4.9 STAR RATING BY 501 REVIEWS
111 Camino Alto, Mill Valley, CA 94941
(415) 383-2382
4.9 STAR RATING BY 501 REVIEWS
111 Camino Alto, Mill Valley, CA 94941(415) 383-2382
The Porsche is a high-quality, stylish vehicle that drivers love to take out on the open road or glide through cities. If you drive a Porsche, you know the level of performance that these cars should uphold. One typical part that you might encounter problems with in a Porsche is the IMS bearing. There are many internet threads discussing the do’s and don’ts of a failed IMS bearing. However, we’re here to give you a complete guide to this critical part of your prized Porsche.
First, IMS is an abbreviation for InterMediate Shaft. This is essentially a geared shaft that goes all the way through and out of the front and back of your Porsche’s engine. With these gears, the IMS’s function is to utilize the rotation of the crankshaft to (indirectly) drive the camshafts on both sides of the engine. The IMS bearings are simply the cartridge-style ball bearings that keep the IMS in its place.
There are a few central weaknesses to the original factory IMS bearings. The first is the material of the ball-bearings; they’re not exactly strong enough to take the loads put upon them. The second is that the lubrication of the ball-bearings is not sufficient for adequate function.
Unfortunately, the IMS bearings in Porsche have been shown to sometimes fail after just 3000 miles. Even worse, it can be difficult to even notice the signs of failed IMS bearings in your Porsche. However, there are a few things you can do to prevent this from happening in the first place or catch it early.
First, as with any type of upkeep, it’s important to take your Porsche in for regular checks and maintenance. This is the best way to catch any sort of problem with your car before it causes exponential damage, especially regarding the IMS bearings.
Each time you take your vehicle in for an oil or filter change, your mechanic can check the filter and oil for metallic debris. If this is the case, it’s fairly certainly coming from the ball-bearings. Additionally, if there are pieces of black plastic in the oil or filter, it might have originated from the IMS bearing seal and leaked into either place.
Both of these are highly important signals that the IMS bearings could be failing. After you uncover these problems, it’s vital to take your car to a specialized technician for an inspection and full repair of this part of your car.
One thing you can do to stop IMS bearing failure from happening in the first place is by getting oil changes more regularly than recommended. It’s beneficial for your car anyway to have new oil, and you’ll be better able to catch this problem before it wreaks havoc on your Porsche.
It is sometimes thought that an oil leak at the end of your Porsche’s engine is a sign that the IMS bearings are failing. However, this is not always the case, as oftentimes it can be from the RMS rather than the IMS bearings.
It is also possible that oil is escaping from the IMS flange seal. In any case, it’s important to get regular maintenance checks and oil changes on your beloved Porsche to keep it healthy and running properly.
Located off of Camino Alto in Mill Valley, California, Masters European & Japanese Auto Repair is CA’s premier automotive repair shop. We service all drivers in the surrounding area of Mill Valley, including Corte Madera, Larkspur, Sausalito, and Tiburon, CA.
If you take your car for a regular oil change and catch a problem with the IMS bearings, take your Porsche to see us as soon as possible. It’s critical to remedy this problem before it exponentially damages your car. Though the ball-bearings are small, the damage can be huge.
In addition to repairing your Porsche’s IMS bearings, we offer the following services:
We guarantee the highest quality service and repairs for your prized Porsche. Come see us at Masters European today!
