[harsh_ride]

My 968 6-speed just decided to dump its coolant all over the carport this evening (at least it happened as I was arriving home, and not on the climb out of Vegas, as happened to a colleague in her '01 Saab with similar mileage), so it's going back down to Dutch Treat. As long as it's there (I was going to not drive it and get it addressed later)...



Yesterday the transmission gear shift got weird. First, third, fifth, sixth, and to an extent fourth gears are fine, but second feels "spongy," like there's half a loaf of soggy white bread between the gear lever and the gear selector (forgive my terminology). It has also popped out of gear a couple of times, but only from second, and only over rough pavement; with your hand on the shift knob you can feel it "bouncing" significantly more in 2nd (and somewhat in 4th) than in the other gears.



The transmission is relatively new; it's a rebuilt unit that was installed -- oh, okay, so, not so new... It was installed December 2003, about 11,000 miles ago.



The clutch, flywheel, etc., were all done about a month (less than 1,000 miles) ago.



Thoughts as to what it is? Transmission mount(s)?



Thanks!

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[flash]

sounds like maybe the bushing at the bottom of the shifter broke - that or the linkage in the back is loose



bummer about the coolant loss - i expect we are going to see a lot of this though in the near future, as the rubber parts (hoses, seals, etc) are now very old, WAY beyond their life expectancy, and need replacing

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[harsh_ride]

[quote name='flash' post='37461' date='Jun 26 2007, 07:54 AM']i expect we are going to see a lot of this though in the near future, as the rubber parts (hoses, seals, etc) are now very old, WAY beyond their life expectancy, and need replacing[/quote]



That's what worries me. I'm swapping out my Wrangler for a new 328 xDrive wagon, so the Porsche won't even be tempting as a daily driver. But I'm still wrestling with the increasing costs of maintaining a car this old (coupled with the inherent risks -- if this had happened on my way to court, or on a weekend trip to wine country, or somesuch, it would have been a nightmare), vs. swapping for a 987. <img src="/forum/images/smilies/968/sad.gif" class="smilie" alt="" /> I love the 968 and don't want to give up on her, but especially with a mortgage (hopefully; in escrow as we speak)...

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[flash]

hoses aren't bad - i'd do those, pressure check the system, and let her rip

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[harsh_ride]

Well, escrow closed a couple of days late and everything has been *crazy* (and I still don't have a bathroom door...), but got the 968 towed down to Dutch Treat on Monday. The tally so far:

• Cracked a plastic heater valve in two, hence the coolant issues.
  
  
• Swapping in new engine mounts (OEM), this was scheduled.
  
  
• Swapping in new sway and control arm bushings, also scheduled. (Yay, no more right front corner clunk.)
  
  
• Still pending: The squishy transmission that pops out of 2nd. Should know more today.
  
  

On the to-do list:

• Brakes ($1200 seems a bit high, since I've priced aftermarket rotors at ~$80 each and pads at ~$40 each set; even with the wear indicators, at $80/hour for labor it can't be that big a job?
  
  
• Oil sending unit; still showing a fault (though oil is pumping just fine, levels are good, etc), so I've got the Big Red Exclamation Point. But since I just changed the oil and am, since becoming a home owner, a miserly bastard who commutes on the motorcycle anyway, it's on the TODO.
  
  

Both brakes and the oil sending unit are high on the priority list, but will probably be next week or the week after. After that, I think she's in pretty good shape. 'Course, every time I think that, something happens... (Finally replaced the original clutch in my 94,000 mile 1995 Wrangler 4.0L, and now I think the synchros are going in the 5-speed... Sigh. I maybe shouldn't hang onto vehicles into their teenage years, they're as bad as human children!)

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[Renalicious]

Heater control valve split into two? Yep, been there, done that. Had a new one sitting in the trunk, but the shop didn't install it because they were missing a 2" peice of hose to connect it to the rest of the system. It blew the next day (night) when I took it out for a cruise, coincidentally that same day the hose arrived. Insult to injury, it cost me about $150 to get it towed to the shop... then came the repair bill <img src="/forum/images/smilies/968/dry.gif" class="smilie" alt="" />



I think that all cars which get past a certain age will require their fair share of critical maintenance. I know it's what I've been doing, and as much as it's cost me, the light at the end of the tunnel is getting closer. But it's not stopping me from enjoying the car!

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[harsh_ride]

Well, the transmission wonkiness was evidently just a loose bracket, coupled with the engine. Both motor mounts were blown. I still have a tiny vibration at idle (just enough to shake the windshield rearview) that disappears instantly with the slightest application of throttle. But I'm not complaining.



I hate taking my car to Dutch Treat... Every time it's at least $1,200 (or, say, two Cayman lease payments) but never more than ~$2500 (well below my True Pain threshold), and every time when I get her back, she's so well put together I fall in love all over again and decide to keep her.



Final work done was:

• Motor mounts replaced
  
  
• Bushings etc. replaced (no more <<clunk>>!)
  
  
• Heater valve replaced
  
  

I wonder if I'm not now transmitting substantially more power to the rear wheels than before; I've broken the rear end free on occasions when it surprised me. (Never uncontrollably, just kind of a "whoa, she's never done that before!")



Between the belts change (with the teeth-missing balance belt), the new clutch, the motor mounts and bushings, etc., it's an awesome, amazing, fun to drive, whole new car! (With slowly developing seat leather cracks, an opaque rear window, and a soft top that shows signs of popping stitching and some rub spots on the canvas)...



What to do, what to do...



Going to see if I can get the seat patched temporarily, until I can afford to recover them both. Likewise, I'll leave the top down and cover her, for the nonce (I have underground parking). I'll take care of her eventually, but right now my priority is getting my new place fixed up and livable! (I'm sleeping on the couch while I / the handyman redo the bedroom, which is finally almost ready for human occupancy...)

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[Anchorman]

While you didn't use the words, your description fits that good old 968 "smile factor". Enjoy, enjoy, DON'T add up the bills.

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