Howdy all. I am about to close a deal on a 2001 C4. The dealer that did the pre-purchase inspection found that it had leaking spark plug tubes. Pardon my ignorance, but I don't quite understand it. Last time I checked, spark plugs didn't have tubes but instead had wires that run electricity. Could someone clarify what this means? Is this serious? How much might it cost to get this fixed?

Thank you much!

 

There are plastic tubes with o rings that seal between the head and the valve cover on the 996 and boxster motors. Basically the spark plugs slide down the tubes, then thread into the head. They will occasionally leak and require replacement. I can't remember how much to replace, but it is at least a couple of hours labor. Take book time on spark plugs, and add an hour or two to that. I would venture to guess 3-5 hours depending on the shop.