All very good points. I think I stated this earlier but when I negotiated the price of the car I was told the tires were new and that it was in perfect condition. When I sent the car for a PPI, I was surprised to hear of the leak. When I heard that the tires were dead, I was surprised. When I informed the dealer/broker of the leak and tires, he was surprised. I was concerned that there could be other surprises. After a few days of cooling down, I don't think this misinformation was deliberate and I'm sure the seller didn't want to deal with the cost either. I expected a little give on both sides but he came back with a stern price...and that is where it ended.

I have total understanding that I can expect problems with a used car. First, I don't have $100k+ to spend on a new car in this economy. Second, I have never had a Porsche before and truly don't deserve a new one until I learn the car and make the mistakes. Believe me, my true dream car is a 997 TT...WOW, what a car.

This thread has moved from a RMS issue to a learning experience for buying a Porsche....I love it!!! I believe everyone sensed my issues and have made some incredible recommendations. Keep them coming, if I don't use the advice on this one I will on the next.

 

I was just informed that the car sold today. Thank you everyone. I am better equipped for the next one that comes my way.

 

Bummer. Keep the search going.

 

I think in the end you'll be glad this car got away. The mis-information about the tires ? Don't kid yourself, it was deliberate as was the RMS surprise. Once a long distance seller gets your money there is nothing you can do about mis or rather dis information. No one misses the difference between new and "dead" tires, particularly on a Porsche.

As others have suggested, I would look much closer to home so that you can get a PPI done and find out exactly what condition the car is in. These cars are expensive to properly maintain and not everyone is all that keen on spending the money to keep them in top condition. You don't want to have to pay $ 50 K for a car and then pay again to bring the car up to spec.

 

Thank you for the kind words and wisdom. I'm starting to agree with you as I now see that the car had been inspected not long before I had it inspected. I find it hard to believe that they didn't notice the leak or tires at the previous inspection.

 

Maybe a dumb question but where is the RMS located? Anyone have photos of the area that I should be looking for seepage. I have an 05 997S with built date of 10/04. I have looked all over the bottom of the engine compartment and do not see any oil. I just want to make sure I am looking in the right places. I do have a CPO thru 03/13 so I'm not too worried just want to keep a check on it. My car was a somewhat of a garage queen when I bought it with only 9K on the odometer. I don't track the car but I do drive it aggressively and often. Mainly within the law. For piece of mind would you have the RMS and IMS updated just before the CPO ends as long as there are no issues before 03/13?

 

If the bottom of the engine is dry and there are no oil drops on the floor you have no rms problem. Do not think of the rms as a serviceable item ie it is not replaced if it is doing it's job, only if it starts to leak and even then the advice is to wait until the clutch needs repair to save on labor. The IMS bearing can be replaced but it is not a minor repair. If you are optimistic, change the oil Q 3000 miles and check the filter for metallic particles as you go and drive the p*ss out of it. They do fail but the internets kinda give an exaggerated picture. Search the polls on this to see the reported numbers. It is the 05's that are more at risk though. Do a good search and you will find some sad stories but not as many as you might expect. If it is your motor tho....ugh! Tough call. If you are a pessimist and will lose sleep, do the bearing I guess. Sad that owners should have to worry about this. I was an E46 M3 owner when BMW recalled the cars and replaced the main engine bearings. Classy move. Good luck.

 

Can anyone give me an estimated price to do the IMS, RMS and clutch. I'm at 70K on a 2001 with original everything. Also, does cutting the filter open really tell you if you have an IMS issue? Specifically, what do you look for? And, will the LN Engineering magnetic plug catch this same debris? Thanks for any info. Chris

 

I am somewhat amazed at the nonchalance people express when talking about the RMS problem along the line of " it's just another repair that you have to save money for". Why is there a problem and why has Porsche needed several stabs at providing updated versions of the RMS seal and basically, the new seal is still only masking / hiding the real problem. The problem is still that your engine is not manufactured with the tolerances one would expect that a Porsche engine would have been built to. Hence, your engine can implode at any time without warning. I believe that ANY engine that has shown RMS issues ( seepage etc) will have a higher probability of doing that again and again. So, I would run from each and every car that had the repair or has seepage. Just protecting my investment (my wallet). Better still.. invest in the Mezger engine

 

At this point I would start looking for another car, and there are plenty out there for the asking.

 

+1
I had a quote for the IMS at about $1350 from an independent and another $20 to replace the RMS. Turned out my 2005 which was built in April of '05 received the updated IMS bearing like the 2006-2008 cars.

 

You may consider Porsche dealers other than your local dealer. I bought mine in LA, and they had several buyers in from out of state. Indicated that certain high-volume dealers get the absolute pick of the litter on lease returns, advertise them on eBay and then folks from all over buy there. Seemed plausible, their cars were outstanding (many special editions and custom color combos). +10 on CPO.

 

definitely agree with pvanosta. Get it fixed and negotiate the price. 2006 and up models came with the latest and greatest seal, as did later 2005 production models especially the S with the M97/01 production engines. Slight seepage can be resealed or get a replacement if that will make you sleep better at night. Not uncommon when car has not been driven. 06 with 12k miles. Had a ppi on a car 3 months ago with same issue, 05 S with only 20k miles. Porsche said it was not uncommon. Would have purchased but deal fell through on pricing. IMO, get it replaced/sealed, get a receipt/warranty for the work and negotiate. Its an 06 you cant go wrong.