All 5 items at their locaton/time: 1. Water Pump 1:15 2. IMS 2:50 3. Window Regulators 5:55 4. Remote actuators for trunks 7:25 5. Coolant Reservoir Tank 9:10 Finishes with mentioning micro-switches and accuators and the ecu!
My 1997 Series One 2.5 has required the following: 1. Oxygen sensor - symptoms were rough idling, uneven acceleration and stalling. 2. IMS bearing - luckily caught in time. As well as the metal in the oil there is a fairly distinctive rattle from the engine on cold start up. Keep in mind that there are 4 variations of these bearings. Some are replaceable while other are apparently not. 3. Both convertible hood mechanisms - left and right. When one breaks there is no easy way to detach the hood from the mechanism to manually stow the hood as you take the car in for repairs so you end up either needing to be trucked there or driving with the hood partially open, not a good look. 4. Driver's airbag mounts. These deteriorate over time resulting in the horn sounding when you brake or when applying a lot of lock. None of the other issues mentioned in the video have raised their ugly heads, touch wood. Another fairly common issue that may be developing is failure of the seat belt retracting mechanism. Symptom is that pulling the belt a little quickly results in the mechanism locking and then not releasing even with copious belt jiggling. So far it has eventually released so I treat it carefully and keep my fingers crossed.
Agreed! Besides, its very disco club boy. And well, mechanical minded people generally rock! Also wouldn't include any negative things about Trump. A lot of us Americans voted for him out of desperation to get rid of career criminal politicians in both the so-called left and right. Appreciate your info. But Jeeze man, Trump is bringing back jobs, lowered taxes, pulled troops out of the Middle East, equalized trade deals and calmed North Korea. I occasionally watch mainstream news, so if you do all the time, I understand your confusion. Like the horrible music devoid of balls for instance. Sounds confused as opposed to Colin Furze channel that rocks....with no politics either. But I do appreciate the Porsche videos. Keep it up! Looking at a Boxster as my Porsche Fan Starter Kit.
on IMS: According to the class action law suit - there is a 1% failure rate on Boxsters pre 2000, and 8% on Boxsters Post 2000. Due to Pre 2000 models using a dual IMS bearing, and 2000 and on models using a single IMS bearing. Agree, smaller problem than it is often made out to be, however, an 8% chance of failure that will essentially mean the end of your engine... is problematic. Most sources indicate that Boxsters with regular oil changes and drive MORE spirited will have LESS failure chance. Possibly due to the oil being forced in and around the bearing, keeping it well lubricated. At least that's the theory. Great video - Cheers.
Great comment here. I believe it's true the more the car is driven the less likely it is for the IMSB to fail. I have a 2003 Boxster S with the single bearing engine, my car has 127K miles on it with the original IMSB and never had any metal particles in my oil filter.
You hit on most of the things I have done to my '98 Boxster myself. Definitely would recommend the IMS because you don't want to be on the bad side of the stats for them going bad. When compared to the cost of an engine, it's actually cheap. The real issue with the IMS was when Porsche was building these Boxsters to save the company and they built many of them, Porsche contracted out for parts from places that had either different ways of measuring tolerances or used inferior materials/design and the IMS for these cars failed between 40-80k miles, especially if the car was not driven often and if the oil was not changed frequently. I replaced mine with double row hybrid ceramic bearings from LN Engineering. Another part that will break are the plastics ends on the convertible top frame. They simple get brittle over time. All in all, the Porsche Boxster is the BEST car for your money in getting into a pure sport car with amazing handling and performance characteristics. Thanks for the video.
I have a 99 Boxster. And yes I have had issues with the ignition switch, window regulator. Had my IMS bearing replaced as well. Just good insurance I guess. Put an after market exhaust on and love the sound. Now to my point. I get the feeling that a lot of people bash these cars. But I love the darn thing. It's such a pleasure to drive, on nice days with the top down it is fantastic. Handles great, not the fastest car ever but it's fun. Paint and finish are great IMO. Over all just a fun reliable car. It does wear out rear tires pretty fast though.
Thank you, good video. Spot on. 1. Get a magnetic oil plug to trap any IMS shavings so you can easily see them and stop losing sleep. I agree, change the oil at least once a year. 2. The coolant tank is royal pain to do yourself, what a poor design by Porsche. Also the way they stuck it in there at the factory with no regard to later service. Still, I love this car. Thanks for the video.
Great video! I agree on all the above as on both my boxsters cumulatively I had to replace everything mentioned. Next is oil air separator and immobilizer was horrible on many of the 986s. Also here in California many of the AC compressors blow but most of the time it’s just clogged up or rusty. Oddly on my car the 24mm belt tension screw snapped when I was doing a belt change.
This is the best Boxster s video in it's honesty and grit! Thanks for that. Gagging to own one. Just seeing if the Harley Davidson sells. I'll have one by next year hopfuly. Jay
Keep those drains clear. Porsche put the computer in a sub floor under driver's seat. Lowest point in car. Rugs were dry, but down below the motherboard got fried by rainwater. Replacing far more complicated than you might think, syncing key, rear electronics, type of trans, vin... etc, etc. Thought you might like to know. Boxster 2001.......Also, caught water pump early. Fortunately near famous Porsche Works.... expert told me some models the pump will shatter into fragments that has caused complete engine failure. FYI
As a nurse I could never afford to own a Porsche.I saved and saved however and bought a year 2000 BLue Boxter with 54K on the clock. It was the only car I have ever had a smile on my face so big as to simply go drive and feel the benefits that a Porsche can give you. A superb daily driver and mine was incredibly reliable. It would always turn heads and I decided to let my friends borrow it so they could see what the fuss was about. I let my best friend use it to take his daughter to her prom night after getting it detailed. My rationale is that a lot of my friends cant afford a Porsche so by letting them use it for a weekend or weekend break in the lake district or saunter round the city. After two years of driving it, I was forced to sell it to pay off my student debt. (I was a mature student studying nursing). Ill never get an opportunity to buy one again but the memories that I had with ,y little Boxter live on. I would recommend a lot of people try oe whether it be old or nearly new. Look in the mirror and see your happy grin. My one day I can get one. Fortuna Audaces Iuvat.
I don’t understand why people buy cars like this just hoping they don’t break. Learn how to fix cars yourself! If getting something flashy like this for cheap is what you want, teach yourself how to fix it! Simple
I have a 2000 2.7L, 107k miles. I have seen the Help Me DIY channel who promotes the book 101 projects for your Boxster. I can tell you if I have to complete 101 projects I would rather drive something else. But I think there's a good list of preventative maintenance items that are very common annoying failure points, and are things I've had to replace. 1. The Immobilizer. it's a printed circuit board, and it's located in a decidedly non-waterproof case under the driver's seat, in a convertible. Not a particularly smart engineering decision as that area tends to accumulate water, and most of the car's circuitry runs through it, and it is constantly powered by the battery. Lots of times they will corrode, and weird electrical gremlins will crop up. Intermittent no-crank, power window fail, trunk pop fail, etc. Many issues can be traced back to this thing, and it's easy to replace but not cheap. ECU Specialists in Miami has a solution, but it's expensive. 2. Coolant expansion tank. You went over this one, and it's a very common high mileage failure, and there's not much to be done to prevent it. It's also a bear of a job. Very beneficial to have an entire kit of clamp pliers. 3. Air Oil Separator. I had problems with plug fouling and O2 sensor codes, and all kinds of poor running conditions before swapping out the AOS for a new one. It's a must-do for high mileage cars, but also another annoyingly difficult job. Definitely a good idea to swap out spark plugs and coil packs at the same time. After that it ran like a mostly new car. Chasing down these troubles I also replaced the starter, ignition switch, plugs and coil packs, MAF sensor, and air filter.
hey Bud,good info.to add Info regarding the detecting IMS bearing going bad,I perform a test with my Durametric software I bought sometime ago.The test is called "Camshaft deviation".I do this test quite often and it's a breeze.If i get any deviation other than zero, can be a sign the car's internal drive chains are getting sloppy.I also upon doing a oil change take down the oil pan, which is the ultimate test for debris along with inspecting the oil filter.I know this might be "overkill" but I think it's the best preventive medicine to compensate the faulty design from Porsche installing a bearing that never sees new oil once it's installed in the engine.They use these bearings in copy machines.
Nice vid, thanks. I was thinking of one but ended up with an Audi S5 convertible. The actuator for the windows seems to be quite a common problem with many cars. As you said, it is a learning process at first but then it's a doddle. Hope you still have your boxter. All the best.....
This was very very helpful, I’m in the market for a used Porsche Boxster as my second car ever. I’m definitely going to upgrade the IMS the minute I find (and buy) a black or dark grey manual Porsche with low miles.
Just seen your comments about no 4Boot lid not opening Please note that later models do not have a cable they are solenoid operated I had this problem on my front boot and the CATCH was ceased I had to take my front PU off and uncease it. I actually had to PULL the PU of from under the front bonnet as it is fixed but it did very little harm. Removed front catch and reworked it MORAL of this is make sure its fully lubricated when you have the Bonnet/Boot open
hi. i have a 1998 boxster, bought it new, and now has 21,000 miles. stored all winter. fortunately i have not had any of the problems you mention - granted my mileage is quite low. i have had a relay switch for the seat belt go bad that had warning lights blinking on my dash. $1000 to fix because had to use oem part and had the dealer do it. the other is the driver window not going all the way up but it seemed to adjust and fix itself. the original set of tires lasted 8,000 miles and the second set (Michelin) after 4,000 miles one tire blew at about 60mph and shredded the sidewall. michelin determined it was a defective tire and replaced all four tires and i paid a reasonable amt to have this done - about $250 total.
Never use the metal impeller water pump. If and when the pump fails, the impeller can wobble and hit the engine case sending metal particles into your engine. Stick with the plastic impeller models. The Pierburg 99610601156 pump is an excellent replacement pump.
You forgot to mention the gear lever mechanism which wears over time causing difficulties engaging gears and one of the main ones which can also destroy the engine, which is the AOL separator this is a fairly cheap aftermarket part, look out for real loud screeching and black smoke , switch off and get it brought back to the garage a simple fix and DIY
Mine is a 2000. The car is 20 years old and sure doesn't look like it. But, then again, it's 20 years old. Things are going to break. For me, I repaired myself: Water pump horn/airbag holder A/C Foam IMS? No! Drive the crap out of it. Use the best oil possible. Change at regular intervals. Shouldn't be a problem. IMS is the Covid of Porsche!
If your getting plastic in your oil pan this could also be worn variocam chain guide wear ramps. which is also known to destroy early Porsche Boxster 986/996-997 engines as well.
Please always give us the mileage figures and years owned. It will give a better picture. Remove background sound. I can't comment too much but just that I have pure joy from my 1998 2.5 with 160k miles. Had a couple of top speed runs on track days with the P-club- great stuff. I only owe my second hand Porsche for 4 years and 12 000 miles. Just a bit of a problem recently developed with my 3rd gear's sincro .(One of my boys applied wrong technique) Since then just taught them to rev up on down shifts and problems solved. Thanks Germany! awesome car especially if you taught yourself to maintain basic issues.
Had all these problems myself having a boxster for over a decade now... The IMS did not break I changed it for IMS DOF for peace of mind. At 80000km the IMS bearing looked in good condition
Your ownership experience has been very different to mine. I have had my '02 S for 5 years and have not had any of your "top 5 things that will break" break. My top 5 things that WILL break - Catalytic convertors will fail, MAF sensor, Control arm bushes front and rear, lambda/O2 sensors, interior temperature sensor. other things to look out for - Seized calliper bolts, ignition switch failure and light switch failure. Great cars generally though
The 987S water pump was no better. I only got 25000km (15000 mi) out of mine. I replaced it twice in the 10 years I had it. 2nd time, you knew it was on the way out, very rough mechanical noise, loss of power. Only other issue I had in that time was a failed temperature sensor which caused overfuelling at startup when engine was hot and affected the cats. I kept getting check engine light warning due to poor cat performance. Installing cheap O2 sensor extenders fixed that issue rather than an expensive cat replacement. It was an awesome car though, sadly sold to buy a kitchen :-D
My IMS bearing failed. The car ran fine the day before, then I got in it to start it the next day and it sounded exactly like running over rocks with a lawn mower. BAD. Had it towed to a Porsche shop and it was confirmed. They said this was the first real one they have seen....so I guess I got a "rare" one! So for now just sitting in the garage till I get the money saved up to replace!
A dealership will never acknowledge a known problem regardless of how widespread the problem is. It will open the manufacturer up to liability and the factory paying for the repair. It also makes for bad press, so they won't do it.
These cars are like ticking time bombs so you must reset that clock monthly. But you can't beat the driving experience of a mid engine roadster from one of the best racing companies that have dominated GT racing. These cars are what Porsche become famous for. Fun Fun Fun! Curious if i could replace the transmission from a RSX or s2000? These manual transmissions are nothing to write home about. Chassis is amazing and the handling is on point or even better than the s2000 though. You can't find a mid engine sports car with this much performance at this price point.. Period.
I've dealt with 1 and 3 on your list. I've had problems with the top convertible top motor more than once. Like someone said, I would do something with your mic. It is hard to hear you compared to other youtubers!
Having owned several used Porsche and a BMW it’s safe to say unless you pay big bucks upfront for the factory extended warranty, you will be paying big bucks to fix things during your time of ownership. Probably, best to go to a Porsche or BMW owners website and read about the defects and problems before buying the car you’ve always wanted.
No problem, just drive around with a spare expansion tank and water pump and electric window mechanism in the boot, or bonnet, as for the IMS, maybe drive it slowly
I'm thinking about getting a Boxtser and I might just change the IMS. I think having that in the back of my mind all the time that it MIGHT break randomly would stress me out.
Dont think that changing the IMS will make the Boxster motor bullet proof.......I changed my IMS, but the motor grenaded anyway. There are ALOT of things that can blow that particular motor. I only had 49k miles on my Boxster S. I will never trust/drive Porsche again. If you MUST have a Boxster make sure its no older than the 2010 model........you have been warned.
Would you reccomend buying a $4000, 150k miles Boxter? At that mileage you would think everything major would've already been replaced, so it might not be that bad. What do you think?
Thinking about buying a boxster. Thoughts? It'd be my first car. However I've been driving for a year and a half. I'm somewhat handy, a novice. But willing. deciding between this, a wrx, and a 300zx twin turbo
Liuses5 Gaming omg that's the exact same thing as me! I'm 17, been driving for about a year now. Currently I drive my dad's leased Cadillac CTS which is amazing, but I can never drive it cause we have to keep low miles. I'm looking at a brz, 370z, or a used boxster s (approx 20K) I'm really leaning towards this car currently but it keeps changing haha. I want to possibly mod my car as well and for that this is not the car (that would be the brz) good luck with your search BTW. I found a 2004 s with
If you get a Boxster as your first car, you will be spoiled forever. You will never have any fun in any other car. I recommend a 1965 Dodge Dart to start with.
Etmanning same! Im 17 amd about to get my first car which is the boxster it seems pretty cool, just drive carefully and not so speedy and ig things will hold better
uknovaaddict sorry I know I need to get better at this. It's never been my strong point. I use Sony Vegas and have followed a hundred tutorials on sound and it still fucks up. Going to try using something else.
Not only that, but the music is so feminine I felt my testosterone fall watching the video. WTF is up with all these vehicle channels playing these sissy ass sounding music in their videos?
Couldn't watch the whole video because of the muddle sound. Made it worse with distracting background music. Is this a video about Porsche or about the music?
HI Can you tell me what the various components are that are driven by the auxillary pump Dont think its the Water Pump or steering pump (as that woirks) Where is the alternator Thansk
if honda made civics with water pumps that would break after 30k's, there would be a huge uprising in the media and the car world.. if porsche make cars that break this often, shame on them i have a honda element.. 200 000 k's and the only things i've changed are the little thingnies at the end of the anti sway bars and 1 ball joint and 2 wheel bearings..and that is because i live in pothole city, canada!! otherwise, the 2.4 litre motor is strong as hell.. never even changed the muffler..and i battery (forgot that one)
Bought my first Porsche, a used 97 Boxster, in 2000, had about 88K KM on it. Worst decision ever. I put about 5K KM on it, and the IMS Bearing disintegrated ! $13K to rebuild it. Put another 5K KM and the Auto started slipping. Another $8K. Then the Shifts were slipping ocassionally, and they could not fix it. Was in the shop for months. Not mentioning smaller problems. Fantastic car to drive, but rubbish, in terms of quality. Sold it while it still moved. Will never touch another Porsche unless in factory warranty, and will get rid of it, before the warranty expires.
I had IMS failure at 21K!!!!! I purchased car new...oil changes were done regularly and I cut the filter open and had magnetic drain plug. Never saw a problem...had the failure about 800 miles after oil change. Had Flat Six install the plain bearing with direct oil feed. The IMS is a terrible design....period!!!!
In my opinion nothing should be breaking at 30k new car. 2 things that discouraging me to buy a Porshe boxster. Location of the engine and seems like there’s a reliability issues.
Cheers, good points even if a bit dragged out. Regarding IMS Bearings - Am I right in thinking this is not applicable to the 2.5 pre 2000 986 models as a they had some sort of double bearing?
The 9A1 engine in the 2009 and up have eliminated the IMS problem entirely. The 2005 1/2 to 2008 (sometimes referred to as the "big bearing" models) have much less problems, but their IMS bearing is not lubricated sufficiently either. They are much less likely to fail, but when they do, you have to tear the engine down to properly replace the bearing. I have an '08 in the garage. I am in the market for a '14.
It's a shame, as the 05-08 Gen 1's are quite a lot cheaper than the 09-12 Gen 2's, so there is a genuine benefit for going for an earlier model. The 2.7 is less stressed than the 3.4, so I'd suggest that for a Gen 1 purchase. As you say, post 09 it's not a problem any longer, so buy what you like.
Works for me as the 09 is still depreciating, and I'm still saving. So I'll just wait for those lines on the graph to cross over in a year or 2, and then buy one :)
1 your bank account..2 ims bearing..3 your spirit..4 water pump. 5 your radiator..the whole car is plastic..ims is only out of proportion if it didn't happen to you..dont forget the bypass valve..
