Chris_in_NH

DIY O2 sensor replacement: http://mike.focke.googlepages.com/oxygensensors

it's super-easy. don't pay to have this done.

yes, that is the conv top cable motor. there is a brass clip on each side that holds the cables into the motor. slide out that brass clip and pull out the cable(s). you will see the thinner drive cable sticking out the end. the length sticking out the end should be 3/4". if it's shorter than that, that would explain why your top isn't working, as the motor doesn't have enough drive cable to grab on to to turn the transmissions which in turn move the clamshell up/down and the top frame open/closed.

you can either repair the cables or replace them. i think the new reinforced cables that won't stretch are about $40 each. all the info is covered in the link that i posted above.

what is odd about your situation is that usually one cable fails first. what happens in that case, as you can imagine, is that one side starts to lift and move the conv top while the other is basically locked in place (because the motor is not driving the cable) and then... SNAAAAPPPP!!! if both of your cables have stretched themselves away from the motor at the same time, consider yourself very 'lucky'. ;)

if you see/hear this start to happen while you are pushing the conv top button, STOP!

Cut it any way you want, but OEM is NOT aftermarket regardless if it is the SAME manufacturer. You have to be careful with your terminology especially if you ever sell anything part-wise and tell somebody it is OEM and then send them an aftermarket part only to have to hear an earful from a pissed off customer.

yes, yes...

but for PRACTICAL purposes, an item made by the same OEM supplier and using the same part number to which Porsche applies their part number *is* OEM. there is no difference except for the Porsche packaging, Porsche price (and maybe warranty).

if the conv top motor will run, then all your microswitches are working. my guess it's that it's a mechanical issue. usually (and especially in the '98s) the issue is the conv top cables that attach to the conv top drive motor under the clamshell by the 3rd brake light.

you should unclip the cable ends from the conv top drive motor and examine them for length. there should be ~3/4" of drive cable sticking out the end of the black cable sheath. the problem with these old cables is that the black cable sheath/cladding expands over time and effectively shortens the amount of drive cable sticking out the end, so that the motor can't get a good grip (or ANY grip) on the drive cable. that would explain your motor running, but nothing happening. the clicking that you hear sounds like the drive cable is in contact with the motor, but not enough contact to actually grab and drive the cable.

if you read this link, it will tell you how to check your conv top cables for length. ultimately you should replace them/have them replaced before something goes very expensively wrong.

http://www.renntech.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=68

you will need to get your clamshell open to check the cables. since (i suspect that) the cables are not contacting the conv top drive motor, you will need to disconnect the internal top mechanics to manually open the clamshell. there are a number of posts that describe this procedure. this procedure is also covered in the owner's manual.

if the cables are not the problem, my next guess is the conv top transmissions (one on each side of car). but the problem is usually the cables...

SACHS is aftermarket.

OEM means Genuine Porsche Parts with a PCNA part number

i understand that. but obviously Porsche doesn't make most of the parts that they use in their cars. for example, the ignition switch is an Audi part. you can buy it from the Porsche dealer parts counter for $X, or buy the same Audi part elsewhere for $20. even though it is not a 'Porsche' part, i still consider it 'OEM', because that is the same exact part that Porsche uses/sells.

so, by that terminology, the Sachs clutch is OEM, just like the Audi ignition switch/Bosch MAF/Zimmerman rotors/Brembo brakes, etc.

agree that the mechanic is trying to make some extra cash.

yes you can get a clutch kit for $300 if you go aftermarket. I should have clarified I was talking about OEM.

i thought Sachs *is* OEM.

You can go through a clutch in a weekend or you can have it for 200K miles. It is all about YMMV so there is NO WAY to make a blanket statement about clutch life (or as you stated failure). As for the clutch costing only $300, you must have some serious connections to grab one at that price. Either that or it is not a complete clutch kit.

ok, true. but let's assume that most drivers know how to use a clutch. so do you think that 27K miles is a reasonable amount of time for a clutch to last? i don't. the point is moot anyway, because this guy's clutch probably doesn't need to be replaced. this mechanic sounds like he's trying to make some money off someone that is a little too trusting.

serious connections? i don't think so. Google 'boxster clutch' and you will see some prices. i have seen the Sachs clutch kit for as low as $260. and they are complete kits.

Ok here's an update:

I thought my car was no longer under warranty, but the mechanic called me today and said it was! He said he wants to take it to a dealership and they will replace the RMS. He also told me before that he's sure the pressure plate needs to be replaced and that the parts for a "clutch kit" will cost $650 and is not covered under the warranty. Does this make any sense?

To answer some previous questions:

The car has 27k miles on it. The repair shop came highly recommended and it specializes in German makes.

dude, go get your car and drive away FAST!

do you understand that the warranty would have taken care of the motor mount AND the clutch/RMS? i'm not sure if it would have covered the rotors as they are a wear-and-tear item, but i will bet that at 27K miles, they did not need to be replaced to begin with.

a new clutch kit (with ALL clutch parts) is about $300! and of course it is covered under warranty. clutches should not be failing at 27K miles. my original clutch is at 116K miles now.

if you have paid him $1700, chalk it up to a learning experience, because you got taken - and BAD!

didn't get the pun, but now i do... ;)

I've done business twice with Rich at XenonMods. Both times the (custom) orders were delivered quickly and without problems. YMMV.

The emails posted above are a little scary though. It sounds like he's been ripped off before, and there *are* people that play that game. But I also think that he should have communicated any delays in shipment to anyone who has placed an order and paid, and was waiting on product. That's just common courtesy.

Well, getting ripped off is pretty standard with Porsches, so welcome to the club! ;)

Yes, a mechanic can tell if the rotors are bad by measuring them with a micrometer. If he had the car on a lift, he could get to the rotors easily without removing the wheels. He might even be able to do it with the car on the ground. To give you an idea of cost, I bought 4 brand new Zimmerman rotors (OEM) for $300. Of course a dealer or independent wrench will charge more than that, but that's what you can get them for.

As far as the motor mount, Modderman *might* have missed it. I can't say. Motor mounts do need to be replaced from time to time, and it involves jacking up the engine so that the mount can be replaced.

The clutch oil leak that he's talking about sounds like the Rear Main Seal. It is a very well-known problem with Boxsters. But it is not critical in the least - unless the leak is REALLY bad - which it probably isn't. Many people just live with a few drops of oil on their driveway and plan to replace the RMS when they replace their clutch. Something about this guy is not sounding on-the-level to me. I would pay your bill and get out of there.

Is this car still under warranty? If it is, don't spend another dime. All of this should be covered.

Did Modderman give you a report of some kind noting what they checked? Because if the motor mount is bad, the front rotors are bad, and you have an oil leak, it sounds like they didn't do their job, and you bought the car on their recommendation. You may have some legal recourse... I don't know. Again, I can't tell who's right or wrong in all of this, but I would start doing some investigating. First off, I would want to see the parts that he removed from your car. Always ask for your parts back - they're yours. And always ask BEFORE the shop starts doing work. This will let them know that you're smarter than the average Joe and will be keeping an eye on them. This is just being an educated consumer. If they give you a hard time about it, don't have any work done there. Take it to someone else.

If you can get your old parts back, especially the motor mount, take a picture and post it here. We can easily tell you if the mount is bad. As for the rotors, there is a minimum thickness that they should have in order to be replaced. I can't remember exactly, but I think a new rotor has 24mm thickness, and needs to be replaced when it has worn 2mm (down to 22mm thickness.) Front rotors do usually need to be replaced before rear rotors, as the car's weight shifts to the front when braking. How many miles are on this car? If you say 10K miles, I would suspect that this guy is taking you for an expensive ride. I got 90K miles out of my rotors before I replaced them. (This is not usual, but you should get at least 50K miles out of them.)

In the future, if someone tells you that something needs to be replaced, ask them how they arrived at that decision. Did he measure the rotors? Can he tell you the rotor thickness? What made him suspect the motor mount, etc.?

As I suggested, find another shop and get a second opinion. Then post back here with the second opinion before you spend any money. We will keep them honest and save you money. I hate getting ripped off, too. I'm guessing that 2 new rotors (from an independent shop) would cost $100-$150 each, plus a couple hours labor at ~$75 per hour. So that's $450 at the top end of the price scale. That leaves $1300 for the motor mount/labor and that is complete bullsh*t!

Take your car somewhere else.

absolutely amazing!

i am not so hot on the faceplate/bezel, though. with your skills, i'm sure you could find a piece of black plastic and customize it.

and the bass sounds good with the speakers reverse-mounted like that?

very nice work. the only nit i have is the bezel. maybe the picture doesn't do it justice...

how old is the battery?

i've been driving without my rattling cat heat shields for years. no problems... i think you'll be fine without them.

you could try to make it into a Emissions Warranty claim. i don't know how successful you would be, though. the cats are warrantied for 10 years or something like that, so if your cat's heat shield bracket has rusted to the point that the cat's *required* heat shield can't be mounted, maybe the cat can be considered defective. i don't know... just thinking out loud.

or you could try to move the mount point over an inch or two by drilling a hole where there is solid metal support and buy the necessary parts (25, 26, 27 (i think) in this picture). you could also size a metal clamp to fit around the cat pipe and mount the heat shield to that.

but i would just leave them off and not worry about it. ;)

if the car isn't running fine after a quick drive, it could be the MAF.

unplug the MAF's electrical wiring harness from the MAF, disconnect the neg battery cable for a few minutes, replace neg battery cable and give it a start. if it runs well, your MAF is probably bad. i had the exact same symptoms and when i disconnected the MAF it ran perfectly.

could also be the Air-Oil Separator feeding oil into your engine. has the AOS been replaced?

could also be other things...

let us know what happens.

by the lack of responses, i'm going to say no. ;)

i think it's two separate problems. AOS and Secondary Air Injection. i had the P0411 and P1411 codes, too. but the problem went away. i think the signal/sensor was intermittent and somehow fixed itself. CEL has been off for at least 6 months now.

here's a good write-up on P0411/P1411 on Mike Focke's site if you haven't seen it already.

P0411/P1411

its a 2000 porsche boxter

how do i find out if its electric acceleration or not

can i drive in default mode,will it drive normal

will the 0bd scanner tell me if the maf is not working

MY2000+ are e-Gas (electronic acceleration), so yours is e-Gas.

yes, you can drive in default mode. it will drive normally. it may act strange on first startup as it adapts engine settings. this should clear up in a few seconds if it even happens at all, and should be fine for all subsequent starts.

no, an OBDII reader will not tell you if the MAF is not working (unless there is a specific code that means 'MAF not working' - but i don't think there is.)

is your Check Engine Light on or has it ever been on? if not, i don't think you'd have any codes to read.

a dealer or someone with a PST2 (Porsche System Tester) could diagnose the MAF by looking at the MAF parameters (voltage, etc.)

there is also a way to test the MAF yourself with a multi-meter. i'll see if i can find the instructions.

but for now, disconnect the MAF wiring, remove the neg battery cable for a few minutes (this will reset the engine controller) - (have your radio code if your radio needs one - for a 2000 i think you do), then reconnect the neg battery cable and start the car. see what happens...

i had a bad MAF and eventually the car sputtered to a stall. i disconnected the MAF (and reset the engine controller) and the car never ran better in it's life. i was amazed.

some people find that cleaning their MAF can clear up problems and/or extend the life of the MAF. see this page and the section called 'Try the MAF first' to learn how to clean it. http://mike.focke.googlepages.com/checkeng...ssairflowsensor

if you do need a new MAF, do yourself a favor and save some money on it. a new MAF should cost around $250. and you could install it in 2 minutes. here's my 10 year-old installing mine! even a caveman could do it! :lol:

could be the MAF. as seafeye suggested, unclip the MAF's wiring harness (but leave the MAF installed). the car will then run in 'default' mode.

we don't know if your car is electric acceleration (drive-by-wire) either if you don't tell us the model year. ;)

Does any one have a list of methods to carry this out??

easiest way is to check the throttle body and AOS J-tube for more than a 'misting' of oil. the TB is held on to the intake plenum with 4 bolts. the J-tube can just be unclipped and checked. if copious amounts of oil are found, the AOS is bad.

Thanks what I looking at right now is the Renovo Ultra Proofer, an vinyl window treatment, and 303 convertible cleaner.

why not the Raggtopp Protectant and Cleaner? you can buy them in a 2-pack for $25. plus, you don't need to mask anything off.

first problem with smoke definitely sounds like AOS failure. you want to be very careful. if the engine eats too much oil, the cylinder(s) can fill with (non-compressible) oil and something has to give. your engine!

i wouldn't risk driving it until you replace the AOS or rule out the AOS as a cause. you can check your throttle body for oil. when my AOS went bad, my TB was full of it. it's easy enough to check it.

i think what you're describing is called 'Aluma-look'.

Eric over at Bumperplugs will know that paintcode. He sells products in that color.

i think his email is Eric at Bumperplugs dot com.

http://www.bumperplugs.com

i don't know if i'd like a start button - but i'd be willing to try it, i guess...

i like the start buttons that are at the top of the shift knob. i've always thought that was so freakin' cool!

the plastic windows are already tinted. (fishtank green).

if you got a new top (or a new window sewn in) you could order it/get it tinted.

trust me, you do not want to remove your soft-top unless you are putting another soft-top on. you will not gain any storage space or weight savings. it took me about 3 hours to remove this one.