CarreraG50 Posted 18March, 2014 Report Share Posted 18March, 2014 Porsche 991 GT3 Engine Fires: Con Rod Bolts to Blame by John Glynn on March 18, 2014 The spontaneous combustion of 991 GT3s is down to con rod fixings, reports Jalopnik. Porsche will rebuild all 700-something GT3 engines when the replacement components have been tested. The diagnosis makes me scratch my head a bit, as you’d expect the con rod fixings to let go when the car is screaming along, not when pootling through an industrial estate as the firey pics have shown so far. A failed con rod would likely then damage the case and cascade hot oil onto the exhaust, which is why the hydraulic diagnosis seemed likely. But you’d see a smashed crankcase even if the engine caught fire. Not that it matters too much – it all ends the same way. The affair continues to be a nightmare for Stuttgart. Some GT3-owning friends have handed their cars back and walked away from the brand, while others justifiably request replacement track day toys while their GT3s are off the road on the manufacturer’s instructions. Instagram shares show lots of GT3s parked in OPCs across England. Bursting into flames is the sort of issue a car’s reputation never fully recovers from: witness the long term effect on Ferrari 458 forum discussions. Clarkson wasted no time sticking the knife in on Top Gear, with Porsche-badged oven gloves for GT3 owner Hammond, who of course lapped it up. Private school vs grammar: the great Top Gear class system. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J.J. Posted 19March, 2014 Report Share Posted 19March, 2014 Porsche has no excuse IMO. Massive screw up. I will always love the brand no matter how many 991's catch fire Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Russ Posted 19March, 2014 Report Share Posted 19March, 2014 I'd assume you'd hear a con rod break and push a hole in the side of the bore? before all the oil goes onto the exhaust.. Do they still have sodium filled valves? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tazzieman Posted 19March, 2014 Report Share Posted 19March, 2014 Another reason to stick with les voitures ancienne, for me at least! As they said , stop trying to imitate a Ferrari. Though a few older P cars have been known to self-immolate, I think they decided they would self cremate and avoid burial fees. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tazzieman Posted 21March, 2014 Report Share Posted 21March, 2014 Never heard this one , might be food for thought for some of you. From rennlist. Autocross an early Cayman and the Power Steering overheats melts the plastic reservoir and dumps fluid all over the engine and exhaust....which then can ignite and easily do $20,000 or so of damage if you get the fire put out soon enough... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sleazius Posted 21March, 2014 Report Share Posted 21March, 2014 Its a stuff up, but as car companies increasingly look to technology to improve performance, the cars become more complicated in the process, it is going to happen more often. 458 and GT3 I still love both of them, and once the issues with the GT3 are resolved, it wouldn't stop me owning one. No different to the IMS issue I reckon. If anything in 5 years time it might mean that the 991 GT3 goes for a lot less money and we can all get in one sooner Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simonoz Posted 21March, 2014 Report Share Posted 21March, 2014 Well, isn't my Mezger filled garage is looking good at this point! Can't quite believe that after all the testing Porsche would have done on the 991 GT3, they didn't spot this coming. Maybe it only happens if you nanny it? This will not be easy to recover from for Porsche, on top of the angst over no manual gearbox. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mhh Posted 22March, 2014 Report Share Posted 22March, 2014 I'll forgive Porsche if they can get new engines out quickly - and address compensation fairly. My car's been off the road for more than a month now (well, actually it was never on the road) and I'm worried that Australia might be left till last with the new engines. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simonoz Posted 22March, 2014 Report Share Posted 22March, 2014 mhh Been watching your situation unfold on AE forum. I feel for you. The underlying issue, which you and others are so well aware of, is how the resale of these first series 991 GT3's will be affected. Still find it amazing that Porsche didn't find all this out in pre-production testing. Can you bail out if you choose to? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimmy Posted 23March, 2014 Report Share Posted 23March, 2014 VW bean counters at work........ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pauly Posted 23March, 2014 Report Share Posted 23March, 2014 Porsche will forever now be picked on with this issue. It's quite sad and annoying as lambos and Ferraris always catch fire!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edgy Posted 24March, 2014 Report Share Posted 24March, 2014 Well, isn't my Mezger filled garage is looking good at this point! Very good! VW bean counters at work........ And Andreas Preuninger drank the kool aid... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stardust Posted 24March, 2014 Report Share Posted 24March, 2014 If you want compensation, it should be with a new replacement engine and a manual gearbox. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ArthurK Posted 25March, 2014 Report Share Posted 25March, 2014 VW bean counters at work........ And how is this VWs fault? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edgy Posted 25March, 2014 Report Share Posted 25March, 2014 And how is this VWs fault? Cost cutting by the bean counters = PDK and 9A1 motor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimmy Posted 25March, 2014 Report Share Posted 25March, 2014 And how is this VWs fault? Maybe i should have placed a question mark at the end. VW have had a terrible reliability history and I cant help but think they have a certain import to the cost cutting involvement in Porsche engineering. To cut a long story short we had a new Golf that blew its engine and soon after new engine it started making the same sounds before it went. Lots of bad stories out there, just google it. Just my 2 cents worth. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ArthurK Posted 26March, 2014 Report Share Posted 26March, 2014 Cost cutting by the bean counters = PDK and 9A1 motor. Maybe i should have placed a question mark at the end. VW have had a terrible reliability history and I cant help but think they have a certain import to the cost cutting involvement in Porsche engineering. To cut a long story short we had a new Golf that blew its engine and soon after new engine it started making the same sounds before it went. Lots of bad stories out there, just google it. Just my 2 cents worth. All good and well to blame big bad VW but I didnt see VW being responsible for the RMS/IMS disaster of the 9x6/7 engine. Apart from that, the take over took place in 2012 - Do you seriously believe that the issues with the current 991 GT3 are impacted by this? Engine and car designs dont happen over night and the whole engineering process would have been done and dusted before the take over. I found out last night that a simple exhaust program takes 2-3 years to develop so blaming VW is just simply insane. We love our cars and we love the marque but lets not put the blinkers on re their stuff ups and conveniently blame VW. I believe VW is screwing over the sales side of the business but lets not blame them for everything that goes wrong............ Oh and cost cutting for the manual - seriously? Try taking a swipe at Euro emission standards for that one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimmy Posted 26March, 2014 Report Share Posted 26March, 2014 Ok you have convinced me, l take it back...... poor old VW has copped enough Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mhh Posted 26March, 2014 Report Share Posted 26March, 2014 mhh Can you bail out if you choose to? I haven't asked but I'm sure I can. I was provided with a new Carrera S loan car but I returned that after a couple of days as I'd rather drive my own cars. I've been assured a compensation package will be negotiated once the repair date is known. No complaints with the service from Porsche Cars Australia and the dealer in Adelaide. I'll decide what to do when I know expected date to get the car. At the moment, I'm inclined to wait but if it takes too long I might have to drop the idea. Resale doesn't bother me - even with the dramas, I still expect the car to be in demand on the used market. The issue for me is finding something else I would prefer. I sold my Turbo S in July last year and put my name down for the GT3 then. If I quit now, I've had 9 months waiting with nothing to show for it. I mean, what compares to a new GT3? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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