Thanks for the great information. I’ve owned my ‘99 911 for five years and have enjoyed tens of thousands of worry-free miles. My advice to anyone looking at these cars is that you buy the previous owner. Going cheap usually costs you in the long run.
with the general increase in used cars especially so for assumed future collectibles, the 996 asking prices are ridiculous today. these are up to 25 years old and let's not forget it's Porsche, so the price for upkeep is in no reasonable relation, unless you get a super kept model AND can (and want to) do most of the stuff yourself. In Europe for the coupe in half decent condition you are easily in for 30.000 Euros. That's insane. Right now might be the worst time to be them.
I've been driving Porsches for 50 years. I took my 1st one to the Porsche dealership. NEVER AGAIN !! Then I sought out an independent Porsche mechanic. Best choice I could have made. Saved thousands over the years !! For years now I use Rich Dean of Porsche Builders of Athens, GA. AKA Classic Design. He is the absolute BEST !
There are a few good Porsche techs in northern GA. Especially around Road Atlanta. Flat 6 Innovations. However… they were not cheep. 7,000 to do the IMS on a 996
Thanks for the NGK iridium knowledge! I've been trying to figure out the best spark plugs to use in M96 engines and like all things 986/996, it is so, so difficult to get any helpful advice from the forums! (rennlist for 986 & 986forum are nearly useless unless you're asking about a horrible stripe or spoiler addition!) Anxious to see if you escape for $800 with this one; these cars have a way of adding up quickly. But thanks for adding the perspective of M5's and more complicated cars since I do feel better now about all the parts I've recently purchased for my 986! Looking forward to your next video.....
The standard plugs will be bosch , my experience these are terrible quality , I would go NGK R every day of the week , better longevity of the parts and improved spark over the OEM ones
@@jonsimpson3011 Thanks. I have never liked copper plugs although if you look at the data, they seem to have very high standards at the cost of declining much quicker over time than platinum or iridium. However, I have never liked them even when brand new and always noticed an improvement when switching to Bosch Platinums, my plug of choice for many years before iridium. Of course, Bosch has abandoned all the older cars and usually only supplies copper plugs now for all the older cars I have. And with the 986S I now have, they also only offer the OEM plug (copper) although it is multi electrode. So thanks for the insight and I will now go with NGK iridium or ruthenium when I finally get my boxster together again (Don't ask!)
Thanks Nathan. I have a '01 with just over 60K on the clock. Already had the water pump and a/o sep done. Always had dealers do the work, until my last visit. Used an indy for the first time and was delighted. Simple problem -- rear spoiler ram, but he found a rebuild kit and saved me $1,000. The dealer charged me $1,900 for front pads and rotors. Apart from the above, I had the coolant overflow replaced, cam covers resealed. Everything's original, including the IMSB and clutch. Any advice on what to watch for would be appreciated.
I've got a nearly identical '99. Absolutely love it! I've had some more classic 911s ('72 911T Targa, '83 911SC, etc.) but classic aside, my 996 is my favorite. Magnus has one of these too, but he's got the aero bits on his. Anyway, nice car! Hope everything works out with the repairs! Definitely worth doing IMO.
Hi Nathan and camera pilot. Good quality video. Easy to follow with plenty of light, except a closeup of plugs might help as we are being shown suspect threads and things. That is unlikely to be a higher miler, as that is about the outer milage limit for the OE water pump, air/oil sep thing, sway bar end links, shocks, and so on. All primed up on that stuff because mine just got all that fixed. The loose or damaged plugs are a mystery. The OE coils like to crack and otherwise die, good time to switch those. You were surprised at the dealer standard of diagnosing and work. Don't be. All the dealer techs are indeed well qualified, along with the service managers. The problem is, most Porsche dealerships in north America are just part of a pile of businesses owned by some absent Uncle Scrooges. The rules are set by the owning company, not Porsche. The shop work is allotted X number of hours, including looking for faults. The short-sighted bosses see their Toyota, Ford, BMW etc shops doing all these jobs and no way does the Porsche shop need extra time. The techs soon learn to comply or they are gone and labeled trouble makers as well. That mess of issues you found are exactly the result. The small shops will try to find all of it, as the money from parts sold is pretty good. Part departments at big dealers are a necessary evil, according to the share holders / shot callers. Good luck.
In Germany to become a qualified mechanic technician and work at a Porsche Mercedes-Benz BMW Audi old Volkswagen dealership it takes a 3 to 4 year full paid apprenticeship and after they have completed their apprenticeship most get offered a job at the respective dealership, to become a master mechanic it takes 6 1/2 years and only a master is permitted to inspect your car before it is handed over to the mechanic you do not speak to a mechanic normally just to the master, The service is amazing always has been since I purchased my first Porsche in 1985. I visited the Porsche dealership close to home in Florida and had to walk around being a little cheeky before I entered the sales room because I heard one of the mechanics speaking German and his words to me were stay the hell away from Porsche USA the cars are the same as we have in Europe but the after sales service has no idea they are purely grasping at straws and if you consider the fact that here in Europe you can pick up a used Porsche with excess of 150,000 miles are they’ll still give you a warranty on the engine that should explain a lot,
Based on the center console material and the SAI pump configuration, it looks like a 99 to me. Pretty sure I spied the end of a throttle cable in there as well.
You should check the ISB for the rattling noise. (Intermediate Shaft Bearing). There is an aftermarket updated one that does not have all of thr problems as the original.
I have two Porsches and a Subaru and I do mostly my own work. I have had nothing but good things to say about Porsche Minneapolis and Saint Paul. Buy princess cars win princess prizes🤙🏻 996 is generally easy sauce the other one goes to the shop cuz warranty. Great vids
Hey i'm a young mechanic at a jeep chrysler dealership and you are right. They're only now realizing they have to setup apprenticeships with the older techs and young techs because most techs my age are pulling less than 30 hours a week
Hey, what makes this 996 rare? I have a 100K (8K on the rebuilt engine) cabriolet in the same exterior and interior color, but never knew it was rare? Great video, by the way.
Intermix oil/coolant is a death sentence on these cars. There were plenty plenty cases of that, we changed so many engines that we had to buy a fork lift to handle all the shipped engines. There is generally no cure, microcracks develop in heads and also cylinders. You will find info and pictures on the web, it's a known problem. Arguably, this is one of the worst engine designs in modern history, regardless of car brand. The 986/996/997 engines replacements paid most of my house. Trying to fix this is a fool's errand. And trying to find a used engine will give you the automatic answer: very hard to find. There is a shortage... because they all fail. Some recycling yards have a customer waiting list. People waiting for engines.
Always enjoy watching your videos! Maybe I missed this, but what is the best action when you have coolant/oil mix in these cars and flushing out the hoses are radiators? Do you not worry too much about it, or have a special process to try to get everything clean?
Yeah, took my M276 W212 Benz to dealer, mentioned the timing chain adjusters getting weak makes a little noise at startup. $700 to pull covers to check, takes an hour to do, two bolts then measure plunger with a caliper, ensure check valve installed in head where adjuster bolts on. $3500 to replace $600 worth of parts. Total rip off, and yes, a bunch of young guys in the shop. I forgot more than all of them put together. No thanks I'll order parts and spend a couple hours doing this and replacing plugs, brakes, filters, oil, and cleaning on a Saturday myself. And the Manufactures wonder why no one trusts the dealers...
This shoddy work should be warrantied by them though. If they can’t do it properly they should be paying the bill for the customer to get it done by someone competent.
Oh no green coolant again?. Hahaha. That guy that bought your yellow one would tell you it’s wrong. Funny thing is pink coolant wasn’t commonly used at all back then. It’s very recent
Broke stupid people buy Porsches for the prestige. Knowing they can't afford to maintain them. Unbelievable that they treat these cars like that. Unacceptable !! My '99 996 gen 1 has 55K on the clock. Refreshed at 50K w/ IMS, AOS, water pump, Clutch, pressure plate, TB, any and everything needed w/ engine out. Flushed ALL systems ! New struts, new breaks, new tires. This thing is good for a solid 100K miles before I even have to do any ting but oil changes and general maintenance. I'm happy !!
the only thing rare about a Porsche 996, is those that want them. Back in the day they had major issues and that is why they have no resale value. You guys are trying to pump the 996 market up but the cars are POS. I have 997 turbo which is a fantastic car.
Thanks for the great information. I’ve owned my ‘99 911 for five years and have enjoyed tens of thousands of worry-free miles. My advice to anyone looking at these cars is that you buy the previous owner. Going cheap usually costs you in the long run.
with the general increase in used cars especially so for assumed future collectibles, the 996 asking prices are ridiculous today. these are up to 25 years old and let's not forget it's Porsche, so the price for upkeep is in no reasonable relation, unless you get a super kept model AND can (and want to) do most of the stuff yourself. In Europe for the coupe in half decent condition you are easily in for 30.000 Euros. That's insane. Right now might be the worst time to be them.
Hey Nathan. Nice to see you doing regular videos again.
Interesting. Looking forward to see if you found all the issues. I bet owner glad to have you on board, rather than the dealer!
Great video - Love the no nonsense approach and clear explanation of the issues. Thanks for sharing. 😎
I've been driving Porsches for 50 years. I took my 1st one to the Porsche dealership. NEVER AGAIN !! Then I sought out an independent Porsche mechanic. Best choice I could have made. Saved thousands over the years !! For years now I use Rich Dean of Porsche Builders of Athens, GA. AKA Classic Design. He is the absolute BEST !
Rich is the man! He maintains my 911 too.
Rich fucked my 911 up
There are a few good Porsche techs in northern GA. Especially around Road Atlanta.
Flat 6 Innovations. However… they were not cheep. 7,000 to do the IMS on a 996
@thatguy7085 ....$7000 For an ims 😮
£1200 Over here in UK 🇬🇧
Thanks for the NGK iridium knowledge! I've been trying to figure out the best spark plugs to use in M96 engines and like all things 986/996, it is so, so difficult to get any helpful advice from the forums! (rennlist for 986 & 986forum are nearly useless unless you're asking about a horrible stripe or spoiler addition!) Anxious to see if you escape for $800 with this one; these cars have a way of adding up quickly. But thanks for adding the perspective of M5's and more complicated cars since I do feel better now about all the parts I've recently purchased for my 986! Looking forward to your next video.....
The standard plugs will be bosch , my experience these are terrible quality , I would go NGK R every day of the week , better longevity of the parts and improved spark over the OEM ones
@@jonsimpson3011 Thanks. I have never liked copper plugs although if you look at the data, they seem to have very high standards at the cost of declining much quicker over time than platinum or iridium. However, I have never liked them even when brand new and always noticed an improvement when switching to Bosch Platinums, my plug of choice for many years before iridium. Of course, Bosch has abandoned all the older cars and usually only supplies copper plugs now for all the older cars I have. And with the 986S I now have, they also only offer the OEM plug (copper) although it is multi electrode. So thanks for the insight and I will now go with NGK iridium or ruthenium when I finally get my boxster together again (Don't ask!)
Thanks Nathan. I have a '01 with just over 60K on the clock. Already had the water pump and a/o sep done. Always had dealers do the work, until my last visit. Used an indy for the first time and was delighted. Simple problem -- rear spoiler ram, but he found a rebuild kit and saved me $1,000. The dealer charged me $1,900 for front pads and rotors. Apart from the above, I had the coolant overflow replaced, cam covers resealed. Everything's original, including the IMSB and clutch. Any advice on what to watch for would be appreciated.
1.900 for pads and rotors?!? 😳
@@Musicman4Christ Yea...dealer labor is $250/hr...that was just the fronts
I've got a nearly identical '99. Absolutely love it! I've had some more classic 911s ('72 911T Targa, '83 911SC, etc.) but classic aside, my 996 is my favorite. Magnus has one of these too, but he's got the aero bits on his. Anyway, nice car! Hope everything works out with the repairs! Definitely worth doing IMO.
Great video! Thanks for the scanner review, I’ve been looking for something to have on hand for my wife’s Macan S. 🙏🏻
Good walk through and analysis, keep going.
Hi Nathan and camera pilot. Good quality video. Easy to follow with plenty of light, except a closeup of plugs might help as we are being shown suspect threads and things. That is unlikely to be a higher miler, as that is about the outer milage limit for the OE water pump, air/oil sep thing, sway bar end links, shocks, and so on. All primed up on that stuff because mine just got all that fixed. The loose or damaged plugs are a mystery. The OE coils like to crack and otherwise die, good time to switch those.
You were surprised at the dealer standard of diagnosing and work. Don't be. All the dealer techs are indeed well qualified, along with the service managers. The problem is, most Porsche dealerships in north America are just part of a pile of businesses owned by some absent Uncle Scrooges. The rules are set by the owning company, not Porsche. The shop work is allotted X number of hours, including looking for faults. The short-sighted bosses see their Toyota, Ford, BMW etc shops doing all these jobs and no way does the Porsche shop need extra time. The techs soon learn to comply or they are gone and labeled trouble makers as well. That mess of issues you found are exactly the result. The small shops will try to find all of it, as the money from parts sold is pretty good. Part departments at big dealers are a necessary evil, according to the share holders / shot callers. Good luck.
Thank you so much for this video. I also have a 1999. 996. Well thank you for this video. This is your subscriber on the West Coast Los Angeles?
In Germany to become a qualified mechanic technician and work at a Porsche Mercedes-Benz BMW Audi old Volkswagen dealership it takes a 3 to 4 year full paid apprenticeship and after they have completed their apprenticeship most get offered a job at the respective dealership, to become a master mechanic it takes 6 1/2 years and only a master is permitted to inspect your car before it is handed over to the mechanic you do not speak to a mechanic normally just to the master, The service is amazing always has been since I purchased my first Porsche in 1985. I visited the Porsche dealership close to home in Florida and had to walk around being a little cheeky before I entered the sales room because I heard one of the mechanics speaking German and his words to me were stay the hell away from Porsche USA the cars are the same as we have in Europe but the after sales service has no idea they are purely grasping at straws and if you consider the fact that here in Europe you can pick up a used Porsche with excess of 150,000 miles are they’ll still give you a warranty on the engine that should explain a lot,
Based on the center console material and the SAI pump configuration, it looks like a 99 to me. Pretty sure I spied the end of a throttle cable in there as well.
It is. Bought in 1998 and its the 99 model
You should check the ISB for the rattling noise. (Intermediate Shaft Bearing). There is an aftermarket updated one that does not have all of thr problems as the original.
I have two Porsches and a Subaru and I do mostly my own work. I have had nothing but good things to say about Porsche Minneapolis and Saint Paul. Buy princess cars win princess prizes🤙🏻 996 is generally easy sauce the other one goes to the shop cuz warranty. Great vids
"packets that keep the moisture out"...are called Desiccants! love your vids! cheers!
Hey i'm a young mechanic at a jeep chrysler dealership and you are right. They're only now realizing they have to setup apprenticeships with the older techs and young techs because most techs my age are pulling less than 30 hours a week
Although at my dealership there still are a lot of older techs most won't be there within 5 years
Thanks Nathan. Since bore scoring seems to be a possible issue with these cars, do you plan to look inside the cylinders?
its not as common on the 996 , 997 and up it was a real issue
Hello, Very informative... Where are you located?
Thanks Mark
Hey, what makes this 996 rare? I have a 100K (8K on the rebuilt engine) cabriolet in the same exterior and interior color, but never knew it was rare? Great video, by the way.
Great work Nathan! I'm learning a lot and looking forward to the next video.
Also remember owners are a factor. Mech makes recommendations and the owners have the Altamonte decision.
Intermix oil/coolant is a death sentence on these cars. There were plenty plenty cases of that, we changed so many engines that we had to buy a fork lift to handle all the shipped engines. There is generally no cure, microcracks develop in heads and also cylinders. You will find info and pictures on the web, it's a known problem. Arguably, this is one of the worst engine designs in modern history, regardless of car brand. The 986/996/997 engines replacements paid most of my house. Trying to fix this is a fool's errand. And trying to find a used engine will give you the automatic answer: very hard to find. There is a shortage... because they all fail. Some recycling yards have a customer waiting list. People waiting for engines.
Might be an idea to cover the rear bumper with a sheet while you're in the engine
Loved the video, but yeah. I like a mechanic who babies my car as I do. There are too many ways to leave a scratch when you are leaning in like that.
Always enjoy watching your videos! Maybe I missed this, but what is the best action when you have coolant/oil mix in these cars and flushing out the hoses are radiators? Do you not worry too much about it, or have a special process to try to get everything clean?
You will never get it all out but this one isnt too bad we will start with coolant flush
Is it worth changing out rads and hoses or flushing in a specific way several times? Going through a 996 with intermix right now...
Nathan It’s an starter motor! Sounds like non return starter gear after engine start. Thanks.
Awesome video! Love it.
There’s no way that car has 59,000miles. More like 159,000
How was the water pump changed and the coolant was not changed ?
But Eric at IdoCars says worm clamps are the work of the devil....
Not sure why they put all season tires on a Florida car
And he wondered why there was a zip tie on the shifter cable lol That guy is a little lacking on his research
Love that color, Put SP12 red coolant in it not the green stuff like in the yellow one.
Great video. Thanks
I feel that air filter hadn't been changed in a very long time.
Sand Beige?
Great stuff sir
Air oil separator wouldn't cause water in oil. Oil cooler will cause oil water mix. Mostly workout oil cooler seals letting oil and coolant to fix
AOS on these cars have coolant and oil going through them and is a common mixing point
I wonder how much oil is on the inside of the rubber hoses. It sticks there😢
I disagree on the interior color not aging well. I think the district 90's color is what makes it appealing. Very nostalgic
99's had a weird issue with heads that would crack... seen it a couple times now. Call up Hoffman Automotive Machine and Zorotech to discuss.
Yeah, took my M276 W212 Benz to dealer, mentioned the timing chain adjusters getting weak makes a little noise at startup. $700 to pull covers to check, takes an hour to do, two bolts then measure plunger with a caliper, ensure check valve installed in head where adjuster bolts on. $3500 to replace $600 worth of parts. Total rip off, and yes, a bunch of young guys in the shop. I forgot more than all of them put together. No thanks I'll order parts and spend a couple hours doing this and replacing plugs, brakes, filters, oil, and cleaning on a Saturday myself. And the Manufactures wonder why no one trusts the dealers...
So are you going to give the Porsche guys wetdreams with BMW videos? 😅 lol here from BMW workshop 👋
Well the word on the street is the rod bolts have shipped , so hopefully more bmw vids incoming
Nathan, the Porsche whisperer...
great video, thanks for sharing!
Example of STEALERSHIP at its best 😂
Owner: My car makes a noise when idling. Dealership: “ok so let’s do 10k in suspension work”. 😂
This shoddy work should be warrantied by them though. If they can’t do it properly they should be paying the bill for the customer to get it done by someone competent.
Really good info. Thanks
Por-sha
Oh no green coolant again?. Hahaha. That guy that bought your yellow one would tell you it’s wrong. Funny thing is pink coolant wasn’t commonly used at all back then. It’s very recent
This is why you never go to a dealer for service and repairs after the warranty expires. Give your business to an Independent Repair shop that cares.
Car sounds like Chewbacca taking a dump.
I think you meant Toxic Hell @18:08
It’s porscheaaaaa
I thought i was pronounced "porsch-UH"?
Biggest issue - the steering wheel is literally not on the right side. Left hand drive is such a silly concept.
💯❤️💯❤️💯❤️💯❤️💯❤️
I quit stealership's 30 yrs ago.
pretty worn steering wheel for that low mileage imo
No more water cooled Porsche for me, every single one a Nightmare.
Getting a cayenne soon Nate?
Dude has a lift and tools in his kitchen...
red porsches are not rare, and low mileage ones definitely will have issues :D
Less talkie more workie on car.
I'm a neophyte but what would a car like this be worth today? (Range is fine.)
With 59k miles prob $35k
@@NathansPorscheWorkshop thx
10k for mine(UK)
What’s “rare” about this car?
Why is a 996 rare?
There's no fixing the biggest issue, it being a 996.
😱
Broke stupid people buy Porsches for the prestige. Knowing they can't afford to maintain them. Unbelievable that they treat these cars like that. Unacceptable !! My '99 996 gen 1 has 55K on the clock. Refreshed at 50K w/ IMS, AOS, water pump, Clutch, pressure plate, TB, any and everything needed w/ engine out. Flushed ALL systems ! New struts, new breaks, new tires. This thing is good for a solid 100K miles before I even have to do any ting but oil changes and general maintenance. I'm happy !!
What prompted you to replace the IMS bearing on a '99 when the failure rate on that MY is supposedly very low? Cheers
What’s so “rare” about a 996 base Carrera???? I love how people throw that term around.
Looks like a Boxster to me!
Perhaps the worst 911 ever made.
What is rare about this car? From what I can see, this is just an ordinary ugly 996.
Porsches are junk
You'll be able to afford one someday.
@@FlyNavy1 my package wouldn't fit in that little car
Actually no they are not.
IN-ta-rrrrrrthesting... berry interestink.
i remember no o ne would touch these lol
the only thing rare about a Porsche 996, is those that want them. Back in the day they had major issues and that is why they have no resale value. You guys are trying to pump the 996 market up but the cars are POS. I have 997 turbo which is a fantastic car.
Aren't they like 90% the same car?
@@michaelcortright5525 Completly different especially the turbo car has a Metzger engine.