Underneath

I was lucky enough to go to Porsche Byfleet for a 993 day where owners could get under the cars with a mechanic and do a thorough inspection. (OPC Byfleet are a great bunch - highly recommended - especially for pre '98 Porsche)

The 993 has two plastic undertrays which protect engine and gearbox. They are held on with only a few screws / clips and are very quick and easy to remove. With the undertrays in place, it's almost impossible to see if there are any oil leaks - any drips collect on the tray - not under the car on the drive / street so no oil on the pavement doesn't necessarily mean no oil leaking!

Plastic Undertrays in place

Once the undertrays are off, you can inspect the engine and gearbox properly to see what's going on. Typical 993 areas where oil can weep is from the cam covers, chain covers and gearbox seal. It is very common for these areas to show signs of leaking. Damp is nothing to worry about - worth changing when having other work done but not essential. Major leaks = engine out = big bill.

Undertrays removed - engine and gearbox guts exposed

It was great to get the car up on a ramp and have a good look underneath. Not often you see 3 993's in a row at an OPC these days...