Questions relating to an imminent 2006 986 Boxster S purchase

[WildThing]

Hi all,

New member here since yesterday.

Currently own a 718 Cayman S manual bought last year, and now looking for an older soft top to personalize. The 2006 Boxster S 6 speed manual I`m looking at has 148000 kms (92000 miles), and all the major components work well (a/c, power top, rear spoiler).

The questions are as follows;
1) upon starting up, there is a high pitched scream coming from the engine bay which goes away almost immediately. Is this a serpentine belt that needs replacement, or it could be something bigger?
2) what are the common issues with this series? If well maintained through the proper sources, can this car run another 100000 kms (60000 miles)?

I know it needs discs and pads. The tires are good for this season, and I have connections for replacing those. The car will be bought through a Hyundai dealer I have worked at for 16 years, and will be inspected before I pull the trigger.

Any thoughts or helpful comments and tips would be appreciated.

Phil

[vitaminc]

Regarding the noise at startup, it could be the starter. My 996 used to make a similar sound on occasion.

Common issues? IMS, RMS, bore scoring are the big ones. Strongly suggest having a good shop check it out for you!

[WildThing]

Thank you very much for your suggestion. I will mention this to the service reps, and get back to you on the final results.

IMS ? RMS ? I am not familiar with these acronyms.

Have a great day!

[Tom]

Definitely worth reading up on the IMS (intermediate shaft) bearing issue. All tech talk aside, it's an issue that affects the motors on those cars, and can lead to a total engine failure. Ideally, you'd want a car that has already been retrofit with a better IMS bearing and/or factor the price of that into the purchase. Here's some background by a company that makes a retrofit kit....

https://lnengineering.com/products/the- ... ?limit=all

p.s., RMS is rear main seal -- cheap little seal that holds the oil in the motor but requires major work to change.

[WildThing]

Regarding the noise at startup, it could be the starter. My 996 used to make a similar sound on occasion.

Common issues? IMS, RMS, bore scoring are the big ones. Strongly suggest having a good shop check it out for you!

Vitaminc, you were on the money with the starter ! It has been replaced. Next step; the clutch ...

I did not test drive the car yet, but was told by the used car manager where I worked, that the last client had mentioned the clutch needed work on the seal or a bearing. The intitial shop that replaced the starter recommended a Porsche qualified mechanic, as they are not allowed (or know how) to play in that area. Onwards and upwards...

I will relay the results here, as you have been great !

Regards,
Phil

[WildThing]

Definitely worth reading up on the IMS (intermediate shaft) bearing issue. All tech talk aside, it's an issue that affects the motors on those cars, and can lead to a total engine failure. Ideally, you'd want a car that has already been retrofit with a better IMS bearing and/or factor the price of that into the purchase. Here's some background by a company that makes a retrofit kit....

https://lnengineering.com/products/the- ... ?limit=all

p.s., RMS is rear main seal -- cheap little seal that holds the oil in the motor but requires major work to change.

Tom, thank you for the link to that guide. I read it in its entirety.

[kmaneh]

If the clutch needs to be replaced, that is the perfect time to check the RMS and IMS, as much of the labour is common to the 3.

[WildThing]

Thank you for your suggestion. It makes total sense to me. I will pass this on.

Regards,
Phil

[WildThing]

If the clutch needs to be replaced, that is the perfect time to check the RMS and IMS, as much of the labour is common to the 3.

I got more news from the used car manager after a test drive he did himself; when going through gears 1-3, the revs are very high, but do not give any acceleration, like there is a major response lag from the tranny. If this was a PDK or tiptronic, I would think it was the torque converter. But this a manual.

Any idea as to what may be causing this ?

Thanks to all for any response.

[Tom]

Hard to know from that description, but maybe the clutch is spinning? Doesn't sound cheap whatever it is.