OMG my new car stopped after 20 miles

[Guest]

Hi, purchased a 996 yesterday and just 20 min down the road she packed up, chap i bought from gone on holiday abroad until 28th so im stuck with the mess, he actually left his house when i did so i was well stuck, when i had her recovered she started but when i got her home after a £200 bill she stopped again on my drive as the seller took the tax disc out of the car and i cant take her on the road, 2 garage's i trust 100% have both said its down to a ecu totally fried, the chap txt me today saying he will pay for the problem so my question is how much is a ecu for a 1998 c2 996 please, im totally gutted and lost all interest in my purchase and its ruined my christmas to be honest, the seller did know about the problem but said it was sorted after 2 garages couldnt diagnose the problem but the third said it was a relay that was replaced, i feel iv just bought his troubles at great expense, i appreciate all replys and merry xmas, Lee.

 

[Richard_Hamilton]

Sorry to hear of your tale of woe.

A new DME (ECU) is in the region of £1000, and it needs programming. The problem with getting this done is that you need the immobiliser code, and this is only obtainable from the Porsche IPAS system - so independents don't have access to it. You could pick up a DME from a breaker (part no. 996.618.601.04) but you will still need to get it programmed.

I would suggest that you find yourself a good independent Porsche specialist first - they will have the proper diagnostic equipment to establish exactly what the problem is. Where are you located? Maybe someone here can make a recommendation.

 

[Blade_uk]

Trust me it will be worth it when she is sorted & what you cant find out on this forum isnt worth knowing

 

[Guest]

Hi Richard, than you for your input, im in peterborough cambs and have just the man but at this time of year no where would be possible !, the problem the car has is it runs for 15 to 20 mins then just stops and needs to cool down for 2 hours at least, both my phone calls made said ecu but needs diagnostics to confirm, the car nearly killed me, i was just coming to a very busy rounabout in zero visibility ( last nights fog ) and just as i went with a articulated lorry coming straight at me she flashed up on the dash "check engine" and just stopped, my partner following was in a real state as was i, its been a very bad experience to say the least, i checked the RMS when i looked at the car she was bone dry but theres oil dripping now so im thinking it was cleaned with brake fluid to just get me out the door so to speak, i had to leave the car sat on a hard shoulder all night with no tax in the window as it was taken out, my fear all night was the police impounding the car and getting crushed as it does happen now, i had to pay £200 recovery, i wasted all day getting the car and was messed about all week trying to buy it, to brake down after just 20 mins just isn' funny, seller said he doesnt know why the car stopped but i think thas not the case, shes only done 1000 miles from a major service at autofarm where 2 coil packs were replaced along with various other jobs, BLADE_UK thanks for your input but the whole experience has put me off completley, the car has 97000 miles so im thinking this is the start of a few head aches mate, il get the seller to foot the bill along with all my expenses and get rid ! cheers, Lee.

 

[Andy Duncan]

Lee,
were the garages that looked at the problem Porsche specialists?

 

[ianreeves]

Hi Lee, sorry to hear of your tale.... I have to say I had almost the same feeling when I bought my first Porsche .... Half way home stopped for fuel to see all the oil running onto the floor. It became a sore point with the Mrs and in the end I sold it as a non-runner . Its now owned by another PCGB member who put a new engine in and he's enjoying the car very much. I lost a fortune, and I always thought the seller knew what he'd done.

Myself I moved on and love my current Porsche very much ( 968 CS ), a different drive altogether !

If it was me I would get in touch with AutoFarm and see if they can remember your car, also as the others say wait a bit and book the car in to a good independant and get it fully checked over, its possible things are not that bad ?. Unfortunatly its a bad time of year so its a sit and wait job until you can get it in anywhere......... I don't know how things stand with the seller, but its best to try and sort things out without it getting 'heated', out of interest did he make you sign a Sold As Seen notice ?

 

[Guest]

Hi Andy, i only purchased last night and car was recovered to my home address so hasnt been looked at yet due to the holiday period, seller did say 3 different people with diagnostic equipment couldnt find the fault, the last garage said it was a relay, this was just what the seller said and one of those people who was trying to trace the fault was the AA !!, iv been fobbed of all week from the seller who took a flight as soon as i bought the car and turned his mobile phone staight of !!, she broke down just 20 mins down the road from where i purchased but he said he didnt have a problem with the car up until sold to me, im very angry over all this, seller wanted me to meet at a hotel on 2 occations but i said no in the end its got to be your home address, i would of took that car straight back and put it through his front door if he was there ( oh and if it went ! ) but he flew to the states, i did go back in my partners car who was following me and could only leave a note on his door, at the end of the day he knew it had problems as why would you go straight out your house and turn your phone of, was there ant flights last night in such bad weather !, oh and the bonnet badge was stolen plus the centre caps when recovery went this morning !!, also when i viewed the car it was bone dry underneath now theres oil so did he clean all that of too, iv been had but he will pay at the end of the day, thanks for replys, lee.

 

[ianreeves]

If it helps these are quite local to you I think

TWG Motorsports Thorpe Road, Peterborough. 01733 332911

 

[Guest]

Ian, thanks for that mate, there was no sold as seen notice which if there was isnt legal anymore as even on second hand cars theres a 3 month period where your intited to get problems addressed, the only way theres no come back is if you sign as "sold as scrap", even if sold as seen was legal im pretty sure after driving 20 miles and she broke down would stand in any court !!, i did wonder why he didnt answer my questions re the RMS problem via email, but to be honest when i went over to purchase she looked reasonably fit and drove lovely, stacks of bills and history plus had a big service at autofarm, at the end of the day iv bought his troubles, but hes going to pay for the costs, none of those costs though was greater than the hassle and trouble i had last night, to just suddenly stop with a 20 tonne lorry missing you by inches is definetly not worth the porsche experience in my books, thanks again, Lee.

 

[ianreeves]

Trust me I know what your going through, the only advice I can give is to chill and tackle the situation when you've had it all checked and have a clear head ( something I lacked ) then go and see the seller.... With some mates[8|]

Best of luck !!

 

[drummerboytom]

ORIGINAL: lee996
.. as even on second hand cars theres a 3 month period where your intited to get problems addressed ....

On private sale ? I don't think so .

 

[ianreeves]

Not sure if this is good or bad news, but worth a read........

Taken from http://www.adviceguide.org.uk/index/your_world/consumer_affairs/buying_second_hand_vehicles.htm#Thevehiclewasboughtfromaprivateseller

You have very few legal rights if you have bought the vehicle from a private seller rather than a dealer. The condition under consumer law that the vehicle must be of satisfactory quality does not apply. The only conditions which do apply to private sales are that the vehicle is correctly described, is roadworthy and that the seller has good title (this means that they are the legal owner of the vehicle).


You will only be able to claim against a private seller if:-

• the vehicle was not as described, see below; or
• there was a breach of a specific term of the contract, see below; or
• the seller was a dealer posing as a private seller, see below; or
• the seller did not have good title to the vehicle, or
• the vehicle was un-roadworthy.

If you can show that the vehicle did not meet its description the seller will be liable under consumer law, even if the seller believed the description to be true. It will strengthen your claim if you have written proof of the false statement, for example, an advertisement. Verbal false statements are harder to prove, unless someone else was present who can act as a witness.


If the seller makes a specific statement which proves to be false, for example, if they said that the vehicle had a new clutch or one owner from new, you will have grounds for complaint. However, if the seller described the vehicle as immaculate it will be more difficult to complain as the vehicle's age, make and mileage, and the price paid have to be taken into account. If the seller did not make any statements about the vehicle, you will not be able to claim against the seller.


If the seller fails to do something they specifically agreed to, for example, that certain faults would be fixed or that the vehicle would have an MOT, they will have breached the contract.


If you want to take action against the seller, you will need proof that the seller made a false statement about the vehicle and that the vehicle did not comply with its description at the time of sale. If you have delayed for more than a few weeks or have used the vehicle a lot, this may be almost impossible to prove. An independent report may be able to establish the condition of the vehicle at the time it was sold, but can be expensive (see under heading Establishing the condition of the vehicle when it was sold).


You should complain in writing to the seller and ask for a refund of the money paid for the vehicle or for the cost of the necessary repairs. If this does not succeed, you could sue the seller.


If you are considering suing the seller you should consult an experienced adviser, for example, at a Citizens Advice Bureau. To search for details of your nearest CAB, including those that can give advice by email, click on nearest CAB.


The seller was a dealer posing as private seller


Dealers sometimes pretend to be private sellers, by using the small ads and a private address and telephone number. It is a criminal offence to do this. If you suspect that the person who sold the vehicle was a dealer posing as a private seller, you should contact Consumer Direct on 0845 404 0506 (or, in Northern Ireland, Consumerline on 0845 600 6262). If the seller was a dealer it does not invalidate the purchase, but it does mean that you have the same protection under the law as if the vehicle were bought from a dealer in the normal way, and may be able to bring a claim if there are problems with the vehicle.

 

[cococola]

Hi Lee
I would tell the seller you want a refund and then start looking again as there are some decent Porsches out there.If you wanted to keep the car I would tell the seller you want an independent check carried out at their expense and use this as a bargaining tool so that you dont get anymore suprises.
Dont let the experience put you off Porsches because they are great when you get a good one.
Alan

 

[Guest]

Hi Alan, thanks for that, il try and sort something out with the seller once car has been checked over, cheers, Lee.

 

[Grant]

Lee you have my sympathy, I know it won't be easy, but best forget about it until you can get it properly diagnosed, things may not be as bad as expected!
I once purchased a car for the Mrs & half way back it started smoking badly, we both thought the engine was shot, it turned out to be the engine timing & a few pounds later all was ok, the smoke was unburnt fuel rather than oil!!" Hope fully yours will turn out ok, so don't panic.
I would advise going to an OPC first, Lancaster Cambridge are good, at least you will have the full Porsche diagnostics straight out the blocks!

 

[Guest]

Lee. Sorry to hear about your problems.
You said there is oil pouring out. Can you tell me more about where the oil is coming from?
If it's the RMS then the oil leak is just a small drip and it dhould be coming from dead center of the engine looking from the back to the front of the car. The leak is behind the engine at the junction of the gearbox bellhousing. If the oil is leaking "badly" from elsewhere then it's almost definitelt not RMS. You said it runs for 20 mins then stops. Can you explain more on this. Does it run well during that 20 minutes or does it cough and splutter or run roughly. Is it sluggish? What does the temp guage say when it cuts out? You also said that after 2 hours cooling off it rruns ok. This is hinting at overheating, or low oil pressure. You said it stops after 20 mins, but does the ignition key re-start the engine even if it cuts out immediatly after the 20 minute stall? Have you had a look at the oil and water levels? Do they look good and are they clearn? I mean is the oil clean and is the water clean (without contamination of either)?
The reasons I ask all these questions is that your symptoms dont sound like ECU problems to me.
Best of luck with her mate.....I really do hope you sort it out.

Cheers
Berny

 

[Guest]

Hi Grant, thanks fo that, car will be diagnosed if the seller responds by pm on the 28th or i will get the car transported to his drive ! ( as mentioned he flew to usa when i left his house ) Hi scouser, the oil isnt pouring out mate, theres not even a patch on the floor, its just a few drips near what looks like the sump plug and dampness of oil around there, probably normal for the this kind of engine but what gets me over it is i sent an email asking if the engine leaked but didnt get a response, even when i viewed she was bone dry under there so i think he used brake cleaner to clean it up under there before i arrived, the car runs perfect until she suddenly stops and oil and water perfect, she doesnt overheat, revs well, she simply stalls after approx 20 mins, she restarts after approx 2 hours, something is overheating in the electrical system i think but cant confirm until i get her diagnosed, thanks for your input, Lee.

 

[cococola]

Lee
Let us know how things turn out.
Alan

 

[pmjt]

ORIGINAL: lee996
the car runs perfect until she suddenly stops and oil and water perfect, she doesnt overheat, revs well, she simply stalls after approx 20 mins, she restarts after approx 2 hours, something is overheating in the electrical system i think but cant confirm until i get her diagnosed

Does the 'CEL' light (Check Engine) come on? If so, it could be something as simple as the air filter or airflow sensor being faulty - both very simple jobs.

Let us know if we can help with the diagnosis - and good luck []

Philip

 

[Guest]

Hi Philip, thanks for advice and to others if iv missed you, iv just got the car taxed so went out to see what happened and i can report the following, went 6 miles/15 mins to a friends and she was ok, when i came out she started for 2 secs then cut out with check engine on dash as normal ( when i first drove the car and almost got killed i noticed the check engine light then the engine stalled with a lorry coming at me at night with zero visibilty as it wasseriously foggy ) i left the car an hour and she started, she didnt start from attemps before this, oil and water fine, doesnt overheat as mentioned, i can also report now theres a smell of rubber from the engine and i dont know what a 996 idles at but is 2 digits from the bottom and looks like 500 rpm, she drives fine until she cuts out, i can not get her booked in until the 2nd then will have to wait 2 weeks no doubt, to be honest i think shes a lemon and will probably tow her back to where i purchased tonight, when i first got into this car i was so overwhelmed by the way she drove, iv just sold my E55 kompressor with nearly 500 bhp and to be honest you cant really tell the difference ( obviously a little but no big difference, probably as the merc wieghed nearly 2 tonne ! ) im very unhappy, i think from purchase date to being fixed is going to be a good month so why should i wait that long, seller has agreed to pay for repair but that isnt good enough in my books, he obviously obviously knew about the problem and lied through his teeth to dispose the car, does anyone know what the rubber smell is please, thanks all, Lee.