2007 Cayman S Using Coolant

[Motorhead]

Hi Steve,

Welcome to this part of the forum and sorry to hear that you're having so many problems early on in your ownership.

I wouldn't say that any loss of coolant is normal and definitely warrants investigation. It could be something as simple as a leaking coolant cap, a cheap and simple item to replace. If you still have a leak and there's no obvious source then the best thing to do is get the system pressure tested. Any competent garage should be able to carry that out for you but a Porsche specialist would be better able to advise you about a further course of action.

Good luck!

Jeff

 

[petrolheadparr]

Hi guys this is my first post

Ive had my Cayman S for about a month now and so far its cost me a fortune, what looked like a beautiful car has turned out to be a bit of a liability!

Started jumping out of 2nd gear which has now been diagnosed a s gearbox... sourced a 2nd hand one and its about to be fitted imminently.

So the new possible issue...

When i got the car home the coolant level light came on, so i topped it up with about a litre of water (60k service in the next few weeks) and all was well, Never over heated, never went past half way ETC)

2 tanks of fuel later (aoround 500 miles) and the lights back on again, put another litre or so in.

Is this normal for a 59k 2007 car?

There are no obvious leaks i can see

Thanks

Steve

 

[Motorhead]

Steve,

Just to add that with the mid-engine layout there are a lot of pipes and joints - any of which can leak - from the engine to the front radiators. Apart from the rads themselves, the cross-pipe joints are prone to corrosion and leakage and the coolant expansion tank is buried away under the engine cover making it difficult to see if it's split.

If there are still no obvious leaks thrown up by a pressure test then that would indicate a leak in the engine itself, perhaps a head gasket. White exhaust smoke will be an indication of this.

Jeff

 

[Derek H]

Following on from Jeff's input and based on personal experience with my last couple of Porsche cars (current is a 2006 Cayman S), I'd start by having a very close look at the radiators and front coolant pipes, particularly at the connections just forward of the steering rack. The rads will rot if they haven't been cleaned regularly, which involves removing the front bumper and separating the aircon condensers to remove the crud that gets trapped between the two. Since this isn't part of the Porsche service schedule, it may never have been done. My Cayman rads are still ok (pictured below) as I clean them annually but my last Boxster had a leak exactly as you describe when I bought it at 40k miles. There were no puddles underneath but a close inspection with the car on axle stands revealed a tell tale damp patch at the bottom of one of the radiators, visible without disassembling anything.

The coolant pipes leak due to corrosion of the metal end fittings. Most of mine were like the photo.

I wouldn't get too worried just yet about more serious potential causes, given your car is at the age and mileage where these problems are very common. Along with leaking/failed water pumps, I think it's a question of when, not if, all 987/997 cars will suffer these problems.

If you can get under the car and have a very close look at these areas, you may well see the tell tale signs of seepage, before it gets to the stage where you see puddles under the car.

 

[Derek H]

Steve, if you are having the gearbox swapped out, it's worth getting the clutch changed too, if it hasn't been done already. The release bearings are prone to failure on these - we have two gen 1 Cayman S cars and both have suffered this problem.

I've just bought the three piece Sachs clutch kit from Design911 for around £190 as our other car has just suffered what I believe is release bearing collapse/failure, though I haven't fitted it yet. The kit includes the release bearing and the parts are the same as Porsche supply, only around £300 cheaper. Also have a good look at the guide tube that the release bearing slides on. This was very worn at 58k miles on our first car. I also changed the dual mass flywheel and rear main seal as a precaution while I had the first one apart, though neither of these was really needed.

Unless the exhaust has been removed previously, you will have to deal with the corroded studs at the connections between the manifolds and rear part of the system. These were an utter pain to drill and grind out (far worse than doing the clutch and flywheel itself) but if you are having someone else do it, they should be familiar with this issue and will probably use a gas torch to help remove them. I recommend you fit stainless bolts and nuts in lieu of the poor quality mild steel pressed-in studs supplied by Porsche, especially if you intend to keep the car for any time and may need to remove the exhaust again.

 

[petrolheadparr]

Thanks for your advice guys ill have a closer look and maybe do a pressure test too. Luckily i work in the trade so it shouldnt be too dificult. Im tempted to have the bores inspected when it has the gearbox done although the £150 extra cost is putting me off!

 

[Motorhead]

Some very good advice from Derek there Steve. As he says, it's a bit of a no brainer to replace the clutch, etc, when you remove the gearbox.

I have to say I'm surprised that you have a gearbox problem on such a relatively low mileage car - the Getrag 'box is generally pretty robust. A selector ident or synchro hub failure maybe? Hopefully the second-hand one will be OK, but it's always a risk.

As you're probably aware, the Gen1 engines are prone to bore scoring so a borescope check wouldn't be a bad idea if only to confirm that all is well. However, if you're not using an excessive amount of oil then you shouldn't worry unnecessarily.

Jeff

 

[Derek H]

If it were me, I'd have it checked but unless you've got a really good warranty on the car, you may not have any come-back on the seller if that reveals a problem. I had our first Cayman borescoped before I bought it. There were slight signs of scuffing but it can be really hard to tell whether that's normal or a more serious problem.

Bore scoring usually causes increased oil consumption before other symptoms appear so whether you get it borescoped or not, it's worth keeping a close eye on the oil level by taking consistent readings (ideally completely flat/level) every time you drive the car. I think the Porsche declared limit is around 1 litre per 600 miles which is pretty ridiculous in my view. One segment on the digital oil level display is I think 400 ml. I'd be worried if it's using more than about a litre every 2000 miles or so, but there does seem to be a big variation between cars and oil type/grade and driving style are factors that will affect consumption.

Despite the scuffing reported on my borescope inspection, I've since done 30k miles in the car. It used 1 segment (around 400 ml) before my first oil change after 10,000 miles but I've subsequently seen no movement between oil changes now I've reduced the interval to 6,000 miles.

 

[Derek H]

I have to say I'm surprised that you have a gearbox problem on such a relatively low mileage car - the Getrag 'box is generally pretty robust. A selector ident or synchro hub failure maybe? Hopefully the second-hand one will be OK, but it's always a risk.

I agree Jeff, it's very unusual. Having spent far too much time on various forums every day since long before I bought our first Cayman in early 2012, I can't recall a 987 gearbox failure. Unlike the 6 speed box in the earlier 986 Boxsters which I know is quite prone to jumping out of 2nd gear, as a work colleague experienced last year. So I'd be pretty confident Steve's replacement will be fine.

 

[richardjjs1]

Get a price from a Porsche MAIN DEALER(Especially on Service)

Especially on the service. They offer a lot of fixed prices ( FULL Service on a 2003 Caymen £700 but only 395 FIXED including parts

I think its worth 50 - 100 just to get a Service Stamp from Porsche OPC DEALER

Was changed 1200 by a Specialist in Lincolnshire to change a Oil Cooler (£200.00 part) Porsche have a fixe price of 450.00 and remember that's FIXED so any problems like sticking bolts are INCLUDED)#(TOTAL RIP OFF as I had to hire a car and stay an extra night and didn't have the car for 3 days 1/2 a day at a Porsche OPS!!)

I have a 2009 BMW Vert which needed a new Oil Sensor - Fixed price under 150.00 TOOK THEM 4 HOURS only cost me 150.00 (inc VAT) ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS get a price on parts and fitting from Porsche at least it will give you a price to go to a specialist with

Sometimes you have t wait till there is a "Spare" technician.