Hello forum,

Just wondering your thoughts on the 2001 Boxster S? Any news or issues is appreciated - the IMS bearing has been fixed already, so that is a non issue. Is it common for small oil leaks from the oil pan gasket? I've heard this is common among the 3.2 engine, but please correct me if I'm wrong. It also includes a hardtop as well.

I have a 2003 bmw z4 3.0i that I am trading straight up for it - 53k miles on mine.

 

My only recommendation would be to get a PPI (pre-purchase inspection) by your local Porsche dealer or trusted independent shop.

 

The S is just a used car, a 14 year old used car. So you must give the car a thorough used car check out.

This starts with a test ride and follows with a test drive to experience the car in its natural state, with the engine running and the car on the road being used as you intend to use it.

Afterwards, you give the car a full used car check out. Assume nothing works until you confirm it does.

Then if you still like the car and believe you can buy it for a reasonable sum of money arrange for a PPI. Among other things this gets the car in the air so a careful check can be made for leak sign.

The water pump, RMS seal, camshaft covers, CV joints, power steering system, are some of the more common leak areas but really any hose or hose connection, hydraulic line or fitting, seal, gasket, o-ring needs to be checked.

A pan leak is not common. There is no gasket. The seal is made by running a bead of some sealant around the mating surface of the pan where it fits against the block.

If the pan is leaking this can be a sign this was removed and installed incorrectly. The question becomes why was this removed. Generally it is not necessary to remove this. Most often when it is removed it is done due to concerns about something amiss inside the engine and this is dropped to check for scary debris in the oil sump.

The PPI should include removing the oil filter housing and checking the condition of the oil in this housing and checking the filter element for the presence of any debris that can be early warning sign of pending serious engine trouble, primarily with the ISM bearing.

Just because the IMS bearing "has been fixed already" doesn't mean the replacement is good. In some cases the IMS bearing is replaced without the proper pre-replacement checking and the replacement bearing is doomed due to the previous bearing failure advancing too far.