Charlestonboxster

Howdy fella Carolinian.

Including the becoming a contributing member part?. B)

I agree with you on this in a theoretical sense Tony, but in the Boxster I found that the effect really isn't very noticable. I imagine it is because the sound stage is quite small and confined and there really isn't much imaging going on anyway...and because of the stock driver placements. The fronts fire off the glass at about ear level, and the rears are right at ear level, so having fulls in the doors, assuming you have it all balanced correctly, only seemed to "fill in" the soundstage and make it fuller to me....more enveloping. Generally though, I agree, you would want to angle any such driver up and toward the center of the sound stage. In any event, I think you need the doors to be subs unless you are using a powered sub like the Blaupunkt THb 200A or Kenwood KSC-SW10 in there somewhere. Otherwise there isn't enough bottom when you have the top down and the volume turned up. Could be, I have not sat and listened to the two side by side, I didn't do full in the doors based on a lot of research on high end car audio sites and well known Jamey in LA, formerly Paris audio now Rawlings, porsche specialist. Could be that it does not make a huge difference. As far as subs/top down is concerned, Imagine a heavy duty real 8" sub, with a lot of excursion, in a sealed .4 cu ft fiberglass and wood footwell enclosure, with 200wrms of class D amp power pumping 30-50hz bass into the footwell.....and up under your wife's skirt.... http://pics.realmofexcursion.com/albums/us...01/DCP_2762.jpg :) Very healthy bass even with the top down, or at 80 mph. Wife's 4'10", so leg room is not a problem..:) FYI There's a great used 4 channel MTX amp for sale for $105 right now on the http://www.realmofexcursion.com/forum.html forum site, for anyone looking for a budget amp. Not ideal to drive multiple channels and a sub, but perfect for dash and doors 3 way plus rear, or dash 2 way plus doors. IT's the baby brother of what I've got (MTX4405)

Cayvman, If you can reply to some of the questions/great scope of ideas above, I'll them pitch in my 2 cents worth. In the meantime: 1- PNP rears are sufficient until you are driving more power up fron the the MD's can haldle anyway. (rears only used for "barely perceptible" fill in sound) 2- Your MB"s for the dash are just fine as long as you know what's needed to be done to install them (sounds like you do) 3- I also did the Alpine conversion and absolutely love it with XM radio. 4- If you are going to do MB's in the dash and work the doors, you really don;t want full range in the doors, that will "Lower your sound stage". You either want a proper 3 way system with crossovers and the doors are the mid bass driver, or, an excellent suggestion above and a newer way of solving the sub problem is the 6.5" sub drivers in the doors. In this case, you woul dnot nead a 3 way system with crossover, you could just get 2 ways or coax for the dash, and the subns for the doors, and as mentioned above, the Apline can filter your lows (say beloe 100hz into your doors, and above 100hx into your dash. Either way though...with respect to amplification, if you want any bass and volume at all, you need an amp, ideally installed in the floor of the front trunk. I presently use a massive 5 channel amp, but can easily see the convenience of powering the rear PNP's simnply with the Alpine, and using a smaller amp for the rest. All suggestions above are fine, you will need 2 channels to drive your dash, and 2 channels or one sub channel to drive your door subs. You won't need much more then a solid proper 50wrms for the MB's, 100wrms for door sub though. If you do the sub doors, expect to buy/make proper baffles, and a LOT of duct tape and sound mat sealing, to get the best output possible. I'm pushing 60 strong WRMS into my JL's and 150wrm+ into my 8" footwell sub and sometimes wish for more...:) Sidenote: As mentioned above, the simple Kenwood KSW behind the passenger seat is a surpisingly good solution on a budget, no need for a separate amp I have my previous one kicing around gladly sell it to you for a third of what they go for, if that's your route. Previous Audio work done noted in my signature. Tony

Yep. I had the exact same problem with my 98 at 75k miles also. Replaced the cap per first recommendation. Didn't help. I was SURE I didn't have a leak. Pulled out the carpet and fiberboard trunk liner...sure enough....hehe a little puddle of orange... I did the coolant tank replacement per Tool Pant's past threads on this subject, problem fixed. Not a walk in the part replacement, not complicated but a pain and takes time (3-5 hours) if you are not a hard core save $ DIY'er, might want to have it done, if you want to tackle it, tool pants threads are the bomb!

FIXED!!!!! Second start up went fine, surprisingly, no blue smoke at all, not one bit. A bit of black exhaust, very light, tehn close to clear within a minute. No blue smoke with throttle pushes. Looks like the problem is fixed, AOS it sure was, probably the original, with 86K on it, the bellows almost fell apart in my hands, glad this problem didn't cause any major damage. Many Thanks to poster above who mentioned the word catastrophic, it encouraged and convinced me to keep my baby garaged until I fixed her, right decision. Hope this thread helps someone sometime! Tony

Wow. Ok, ordered AOS from Sunset, did the replacement per Mike Focke's webpage, http://mike.focke.googlepages.com/airoilseparatorreplacement Took about 3 hours all said and done, mistakes and learning curve included, took the "cut the bellow off" shortcut, replaced spring clamps with screw clamps. Broke the plastic hose retainer part on the hose that hooks into the AOS near the bellows (not the top), this is a hose that dissapears into the engine somewhere, not sure what it does and didn't have a replacement. So I jury rigged 3 tie wraps to hold the hose tight into the AOS piece, and make sure the hose would not slip out, seems pretty solid. All put back together, fired up, same blue smoke which I expected, a fair bit in start up then less at idle, but continual. Idled for 5 minutes, light smoke continued, puffs more with throttle bursts, turned off after 5 min. Will start up again, idle, see what happens, and report back.

AAACCCKKKKK!!!! Based on research I have done and the the opinion of some pretty experienced car detailers, I would strongly caution AGAINST touching a clay bar at all, in most circumstances. http://www.carcareonline.com/viewarticle.aspx?art=0 Research a bit deeper into car paint polishing and finishing. http://www.carcareonline.com/viewarticle.aspx?art=5 I also would caution you against drying your car after a wash with any old towels, 90% of towels have polyester even if not labeled, thus microscopically scratching your paint. Also, Dawn is absolutely fine before polishing and waxing, as it will strip wax a bit, but once your car is waxed, most dishwashing detergents are not appropriate, as they will strip the wax a little bit each time. (They are made to DEGREASE pots and pans, not wash car paint) An excellent resource for all paint care, Larry Reynolds, the owner of this business also happens to be a hard core Boxster enthusiast, and shoots straight from the hip in explaining what's right and what's wrong, and why, concerning car paint detailing. http://www.carcareonline.com/ If you see yourself maintaining the paint yourself a lot, invest in a porter cable oribital, $150 If you want it polished once right and then keep it that way, spend the $150 paying a local pro to do a very good polish/wax job with the wax you will use repeatedly, then you can easily glaze and wax by hand yourself when needed without the need of an orbital machine. PS And hint to all, the excellent but expensive P21 wax is also packaged by same company as Harley Davidson bike wax (look for manufactered in Germany, P21 on label) for half the price, at your local Harley shop. Happy Detailing!

Drops at hose/tube edge A few drops at hose/tube edge Finger swipe in one side of hose, only mist Definitely the old version, needs replacement Go Habs Go...

98 2.5, 86k miles Started with the odd puff on starting. Has been blue smoking more and more in the last few weeks. Definitely a lot on cold start. Even smokes a good bit on warm start, after half an hour or hour off. Sometimes it's even noticeable in the rear mirror while driving after a few minutes of warm up. It's getting worse...a few nights ago, while driving back from work, after at least 6-8 minutes running time, I was heading over a very long uphill bridge and accelerating to about 70, and noticed a prominent, medium heavy smoking behind me even at that speed... Not a very good feeling. I dropped off the throttle and drifted in neutral back down bridge, smoke stopped right away, then resumed very delicate driving, and, no noticeable smoke. Any similar experience or thoughts appreciated, the UPHILL aspect of increased smoke was an interesting symptom, and the volume of it was worrying. Stopped 10 Minutes at grocery store, then the usual heavy blue puffs at startup. I'm hoping it's just the AOS. I opened her up per Mike Focke page http://mike.focke.googlepages.com/airoilseparatorreplacement looking for heavy oil deposit rather then light mist. There didn't seem to be an excessive amount of oil in the J tube or in the tube connectors on both sides, stuck my finger in all, there was some, but definitely more of a mist then soaking or dripping, at least to my untrained eye. There were I'd say 4-5 drops worth, a few millimeters deep, in the J tube on the throttle body end, and about 3-4 drops in the tube fitting part of the AOS piece. Not sure what to do next. I will definitely order a new AOS to replace the older version. 1- In anyone's experience, do these symptoms sound pretty much like it's definitely the AOS, and I should replace that first, or is a shop visit really required? 2- Is it safe to drive in the meantime if I drive delicately? Could there seriously be a strong risk of damage, or am I ok if I drive delicately and replace the AOS within 5-6 days? 3- Is connecting the J tube even necessary, and could I run the engine without it, pending replacement? Thanks to all, I'm awaiting further experience and driving the wife's car in the meantime, ugh... Tony PS: Here is an opinion from PPBB, didn't get any further info or experience, seems to make sense, although I prefer not to have to do without my daily driver for a while if at all possible....

I have a similar rattle on one side, did research previously, control arms indeed it is. There is a thread somewhere on how to change them yourself, otherwise, pretty easy dealer fix. I'll get to mine someday, buggin me a bit too.

Update: 1- Water problem was indeed clogged drain, 100% fine now. 2- What worked for me: Pulled up parts of carpet I could and wedged things underneath to hold it up/allow air flow Small blow dryer, handle tucked in the magazine holder behind passenger seat, pointed downwards Set on low, moved it around a gew times, left overnight. 2 overnights and the carpet was bone dry in all areas 3- Tool Pants - I have reconnected the seat, and low and behold, the AIRBAG light is now on! I wonder if indeed, the taped up part has to do with this. I'll look up posts on how to reset air bag light.

Good evening TP! Thanks for the notes, yup, have after market speakers in rear and black wire is that too. Pictures shown to help anyone else with drain hole location/problem. 2 Wire connector under the passenger seat is for child seat air bag deactivation? Wow, would not have thought of that! So does that nix the heat element hope? Any clarification on the seat heat element possibilities appreciated.

Wiring, possibly for heat elements? Here is a closeup of a 2 prong plug, factory markings on it, 2 thin wires leading somewhere into the bunch, brown, and white stripe. Here is a larger view. Unused 2 prong plug seen up to the right, with 2 thin wires, lead into taped bunch. Some wires come out from under the carpet, one thick red is prominent, probably + for all, including seat motor. Some wires probably for seatbelt warning. 2 Thick brown wires that are attached to ground (left side) going into the taped bunch. but only one coming out of the bunch...hmm... Electrical tape is not factory, may have to open er up see what's goin on in there. I can provide more detailed color codes/pics if needed. Thanks for any guidance!

Pictures to help anyone else through this in the future. PS: 1- Does anyone know what interior color I have? Paint/Interior code is L741 (Black) and A1, I could not find A1 on any interior color charts. 2- Terracotta? Passenger seat removed: Carpet pulled back, area was sopping wet. Thick foam padding/carpet soaked, Plan to Dry: Vet vac, squeeze between thick towels stomped on, then heat area with airflow from a hot hair blow dryer and a strong halogen spotlight. Protect leather and plastic areas close by from heat.

A week ago, I noticed a damp smell and window fogging, sure enough, water soaked carpet at floor behind passenger seat. No problem driver side. Searched posts, noted probable drain hole problem, sure enough, under the clamshell (checked with clamshell in complete open service position) the drain hole in the foam surround part had leaves and gunk stuck in it. Picked at it with fingers and vacuumed, tried to poke further with wire hanger, would only go 2" deep. Hope it is cleared. Removed seat completely to tend to wet area. 4 torq thingies, did not have the right size, 10mm socket worked fine. Weird plug under seat (typical uber-super german engineered plastic plug) unplugged. Next steps: 1- Put water back through drainhole see if it drains ok 2- Dry out the completely soaked foam and carpet area. (thick foam) I will report back once finished so the job can be logged as a thread. Question: I believe I read a while back that the seats were ALL made with the heating elements built into them, (1998) but they were only connected (wired and switch) if you ordered the heat seat option. 1- Is this correct? Under the removed seat, I tried to look for any wires in the seat that would lead to any elements but did not find anything, If they are there, so, I would like to wire them up and install a switch myself, will do driver seat at same time. 2- Any ideas on how the wiring works? I am posting pictures of the electrical wiring plugs from the floor of the seat area, where I noticed a separate 2 prong plug that was not plugged into anything (and some electrical tape on the wires, which is not factory, meaning someones been under there before me...:). 3- Does anyone know if this is the heat element switch on/off plug? Thanks to all, I the plug in heat seat with a new switch is a possibility, I will document process for others. Clamshell service position: Closer look at foam lining the bottom of the water drainage area: Closer look at the drain hole, an extension of the foam into a drain. Mine is ripped a bit on the edges, will patch with duct tape and/or silicone.

Found the thread, rear control/track arms may be the culprit? http://www.renntech.org/forums/index.php?s...amp;#entry74467

I have a very similar thunking rattle, passenger side, exact same symptoms as yourself. I believe I hear it louder with the top up simply because of better sound acoustics, and it's not the top cover system. Have not found the problem yet, a discussion on another thread indicated it may be a controller arm or something like that. (I'll look it up) I removed a wheel and "Shaked" the controller arm hard but it did not seem to budge. Perhaps I did not shake hard enough. Diagnosis TBD... 79k miles on my 98.

It is a bit more complicated. I'll try to put a DIY together in the next couple of days. You can find the new TT belt replacement here. Is the procedure the same for a 1998 2.5 986? Thanks, T The belt instructions are the same - you will need to remove the front engine cover (behind the seats) to get access on a Boxster Great, will do, Poly due for replacement, thanks. T

I have a deep rattle noise, rear right side, sounds like the wheel well area, particularly over bumps. Aside from a rattle, how do you tell if the control arm is worn out/to be replaced? 1998 986 with 77k miles. Thanks, Tony

It is a bit more complicated. I'll try to put a DIY together in the next couple of days. You can find the new TT belt replacement here. Is the procedure the same for a 1998 2.5 986? Thanks, T

I had very dull headlights on my 98 Jeep Grand Cherokee. Bought a cheap head light polishing kit at Advance auto, $12-$15, and the lights really turnout fantastic, very effective. The kit is pretty much 4 grades of wet/dry sandpaper, a cloth, and a fine polish (probably a very light compound for plastic) Could do the same buying the items seperately, but I'm not sure what type of polish it is, probably not worth ther hassle, the kit is convenient. If your headlights are not really bad, I would probably skip the first 2 grades of sandpaper. Pretty important: Probably very much worth the time to take the headlights OFF the car. Good luck!

I just bid and won a used Clarion DRZ9255, should have it installed within a week or so. Good. A new HU will simplify everything. If some of the night lights of the Clarion HU bother you/non factory look, you might be able to modify them. I took apart the cover of my Alpine HU (with a small jewelry screwdriver) and put a small piece of tape over the blue glo lights, 90% removing the color of those lights at night.

I just fixed this problem last week, had been bugging me for a year+. 1998 78k, daily driver. I had an annoying rattle (only present running over bumps at a certain speed) over my left shoulder coming from the general door latch area, and for me, it was the same disregarding top up or down & window up or down, thus somewhat eliminating both top and window mechanisms as a culprit. After googling and finding a couple old posts on PCA (with suggestions but no results), indeed, it was the door latch area, but not the door latch itself. The chrome U post that's attached to the body and that the door latch mechanism latches onto, was very slightly worn out where the latch catches into it. I removed it by the 2 #40 torq screws, reversed it (flipped it around) and tightened it back up again. Rattle gone!!!! The U post screws into a moveable female insert (inside body), so if the rattle is not 100% gone, it can be loosened and re-tightened/re-positioned in a slightly different position (**** German engineers are so anally thorough, it's amazing). So if it still rattles a bit, more adjustment is possible. This adjustment, instead of or in addition to the grease, may be the solution to that annoying noise. For google or forum searches: DOOR RATTLE DRIVER DOOR RATTLE DRIVER SIDE RATTLE.

Any and all further pics posted would be appreciated!