drcarrera Posted June 11, 2019 Report Share Posted June 11, 2019 My GTS is in for its 4 year service and I get a call from the dealer - I'm expecting them to say it's all done and ready to collect, so it's a bit of a shocker the hear that they have found some serious engine damage! I'm not 100% sure of the details, but I think the contacts on one of the spark plugs has broken off - damaging the top of the piston and scoring the cylinder. The dealer said they'd never seen that before (although I know that's a common line!). The car's four years old but only done 22K miles. Needless to say I don't have a warranty! As this is the first time the spark plugs would have been removed so the fault would in theory have been present from new, what do you think my chances are of getting Porsche to cover it as a good will gesture? I'm not sure what will need to be done to rectify it but it's not going to be cheep! Needless to say, I'm feeling pretty gutted at the moment. Anyone else heard of this problem before? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greenman Posted June 11, 2019 Report Share Posted June 11, 2019 Did you have the car from new? Full history? Ive never heard of this before, but it very much sounds like it’s not anything that you could have prevented in any way, I would be suprised if Porsche weren’t sympathetic and at least contribute to the fix whatever that would be. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MIkeyv60 Posted June 11, 2019 Report Share Posted June 11, 2019 Surely you would have felt a cylinder missing if contacts broken off ie no spark? You might lucky as the plugs are within the servicing schedule. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
718as Posted June 11, 2019 Report Share Posted June 11, 2019 Sounds like spark plug failure, very rare, never heard of a contact breaking off TBH. Wonder what the manufacturer of the plugs has to say about it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rowbos Posted June 11, 2019 Report Share Posted June 11, 2019 Ouch! I had this with my wife's old Vitara, my local garage managed to bounce the detached contact out of the engine and it was so agricultural anyway whether it damaged anything I don't know! I feel sure Porsche will view this sympathetically for you... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
That986 Posted June 11, 2019 Report Share Posted June 11, 2019 23 minutes ago, MIkeyv60 said: Surely you would have felt a cylinder missing if contacts broken off ie no spark? You might lucky as the plugs are within the servicing schedule. Just what i was thinking. Sure they've not been heavy handed and done that in the garage? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
718as Posted June 11, 2019 Report Share Posted June 11, 2019 I was thinking the same but didn't want to say. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T911UK Posted June 11, 2019 Report Share Posted June 11, 2019 That would throw a CEL, let along running on 5 would be pretty obvious! Something isnt right Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
map Posted June 11, 2019 Report Share Posted June 11, 2019 If the spark plug had failed pre removal then surly the engine management system would have detected something that triggered a light or other flag. Losing a 6th of the power (‘more dragging an unproductive piston up and down), unburnt fuel entering the cats - something’s a miss here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
map Posted June 11, 2019 Report Share Posted June 11, 2019 1 minute ago, T911UK said: That would throw a CEL, let along running on 5 would be pretty obvious! Something isnt right Was thinking along the same lines at the same time - wouldn’t have essentially restated your comments otherwise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T911UK Posted June 11, 2019 Report Share Posted June 11, 2019 Great minds eh? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
map Posted June 11, 2019 Report Share Posted June 11, 2019 Reflecting on this and to protect you I’d be inclined to tell the dealership to stop work right there - as in do not touch, do not move it - STOP - as you’d like an independent engineer to inspect the damage before any further work is undertaken. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stu67 Posted June 11, 2019 Report Share Posted June 11, 2019 Unfortunately (In this case anyway) they are multi electrode plugs, you could lose three of the four due mechanical failure and you would never know from the way the engine runs... Hopefully Porsche will do the honorable thing - There is certainly nothing the OP could do to mitigate this from happening. Stu. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Menoporsche Posted June 11, 2019 Report Share Posted June 11, 2019 I hear Sale of Goods covers up to 6 years. What is recommended interval to change plugs? i doubt Porsche would want this shouted too loudly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Hamilton Posted June 11, 2019 Report Share Posted June 11, 2019 6 minutes ago, Menoporsche said: What is recommended interval to change plugs? 60,000 miles or 4 years on the 981. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zagamuffin Posted June 11, 2019 Report Share Posted June 11, 2019 24 minutes ago, Menoporsche said: I hear Sale of Goods covers up to 6 years. What is recommended interval to change plugs? i doubt Porsche would want this shouted too loudly. they wernt to bothered about all the ims/rms/bore scoring issues Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MIkeyv60 Posted June 11, 2019 Report Share Posted June 11, 2019 1 hour ago, Stu67 said: Unfortunately (In this case anyway) they are multi electrode plugs, you could lose three of the four due mechanical failure and you would never know from the way the engine runs... Hopefully Porsche will do the honorable thing - There is certainly nothing the OP could do to mitigate this from happening. Stu. Depends on the plugs that are fitted? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Menoporsche Posted June 11, 2019 Report Share Posted June 11, 2019 1 hour ago, zagamuffin said: they wernt to bothered about all the ims/rms/bore scoring issues Hmmm... but they did replace many engines under goodwill. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greenman Posted June 11, 2019 Report Share Posted June 11, 2019 As Stu67 says above, the spark plugs have 4 legs so I assume that one such leg has come off and ended up in the cylinder presumably leading to some bore scoring and maybe piston and ring damage. I can only assume that the plug was damaged (dropped) on initial assembly and subsequent heat cycles have resulted in it failing. Obviously the car has been running fine (I.e firing all 6 cylinders) so the damage can’t be severe, what has oil consumption been like? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daz05 Posted June 11, 2019 Report Share Posted June 11, 2019 Very sorry to hear that, really hope the damage is minimal and Porsche repair this under goodwill. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Menoporsche Posted June 11, 2019 Report Share Posted June 11, 2019 I guess Porsche already knew about this a few years ago, and took measures to reduce the risk, ie the number of spark plugs, by 33%. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MIkeyv60 Posted June 11, 2019 Report Share Posted June 11, 2019 1 hour ago, Greenman said: As Stu67 says above, the spark plugs have 4 legs so I assume that one such leg has come off and ended up in the cylinder presumably leading to some bore scoring and maybe piston and ring damage. I can only assume that the plug was damaged (dropped) on initial assembly and subsequent heat cycles have resulted in it failing. Obviously the car has been running fine (I.e firing all 6 cylinders) so the damage can’t be severe, what has oil consumption been like? Again depends on the type of plugs fitted, not all are the 4 legged. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clivescoobydo Posted June 11, 2019 Report Share Posted June 11, 2019 At the least they should pay for the boroscope to determine the extent of the damage. You and Porsche might be very lucky in that there isn't any bore or piston damage and they can/have retrieved any broken particles. If there is damage then that's where the warranty discussion starts and as its been maintained per the book and that the plug has been removed for the first time I don't think they have a leg to stand on under the sale if goods act tbh......Do they video the maintenance as it happens? Be interesting to see the plug being removed by some heavy handed mechanic........maybe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RBD914 v2 Posted June 11, 2019 Report Share Posted June 11, 2019 Nightmare....thank God I have a warranty on mine. Sincerely hope Porsche do the honourable thing and sort you out. Keep us posted Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ragpicker Posted June 11, 2019 Report Share Posted June 11, 2019 Rotten luck OP.. I hope you get something out of Porsche but I can't see how it has anything to do with them. The car is out of warranty and a wear and tear item which they do not manufacture has failed leading to engine damage. If I made expensive ornaments and someone bought one from me, then the shelf they put it on dropped and the ornament smashed, I wouldn't want to replace the ornament for free due to failure of the shelving bracket 🤷♂️ Genuinely hope I'm wrong though 👍🏻 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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