RS6 Gone - 996TT in, but? (stone chips etc)

[Guest]

Hi Guys

I have got there!! - Allways wanted a porsche, 911, turbo, etc! and have managed to get to it all at once (Missus told me she wants kids in 2 years, this was my response)

Well early reactions are:

It's all good
It's very exciting
It's just as quick as the RS6 - but a lot lot more lethal (will explain)
Looks and feels cool
cheaper to run - believe it or not!!

As for the driving experience, the RS6 was a much better all-weather car. No Squirmyness etc. For example, hoof an RS6 down a wet slip road and there is zero drama, hoof my turbo 996 down a wet road and, thanks for the psm! But get the turbo balanced / in the dry. And the two do not compare, feedback is awesome, grip in the dry is amazing..... and the noise....... I thought I loved V8 Twin Turbo! - NOW I REALLY LIKE FLAT 6 TT, wow - when the cams come online, jesus - that noise..... I think I need a bigger exhaust (advice!)

So here's the bit, all cars have there "issues" and I have to get used to them, But I have a few quick questions:

My Turbo is Basalt Black (said I'd never own a black car....!!!) and 53 reg 9k mls. []

I'll post some pictures when I can stop driving it (It feels like I'm starting a spitfire everytime!!)

So:

Stone chips - This car picks them up, also of most worrying guise is in the quadrant behind the doors and below the intercooler ducts - is this usual?? Can I do anything to protect it or do you guys just have it blown over from time to time? From what I can tell it looks like the bonnet and rear quarters need paint/laquer every now and then - this is very unusual because I've been used to trying to keep cars in their original paint - seems to be accepted with porsche!

Rattles - Mine rattles from behind the sunroof - especially when it's open - any quick fixes or is this a warranty??

SatNAV - Wow Porsche want £450 for a set of the new discs - anyone know if I can buy them direct from the mapping company? - anyone have second set? (Mine has discs - they just don't make the TMC work in the UK)

Exhaust - Baffles rattle on idle? - sounds sweet when it's on song though....!

Oil Pressure - seems to drop to about 2 ish during idle and upto 4.5 ish when runing and anywhere in between as you drive in traffic - is this usual?

Clutch - Nightmare - reversing this car is an art!!

Front bumper "strip" - I wish all roads were flat, I catch it from time to time - anyone else....


Either you'll all be laughing right now with a - "Welcome to 911 TT Smile" i.e. get on and enjoy it, or you'll be questioning why I ever bothered!!!

I love this car - gives me a kick - just want to keep it "nice" - although I just can't help driving it every day!!

Thanks for all your help - cheque in the post to join the club.

Kind regards

Boff

 

[Melv]

"This car picks them up, also of most worrying guise is in the quadrant behind the doors and below the intercooler ducts - is this usual?? "

With all 911's, apparently yes -Amorfend and others do protective bits for these parts.

Regarding your comments on 'squirminess':

a)when is the last time the car has had a full four wheel alignment?
b)are all four tyres the same make and model with the same N-rating?
c)when is the last time the tyre pressures were checked and what pressures are you running?

BTW, have a lot of fun!!

 

[Guest]

Welcome Boff you have highlighted a number of issues/observations I had



Rattles - Mine rattles from behind the sunroof - especially when it's open - any quick fixes or is this a warranty??

Mine did this I took it back to dealer and it was a piece of lose trim it to was worse when the sunroof was open but I do not know what bit of trim or what was done to fix it

Oil Pressure - seems to drop to about 2 ish during idle and upto 4.5 ish when runing and anywhere in between as you drive in traffic - is this usual?

Mine does that

Clutch - Nightmare - reversing this car is an art!!

The clutch on the TT does take a little getting used to but once you have had it a few weeks it's fine but you'll be glad in traffic that it's power assisted or you probably wouldn't be able to move it after a few miles in traffic.

Front bumper "strip" - I wish all roads were flat, I catch it from time to time - anyone else....

Yep mines scratched path of the course really.

 

[garyw]

Welcome and glad to see your enjoying the car Boffster, in answer to some of your issues

squirming..been out in mine today in the rain having a blatt across some roads in Wales, pedal full down and the only squirming was my butt to the seat..

Oil pressure...same as yourself..

Front lip [] I have already had it replaced once and possibly needs it again after my next euro trip..£112 plus vat with 1/4 fitting, all came to about £160.00 if I rememeber correctly

Yes the clutch is a skill

keep driving it and enjoy the smiles..

Garyw

 

[Guest]

Hi, a fine choice, if I might say so.

Feedback is what Porsche does better than most others (Lotus, Ferrari excepted).
Squirmyness should not be too much of an issue. On the straight you should be able to use full throttle in 3rd and above in the wet. If not straight or in 1st/2nd, some moderation may be required when using full boost.

Check the tyre pressures though, and make sure they are all the same and N-rated. Put it on full lock and check for wear on the edges, this will give you a quick clue if the tracking/alignment is roughly right.

Dark colours look best when clean, but are hard to keep clean, and show surface blemishes far more easily.

Stone chips afflict the front bumper and mirrors most, since these present the most upright surface and are made of plastic. So far for me, there are no marks on the rear wider arches, but I guess stones could get thrown up by the front wheels. You could put some clear protective film over them, as used to be the case.
Whilst many complain about it, you just have to live with it if you drive it a lot.

My sunroof does not rattle, but I have various other squeaks and rattles - none serious enough to be bothered to get them looked at. Once you start messing with the trim there is a distinct chance you'll make it worse. It makes more noise when cold, but on hot days all the squeaks stop.

I don't think there are any updated discs. The latest cars are moving to DVD based discs, rather then the CD-ROM ones. This topic has been raised a few times, but I don't think there is a solution.

No noises from my exhaust. A standard system should be quiet (at least no rattles). Could be a heat shield that has come loose?

Oil pressue is dependent on revs, since the main oil pump is driven off the crank (I think), with a pressure regulator.
2 at idle is fine. It will rise to between 4 and 5 at 3000, then sit there.
Only worry if it drops below 1-1.5
Check the level regularly - there is no dipstick. You need to have the car warm and the engine running and use the onboard electronic measurement.

Due to the torque, the clutch springs are quite stiff. To keep the pedal pressure low (so you can drive it in traffic) the clutch is hydraulic. This gives a unique feel, since there is no cable like most other cars.
Reversing presents a unique challenge due to the gearing, especially when cold.
When new to the car, stalling is not uncommon. You do get used to it.

Front lip is quite low, so car park entrances or crossing the pavement to get into garages etc. needs to be done slowly (and maybe at an angle. If your car is lowered or has an aerokit, it will be more difficult.
The lip is sacrificial and not too expensive (in Porsche terms) to replace. It is softish polypropylene I think.

If parking front on, note that the nose is longer than you think and the lip is often lower than the kerb.

Do drive it everyday - I do 60 miles a day.
It scrubs up quite well if kept waxed and needs to be driven often (and as hard as you dare) to keep it in fine shape.

Whilst it is perfectly understandable to want to keep it nice, don't let the desire to keep it nice put you off driving it.
They built it to be used.

I'm afraid that Porsche manage to create cars with that elusive something called character, that other manufacturers are searching for. People seem to become rather attached to them.

 

[Guest]

Hi Guys

Thanks for your excellent responses. The squirmyness was on the wet and maybe greasy slip-road.

So maybe I'll not worry about that too much - tyre N rating and pressures are checked, personally I can't wait to get them scrubbed off and stick Michelin Pilot Sports on rather than the PZeros fitted (I hated P-Zeros on my RS6 and RS4 and MPS's made such a difference)

As for the rattles - it does when sat idle, sound like the release bearing, but it isn't because pressing the clutch in makes no difference what so ever. So therefore it must be exhaust baffles, I have it booked in @ Reading Porsche for a "warranty" day. Strange that such a low mileage car would have these dramas. And with it being an ex-porsche car. I have looked at its history on the system and it seems very straight.

So the Sunroof I believe is an issue that many 911 996's have and Porsche have a fix document for it. The baffles I'll put through the warranty system. The paint behind the doors is really frustrating - It looks like the best solution is to get it painted and put armourfend on it. I'm slightly worried that Stuarts has none and mine is peppered on such low mileage. Stuart do you use yours on the motorway much?

All of this aside - I'm just getting into the "mix" with this car....... it feels like an extension of me, it is just devastating. When you lazy accelerate it seems to lazy accelerate back, work hard from the low gears up and jesus it goes. 2nd gear is just something else. If I push it hard whilst turning in first gear, it goes wide and the pcm interevenes, if I then drop it into second the pcm carries on with intervention. This seems weird with allmost 600 mm of tread on the back.

Maybe I do need to get a 4w Alignment done - where should I go?? (Based in Wimbledon)

Thanks for your help

boff

 

[Melv]

Boff -you are hooked!!!

"Maybe I do need to get a 4w Alignment done - where should I go?? (Based in Wimbledon)"

GT1 -Chertsey. Five mins walk from Chertsey mainline station. 01932 569911 / 944.
Ask for Craig or Peter -mention my name.

Rgds
Mel

 

[Guest]

Stuart do you use yours on the motorway much?

Everyday and often with an optimistic interpretation of the speedlimit.

I try to make sure I always keep 2 secs or more gap to the car in front, which tends to allow for stones to drop back to the ground from the car infront.
However, I have several quite big dents in the plastic on the front bumper, a few dents in the wing mirrors, 3 or 4 chips in the bonnet, 2 very small chips in the screen and 1 bigger chip in the screen (on the passenger side so it does not worry me).
There are no marks on the rear arches though. Maybe I have just been lucky (this is after 13K miles).
Maybe the previous owner of yours lived down a long gravel drive.

If you are accelerating whilst cornering, it will run wide.
You need to set the speed, then drive through the corner with the car weight balanced neutrally. Then you can go faster with little understeer. Give it some throttle as you straighten the wheel and you can get the back to slide slightly. The weight transfer allows you to adjust the line.
I am no expert and I struggle to find the space and empty roads to play with it, but this is what I have observed so far.

Additionally, braking or allowing the car to engine brake as you turn can also cause it to understeer, presumably due to the weight transfer forcing the tyres wide? Although I would have thought this should aid turn in.
Anyway, it seems quite susceptible to weight transfer, although the ultimate grip is always much higher then you think.