    blueflame
    84761 297
    Porsche 992 GT3 RS 3/3/24 7:22 PM
    WhoopsyM
    74946 314
    Motor Sp. Porsche 963 5/18/24 9:44 PM
    Wonderbar
    40027 249
    Ferrari Ferrari 296 GTB (830PS, Hybrid V6) 1/21/24 4:29 PM
    GT-Boy
    32172 103
    BMW M 2022 BMW M5 CS 4/8/24 1:43 PM
    Ferdie
    29937 140
    AMG [2022] Mercedes-AMG SL 4/23/24 1:24 PM
    RCA
    25328 225
    Porsche 911 S/T 9/21/24 5:26 AM
    Pilot
    24148 59
    Porsche Macan EV 1/25/24 9:10 AM
    RCA
    21952 28
    Motor Sp. Formula 1 2024!! 6/15/24 11:25 AM
    Anderson
    21881 217
    Porsche 993 4S 3/10/24 12:54 PM
    blueflame
    16999 49
    Porsche 992FL 12/27/23 5:49 PM
    Wonderbar
    16382 16
    BMW M New device for DD 11/23/23 11:58 PM
    WhoopsyM
    11220 9
    Porsche win the lottery? what would you buy? 9/14/24 12:36 AM
    Pilot
    8086 61
    BMW M BMW XM 2/22/24 9:56 PM
    Enmanuel
    6969 23
    Porsche Taycan ST vs EQS580 1/5/24 1:45 AM
    mcdelaug
    6516 14
    Ferrari The SSO Awards: 2023 12/30/23 6:57 PM
    CGX car nut
    6270 6
    Porsche New Panamera Turbo order 3/29/24 3:25 PM
    N11KOY
    6247 7
    McLaren McLaren 650S Spider: 5 Years as my Daily Driver 10/17/24 6:16 AM
    sour
    5960 12
    Porsche
    Asia
    red 997 gt3 S-Go 5104 11/20/23 9:38 AM
    Oj911
    5818 6
    52 items found, displaying 1 to 30.