The Most Common 3.2 Porsche M96.26 Engine Problems

The Porsche M96.26 3.2-liter boxer engine was produced by the concern from 2004 to 2006 and was installed on the second-generation Boxster S cabriolets in the back of the 987 of the first years of production.

There was a 3.2-liter modification of such an engine with its index M96.25.

M96.26 Engine Specifications

Exact Volume3179 cm³
Supply systemDistribution injection
ICE power280 HP
Torque320 Nm
Cylinder blockAluminum H6
Block headAluminum 24v
Cylinder diameter93 mm
Piston stroke78 mm
Compression ratio11
ICE featuresNo
Hydraulic liftersYes
Timing driveChain
Phase regulatorVarioCam Plus
TurboNo
What oil to pour7.75 liters 5W-40
Fuel typeAI-95
Environmental classEURO 4
Sample resource230,000 km

Fuel Consumption Porsche M96.26 Engine

Using the example of a 2005 Porsche Boxster S with a manual transmission:

City14.3 liters
Highway7.4 liters
Mixed9.9 liters

Reliability and Main Advatages of The M96.26 Engine

Features The M96.26 is a 6-cylinder, 24-valve, port-port injection (MPFI) engine. The diameter of each cylinder here is 93 mm, and the piston stroke is 78 mm. As for the compression ratio, it is 11:1 here.

The M96.26 engine is located in the car at the rear, in a longitudinal way. It should also be noted that this ICE belongs to the category of boxer, and therefore has a rather complex design.

In particular, it contains such an element as an intermediate shaft, which is needed to rotate the camshafts (there are 2 of them) and the oil pump.

And this engine has a power of 280 hp. At the same time, it is also appreciated for the fact that it is able to provide Porsche roadsters with fast acceleration (up to 100 km in less than 6 seconds!) And excellent top speed indicators.

Read Also: The Most Common 3.2 Porsche M96.24 Engine Problems

Disadvantages and problems of the M96.26 engine

M96.26 engines are characterized by problems with individual ignition coils. At some point, they may become unusable, and in order to fix this, it will be necessary to carry out the procedure for replacing them.

As is the case with many other engines, during the operation of the M96.26 it is quite possible to encounter oil leaks. The reasons for this may be different, and in order to find out exactly what’s wrong, you need to go to a car service.

The pump is also considered a weak point of this engine – it can fail already in the region of 10,000 km.

Finally, it is worth mentioning such a problem M96.26 as the rapid wear of the intermediate shaft bearing. As a result, the engine starts to tap loudly and work intermittently.

M96.26 engine applicability

  • Porsche : Boxster (2004-)

M96.26 Engine Tuning prospects

M96.26 is a naturally aspirated engine, and therefore chip tuning here will not give too much power increase – it will increase from 280 to 295 hp. And the torque will rise from 320 to 335 Nm.

And this is generally an acceptable result, especially considering that the chipping process does not take much time and does not require the purchase of any spare parts.

An additional refinement of this internal combustion engine is also real – you can install a different exhaust system, replace the cylinder-piston group, and install a turbine.

But such refinement is rarely resorted to, because the final exhaust does not correspond to the money and effort spent.

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