Porsche 944 - Common Problems and Buying Guide

[@cshocks7]

The rubber grommet near the distributor is how you inspect the timing belt. Learned of it from another source. About to get a 944 soon. 😊

[@artmchugh5644]

Can't see the timing belt to get a look at its condition. That hole is to see cam sprocket timing marks !!!!😀😀😀😀😀😁😁🍺🍺🍺

[@thaddeusforsythe1173]

Replace the belts, even if they look good, every 45,000 miles. I've restored MANY of these cars, trust me. Also, if the belt breaks, you do NOT need a new engine... you'll only need to have your intake/exhaust valves replaced.

[@pudgeboyardee32]

Yep, and if there *is* piston damage youll see it when the head comes off, maybe even with just the valve out. Bore scopes are real cheap now too. With that and a decent, modern volt ohm meter this car seems like no trouble. My buddy just got an 85 1/2 n/a no power steering and it looks rock solid and drives unlike any other car ive ever been in. All gauges work, headlamp unit looks new and rolls smooth, bumpers shaved, de-badged; its glorious. All original stock as a rock

[@CashedOutCars]

You’re correct on not needing to replace the whole engine, however, for a lot of people it’d total the car, especially on cheaper ones, which is why I put it that way. Of course anything can be fixed, it just depends on the amount of time and money thrown at it

[@heroichitsuji]

CashedOutCars the amount of stories I’ve heard about 944s being garaged (one was simply left in a field) due to simple timing belts.... I’d give one of these a good home.

[@christopherkast8045]

Gates RPM division makes an awesome Kevlar timing belt ( about $70) which is 3 times stronger than the original Conti belt

[@christopherkast8045]

I rebuilt the entire power sunroof assembly with a used motor assembly. New cam and aftermarket brass gears to replace the plastic ones from Uro Part for less than $100 and about 2 hours work

[@Riez_00]

I take a bus to work currently and on my way to work there's a mechanic shop that the bus always passes and outside the shop there's a 944 that seems to be being repaired, it's been in the same spot for a while now but it always catches my eye every time I pass.

[@recyclespinning9839]

Awesome, I am a bit older dude and never really learned how to work on cars. Great to see you guys so young and this knowledge and know how. You can make a great career and the trouble shooting you learn can transfer to many jobs. 👍

[@christopherkast8045]

Another common problem is a leaking power steering pump but the Seal and gasket kit to rebuild the pump is only $30. Just remember to remove the high pressure side Line first before removing the pump

[@christopherkast8045]

The upper engine cover does not "pop off" . There are 8 bolts to remove, two of which are difficult to access

[@qtrfoil]

Old 944 S2 guy here, this is really solid work, guys, thanks! Good call on the odometer BTW.

[@CashedOutCars]

Thanks my friend!

[@devorahacts]

Many thanks for the video guys! Clutch and Transaxle (back end of transmission) seem to fail together, turning expensive to super expensive. A sun roof has a hatch that opens up and out and usually can be removed easily. A moon roof is more of a sliding door inside the roof, usually opens only half way, but it seals better. I've only been able to get good work done with actual Porsche mechanics here in LA, literally everyone else I've had work on it, and the list is long, seems to have failed and caused me to pay for something twice. My electrical system has issues that are kind of weird. Turn signal will often cause the washer fluid and wipers to go on. Doesn't seem to matter which direction.

[@cet777]

Great video guys, thanks for posting. As a 944 owner I think Gus has the better car but then again I just might be biased..😁 keep up the great videos gentlemen.

[@CashedOutCars]

Thanks! I do love the 944, I just like giving him a hard time about it.. they’re both a blast!

[@stephenmichalchuk1584]

Your pretty accurate with those. I have had every one of them at least once on the 2 944s that I have. The leather on the gear shift, driver seat will crack and tear, up and down switch on the driver side seat will get brittle and break, the switches for the sun roof, mirror and audio balance just behind the gear shift will break or the markings on them will wear. Remember that these cars are 35 years old!

[@louie4316]

Any car that is 30+ years old will need all it's rubber components replaced, if not you're running on borrowed time. Especially those high priced very low milage garage queens that just sit for years. Great video!

[@Manic_Mitch.official]

The thumbnail said Nine hundred and forty four problems. Jeez i dont think i want to get one anymore

[@CashedOutCars]

Get a Miata, they only have mx- *5* problems.

[@P1983sche]

CashedOutCars Yeah Japanese problems...which is almost zero 😂

[@sircruzin]

I had one model of 944 with a power sunroof. You're lucky if you get a feel uses out of it before the gears in the sunroof chew themselves up

[@Cmsant]

$300 fix lol

[@ashley2449]

currently talking to someone who's got a mid 85 944s good to know what exactly I'd be getting into with it and what to look for.

[@rogerphilabaum4563]

Another thing you should talk about is the internal oil cooler seals. They are super easy to replace but if you don't know better you'll think you blew a head gasket.

[@brandonstogdill3480]

Just bros being bros. Reminds me of the videos me and my friends used to make in high school. I think you just helped me make a decision I’ll be buying this over a Miata. :)

[@pudgeboyardee32]

Pack of smokes helps diagnose vacuum line leaks. Old ways for old cars. You can get a cheap vapor unit now too. Most of this stuff sounds eminently do-able. Id avoid the power steering models and the turbos but you can transplant better wiper equipment and the n/a engine bay has tons of space to work in. It really is built to go to the track and have fun and that always costs a little wrench work.

[@LboogieG12]

@CashedOutCars props to you guys for your taste in the older generation cars

[@Evocati-Augusti]

I haven't watched this yet, but I hope you know about the 83-85.5 oil in the radiator mixing problem, that was the biggest problem with all 944 before 85.5

[@martinarusso4306]

Hi can you tell me where is the hood release? Thank you

[@Cmsant]

Right under the middle of the bonnet

[@allans7281]

Why would they put fuel lines directly above the engine that seems like a hazard. do most cars have at elsewhere?

[@CashedOutCars]

Fuel lines near and around the engine isn’t necessary a hazard itself, but position combined with poor material on these led to some cars having problems

[@ameykarade9432]

Woah ! Were those maintenance repairs? I thought that was the closing credits that roll after the end of a movie

[@sircruzin]

The reason the car is worth maintaining over the Mazda is the ability of the car. My 84 944 with some suspension upgrades will out handle my 2004 ZO6 Corvette. I'll take on the Mazda in my BMW 7 Series

[@CashedOutCars]

I think you’re mistaken here. We have both and we track both, the Miata handles better, even stock for stock. There’s a reason the Miata is the most raced car in the world and why it frequently dominates autocross events! Not trying to hate on the 944, as I love the car, but from first hand experience the Miata is handled better. Maybe you haven’t seen a Miata on suspension upgrades! :)

[@winha1435]

I have same black body 1985 944na 238 000km on the meter and its least driven car in my yard at the moment. Best upgrade you can do to these old cars is to get set of good tires whit bit more wide and smaller side walls. You can can hear the belts if you over tight them, timing belt is easy chance and to setup correct cause you can see the marks while you tight it down, mine had one tooth of from last owner. Proplems that i have had broken reference sensor, broken slave cylinder, broken sunroof motor and leaky seals, bretty much that same list failed parts as you have in description, old car, old parts, had to replace most of the seals to get rid of mild exhaust smell in capin and reduce wind noise and plug some holes from back of the car, pressure from the cabin exit trough back of the car in to the doors and out front of doors so if you have leaks in back like holes behind licence plate etc it will likely suck some exhaust from there and travel it to cabin, it seems to be more issue whit these bumbers like you and i have since how exhaust gasses flow in back of the car whit longer tail bumber. Some years ago changed original ecu to vems and got rid of AFM and chanced ignition to wasted spark, you can get plug and play kit from peeps and theres plenty of info about how to install it and some user experiences in rennlist, its decent upgrade. :)

[@ocantor_bc]

Nice video guys. I have some questions, is it possible to install a turbo in this car? If so, does it make similar (in power) to the turbo version?

[@ocantor_bc]

@@marcowollenweber9723 thanks a lot, very helpful info. I'll check the channel for the swap. Keep it up guys!

[@adunni66]

@Enrique: Anything is possible, it’s just a matter of time, money & engineering. Personally, I’d sell your 944 & buy a 951. It’ll cost less & be more reliable.

[@Cmsant]

I own a 89’ 951 and it cost me 2k to fix to A/C and change the coolant and that’s a independent mechanic. When I first got it. It got all the new seals and timing belt when I got it. After spending 6k in preventative maintenance for a 31 year old car it never broke down on me as my daily during my two years in college. As long as you change the timing belt every 30k miles you’re pretty good....oh and power steering leaks a little on mine.... no big deal, I just have to keep checking the power steering fluid once a week. That’s the only thing that is wrong. It’s built like a tank and I plan to keep mine into my old age.

[@CashedOutCars]

That's basically the plan with this one too! All the maintenance was done up front

[@monkie-centurie4986]

Hello, I just bought a 1984 944 last night and it’s in good condition the only thing wrong with it was the odometer and fuel odometer but once me and my cousin got home and turned off the car it wouldn’t start back up until a few minutes later our guess was that it probably over heated but you know it could be something else, any ideas ? Also can u put a download link for the sheet of paper for maintenance I saw in the video it would really help! Thanks bro🙏

[@cordaemoffat4391]

Hey guys I live in CT and was looking into buying one of these would you guys be interested in coming with me to see what could be needed before I buy this car ?

[@tylerdeibel376]

I'm a high schooler and I'm totally in love with these old Porsches. I currently have a very dependable daily driver (~$7k) but I just saw an old 1977 go up for sale for $2.5k just across town. I don't know a lot about how to work with cars but I'm willing to learn and put in the work and I know some people that are a lot better than I am with cars. Should I sell my dependable car for a car I'd love a lot more and take a risk or is this a bad car to learn how to work on cars? Any advice would be appreciated, thanks!

[@CashedOutCars]

I'd highly recommend keeping your dependable car IF you need it and rely on it for things such as work, school, or other transportation needs. If you have an option for this if a car like this goes down for a bit, then you can follow your heart! They are a fairly difficult car to work on and are a bit more expensive in parts compared to Japanese or American vehicles (if you're in America)

[@superchief15]

The only common problem I can think of on the 944 is folks abuse this wonderful little car then wonder why they break them! I owned 3 , 2 new and 1 used and can you name any other group of 30 year old cars that are still on the road all these years later with nothing but amateur mechanics fixing them!

[@csflight7384]

Im thinking of getting one in 2 years as my first car. When i get one what should i do?

[@allans7281]

Thats a 1985+ dash. Did u say it was a 83? You can’t compare that and the Miata 944 is a gorgeous classic icon

[@CashedOutCars]

It’s an 1986! They’re certainly both fun cars, I’m happy with my choice with my Miata and he loves his 944!

[@miguelcastaneda7236]

fuel Rail is detective on early ones if its still original dealership will change free of charge...factory pays them..even as old as they are check mechanics campainge bullitins they list the factory recalls or upgrades

[@superfly1]

Great vid. I race Miatas and I'm picking a a 944 T race car tomorrow. Miatas are amazing cars, I hope the 944 is as fun. I see you are on CT try to get on a track day at Palmer.

[@artmchugh5644]

If you are tracking a 951 , have your buddy buy mine !!! 😀😀😁😁🏁🏁🍺 kzbin.info/www/bejne/pZKsipmcrNRkeqs

[@sofahousechurch8266]

Well done guys... Great job

[@williamfodera6074]

Im considering buying a 1984 944 (non turbo) that has been sitting for 8 years. The guy says it has 58,000 miles and that it was driving fine 8 years ago, he parked it in his driveway, threw a cover on it and left it there. Now it doesn't start and he said he has no interest playing around with it. Would you think it's something simple that isn't allowing the engine to start? I know a decent amount about engines but idk if I want to take the risk with this one. It's in good shape and he's asking $3000 for it.

[@CashedOutCars]

It could be a lot of things, if it's sat a mouse problem could total the car if they chewed wiring. You'll have to see it in person to get a good feeling about it!

[@quickturn66]

Does it turn over with a good battery,does it have spark,does the fuel pump vibrate when you put your hand on it and someone cranks the engine. A lot of missing information to make a judgment,is it in nice condition?i

[@favgramp]

Nice job on the video guys.

[@CashedOutCars]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@8359s]

Did 944MAX chip give anything? I am suppose to order it today, but wanted to ask first as it's 250$ + shipping costs. Additionally was Swepco 212 a good choice for the transmission? It has crazy viscosity of 140.

[@dhdirtjumpder]

An alternative to consider is a MAF kit. I have one on mine which comes with a tune. They are around $500 but to me are worth the extra $$$. The factory AFM's commonly fail from excessive ware and are in general a poor way to measure air flow.

[@CashedOutCars]

Sorry for the late reply! The chip makes a small improvement, nothing crazy though. I'm not too familiar with different transmission fluids for 944s, sorry. I just put redline MT-90 in my Miata and like it but that's obviously a different car.

[@matthewmcquade1]

Great video guys

[@CashedOutCars]

Thanks so much!

[@garrettgreen242]

Great video, thank you!

[@richardcucutahenriquez6114]

Buy porche 944, remove engine and install SR20DET problem solved. Remove dash, Fiberglas, paint and problem solved.

[@CashedOutCars]

I like your way of thinking...

[@ericdavisii3912]

Show me the swap tutorial for this and I will fkn do it!

[@richardcucutahenriquez6114]

@@ericdavisii3912 wish I had the money to make it happen.

[@jeffersonho6886]

What motor mounts do use?

[@franzwagner9745]

Hi just so everyone remember dos cars are 30 year's and older so stop complaining it's mostly standard regular maintenance and if you don't you will have problems.

[@CashedOutCars]

A lot of it is, but a lot of it isn’t. Of course it’ll have problems, all cars will! This is just for people to learn from so they have a knowledge base about the car before buying one or before letting a maintenance item go too long

[@Workerbee-zy5nx]

Timing belts, clutch, minor electrics...FINDING A SMART MECHANIC.

[@anthonytaylor1911]

I've owned 3 of these. Never a problem. I did break a axle took her to about 5k and dropped that clutch then hang.lol I knew what it was as soon as I heard that. This 944T only had 28k miles. Drove it to 70k and sold it. Also water pump and hoses. Even though miles can be low. Rubber gets old sitting for all years. Better to drive these older cars than letting them sit. Gaskets will dry out.

[@aedandemarais4756]

I loved this video it was very helpful

[@CashedOutCars]

Glad it helped you out!

[@arturzabiegala6985]

Super..! THX

[@lacqpa]

but who wants a Miata ??? 😄

[@CashedOutCars]

A lot more people than who wanted the 944, which is why they’re still in production today!🤪I get the point though, there’s nothing other than cool factor and storage that a 944 does better than a Miata. The cool factor is worth a lot

[@ProjectFairmont]

The “superior Miata”. Cam chain tensioners? WTF I’m out.

[@Dustyfingers]

Problems with a 944. Everything

[@randyhayden3159]

So everything lol

[@OtomoTenzi]

Reliable??? Sounds like a FUCKING NIGHTMARE if ya asked me...

[@CashedOutCars]

This car actually came with a pretty extensive list of maintenance done by the previous owner, but with that said they’re very expensive and meticulous to maintain. For the amount spent on maintenance for this car I could have build a 2nd turbo Miata😂

[@TheMentalblockrock]

Get that bloody awful fuzzy box out of your boot (trunk) is the biggest problem with this car!

[@CashedOutCars]

luckily it’s not your car!

[@kazarbeilerian9123]

How can you even compare a Porsche to a pice of junk Miata they are not even in the same category, I guess when you grow up you’ll learn about real cars.

[@CashedOutCars]

I’ve driven plenty of “real cars”, GTRs, M3s, high end Audis.. the value of Miatas is huge. My Miata smokes the Porsche 944 all day every day on track and in a straight line how they sit right now. I love the Porsche, but I’m surprised you downplay the Miata quite so much

[@ChrisBrown-pz2gu]

Lol, the miata is 10× the car the Porsche is

[@charlessawallich1870]

Those cars are a heaping pile of,. J. U. N. K

[@rogerphilabaum4563]

Loved mine. No issues other than regular maintenance.

[@crosisofborg5524]

You obviously never owned one.

[@rogerphilabaum4563]

@@crosisofborg5524 yes as a matter of fact I did. Was a 1988. Owned it for 5 yrs. Didn't have an issue with it.

[@theeflea03]

Roger Philabaum I think he’s talking about the guy who said they’re junk

[@rogerphilabaum4563]

@@theeflea03 you could be right. Loved ours. Want another one.