porsche 911 (996)

[CAP1]

Shouldn't UV dye only show up green under a UV light...? Otherwise, it would just look like oil?

WINNER!!
 

[CAP1]

This is the first time Ive heard of people pouring a solution into the engine oil to look for leaks, to Find oil leaks is pretty easy and should not require a solution IMHO, firstly you Identify what type of oil it is by smell or colour, ie transmission fluid, engine oil, brake fluid or even coolant. then you look for seepage or if no visible leak can be identified due to it be splashed over a large space of the engine bay/block you work down from the highest point of oil and going from there, any competent mechanic and DIY mechanics should not have a problem with identifying a leak no matter how small or big.

 I have very little experience with American engines, just euro & jap engines, I also own a race car which coincidentally next week I'm fully rebuilding the engine and replacing 95% of the engine parts. CAP1 you know Volvo engines are the same as the ford engines in most of there cars, as ford own volvo. Over here people do not like American cars/engines that much either... So I think it mostly comes to what your use to etc.I don't like, Ford/Vauxhall/French/VAG engines that much like I said I love jap engines but thats mostly because thats where my experience is in.


I recomend you view this website and ask any questions as there are alot of Porsche specialists that will be able to offer you alot of advice,

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/

volvo engines may now be the same as ford engines, but that may not be the case.

 the ford probe had mazda engines in it. the ford escort(later models)had mazda engines. the mazda protege(same as the escort) had mazda engines, but if i recall, as it's been awhile since i worked on one, they had ford EEC4 control systems.

 the older volvos(the ugly box ones) that had the 2.3 turbo, was not a ford engine,,,,,,and a very dependable, and easy to repair vehicle.
 the audi's i've worked on(which seem to me to be nothing more than overpriced volkswagens), have the same waterpump problems at the vw's.
 some (real rocket scientist) engineer, decided to knurl the waterpump shaft, and press a plastic impeller onto it. how frakkin stupid is that??? these things fail by 50k miles(at least the ones in the US do). the volkswagens seem to have thermostat issues either just before, or just after the waterpump(although i replace the stat with the pump if i can convince the customer). if the stat fails first, it will normally stress the system juuuust enough to cause a failure on the waterpump.
 the vw 2.3(i think) non turbo in the new beetle........this guy saw his idiot light come on, and continued driving for a few(after i pryed the info from him, it turned out a "few" was about 10) miles. popped the head gasket. it overheated, because the impeller came off the shaft on the waterpump. he said he didn't think it cold be that, because he had the pump done at the dealer at around 52k. it had 99k on it when i got it.
 did the head gasket, took it for a test drive, and lost oil pressure. guess what????? vw put a PLASTIC  oil baffle in the rocker cover. it melted. they had a PLASTIC windage tray. it started to melt. the molten plastic blocked the oil pump pickup screen. real genius there.....

 the few jag's i've worked on were mostly suspension work. the rear suspension(i think it was an xj12?) had such an over-complicated crappy rear suspension set-up, it was almost embarrassing.
 saabs? you techs, and mechanics know what we all think of them.  when one pulls in the parking lot......."eehh.......here comes anothersob story"
 not comfortable to drive, not particularity powerful, not setting the world on fire with their handling....

mercedes........probably not really that bad, but i've yet to drive one thaT i like the feel of. they all smell like old furniture to me inside, and don't accelerate, handle, or stop the way i'd expect a top end european car to.

 bmw.........i've driven quite a few that i really like, but they have their issued too. surge tanks that go bad, map controlled thermostats that go bad, on the older models, i've had a few bad bushings in the rear suspension. i've done a lot of balljoints in the front suspension. that seems like a poor design, although most bmw's i've driven handle exceptionally well.

so, with the experiences above, you can see why i don't much care for european cars.....and i've ALWAYS worked in general repair shops. i learned to fix anything that rolls into my bay. i've never worked at a dealer, and thankfully so, as most dealer techs i know, are lost when they need to work on something besides their make.

 most asian cars i like. hondas and toyotas are frakking great cars. probably the absolute most dependable cars on the roads today.

most don't seem to like many american cars, but ford, chrysler, and gm ALL are producing much better cars than they're given credit for. they all have some very dependable cars.

[jdbecks]

the audi's I've worked on(which seem to me to be nothing more than overpriced Volkswagen's), have the same waterpump problems at the vw's.

That's because Audi, VW, Seat and Skoda all form the VAG group and all use the exact same engines,chassis's, parts and most of the trim is very similar. Most of the parts either have the VAG logo on, or the individual company name like seat, skoda, audi..but each part is still interchangeable.

[Masherbrum]

CAP1, ignore KgB's "monthly pissing match".   He cowers for a month and crawls out, to only cower again.   He's never heard of UV dye.   

[CAP1]

That's because Audi, VW, Seat and Skoda all form the VAG group and all use the exact same engines,chassis's, parts and most of the trim is very similar. Most of the parts either have the VAG logo on, or the individual company name like seat, skoda, audi..but each part is still interchangeable.

i don't think we have skoda, or seat over here...if we do, i haven't seen one yet.

i knew audi and vw were pretty much the same....but i thought porsche was part of them too?

[CAP1]

CAP1, ignore KgB's "monthly pissing match".   He cowers for a month and crawls out, to only cower again.   He's never heard of UV dye.   

that would explain his lack of understanding of it.....hence his almost violent negative comment towards it. people tend to not like and fear what they don't know about.
 with only 10 years in the field, i'd think he'd want to learn. like i said...i've got around 27 years under my belt, and i still learn whenever i can. that's what keeps this job fun, and interesting.

[ariansworld]

I agree with vw and audi being a pain in the but to fix. But if you maintain them the proper way, they will go 1 million miles or better on the original tranny and motor. 

[CAP1]

I agree with vw and audi being a pain in the but to fix. But if you maintain them the proper way, they will go 1 million miles or better on the original tranny and motor. 

from what i've heard, the european ones will......but the ones sold in the US...not so much.

 i mean, c'mon........there's no reason on a modern car to have to replace a waterpump at less than 100k miles.....except on audis and vw's.......

and pretty much ANY car in production today will last that long with proper care.

[RTHolmes]

the few jag's i've worked on were mostly suspension work. the rear suspension(i think it was an xj12?) had such an over-complicated crappy rear suspension set-up, it was almost embarrassing.

for a 1968 design the jags independent rear suspension is an engineering marvel. complex, but so effective - unmatched ride/handling for a car of that weight. separate subframe and multiple bushes for reduced NVH, inboard disks (not drums note) to reduce unsprung weight, quad dampers etc. drove an early 70s XJ6 a few years back and couldnt believe just how fantastic the ride was - better than many modern saloons which have been ruined by development on the 'ring.

woudnt want to repair it though. then again, if you charge by the hour ...

[CAP1]

for a 1968 design the jags independent rear suspension is an engineering marvel. complex, but so effective - unmatched ride/handling for a car of that weight. separate subframe and multiple bushes for reduced NVH, inboard disks (not drums note) to reduce unsprung weight, quad dampers etc. drove an early 70s XJ6 a few years back and couldnt believe just how fantastic the ride was - better than many modern saloons which have been ruined by development on the 'ring.

woudnt want to repair it though. then again, if you charge by the hour ...

heh......on over-complicated, over engineered systems, sometimes even charging by the hour isn't worth it.

[MrRiplEy[H]]

mercedes........probably not really that bad, but i've yet to drive one thaT i like the feel of. they all smell like old furniture to me inside, and don't accelerate, handle, or stop the way i'd expect a top end european car to.

Sorry but I find that hard to believe. You ever tried the AMG55 kompressor or AMG63 models? 4.5 seconds 0-60 is not sluggish to me. I find my E320 with it's 7 second 0-60 quite enough for daily drive.

[SFRT - Frenchy]

Actually my boss has one of those, after 3 years the thing is a disaster. It's noisy on the freeway, vibrates, and every little thing in the cockpit rattles. He's not happy on how bad the car aged compared to the price tag.

[CAP1]

Sorry but I find that hard to believe. You ever tried the AMG55 kompressor or AMG63 models? 4.5 seconds 0-60 is not sluggish to me. I find my E320 with it's 7 second 0-60 quite enough for daily drive.

i haven't had any of the "hot rod" benze's in here.

i do have a customer that has a 2 seater, labeled "kompressor" on the fenders. it sucks. it doesn't handle well, not fast, was uncomfortable to sit in, and i didn't like the feel of the brakes.
 i have another customer that has a chrysler crossfire. it seems to be a re-skinned mercedes. his has a v-8 in it. feels kinda quick, and handles ok, but i still don't care for the feel of the brakes. it also has more blind spots than my E-350 cargo van.

 i wasn't meaning to put mercedes down with my last post. i just am talking of my personal experiences with them.

 i do have an 89 300 sel that was abandoned on my lot. it only needs a cylinder head. as soon as i get the title, i'm going to install the new head, and drive that, as they felt pretty nice to me in the past.

 as for my preferences for european cars........i like bmw's. i've driven 3 series, and 5 series, worked on em both, and although i don't like fixing them, i do like the way they feel driving. a buddy has a z3. i love that car.


 oo...and 7 seconds 0-60?????? that's pitiful by todays standards.........for almost anything.

[BigPlay]

you obviously don't know much about cars then.

i've been fixing them for 27 or so years. dye is the best way. when you go under it, if it's been driven at all, the oil will be spread all over the place, making it impossible to determine where it came from......assuming it isn't pouring out.
 
 i've never had a customer complaint, because i put dye in their oil. i have had some say it was a great idea, as it makes it more visible.

 just an FYI, the dye will NOTturn your oil green to the naked eye..

so...back to the original topic........clean it, put dye in it, run it, use the uv light, and find the leak.

Cap I am going to have to report you to the EPA for introducing dye to the environment , also to the better business bureau for sub standard practices

[BigPlay]

This is the first time Ive heard of people pouring a solution into the engine oil to look for leaks, to Find oil leaks is pretty easy and should not require a solution IMHO, firstly you Identify what type of oil it is by smell or colour, ie transmission fluid, engine oil, brake fluid or even coolant. then you look for seepage or if no visible leak can be identified due to it be splashed over a large space of the engine bay/block you work down from the highest point of oil and going from there, any competent mechanic and DIY mechanics should not have a problem with identifying a leak no matter how small or big.

 I have very little experience with American engines, just euro & jap engines, I also own a race car which coincidentally next week I'm fully rebuilding the engine and replacing 95% of the engine parts. CAP1 you know Volvo engines are the same as the ford engines in most of there cars, as ford own volvo. Over here people do not like American cars/engines that much either... So I think it mostly comes to what your use to etc.I don't like, Ford/Vauxhall/French/VAG engines that much like I said I love jap engines but thats mostly because thats where my experience is in.


I recomend you view this website and ask any questions as there are alot of Porsche specialists that will be able to offer you alot of advice,

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/

Well one thing for sure ......... Ford has produced some of the finest racing engines EVER, Just ask Jackie Stewart and Colin Chapman, oh wait Chapman is dead. I do like most British cars however nobody ever had as bad of a reputation for producing extremely unreliable cars as the Brit's have, except maybe the Italians.  Except the Italians alway had better looking cars. Now that being said Rolls, Bently have come a long way with their cars and Austin Martin has always been a good looking car.