Topic: RRocket's 2008 Porsche Boxster RS60

[JohnnyMac]

At least it's a relatively cheap and quick FGC issue to fix.

Ya, but still.

This is a basic thing that shouldn't need fixing FFS..

Send Porsche a kindly worded message about their stupidity.  It's frustrating, especially when they don't fix a known issue on the next generation.  Of course this isn't unique to the Germans, Americans have done this also, sometimes on much more costly things.

[whaddaiknow]

Went to register the car Friday..no dice. Sort of.

Mechanic in Ottawa miss-wrote a character from the VIN on the Safety Certificate (a U looked like an O) and the MTO wouldn't accept it. So I had to register the car with a "T" temporary sticker.

Called mechanic and they made up another certificate and are Fedex-ing it. Will be here Monday.

Got through first 3/4 tank of gas. Average was 10.8L/100km. Filled up. $70

On a straight haul for about 30 minutes at 90km/h averaged 8.4L/100km

Clutch leg is out of shape and slightly sore after driving for a couple days.

Great car, coolant cap notwithstanding. Congrats!
I want one too. Maybe when the kids leave the nest.

[rrocket]

Cap is not the culprit.

Pressurized the system and saw a hose spitting.

Went to get a better look today with the car up on ramps and the belly pan off and can see water pump has been dripping (but maybe not on the ground..belly pan catching the drippings). Pressurized system and yep..dripping from water pump. Once again, a bit dumbfounded on seemingly premature water pump failure but this is accepted as "normal" in the community. Basically, once the car hits 4-5 years and 40-50k miles, the water pump can be on borrowed time.

Ordered new water pump and serpentine belt. Thermostat housing needs to come off to access water pump, so ordered a lower-temp-than-stock thermostat and housing.

Looks like a 4 hour job or so. Not sure if I'll tackle it myself or not.

[Ontariodriver]

Cap is not the culprit.

Pressurized the system and saw a hose spitting.

Went to get a better look today with the car up on ramps and the belly pan off and can see water pump has been dripping (but maybe not on the ground..belly pan catching the drippings). Pressurized system and yep..dripping from water pump. Once again, a bit dumbfounded on seemingly premature water pump failure but this is accepted as "normal" in the community. Basically, once the car hits 4-5 years and 40-50k miles, the water pump can be on borrowed time.

Ordered new water pump and serpentine belt. Thermostat housing needs to come off to access water pump, so ordered a lower-temp-than-stock thermostat and housing.

Looks like a 4 hour job or so. Not sure if I'll tackle it myself or not.

That's a very common problem with a Boxster, good catch. They also can suffer with the oil and coolant mixing too. Overall their not to bad reliable wise, most of the problems now will be age related. 

[Triple Bob]

Cap is not the culprit.

Pressurized the system and saw a hose spitting.

Went to get a better look today with the car up on ramps and the belly pan off and can see water pump has been dripping (but maybe not on the ground..belly pan catching the drippings). Pressurized system and yep..dripping from water pump. Once again, a bit dumbfounded on seemingly premature water pump failure but this is accepted as "normal" in the community. Basically, once the car hits 4-5 years and 40-50k miles, the water pump can be on borrowed time.

Ordered new water pump and serpentine belt. Thermostat housing needs to come off to access water pump, so ordered a lower-temp-than-stock thermostat and housing.

Looks like a 4 hour job or so. Not sure if I'll tackle it myself or not.

I had a weird feeling that the cap was too simple an explanation.

[EV Dan]

Ouch. At least now you know what's broken and the fix for it. 

[rrocket]

Cap is not the culprit.

Pressurized the system and saw a hose spitting.

Went to get a better look today with the car up on ramps and the belly pan off and can see water pump has been dripping (but maybe not on the ground..belly pan catching the drippings). Pressurized system and yep..dripping from water pump. Once again, a bit dumbfounded on seemingly premature water pump failure but this is accepted as "normal" in the community. Basically, once the car hits 4-5 years and 40-50k miles, the water pump can be on borrowed time.

Ordered new water pump and serpentine belt. Thermostat housing needs to come off to access water pump, so ordered a lower-temp-than-stock thermostat and housing.

Looks like a 4 hour job or so. Not sure if I'll tackle it myself or not.

I had a weird feeling that the cap was too simple an explanation.

I know it sounds simple...but having owned the 996 ...minor coolant drips were almost always caps. Next in line would be coolant expansion tank cracks.

Same thing with 986/987.

Like if you bet $10 and said "cap" every time someone on the 996/986/987 forum said "coolant drip"...at the end of the year, you'd be doing alright!

[Scaerio]

Sorry to hear it's not the cheap fix...

[rrocket]

Sorry to hear it's not the cheap fix...

That's alright...prices aren't bad.

$130 water pump
$140 low temp thermostat and housing.
$30 new belt

[dirtyjeffer]

Sorry to hear it's not the cheap fix...

That's alright...prices aren't bad.

$130 water pump
$140 low temp thermostat and housing.
$30 new belt

parts aren't bad...what about labour?

[rrocket]

Sorry to hear it's not the cheap fix...

That's alright...prices aren't bad.

$130 water pump
$140 low temp thermostat and housing.
$30 new belt

parts aren't bad...what about labour?

3-4 hours

[dirtyjeffer]

Sorry to hear it's not the cheap fix...

That's alright...prices aren't bad.

$130 water pump
$140 low temp thermostat and housing.
$30 new belt

parts aren't bad...what about labour?

3-4 hours

are you doing it or having an indie do it?

even if you paid an indie, i'm guessing $1k all in to fix it?

[JohnnyMac]

Sorry to hear it's not the cheap fix...

That's alright...prices aren't bad.

$130 water pump
$140 low temp thermostat and housing.
$30 new belt

parts aren't bad...what about labour?

3-4 hours

are you doing it or having an indie do it?

even if you paid an indie, i'm guessing $1k all in to fix it?

That is $300 for parts and 3-4 hours of labour, so is it wrong for me to think an Indy would charge $100 per hour, so like $300-$400 for labour, plus tax, so like $650-$750 all in.  Would be $1k if he went to Porsche dealer.

[rrocket]

Sorry to hear it's not the cheap fix...

That's alright...prices aren't bad.

$130 water pump
$140 low temp thermostat and housing.
$30 new belt

parts aren't bad...what about labour?

3-4 hours

are you doing it or having an indie do it?

even if you paid an indie, i'm guessing $1k all in to fix it?

That is $300 for parts and 3-4 hours of labour, so is it wrong for me to think an Indy would charge $100 per hour, so like $300-$400 for labour, plus tax, so like $650-$750 all in.  Would be $1k if he went to Porsche dealer.

Would be significantly more for parts!

OEM Porsche water pump alone is $400+

[Ontariodriver]

That isn't to bad for a German premium brand.   

Um, Toyota wants 600+ for a 2nd key. 

[EV Dan]

That isn't to bad for a German premium brand.   

Um, Toyota wants 600+ for a 2nd key. 

Economy of scale. They likely churn out 3x the water-pumps than they sell cars. 10x the radiator caps. 

[rrocket]

After much internal debate about metal vs composite impeller, my new water pump came in.

Just need to get it in now!

[Railton]

After much internal debate about metal vs composite impeller, my new water pump came in.

Just need to get it in now!

So....metal?
Railton

[rrocket]

After much internal debate about metal vs composite impeller, my new water pump came in.

Just need to get it in now!

So....metal?
Railton

Composite

Both have their downsides

[tortoise]

Considering how long you keep your vehicles, I doubt it would matter in the end.