The Porsche 911 is one of the most successful competition cars ever to be produced by any automotive company. Throughout the years, variations on this model have taken first place at races such as Sebring, Nürburgring, and the infamous 24 Hours of Le Mans. The 996 series was released in 1998 and ran until 2004. Some owners experience a pop-out issue from 2nd gear.
The vast majority of 996 owners that experience the 2nd gear pop-out issue say that it takes place primarily when going downhill, when the foot is off the gas and the clutch, and when the shifter is not being used. Then, the transmission will suddenly drop the car out of second and into either third or first gear, greatly upsetting the otherwise velvety smoothness of this car’s operation.
Unfortunately, this problem usually signifies a rather large problem. Each of the gears has a set of teeth that hook onto the other gears in the car and allow the vehicle to move at the desired RPM rate. When gears are shifted too fast and the load in the car is too heavy, these teeth can begin to wear down, resulting in sudden slippage. The Porsche 996 series is especially vulnerable to this wear, and when it occurs you are likely in for an entirely rebuilt transmission.
Many problems that arise in your vehicle will have warning signs that tell you when they are about to occur. Unfortunately, the 2nd gear pop-out issue does not have many signs that come before it to alert the owner that a serious problem is unfolding. The best move possible is to take your 996 to a nearby Porsche repair garage, where a tremendously experienced mechanic can check your transmission out, tell you whether or not it is showing signs of excessive wear, and advise you on a following course of action.
Search for a local, independent Porsche repair shop with Porsche mechanics that have dealer-level expertise at a fraction of the expense.