Questions on 996 tt

[Redeem]

I enquired about a 996 tt, 2003 model, with full OPC service but it does not seem that the car has had any work done on it apart from a change of brake pads. The car has around 36K miles. When I had mine a few years ago, I recall that the radiators had to be changed every 4/5 years depending on use. Also I am concerned that the clutch wil need to be changed soon as the clutch on the 996 tt does not last long. Will an inspection of the car be sufficient to address all those concerns ?

[AndrewMontgomery]

No reason why the clutch should need to be changed per se at 36k miles. Depends on how its been driven. No hard and fast rules.

[acf69]

Radiators will depend on whether leaves etc have stored themselves in the front bumper. If the previous owner put mesh in the air vents or cleaned them regularly they could be fine.

My clutch was changed at over 50k miles. Whether it needs changing on this car will depend on whether the previous owner(s) sat there riding the clutch every time they set off.

Check the car over yourself, if it seems ok get a proper inspection that will give you reassurance on how well maintained it really has been

[Rockster]

Redeem said:

I enquired about a 996 tt, 2003 model, with full OPC service but it does not seem that the car has had any work done on it apart from a change of brake pads. The car has around 36K miles. When I had mine a few years ago, I recall that the radiators had to be changed every 4/5 years depending on use. Also I am concerned that the clutch wil need to be changed soon as the clutch on the 996 tt does not last long. Will an inspection of the car be sufficient to address all those concerns ?

Sigh.

There is no rule that anything needs to be changed, fixed, replaced until it is showing signs of needing this attention. The preceding does not include of course scheduled service items like fluids, filters, plugs and so on.

I have an 03 996 Turbo and it has its original radiators (ignoring the one replaced from contact with a hardheaded mule deer), its original MAF, coils, clutch, even its original brakes, and the car has over 100K miles on it.

A tech drove the car other day after an oil/filter service and said the car felt/ran just fine.

Give the car a thorough used car inspection.

Briefly, visit the car cold, open the engine compartment lid, turn off the A/C and when the key is turned to on verify all dash lights come on -- CEL especially -- and all go off when the engine starts and runs.

Let the engine idle as you walk around the car. Listen to the engine. I won't try to tell you what it should sound like, you need to have heard enough to know what a good one sounds like vs. one that may not be good.

Let the engine idle a while -- minutes -- and then have the seller take you out for a test ride. You want to be able to focus on the car not on the driving.

The route should give the driver a chance to demo the car in a variety of situations: stop/go traffic, turning, accelerating and upshifting, cruising at various speeds, and hard acceleration from off idle to near red line followed by an upshift and continuing until the driver runs out of road.

The idea is to really observe how the entire car behaves in a variety of conditions. Once around the block ain't enough.

Back at the starting point switch seats and take the car out on the same route, driving the car the same way. The route should cover around 15 miles.

Back at the starting point the 2nd time if you still like the car give it a used car checkout. Assume nothing works until you have verified it does work.

If you still like the car and believe you can buy it arrange to have the car PPI'd. This involves reading the DME overrev counters and engine run time in hours.hours. Divide the hours.hours into the odometer. Around 30mph is average. Way low could be someone who never drove the car but around town or the odometer could have been clocked.

The PPI takes place after the test ride/drive because this gives leaks time to show themselves. The PPI should remove or at least peer past the nice pretty plastic under body panels that can hide signs of trouble.

[F3RNANDO]

Agree with Rockster on it being very much dependant on previous owner care regime.......

HOWEVER even with a nice dry climate and OCD levels of care I am astonished that anyone can get 100k miles out of a set of front pads.

I am a fully signed up member of the slow in slightly less slow out club, which means scrubbing speed before a corner or moving some weight forward for turn in and I got about 16k mostly road miles before I hit the front pad wear indicator.

How do you drive to get 100k miles plus from front pads?

[thegoose]

F3RNANDO said:

How do you drive to get 100k miles plus from front pads?

He's in America - they don't do bendscurves so the brakes don't get used when cruising in very long very straight lines

[davek_964]

My car had 20k miles on it when I bought it, and I assume was still on the original clutch. It's at 52k now, and as far as I know doesn't need a clutch now either - so it isn't something that would worry me particularly.

[Martian O]

F3RNANDO said:

....How do you drive to get 100k miles plus from front pads?

PCCBs.

My car has covered 21K miles, done 10 laps of the 'ring, and has only worn 1mm from the pads.

[Rockster]

F3RNANDO said:

Agree with Rockster on it being very much dependant on previous owner care regime.......

HOWEVER even with a nice dry climate and OCD levels of care I am astonished that anyone can get 100k miles out of a set of front pads.

I am a fully signed up member of the slow in slightly less slow out club, which means scrubbing speed before a corner or moving some weight forward for turn in and I got about 16k mostly road miles before I hit the front pad wear indicator.

How do you drive to get 100k miles plus from front pads?

First just so it is clear my car is equipped with cast iron brakes, not PCCBs (though don't I wish...)

Basically I brake a bit harder than most.

I forget now where I came across this but it is less hard on the brakes to get on them hard and slow the car at a faster rate rather than apply the brakes gently and slowly bring the car to a stop.

I decided to adapt this technique and over the years have managed to get some real good brake life numbers.

[Crimp a Length!]

Martian O said:

F3RNANDO said:

....How do you drive to get 100k miles plus from front pads?

PCCBs.

My car has covered 21K miles, done 10 laps of the 'ring, and has only worn 1mm from the pads.

My GT2 had 79k on PCCB'S they looked like brand new (discs)
Looking at the history the pads didn't appear to be changed that often