Oil leak after 3,400 miles!!! C4S

[robinjames]

Hi. I own a C4S, bought July 2004 from Porsche of Nottingham. The car has travelled a careful 3,400 miles and I have noticed a small oil leak developing, underneath the rear axle. Just a few drops, approximately half a teaspoon.

I have contacted the OPC and booked the car in for a check. As you can imagine I am not happy and a little concerned. Has anyone else experienced this kind of problem?

Robin Hainsworth

 

[Black80XSA]

Hi Robin,

not wanting to jump to conclusions but it could be the rear main seal. Known weakness on Boxsters and 996s. Covered by warranty obviously. Replacements can cure the problem permanently, other times people have multiple failures.

Suggest you search google for RMS or rear main seal failure - they'll be plenty of info about.

 

[Rotorhead]

The RMS is the achilles heal on Boxster and 996/997 engines. The RMS went early in its life on both my 996 and my wife's Boxster. Easily replaced in both cases without quibble and trouble free thereafter.

 

[blueSL]

...and the primary reason some of us are paying £725 a year to insure against Porsche's incompetence and shoddy workmanship.

 

[robinjames]

Thanks,

Hopefully Nottingham OPC will rectify the leak and I won't have more trouble.

Yours

Robin Hainsworth

 

[Hugh Ross]

Robin
I had a recent leak which turned out to be a failed washer on a chain tensioner which appears as a large bolt on the underside of the engine on the left hand side, looking from the rear. This was replaced FOC by the OPC before I had a warranty in place. The washer was aluminium or copper. The leak appeared dramatic but oil pressure and level was always OK and no aparent damage.
Hugh

 

[DavidO]

Is there anywhere the liquid gold can't find an escape route from?

My own recent experience of oil leakage turned out (after the predictable RMS fear) to be the oil separator.

A seemingly innocuous problem, except that in the case of a TipS it requires the engine and gearbox to be dropped in order to change the separator. Thank heaven for the warranty.

It was all handled very painlessly, and I couldn't speak more highly of the OPC (Chapelgate) or the benefit of a warranty

 

[Ess_Three]

ORIGINAL: Hugh Ross

Robin
I had a recent leak which turned out to be a failed washer on a chain tensioner which appears as a large bolt on the underside of the engine on the left hand side, looking from the rear. This was replaced FOC by the OPC before I had a warranty in place. The washer was aluminium or copper. The leak appeared dramatic but oil pressure and level was always OK and no aparent damage.
Hugh

I had exactly the same problem...
Only about 1500 miles on the clock...tensioner seal washer failed. How odd.

 

[robinjames]

Thanks Hugh,

I will look forward to Nottingham OPC diagnosis.

Cheers

Robin Hainsworth

 

[Guest]

Hello!

It seems that my 996 C4S has the same problem as well!

This is a 2003 model with 26.500 km which i bought used from Germany this January.

I will drive it today to my local official prosche dealership for check and repair.

Please correct me if i am wrong, but i think that if the car is not tiptronic, this RMS replacement is easier and less expensive? I have heard a friend saying that if the car is tiptronic then the whole engine must come down?

My C4S is manual gearbox!

Thanks in advance

p.s. @Maggie any update on your case?

 

[Richard_Hamilton]

Theo, your friend is correct. On the C2 and C4 Manual transmission cars it is possible to remove the transmission without the engine. On Tiptronics, the whole lot has to be removed.

 

[Steve777]

MIGHT HELP IF YOU DROVE THE CAR

 

[Guest]

The last month (15 feb-14March ) i have traveled 1018km with my C4S. Don't you think it is quite enough? ( i think this is about 550 miles) [&:]

 

[Steve777]

My Point was having a car thats 3 years old and only done 3.5K miles won't help will it. At least you got a bit more value for money before your RMS failed. Personally i can't wait to get into mine every day and drive it. Thats what I bought it for, not to leave it standing in a garage to be taken out on the odd sunday. Just don't see the point. Anyway my opinion only

 

[Guest]

I see your point and i must say i agree with you.

Well in my case it is a bit different, as i bought the car used 2 months ago, so i did not have very much time available to drive it.

But anyway, as i said in the beggining i agree with you.

Any other ideas, for things to check or replace now with the RMS repair? The only issue that comes to my mind is maybe the clutch but just 26.000km totally so far, it must be as new. How often usually do other manual C4 - C4S owners replace their clutches?

[8|]

 

[oceancarrera]

Maggie's original post was in 2005.

 

[Steve777]

Ah very true ! How did this post get back up here then ! !

 

[Guest]

ORIGINAL: Steve777

Ah very true ! How did this post get back up here then ! !

It's my fault []

I was lookin for topics with RMS and this was the first i came up with!

Sorry for inconvinience! [8|]