Help - boxster engine went bang last night

[jamesG20V6]

04 plate boxster s 986. 47k, fsh.
An hour into a motorway journey I heard what can only be described as a rattle. Immediately dipped clutch and coasted to hard shoulder where it pissed all it's oil rapidly onto the hard shoulder - it resembled Exxon Valdize... No warning, no temperature issue, no oil pressure light.

So.... Recommendations for a strip down - IMS failure?

[VonSenger]

jamesG20V6 said:

04 plate boxster s 986. 47k, fsh.
An hour into a motorway journey I heard what can only be described as a rattle. Immediately dipped clutch and coasted to hard shoulder where it pissed all it's oil rapidly onto the hard shoulder - it resembled Exxon Valdize... No warning, no temperature issue, no oil pressure light.

So.... Recommendations for a strip down - IMS failure?

Surely not???? Not the super dupa reliable 996/986 block? What a pile of steaming dog doo. Here come the fan boys and deniers!

OP, sounds serious, hope you get it resolved without to much financial pain.

[Porkupine]

VonSenger said:

Surely not???? Not the super dupa reliable 996/986 block? What a pile of steaming dog doo. Here come the fan boys and deniers!

Just what the OP would have wanted to hear! Well done!

[cragswinter]

Perhaps a strange use of the smiley in the thread title?

[Ian_UK1]

jamesG20V6 said:

04 plate boxster s 986. 47k, fsh.
An hour into a motorway journey I heard what can only be described as a rattle. Immediately dipped clutch and coasted to hard shoulder where it pissed all it's oil rapidly onto the hard shoulder - it resembled Exxon Valdize... No warning, no temperature issue, no oil pressure light.

So.... Recommendations for a strip down - IMS failure?

Get the whole thing to Baz Hart (Hartech) ASAP - messing around having it stripped-down elsewhere will just add to the pain and cost. Baz will return the car to you with a better-than-new motor. Not cheap but you'll not need to worry about exploding engines once Baz has worked his magic. A Hartech rebuild with preventative mods should also add to the resale value if you eventually sell on here.

[VonSenger]

Porkupine said:

Just what the OP would have wanted to hear! Well done!

Don't be a c0ck, clearly th OP knows the issues hence his use of the term "IMS".

Now back to your day job.

[Rude-boy]

VonSenger said:

Surely not???? Not the super dupa reliable 996/986 block? What a pile of steaming dog doo. Here come the fan boys and deniers!

Followed by:-

VonSenger said:

Porkupine said:

Just what the OP would have wanted to hear! Well done!

Don't be a c0ck, clearly th OP knows the issues hence his use of the term "IMS".

Now back to your day job.

Do you practice at being a or does it just come naturally?

I'm not sure I have seen anyone on here in recent years denying that there are weaknesses in these engines. Then again I can't think of any car that doesn't have some sort of major issue lurking that affects the odd car here and there.

Please head back to the bridge from whence you came.

[Rude-boy]

cragswinter said:

Perhaps a strange use of the smiley in the thread title?

It's right next to the one in the Icon list.

[Martian O]

Sorry to hear about the problem. As Ian mentions, just get it to Hartech who will get it sorted for you with minimal pain.

[hopeydaze]

OP, sorry to hear about this and let's hope it can be resolved OK.

I know that Baz contributes regularly to this forum and is a great source of advice and knowledge but surely there are other indys in the UK that can do a competent rebuild that will last and at a fair price. Hartech is a long way from me.

I live near Reading and should this ever happen to me, I would hope to use someone like Northway, Wightune, Hillcrest or Tognola for instance, all of whom are local to me. Any thoughts?

[nickfrog]

VonSenger said:

Don't be a c0ck,

Usually the use of expletives for no apparent reason is the sign of a disgruntled/misinformed character.

Having covered more than 50k miles in two M96 engined cars without issues and without warranty nor OPC servicing I have saved
enough money to cover the cost of 1 rebuild in the statistically unlikely event that my next one goes, so those cars are viable options.

[Rude-boy]

hopeydaze said:

OP, sorry to hear about this and let's hope it can be resolved OK.

I know that Baz contributes regularly to this forum and is a great source of advice and knowledge but surely there are other indys in the UK that can do a competent rebuild that will last and at a fair price. Hartech is a long way from me.

I live near Reading and should this ever happen to me, I would hope to use someone like Northway, Wightune, Hillcrest or Tognola for instance, all of whom are local to me. Any thoughts?

Something I have mused about as it is a bit of a trek for me too.

As I see it Baz is a helpful bloke with a great reputation that most people who are interested in these cars know. I would also suggest that he has been one of the major contributors to identifying the issue and resolving it. Obviously having had to work on so many of these lumps also means that they should be quite efficient at doing the job and knowing how it should be done, and the subtle tricks that there are to any job.

When I bought my CS the thing I knew for certain was to check when the cam chains and so on had last been done and dealt with as it is about a £2.5k job and has to be done every 48k IIRC with a check at 24k. That my car had had this done less than 12k miles before I bought it was very important to me. That it had been done at Hartec sealed the deal.

Other than as above I have never had any direct dealings with them.

[Yell_M3]

jamesG20V6 said:

04 plate boxster s 986. 47k, fsh.
An hour into a motorway journey I heard what can only be described as a rattle. Immediately dipped clutch and coasted to hard shoulder where it pissed all it's oil rapidly onto the hard shoulder - it resembled Exxon Valdize... No warning, no temperature issue, no oil pressure light.

So.... Recommendations for a strip down - IMS failure?

My mate had something similar happen and he thought he was in for a massive bill. Turned out just to be a seal somewhere, can't rem what one.

However, now I'm worried, my 04 Boxster S is on 46.5K miles ...

[Akajak]

jamesG20V6 said:

04 plate boxster s 986. 47k, fsh.
An hour into a motorway journey I heard what can only be described as a rattle. Immediately dipped clutch and coasted to hard shoulder where it pissed all it's oil rapidly onto the hard shoulder - it resembled Exxon Valdize... No warning, no temperature issue, no oil pressure light.

So.... Recommendations for a strip down - IMS failure?

have you the warranty?

[jamesG20V6]

Phoned baz as first port of call - confirmed my suspicions that it probably is IMS - the big question is how much collateral damage has occurred.

Smiley is next to the one I meant and I can't change it.... Just adds insult to injury.

[RiccardoG]

hopeydaze said:

OP, sorry to hear about this and let's hope it can be resolved OK.

I know that Baz contributes regularly to this forum and is a great source of advice and knowledge but surely there are other indys in the UK that can do a competent rebuild that will last and at a fair price. Hartech is a long way from me.

I live near Reading and should this ever happen to me, I would hope to use someone like Northway, Wightune, Hillcrest or Tognola for instance, all of whom are local to me. Any thoughts?

+1 on this, depending on where you are in the country I'd also consider Northway and Autofarm, amongst others. I know they both regularly do engine rebuilds on the watercooled cars and they would be more convenient for down south.

I appreciate that Hartech have built themselves a good reputation but they aren't the only option. Actually, in my one only interaction with them I spoke with Grant who wasn't all that helpful when asked a general question about understanding the 997 engine.

[VonSenger]

Rude-boy said:

Do you practice at being a or does it just come naturally?

I'm not sure I have seen anyone on here in recent years denying that there are weaknesses in these engines. Then again I can't think of any car that doesn't have some sort of major issue lurking that affects the odd car here and there.

Please head back to the bridge from whence you came.

Oh dear, your username sums it up really, init? My response was to the moron who commented on me stating these engines are made of chocolate. Clearly he has nothing better to do, like you evidently.

[Rude-boy]

Vonsenger

Funnily enough I am not naturally normally as rude as I was to you, I just made a special effort to respond using language I thought you might have a chance of understanding, init?

Porkupine appeared to me to be commenting on how helpful and constructive your post was WRT this topic, not denying that there is a known issue which can and does affect a certain number of these engines.

If you want to start your own topic about that subject feel free, it can sit with the tens of others. If you want to actually post something useful, constructive and helpful please feel free. If you want to use this topic as a showroom for your personal issues please go away.

[nickfrog]

+1

[ScienceTeacher]

hopeydaze said:

OP, sorry to hear about this and let's hope it can be resolved OK.

I know that Baz contributes regularly to this forum and is a great source of advice and knowledge but surely there are other indys in the UK that can do a competent rebuild that will last and at a fair price. Hartech is a long way from me.

I live near Reading and should this ever happen to me, I would hope to use someone like Northway, Wightune, Hillcrest or Tognola for instance, all of whom are local to me. Any thoughts?

It will be likely in for at least a couple of weeks. It costs £250 to have it trailered up to the world's expert. The bill will likely be circa £4k - £5k. I can't understand how the small inconvenience of having it delivered to Bolton and then collecting it when it suits you is at all a problem. People ship them engines from the states. Also, chances are a local indy will use Hartech as their rebuilder. Have a look at how many engines Hartech get form other garages when you're next in their workshop. Do use them.