URGENT URGENT ADVICE NEEDED (LIKE NOW!!)
URGENT URGENT ADVICE NEEDED (LIKE NOW!!)
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Vesuvius 996

Original Poster:

35,829 posts

301 months

Tuesday 22nd August 2006
quotequote all


All

Car is in for a service - Minor Service plus Spark plugs.

Got a call from OPC.

Following issues.

1. All four pads and all four discs require replacement (there look to be plenty of meat on all four pads to me, and the front discs are slightly slightly lipped, the rears are only 20k miles old with no lips or cracks. No pad wear indicator lights either. Braking performance still more than adequate!!

2. Coil packs need chaging (warranty so gave go ahead!)

3. Rad vents need clearing (small charge - fair enough...)

4. Slight weep from Tip gearbox sump seal (checking to see if warranty)

5. Plug tube seals leaking oil (?????!!!!!) which could cause misfire. Why the hell would anything to do with the plug be leaking oil??


Advice gratefully received....

Don

28,378 posts

314 months

Tuesday 22nd August 2006
quotequote all
Tell them you don't want the discs and pads done. (I do this).

They'll either be fine for another year...or you can get them changed over at a good independent several hundred quid cheaper.

Let them do everything that's under warranty...

Vesuvius 996

Original Poster:

35,829 posts

301 months

Tuesday 22nd August 2006
quotequote all
Don said:
Tell them you don't want the discs and pads done. (I do this).

They'll either be fine for another year...or you can get them changed over at a good independent several hundred quid cheaper.

Let them do everything that's under warranty...


Yeah, I told them to leave the brakes. The rear discs were changed 20k miles ago and have no lips or cracks at all. The fronts have a lip but not a very large one. I can see about half an inch of pad at least on all four corners and surely if they need changing I'll get an indicator light. Might get a second opinion but frnakly the brakes stop it on a postage stamp so where's the issue?!

The plug tube seals mystify me. The guy told me that they are leaking oil(!) The car runs beatifully, should I just leave it alone. £250 - not warranty apparently....!!

willdew

2,138 posts

294 months

Tuesday 22nd August 2006
quotequote all
I'm not suggesting that you do have the brakes done, but they will be 95-100% until the point they are worn out. And you should replace them before they are worn out. So you should never notice any decrease in braking performance.

I'd not let OPC do them. I'd take it home and have a close look how much meat is lect on them. If it's more than 3mm or so, check again in a month and order some pads online. If it's less, go to any trusted local garage and get them changed at their £40 an hour rate, not whatever Porsche are charging you.

anonymous-user

84 months

Tuesday 22nd August 2006
quotequote all
Vesuvius 996 said:

All four pads and all four discs


LOL you've gotta love OPC's

slippydiff

16,404 posts

253 months

Tuesday 22nd August 2006
quotequote all
Vesuvius 996 said:


5. Plug tube seals leaking oil (?????!!!!!) which could cause misfire. Why the hell would anything to do with the plug be leaking oil??


Advice gratefully received....



Due to the location of the spark plugs , they end up being recessed deep into the "top" of the engine, in the 996 they are several inches below the cam covers, cam housings and deep into the cylinder head itself.
IIRC there are seals between the cam covers and the cam housing (additional to the actual gasket that seals these two items)
A bit of a misnomer in all honesty, more of a "spark plug access tube" really.

Vesuvius 996

Original Poster:

35,829 posts

301 months

Tuesday 22nd August 2006
quotequote all
slippydiff said:
Vesuvius 996 said:


5. Plug tube seals leaking oil (?????!!!!!) which could cause misfire. Why the hell would anything to do with the plug be leaking oil??


Advice gratefully received....



Due to the location of the spark plugs , they end up being recessed deep into the "top" of the engine, in the 996 they are several inches below the cam covers, cam housings and deep into the cylinder head itself.
IIRC there are seals between the cam covers and the cam housing (additional to the actual gasket that seals these two items)
A bit of a misnomer in all honesty, more of a "spark plug access tube" really.


God info, thanks. Given the fact that the car was running great should I get these done?

Adam B

29,724 posts

284 months

Tuesday 22nd August 2006
quotequote all
get no.5 done at a specialist then

re. no.1 - tell them to shove it (the pads/discs trick really annoys me as it plays on peoples fear of brake failure, bet they don't ALL need doing and bet none of them need doing now)

zcacogp

11,239 posts

274 months

Tuesday 22nd August 2006
quotequote all
slippydiff said:
Due to the location of the spark plugs , they end up being recessed deep into the "top" of the engine, in the 996 they are several inches below the cam covers, cam housings and deep into the cylinder head itself.
IIRC there are seals between the cam covers and the cam housing (additional to the actual gasket that seals these two items)
A bit of a misnomer in all honesty, more of a "spark plug access tube" really.
If that really is the case then £250 to fix it is criminal. OK, I don't know that engine, but the same happened on my 944 S2, and was cured by removing the (many) bolts holding the rocker box cover on, cleaning and re-seating the gasket and re-fitting.

Not hard. And free. (I did it myself.)

The more threads I read on here about OPC's, the more the frighten me. I dread the day I have to set foot in one.


Oli.


Spice_Weasel

2,366 posts

283 months

Tuesday 22nd August 2006
quotequote all
Adam B said:
get no.5 done at a specialist then

re. no.1 - tell them to shove it (the pads/discs trick really annoys me as it plays on peoples fear of brake failure, bet they don't ALL need doing and bet none of them need doing now)


Agree. Didn't someone on here once post a thread along the lines of:

OPC: Your pads are 25% worn. Would you like us to replace them?
Poster: I'm sure the remaining 75% is more than adequate for now

997gt3

3,139 posts

244 months

Tuesday 22nd August 2006
quotequote all
An OPC always serviced my 993. They told me for 3 years that my disks/pads needed replacement. Eventually they failed an MOT even though they still stopped the car on a postage stamp. I got new brakes all round at an Independant at half the cost.

Vesuvius 996

Original Poster:

35,829 posts

301 months

Tuesday 22nd August 2006
quotequote all
Spice_Weasel said:
Adam B said:
get no.5 done at a specialist then

re. no.1 - tell them to shove it (the pads/discs trick really annoys me as it plays on peoples fear of brake failure, bet they don't ALL need doing and bet none of them need doing now)


Agree. Didn't someone on here once post a thread along the lines of:

OPC: Your pads are 25% worn. Would you like us to replace them?
Poster: I'm sure the remaining 75% is more than adequate for now


Ha haaa!

Quick update, and FAIR PLAY to the OPC doing the work.

1. Service and plugs done for menu price
2. Coil packs under warranty
3. Gearbox weep under warranty
4. Plug tube seals under warranty
5. Radiator having assorted dead voles removed (20 minutes labour)

The brakes I am leaving alone for now. Time will tell...!


Well done OPC!

thumbup


Edited by Vesuvius 996 on Tuesday 22 August 12:52

ballcock

3,855 posts

249 months

Tuesday 22nd August 2006
quotequote all
Result Suvi ... On the brakes front , I too was told both they and the discs were worn to limits and needed to be replaced .. A friend of mine in the BMW servicing game more or less confirmed that the old adage about fools and their money definitely applies here ... Signs by it , 8 months later , my brakes and discs are still 'A okay' , having recently checked them with a local guy.....

Looks like you've played a stormer... I guess we're going to hear even more 'Get a warranty' posts from you from now on...........




and rightly so....





BTW , is this the pre -sale service???!!!

wildoliver

9,311 posts

246 months

Tuesday 22nd August 2006
quotequote all
get the car home, whip off the wheels and check pad depth on both pads per wheel, sometimes the outside pads look great but the inside one can be worn (doesn't usually happen on Porsche's), while your there you can check the disks too.

To be totally honest anyone with basic and I do mean basic (i.e. can you change a wheel) car skills can change pads and disks with a bare minimum of tools, Pair of pliers, Hammer, Phillips and straight screwdivers, Punch (a nail will do) and a 17mm socket and rachet (may not be 17mm on 996).

Work on half an hour per corner take it slow and believe me you will feel great having saved some money and done a good job yourself.

BliarOut

72,863 posts

269 months

Tuesday 22nd August 2006
quotequote all
wildoliver said:
get the car home, whip off the wheels and check pad depth on both pads per wheel, sometimes the outside pads look great but the inside one can be worn (doesn't usually happen on Porsche's), while your there you can check the disks too.

To be totally honest anyone with basic and I do mean basic (i.e. can you change a wheel) car skills can change pads and disks with a bare minimum of tools, Pair of pliers, Hammer, Phillips and straight screwdivers, Punch (a nail will do) and a 17mm socket and rachet (may not be 17mm on 996).

Work on half an hour per corner take it slow and believe me you will feel great having saved some money and done a good job yourself.
Don't even need a socket of any description to do pads on a 996!

Jack up, wheel off, remove R pin, drift the retaining shaft out, prise anti-squeal shims free, pull pad out, release pad wear indicator. Assembly is the reverse of the dismantling procedure

[/HaynesMode]

anonymous-user

84 months

Tuesday 22nd August 2006
quotequote all
BliarOut said:
Don't even need a socket of any description to do pads on a 996!


one on the end of a torque wrench to put the wheel back on would be a nice touch though

Marki

15,763 posts

300 months

Tuesday 22nd August 2006
quotequote all
zcacogp said:
[The more threads I read on here about OPC's, the more the frighten me. I dread the day I have to set foot in one.


Oli.




I can remember seeing several threads on here re-brake discs being changed , seems a standard OPC ploy to me

BliarOut

72,863 posts

269 months

Tuesday 22nd August 2006
quotequote all
francisb said:
BliarOut said:
Don't even need a socket of any description to do pads on a 996!


one on the end of a torque wrench to put the wheel back on would be a nice touch though
Ah, 96 ft/lb of torque

clorenzen

3,832 posts

265 months

Tuesday 22nd August 2006
quotequote all
I got a new tiptronic gearbox under warranty when they discovered that it was weaping. 996 facelift 30.000 miles now sold and getting 997 tt next Monday.

Vesuvius 996

Original Poster:

35,829 posts

301 months

Tuesday 22nd August 2006
quotequote all
clorenzen said:
I got a new tiptronic gearbox under warranty when they discovered that it was weaping. 996 facelift 30.000 miles now sold and getting 997 tt next Monday.


You lucky sod!!