Chris_in_NH

i just realized that you said 'TIP' transmission!! my whole response was based on a manual transmission. sorry! but i still think that the result is the same. in the case of the Tiptronic transmission, he is making the transmission work more than it normally would if he just used the brakes to slow down. again, brakes are cheaper (much much cheaper) than an automatic transmission. i know there is a 'Sport Mode' to the Tiptronic transmission, but i'm not sure exactly how it works. i'm sure someone else here does.

here is a picture of the top frame internals similar to yours. if you follow the below link and click on the part that you need, it will highlight that part in the right frame and show you the part number and price. Pelican Parts - Conv Top Frame here is the link to the overall online picture-part catalog for the 986. bookmark it, you will need it! ;) Pelican Parts Part Lookup for 986

here are step-by-step photos/DIY. if you could take pictures that aren't included in the DIY that would be great. Top Canvas DIY

1. CHECK YOUR CABLES. 2. CHECK YOUR CABLES. 3. you know what i'm going to say. ;) seriously, checking the cables is the easiest part of diagnosis and takes 10 seconds. why haven't you done this yet? pull them out of the cable motor and let us know if they have 3/4" of drive cable sticking out of them. *update* i didn't see that you checked your cables since you posted it in another thread. FYI, if you keep your issues to one thread then everyone can see the history, what you've done/tried, etc.

it might just be the rest of the ingested oil working its way through the engine. i'd keep an eye on the codes and give it another week. maybe a bottle of Techron, too.

this should be posted in the Conv Top Forum. while you're there, read the Conv Top R&R thread. the reason that the red ball joints break is because the cables are bad. check your cables for length and repair/replace if necessary. also replace the conv top push rod (the one with the red connector on the end). the ends are now white. it's that simple.

these are the possibilities: 1. you bought an aftermarket CD-changer that is not compatible with the CD-changer port on the Becker headunit. in this case, you need to buy the AUX-IN Becker cable that attaches to the back of the headunit that ends with 2 RCA (stereo) jacks and then plug your CD changer into it. when selecting your aftermarket CD changer from the 'S' (Source) button, you need to select 'AUX' not 'CD Changer'. also, CD-changer controls on the Becker headunit will not work with the aftermarket CD changer. 2. you bought the Sony version of the Porsche-branded CD-changer. in this case, you would plug the CD-changer into the CD-changer cable on the back of the Becker headunit, and select CD-Changer from the 'S' (Source) button. you may need to enable the CD-changer input on the Becker headunit the same way that you enabled AUX-IN. but if the car previously had a (Porsche) CD-changer, then this input *should* already be turned on. the Porsche CD-changer is a re-branded Sony CD-changer that speaks a proprietary 'language' with the headunit. if the CD-changer that you bought is the same CD-changer that Porsche sells as their own, it should work thru the CD-changer port on your headunit, and the CD-changer controls on your headunit should work. but you can't just buy any old CD-changer and have it work with the Becker headunit. there should be info on this forum that will tell you the Sony part number for the Porsche CD-changer. hopefully you did your homework and bought the correct CD-changer. 3. you may be confusing the AUX-IN cable with the CD-changer cable or vice versa. look in your radio manual and check the connections to see where the cables are plugged in to determine exactly which cable you have. my suggestion: get an iPod and hook it up to the AUX-in connection. ;)

while it's not *bad* - as long as he doesn't downshift into the red zone (and there is no limiter to prevent him from doing this, so it is possible to completely destroy your engine if this happens) and as long as he is 'rev-matching' (blipping the throttle in between switching gears to get the engine RPMs up to the point where they 'will be' when he switches to the lower gear) - this still results in increased clutch wear, no matter how you rationalize it. and if he is not rev-matching, then he is causing even MORE clutch wear when downshifting/engine braking. the thing to remember is that clutches have a certain number of 'shifts' in them. every time you use the clutch, you shorten its life. the method of shifting determines how much 'wear' the clutch experiences on each shift. if he downshifts without rev-matching, he is causing considerably more clutch wear than if he rev-matched, as the clutch has to spin-up (slip) to mate with the flywheel, abrading away the clutch disc's friction material. brake pads are much cheaper and much easier to replace than a clutch, so while engine braking may be fun and sound cool, he will need a new clutch sooner than he normally would if he just used the brakes. the best balance of brake and clutch wear is, when slowing down, keep the car in the same gear that it's in until the RPMs are so low that the car *almost* stalls in that gear. keep in mind, the car should not 'shudder' like it's 'going' to stall, but you want to change gears (or put in it neutral) before the RPMs get to that stalling point. after you drive a stick for a while, you instinctively know where this point is. also, if he is just coasting in that gear and applying no gas, then there is no load on the transmission/engine, so he will not be 'lugging' the engine unless he applies gas while in that gear. so let's say you were in 5th gear getting off the highway. i would leave it in 5th until the car reaches 1000-1200 RPMs (not pressing the gas pedal) and then go from 5th to neutral using the brakes to slow the car to a stop. this method will save his clutch and his brakes. using his current method, he is not 'taking care of this baby'. ;)

i don't agree with your theory. i think your MAF is going bad and that's why you're having issues. there is a simple test you can do to see if your MAF is bad. disconnect the MAF wiring harness from the MAF (but leave the MAF in place). disconnect the negative battery cable for (at least) a minute, the re-connect it. this will reset the DME. (if you disconnect the battery for less than a minute, the DME will remember the MAF settings and the car will run the same). start and drive the car (with the MAF wiring harness disconnected). this will not hurt your car in any way. if your car runs better (high-end torque returns, etc.) then your MAF is bad. to double-check this, re-connect the MAF wiring harness, disconnect (for at least a minute) and re-connect the battery again, and then start the car. see if the high-end torque disappears again. if it does, then you can be sure that you need a new MAF. you may have already tried this, i can't remember. for itzbob46, you don't need to worry about disconnecting your battery at all. the reason that CJ Boxster is having problems is probably because his MAF is bad (or going bad), not because he disconnected the battery. MAFs do get 'dirty' and sometimes the problem can be fixed (for a short while) by cleaning them. but eventually all MAFs get to the point where cleaning them has no effect and you just have to spring for a new one. if you think that your car is running normally, then it probably is. after you get to know the car for a while, you'll be able to notice a performance loss pretty quickly. no worries. ;)

the water is coming from one of the 4 drains. there are two by the battery and two under the clamshell. if the carpet behind the passenger seat is wet, then it is the clamshell drain on that side that is causing it. if the carpet in the passenger footwell is wet, then it is the battery drain on that side. same thing for driver's side wetness. i would not do the sprinkler test unless your alarm/locking computer is protected as i mentioned above. if you fry the alarm/locking computer you are going to have an expensive headache to deal with. i would just make sure your drains are clear and check them periodically. you might also look for tears in the clamshell area foam barrier.

i'm not sure i know what you mean about the windows not dropping in 'automatic mode'. do you mean that when the top was working by pushing the button, etc., that the windows didn't drop when going over bumps? if so, i'm not sure why that wouldn't happen. maybe the top latch microswitch was working intermittently and now it's at the point where it's completely broken. the 'clamshell sensor' (which is basically the little switch on top of the conv top cable motor) doesn't know whether the top is up or down, it just knows that the clamshell is resting on the switch, pushing it down. so i still think it's the top latch microswitch.

maybe the amount of rain overwhelmed the emptying capacity of the drains. or maybe you pushed through anything that was blocking the drains when you used the coathanger. at this point, you may want to put a large plastic Ziploc bag around the alarm/locking computer under the driver's seat (i know that your problem was under the passenger seat, but water can also find its way under the driver's seat - which is even worse). you will need to remove the seat to do it. then unscrew the screws that hold it to the floor. put the bag around it so that the wiring harness sticks out the 'top' of the bag, then screw the alarm/locking computer back into the floor. you may want to use rubber washers on the inside and outside of the bag where the screw holes are. by Ziploc-ing your alarm/locking computer, you may save yourself a BIG headache in the future. i wish i knew enough to do it. so now you have no excuse. ;)

i believe this is due to a loose/malfunctioning top latch microswitch (where you latch the leading edge of the conv top to the windshield frame). you could either use a 'red clip' to keep the switch pushed in when the top is down, replace the microswitch, or try to repair the microswitch. if you search for 'top latch microswitch' you may find it. i believe that a wire connection comes loose and just needs to be re-soldered. if you think about it, the windows normally drop when you unlatch the top and that 'button' (that the top latch pushes in when the top is closed) is released. when you go over a bump, the microswitch erroneously reports that the top is being unlatched and the windows drop.

well, i'm not TP or Mark, but i have a question. ;) this sounds like a transmission problem at first read. but if you are using a drill to spin the cables (which turn the transmissions) and the top works with the drill, then maybe it's a conv cable motor problem? or maybe a relay malfunction? i would remove the cables from the conv cable motor and put something in there (like a drill bit or something) so you can watch the rotation to see if it changes direction. that's what it sounds like is happening. just thinking out loud...

i would try disconnecting the neg battery cable for a minute first. (make sure you have your radio code). then re-attach the neg battery cable and re-train the windows by putting them all the way up and holding the button for 5 seconds, then all the way down and holding the button for 5 seconds. do it a couple times just to be sure. there is a microswitch in the door that occasionally goes bad (door handle microswitch, i believe - should be a pretty cheap part). i don't know much about it... maybe someone else here does. aside from those two suggestions, it could be your window regulator. the window regulator is the track, cable and cable spooling device that raises and lowers the window. when you order a 'regulator' it all comes as one interconnected part. swapping out the regulator is one of the easiest replacements you can do, and the hardest part is taking off the door panel without breaking any of the plastic pieces' tabs (but even if you do, they will still fit and work fine). a new regulator runs ~$150US from Sunset Imports and 1-2 hours labor if you DIY. a dealer will charge about $500US. a new window motor is not required in 99% of cases. if your window can be operated with the window button then the motor is fine. here is the best Window DIY out there: Regulator DIY

sounds like the beginning of a failing Air/Oil Separator. you'll want to figure this out quickly, and you may want to stop driving the car until you've figured it out. the codes are most likely related to a vacuum leak via a torn A/OS bellows tube. replacing the bellows tube by itself requires A/OS removal, so you might as well replace the A/OS since it will fail (or has already begun to fail) eventually. the cost is pretty cheap (~$125 for everything you need) and will take about 3 hours if you DIY. dealer cost is about $400 to replace. see this post. you can also search this forum for 'separator', you will get a lot of hits. A/OS thread

i don't know if humidity would be enough to fry the alarm/locking computer, but who knows... i'm not sure which side the alarm/locking computer is on in RHD cars. it might be under the passenger's seat, or maybe it's under the driver's side. bend down and look under the seat. you will see a box that looks like the one in the picture above. if you can't see it, feel around. it's a big plastic box. there should only be wires under one of the seats, so the other side must have the alarm/locking computer. did you feel around the carpeted area (on the floor) behind the seats? was it wet? if you need to remove the alarm/locking computer, you will need to remove (or at least unbolt) the seat. i can't remember the size of the Torx socket (not a Torx DRIVER or BIT). it might be an 8mm Torx socket, maybe 10 or 12mm, i can't remember. if you look at the seat rails that the seat slides on, at both ends of the rails, there will be a Torx bolt. use the Torx socket to remove the 4 bolts (2 on each seat rail). you may need to remove the little plastic covers at the front of the seat rails to access the front Torx bolts. (sometimes there is a screw that holds these little plastic pieces on - just unscrew it and hold the screws aside). you will want to cover the door jamb with a towel since the seat rails can scratch. there is a connector/wires that connect the seat to the car. you will need to undo this connector (and i can't remember how to do it, it is a weird connector) to fully remove the seat. if you can't figure it out, just lay the seat outside the car on the ground (on a towel), the wires will stretch (barely) enough for you to do this. otherwise, just loosen the seat and unscrew the alarm/locking computer from the car and disconnect the wiring harness. note: your car will NOT run with the alarm/locking computer removed. it must be present for the car to run, so re-install it if you need to go anywhere. to open the clamshell, all you do is press the conv top button until the clamshell raises to its highest position and then let go of the button. if you want to see the clamshell drains, the top needs to be 'up'. so unlatch the top, press the conv top button to raise the clamshell and let go of the button before the conv top starts to go down. if the top is 'down' the clamshell drains will not be visible. then, along the back edge of the clamshell area (by the third brake light) there is a little curtain that clips to the back wall of the clamshell area. unhook this curtain by pushing down on the curtain where it connects to the clips and pull away. do this on both sides of the curtain. you may be able to see the clamshell drains now. if not, follow the instructions below. there are two cables (one on each side of car) that hold the back edge of the conv top down to the car. they are thin black cables that have silver connectors on the end. unsnap these from where they connect under the clamshell. you can use your hands or a screwdriver to pop them off. then you swing the back edge of the conv top frame 'up' towards the front of the car (bending the plastic window). you should now be able to see the clamshell drains (two little holes, one on each side of the car). i have no idea what you were using a screwdriver on before, but don't do that again. :rolleyes:

there is no such animal, as far as i know. the question has been asked many times and i've never seen an answer. there is a 'Porsche' font, but not a 'Boxster' font.

feel the carpet area behind/under your seats... it is wet/soaking wet/damp? the alarm/locking computer is located under the driver's seat. when the water drains under the clamshell get clogged, water makes its way to the carpet behind/under the seats, frying the alarm/locking computer. if the car still starts, then obviously the immobilizer portion of the electronics are still working, it's just the alarm/locking electronics that are fried. (which is quite common). there is also a fuse in the alarm/locking computer. you could try changing it to see if it has any effect. you can try removing the alarm/locking computer, cleaning it with electronics cleaner/alcohol and drying it out, then re-installing it and seeing if that works, but usually they don't come back once they've been fried/submerged. a new one will cost around $200 from Sunset Imports, but the dealer will need to install it as the unit can only be programmed ONCE, and they need to take the old immobilizer code from the old locking computer and program the new one with it. you will also need to clean out your water drains (by raising the clamshell, then looking for a dime-sized hole on each side of the car) and blowing them out with compressed air. there are also water drains in the battery compartment. you'll want to check those too. otherwise, it might be the key battery. you could try changing it. does the red light on the key flash when you press the button(s)? if so, the battery is probably ok. here's a pic of the alarm/locking computer:

why? if they are working i would leave them alone. if one (or both) of them break, then i would replace them. update: (just read your other thread). if the half-moon gear keeps coming off, then yeah, it might be wise to replace them.

ok... first off, the REASON that your conv top push rods broke (the one with the red connector) is because (at least) one of the cables is too short. that is WHY it broke. so you are NOT going to get your conv top working again unless you fix the cables first. what you will do is break the top again. that's why i STRESSED the cables. i can't believe i forgot to mention this in the beginning of this whole discussion. as for your question above - NO, the top would not go up lop-sided. if the V-lever stops turning on one side (because the cable is too short on that side) then the other side keeps moving trying to overcome the tension applied by the non-working side. this is exactly why your red connector broke. think about it: the side that works is trying to go up. the other side is locked in place. something has to break, and it's the red connector. think of it this way: you are tightly holding the ends of a horizontal pole, one end in each hand (your hands are the red connectors). someone comes along and forces one of your hands to raise, but you are holding down the other hand as hard as you can. at some point, the the raising action will be too strong and you will have to let go (the connector breaks). the tapping noise that you're hearing might be the conv top cable motor (by the third brake light) trying to turn the cables, but it doesn't have enough drive cable to grab on to. that was my point about the cables. or it could just be the stress on the conv top frame from one side not moving and the other side trying to move. the reason that your transmissions are not moving is because the transmission on the side that is working has moved as far as it can considering that the other side is locked down. or maybe the other cable has shortened as well. you won't know until you LOOK at the cables. checking the cables seriously takes about 30 seconds. remove the brass clips (one on each side of cable motor) and pull the cables out of the motor (like in the picture above). measure the exposed drive cable on both sides and post back. as far as using the 'correct' terminology, there are two sets of push-rods: one set for the conv top and one for the clamshell. as long as you specify 'conv top push rods' or 'clamshell push rods' we will understand. this is what you ordered from Sunset Imports. it is the conv top push rod. you ordered 2 of them. notice the new reinforced white plastic connector on the end. the Conv Top R&R thread that i mentioned in other messages above, contains almost ALL of the information you will need, so please read it thoroughly. 986host (the server that hosts the pictures) seems to be down at the moment, so right 'now' you can't see the pictures, but i imagine that it will be up again soon, so check back. you also need to be 'logged in' to Renntech to see the pics (unless they are hosted somewhere else). what you DON'T want to do is install the new conv top push rods and then try to use the top. it will probably just break again and you'll be back at square 1.

Thanks Chris. Yeah, it matches right up and the top was replaced by the previous owner with a GAHH Top. well, there's your answer. ;)

No the light goes off as soon as the motor finishes but the top goes back up for a split second before it stops. This morning I stopped the travel (by letting go of the switch of course) at the lowest point, closest to the windshield and the light stayed on. When I hit the switch again for less than a second the light went out and the top raised about a centimeter. Should be adjusted or am I fine leaving it like this? when the light goes off, are you able to close and latch the top? if so, i think it's fine to leave it like that. it sounds like the transmission is off by a split-second. has the top been repaired before (by previous owner maybe)?

i believe the conv top push rods are designated Left and Right (as 1schoir mentioned), so make sure you are getting Left and Right. i would have a hard time thinking that Sunset would send you two of the same side. they're pretty knowledgeable over there. but you could call them just to make sure. 1. the broken off red plastic joint won't cause any jamming problems. if you can find it in there, that's good. but if not, it won't be an issue. as far as not removing the other side's red connector, as long as you don't press the conv top button, the transmission won't move. so you can remove the other side's red connector/push rod if you want to. just don't press the button. 2a. when you say you plan to 'manually move the transmission' i am assuming you mean using the technique that i posted above (plugging in that side's cable into the cable motor and pushing the button until you reach the position you want). to use a level to determine relative positions, see this thread. http://www.renntech.org/forums/index.php?s...02&hl=level the position of the bubble in the level will tell you if the V-levers are in the same position on both sides. use the level to take a reading on the correctly timed side. note the position of the bubble in the level. then rotate the other side's transmission until the V-lever is in approximately the same position as the correctly timed side, and then use the level to see if the level's bubble position is the same bubble position as the correctly timed side. 2b. i always connect the clamshell push rods last. depending on the position of the V-levers when you are doing this, it may be easy to do the clamshell push rods first, or it may be difficult. is there any reason that you have decided that the clamshell push rods will be connected first? i suppose the order of connection doesn't really matter, as long as everything gets connected in the end. 2c. ok. 2d. yes, there is really only one V-lever position for the top/clamshell when the top is up or down. if the other side is accurately timed (which it should be) then you should be all set. you just need to get the other side's transmission/V-lever to the same position as the correctly timed side. sounds like you understand it to me. ;) and i can't believe that i haven't mentioned this before, but HAVE YOU CHECKED YOUR CONV TOP CABLES? the most likely reason that your push rod broke is because of the cables. this is really the most important part of the whole thing. you need to look at the conv top R&R thread where you originally posted your message. http://www.renntech.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=68 in that thread, it shows you how to check your cables for length. there should be 3/4" of an inch of drive cable sticking out the end of the black cladding/cable sheath. these drive cables plug into the conv top cable motor located by the 3rd brake light. what has probably happened is that the outside cable cladding has stretched over the inner drive cable, shortening the amount of drive cable sticking out the end and the cable motor doesn't have enough drive cable to grab on to. so you probably need to order new cables or repair the cables you have. this is what your cables should look like. measure the amount of drive cable that is sticking out the end of the cable. on your car, one cable probably has the correct length, and the side that is short is the side whose red connector broke.

Mine has always done this. It goes back up about 1cm but the light stays on the whole time and it always snaps closed perfectly. It is a replacement top, could this movement cause me future trouble? it sounds like the transmissions are not timed properly, and that there is some extra 'gear' (or distance) for the transmission to go before it ends the cycle. either that or there may be a problem with the conv top relay. are you saying that the dash light never goes off? i don't think that it would cause any problems, either way.