I just did a PPI and ...

... found this:

[i83.photobucket.com]
[i83.photobucket.com]
[i83.photobucket.com]
[i83.photobucket.com]
[i83.photobucket.com]
[i83.photobucket.com]
[i83.photobucket.com]

This car had been sitting for over 5 years. It's a 3.4L 996 with 69,000 miles.
I recommended to the purchaser to do an oil and filter change so that I could inspect the oil filter.
I believe he made a good investment.
It's a shame because it's a nice car.

For anyone considering a used P-Car I now routinely recommend doing this together with the full PPI.

Happy Boxstering,
Pedro

Pedro Bonilla
1998 Boxster 986 - 311,000+ miles: [www.PedrosGarage.com]
PCA National Club Racing Scrutineer - PCA National HPDE Instructor - PCA Technical Committee (Boxster/Cayman)

---

Racecar spelled backwards is Racecar

"Racing is life. Anything before or after is just waiting" ... Steve McQueen as Michael Delaney in "LeMans"

"If you wait, all that happens is that you get older"... Mario Andretti

"Being second is to be the first of the ones who lose" ... Ayrton Senna

Interesting.

By good investment, I take it you're talking about the PPI / oil change and not the car.

I recognize the metal bits, but what are the chalky or sandy looking chunks and bits?

... debris are shavings from the IMS timing chain guides.
My guess is that the IMS bearing is worn and the chains are doing a number on the plastic guides and on the IMS Sprockets (metal bits).
This car sat for 5 years and the owner (unknowingly) did the worst thing he could do for it's longevity: He started it every month.
By doing this, after one month of being idle, and the oil drained from every metal contact area, he basically ran it dry for 60 starts during those 5 years.
This is what did it in.
My recommendation for people who store their cars for extended periods of time is park it and don't start it until you're ready to drive it again.

And by good investment I'm talking about the purchaser springing for the extra cost of the oil/filter change.
Without this I would probably have made a recommendation for purchase, since there were no outside symptoms of engine problems.

Happy Porsche-ing,
Pedro

Pedro Bonilla
1998 Boxster 986 - 311,000+ miles: [www.PedrosGarage.com]
PCA National Club Racing Scrutineer - PCA National HPDE Instructor - PCA Technical Committee (Boxster/Cayman)

---

Racecar spelled backwards is Racecar

"Racing is life. Anything before or after is just waiting" ... Steve McQueen as Michael Delaney in "LeMans"

"If you wait, all that happens is that you get older"... Mario Andretti

"Being second is to be the first of the ones who lose" ... Ayrton Senna

Quote
Pedro (Weston, FL)
... debris are shavings from the IMS timing chain guides.
My guess is that the IMS bearing is worn and the chains are doing a number on the plastic guides and on the IMS Sprockets (metal bits).
This car sat for 5 years and the owner (unknowingly) did the worst thing he could do for it's longevity: He started it every month.
By doing this, after one month of being idle, and the oil drained from every metal contact area, he basically ran it dry for 60 starts during those 5 years.
This is what did it in.
My recommendation for people who store their cars for extended periods of time is park it and don't start it until you're ready to drive it again.

And by good investment I'm talking about the purchaser springing for the extra cost of the oil/filter change.
Without this I would probably have made a recommendation for purchase, since there were no outside symptoms of engine problems.

Happy Porsche-ing,
Pedro

That goes right along with a study I read about quite a few year ago. BMW did a study with several engines. One was subjected to cold starts and run briefly, the other run continuously. I don't recall the exact figures, but the conclusion they came to was that one cold start resulted in the same amount of wear as several hundred miles of driving at highway speeds with a warmed up engine.

I have seen cream coloured goo on the top of the oil cap of my wife's Honda Civic Si (1998-2004). I believe it was a combination of condensation, and some weird oil reaction, additives, or (possibly coolant).... At the time, that car was used a lot for short trips. Work was 1 mile away, the grocery store was 1/2mile away.

No symptoms, just something I saw when doing the oil changes on it.

Was the car a short trip vehicle?

P

[www.bendbulletin.com]

The white/cream goo stuff you're describing is water condensation. And you're right it's worst in cars driven short distances in cold (Canadian cold - not Florida "cold") weather. I had it on my Jetta too.

What Pedro was showing was in the filter. Actually little chunks and pieces. Similar colour but different (and more expensive) stuff.)

the ppi car was driven 60+ 0mile trips in the past 5 yrs..... so i think it qualifies for short distance driving....

just a differential diagnosis (DDx)

BTW, I'm not a mechanic, nor do I play one on TV, just on the web.

P

Quote
Petee_C
the ppi car was driven 60+ 0mile trips in the past 5 yrs..... so i think it qualifies for short distance driving....

just a differential diagnosis (DDx)

BTW, I'm not a mechanic, nor do I play one on TV, just on the web.

P

Since the PPI was done by Pedro, I have a sneeking suspicion that the car was not a Canadian (or northern US states) car. So it doesn't qualify on that score. Short trips or lack ther off, absolutely.

Guenter
2014 Boxster S
GT Silver, 6 Speed Manual, Bi-Xenons, Sports Suspension (lowers car 20mm), Porsche Sports Exhaust, Porsche Torque Vectoring, Auto Climate control, heated and vented seats, 20" Carrera S Wheels, Pedro's TechNoWind, Sport Design steering wheel, Roll bars in GT Silver
[www.cyberdesignconcepts.com]

... was first sold in MA.
It then came to FL.
Happy Boxstering,
Pedro

Pedro Bonilla
1998 Boxster 986 - 311,000+ miles: [www.PedrosGarage.com]
PCA National Club Racing Scrutineer - PCA National HPDE Instructor - PCA Technical Committee (Boxster/Cayman)

---

Racecar spelled backwards is Racecar

"Racing is life. Anything before or after is just waiting" ... Steve McQueen as Michael Delaney in "LeMans"

"If you wait, all that happens is that you get older"... Mario Andretti

"Being second is to be the first of the ones who lose" ... Ayrton Senna

is that like Winnipeg cold or Vancouver cold?

--
MY 2000 S, Ocean Blue, Metropol Blue, Savanah Beige.
Bought June 2000 - Sold May 2010

Quote
frogster
is that like Winnipeg cold or Vancouver cold?

Ah, yes. I almost forgot about our left coast "cold". Poor s**wflakes don't stand a chance, reduced to a small quivering globul of water, even in the middle of your "winter". - I was refering to "real" winter.

... great for track cars and if you want to start your car on a regular basis when it's stored.
But if you store the car, just don't start it until the season is over.
Happy Boxstering,
Pedro

Pedro Bonilla
1998 Boxster 986 - 311,000+ miles: [www.PedrosGarage.com]
PCA National Club Racing Scrutineer - PCA National HPDE Instructor - PCA Technical Committee (Boxster/Cayman)

---

Racecar spelled backwards is Racecar

"Racing is life. Anything before or after is just waiting" ... Steve McQueen as Michael Delaney in "LeMans"

"If you wait, all that happens is that you get older"... Mario Andretti

"Being second is to be the first of the ones who lose" ... Ayrton Senna

Can anyone recommend a shop or dealer in Houston, TX for a PPI. I'm going to look at a 2006 Boxster tomorrow and would really like a PPI before buying.

an experienced tech who looks over the car and does some other things (examining oil filter housing oil and oil filter element), reading overrev counters, verifying mileage, etc.) to help the buyer make a decision about the car's condition.

BTW, I spoke with my local Porsche dealer today and it charges $349 for this and gives the car the same inspection/going over as it does when the dealer buys a used car. The process takes several hours and involves a good test drive among other things.

Sincerely,

MarcW.