Well I picked up my car from my body shop where I had the roll bar painted to match the car only to find the engine temperature light blinking. So I took a look at the coolant tank to find thats it about 2 inches below the minimum level line. So I drive it home closely watching the temp gauge and it get to about 200. So i fill up the tank with the coolant and the light stopped. I then go out last night with no problem while driving only to find that as soon as I park there is white smoke coming out from the engine bay and then notice a big puddle of coolant.
So here's the question: I am basically looking at a cracked coolant tank that needs to be replaced? When I filled up the coolant I observed no leaks but then again I had the car in neutral and the engine ran for only a couple minutes. Or could the problem be something other than the coolant tank itself. I think I just have bad luck as this is only the 4th week I have had the car and so far have had the battery blow up, both rear tires blowout within a week of each other and now this along with the airbag light that just popped on. Sorry for the rant and thanks in advance.

 

Listen, look to see where the leak is. If it's on the left side near the muffler you have a bad tank. Also, you can check the outlet hoses for leakiest.

The white smoke came from the coolant dripped down to the exhaust pipe. Note, this problem has happened to many 996 owners, including myself.

 

What intrigues me about this is that the previous owner states he replaced the tank about 2 weeks before I received the car. So thats about a month and half ago. Is it likely that a new tank could have cracked that soon? If so would that tank have any type of warranty due to it being so new.

 

You can tell if the reservoir tank is new or not by looking at the tank itself. New tank should has milk white color. Old one should looks stain yellow to light orange.

Ask the ex-owner for a receipt if he has one. It's rare to have a new tank cracked. It could be the hoses, clamps that are connected to the tank. You should able to see them up close near the tank. Run a test using a radiator pressure test gauge. You can pretty much see where it leaked.

 

Coolant leaks, as you know now, are fairly common with the 996. Usually it's the tank cracking or the cap leaking. If the tank was just replaced, then it could be another part failing because the tank now holds pressure. It should have been pressure tested after install but you never know. Also, do not use normal coolant(pretstone) in the porsche system, use only porsche coolant or water.

The airbag light is also a common problem with the 996. The early model seat belt buckles are faulty. You can have anyone with a porsche system tester diagnose which buckle it is. We usually replace both at the same time. It is a labor intensive fix as you have to pull the seats and change out some wiring as well. Most likely run $650 -$700 for both.


Hope this helps. These things are both common for the car, you were just unlucky to get them at this time.

 

Wow the previous owner dumped the car just at the right time...JK

Sorry to hear about the prob's you have had with it but it looks like you already have some good advice that I would have said also, but I really wanted to say my first sentence though

 

I just had the driver's side seat belt buckle and harness replaced which took less than an hour including diagnosis and installation.. The buckle cost was $73.55 and the harness was $48.67.

Roger B.

 

That happened to me and I managed to fix the problem with about $15 in parts. It was a brittle hose coupler near the alternator if I remember correctly. It had broken off and shooting it all over the engine. I think everyone should change that with a more durable one just for preventative purposes.

 

both rear tires blowout within a week of each other ???

woah.. wha happened?

 

Well thank you guys for all the advice and it seems as if the problem is fixed. It didnt end up being a cracked tank rather than the previous owner failed to purge the tank of air after replacing the tank. So the coolant was low but I guess it took a while for some of the air to purge and throw the light. I had to add coolant and after I did I drove with the purge valve open for a short bit and let it the engine cool down. Then repeated the process twice more and everything seems to be fine now.

As for the airbag light I am going to run it by the dealer and see if they could diagnose it and/or clear the code. Hopefully they can just clear the code.

As for the tires I have no idea why they blew but they both blew in the same fashion I am just lucky I was not going to fast and did not lose cotrol of the car. Here are some pics I took of the tire:

 

That's a nice looking ride.

Be sure to stay up on your tire pressures. With low profile tires, they can get down to under 20psi and the untrained eye can't tell the difference in appearance. It is the most common tire problem for all of my customers.

The dealer will most likely not turn the light off for you. The light is there to alert you that the airbag may not function properly in the event of an accident. Turning that light off without making a repair is a HUGE liabilty issue on their part.

 

wow.. that sucks on the tires.. maybe rubbing on the inside? good luck on your repairs!

i agree with eric, that's a nice looking ride!