Well, I replaced my upper chain tensioner ramp, then did a high speed run from Indiana to Florida and back (thank you Mr. Valentine
). What a ride!! This car is fantastic. That said though, it's not without its gremlins (obviously).
First off, someone mentioned that I should have sucked it up and put out the $250 for the lower ramp (meaning the whole tensioning assembly). After inspection of the lower ramp, it was apparent that it had not worn nearly as much as the upper ramp, implying that it does not receive the brunt of the tensioning forces. Considering the relatively low miles on the car, I think the mechanical aspects of the tensioner should be solid. I'll keep on monitoring the tensioner assembly with periodic inspections, but for now I feel comfortable having addressed just the upper ramp.
I had one big problem pop up just as I was leaving Florida--my radiator cracked!! This delayed me a day in getting out, as I had to locate a new radiator and have it couriered in ($325—I performed the labor--too much I know, but considering the circumstances.........). What I discovered though is that the “old” radiator (from service records of the original and PO -- I believe it was the second radiator) was not the proper one, as the hose connections were all too small. I had been experiencing some low level coolant seepage from the hose connections—and this explains it as the hoses probably were creasing upon tightening the hose clamps. The new radiator is a German brand (sorry it’s on the radiator and I can’t read it now), and its hose connections appear to be the proper size. At any rate I noticed that the car ran considerably cooler on the trip home. On the trip down to Florida the temp gage just brushed the lower part of the upper white line (the one prior to the red zone). On the trip home, the gage registered in the lower region of the middle zone. The air temperature on my return trip was pushing 100 degrees F, somewhat hotter than my trip down. This brings me to my third topic – fuel injectors.
I have been fighting a cold start problem that I’ve tracked to a sometimes leaking injector (fuel rail will not maintain pressure – I smell gas out the exhaust on cold start). What I’m thinking is that the hotter running that this car has apparently experienced caused the degradation of the fuel injectors. With it running hotter, the cool down cycling of the engine over time caused a fractionation of the residual fuel in the injectors leaving behind a somewhat heavier than “normal” deposit. Just a theory, but it seems to make sense. The car now has just 44K—including my 2000 mile joy ride. I pulled the injectors before my trip and cleaned them by blowing ethanol though them (both ways) which initially helped tremendously – but I think one injector is just plain sticking now.
Oh well, just some observations I’d though I’d share. I know the S has been getting some bad press here, but in general the more I drive and learn about the car, the more confident I’m getting that I can keep it running well for a long long time. I do all of my own work – which I truly enjoy – so that makes ownership even more satisfying--at least for me. The 944 in general, and perhaps the S in particular, just need heightened levels of awareness of peculiarities, relative to other car brands. With that in mind, I truly appreciate this forum and all of the good advice supplied here. I hope some of my experiences will help.
BTW—The more I drive the S—the more neglected my M3 gets—almost time maybe to seek a good home for it!!