Porsche Carrera 911, 964: 1989-1994 Technical Data—Without Guesswork™

Porsche Carrera 2, Carrera 4, RS America, Turbo 3.3, Turbo 3.6
by Bentley Publishers reviewed by Mario Costa-Sa

I have just obtained a (discounted) copy of the Bentley Technical Data Manual from Simon at Essential Styling Ltd.

If you ask him nicely, the deal was £37.50+vat & delivery (from RRP £48.95+vat & del).

A few comments went around amongst 964 owners following the launch of this manual. We are of course all waiting expectantly for the birth of Adrian Streather's book also due to be delivered by Bentley. Meanwhile this book seemed to have all of the information I would need to hand. The author is anonymous in Haynes/technical manual style, however our very own 964 Guru Adrian does feature very prominently in the technical acknowledgements, and the some of the book does have the familiar feel and guidance of Adrian's very wise words.

Cars Covered

Engines covered

Transmissions covered

Scope covered

Items covered repeat some of the information covered in the owner’s handbook, but then continues to further the scope & detail, yet in much the same style. As an example is the useful VIN, engine & gearbox numbers with location & explanation information and the items covered at 6 & 12000 mile services albeit oddly in kilometres but without reference to the measurement.

The engine section covers the basic information for anyone involved with overseeing a engine rebuild, including grouping information for barrels & pistons along with good diagrams on major components. It is not however a step-by-step, DIY manual on how a novice could do this complex task themselves.

Likewise the sections on Dual Mass Flywheel, Gearbox diagrams, Clutch & Drive train are more for interested and involved owners, rather than a substitute for the services of a good mechanic.

Amongst the sections that are of most use are those that help with emergency repairs and DIY fault finding for those annoying ongoing problems that even the specialists seem unable to cure 1st time. These range from the dry sump oil system, brake system, DME Fuel system, ignition system and the infamous DME relay.

Suspension and exhaust sections are useful for owners buying replacement parts or upgrading their systems and the brake disc and pad renewal is well within the scope of DIY owner using the information given in the book to check tolerances of discs.

The charging system section is great for the new 964 owner with the reluctance to start being the first problem the owner will encounter especially over the winter months, but is easily & cheaply solved.

Finally the electrical system section is good but could do with more detail. A wiring diagram is not included, but earth points are, (a common source of problems). The 964 has 22 of them. What is useful is a location chart of electrical components e.g. cruise control relays and antenna amplifiers from which much fault finding can be done, you can’t fix a part you don’t know exists.

Summary

The 964 is not a overly complicated car. Part of the experience of 964 ownership is translating the idiosyncrasies of the Porsche from ownership of conventional mainstream vehicles. By focusing on these areas, the technical manual does a comprehensive job.

The workshop manual is available on disc and covers far more detail but this is far more expensive, incomplete, unwieldy and not convenient most of the time. At almost three times the cost of a Haynes manual (currently only available for the earlier cars up to 1988) this book may seem expensive to some. There are some however who prefer to wait for Adrian Streather’s book to come out, but frankly what do we do till then if we have a problem.

For an owner like myself who has several excellent independent Porsche garages nearby for servicing and major repairs, but still likes to do the minor ½ day jobs themselves, get involved in fault diagnosis, and talk knowledgeably to the specialists serving their car I feel this book is of great value. After all if the average maintenance spend of 964 owners is around £2000, the £40 odd spent on this seems cheap, and could pay for itself the first time it is used.

I am sure a few owners including myself wish they had it around to simply to understand more complex problems on their vehicle, which were dealt with by a specialist. Likewise if it succeeds in getting a few owners to diagnose & self-fix a few of the easy problems on their car it will also prove to be a good investment.

Verdict

A good buy for the involved owner, in addition to the essential of the owners manual, Haynes manual for the 911 3.2 up to 1988, and perhaps the CD Workshop manual and PET program, the owner should be readily able to tackle most feasible tasks and discuss knowledgeably (& hence impress & not get ripped off!) by their Porsche specialist. I look forward with anticipation (early 2003?) to see if Adrian can raise the game.

The Bentley Technical Data Manual from www.bentleypublishers.com

Or at a discount from Simon at www.essentialstyling.com  where the deal is £37.50+vat & delivery (from RRP £48.95+vat & del)

Mario Costa-Sa has been living in peace with his daily driver, FOG 89, a Carrera 4 Cabriolet for two years. See his 964 Wallpaper in the Images/Media section.  Working in telecoms and based in Harpenden, Herts., this year he has spent in excess of £10k on repairs & maintenance including a full top & bottom engine & gearbox rebuild that is being written up and will appear on this site in the coming months.