Topless

Maybe they finally got religion.

Yes! Yes! That is exactly what they mean when performance builders talk about "tuned exhaust". It is "matched" to the intake airflow and maximizes cylinder scavenge for a given volume of exhaust gasses. This is why I am not a big fan of the "lets just bolt on a new set of pipes" method. Those boys in Stuttgart did their homework and barring any other changes the stock set is really pretty good. Now if you are really serious about performance gains, get a high flow cold air intake, matched/tuned exhaust, burn 100 octane and have your DME performance mapped while on a dyno to really dial in your ign. timing and air/fuel ratios. Yes you will feel it. No it's not cheap.

Yes exactly! Porsche does a lot of things very well but this pressurized poly coolant tank is a joke. Anytime you subject molded plastic to daily cycles of heat and expansion it will surely crease and crack over time. It is not a case of "if" but "when". I guess all those years with air cooled engines they got behind the curve on this. If it were up to me I'd want a cast aluminum tank with minimal fittings, no vis window and all the tubing routed through the firewall so any needed maintenance could be done from the trunk. I'd still use 50% water solution because I drive all over not just on a track. If I developed a coolant leak somewhere out in BFE I could repair it, top it off with plain water and drive it home. Then I could just flush it and add proper coolant. In large quantities an aluminum tank could probably be produced for about $20 ea. I would guess. It seems like a retrofit kit could be very profitable considering what Porsche is getting for the cheesy plastic ones. Maybe a nice little side business for someone with the time and talent.

I hope it is helpful. This hasn't happened on my car yet cause I'm kinda old and I drive kinda gentle. But with 67k on my car now I like to read the posts from others so I know what is coming down the pike. Saw this one last week and it stuck in my head...same symptoms as yours.

Start Here. http://www.renntech.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=10005

Intake and exhaust just need to be matched. If you only change one, the motor won't really breath any better. You get very limited improvement.

Check your engine mounts.

Good to see your car is running right again. After about 100 mi. with no CEL you will know you are home free. :cheers:

In a case like this where both lights respond the same always rule out the switch first. Litronics are an inductive load which means they are a lot more sensitive to resistance, low voltage, worn switch, loose connections than standard incandescent lights. Sounds like you solved the problem.

Look real hard at your hydraulics. Spungy, soft, fading pedal, all point to hydraulics. Is there any fluid leaking? Air still trapped in the lines? Bad wheel cyl? Bad (new) Master cyl? Wrong fluid? That's about all there is... did I miss anything?

jporter, It sounds like something definitely got goofed up during the MAF cleaning. Pull it back out and take a look. Was it damaged? Residual cleaning solution left behind? Reinstalled correctly? Wiring coupler clean and inserted all the way? Your MAF may have been going bad and the cleaning finished it off. I do not recommend driving the car either until the CEL flashing is resolved.

Vish, Trust your mechanic. He has actually driven and tested your car. If he has done this for a while he knows the difference between a sweetie and a car that has been beat on. New clutch...maybe. New coolant reservoir...maybe. New gearbox or engine... not likely. Insurance companies are like Casino owners. They are betting that you won't have to spend half of that $2700 over the next two years. They are usually right.

Vish, It sounds like the car has changed hands a lot in 6yrs. This is a red flag to me although it is pretty common with most roadsters. There is nothing wrong with a 2000 model year car. How do you feel about extended warranties in general? What Exactly does the warranty cover and what are your responsibilities regarding maintenance? Some EW are really very good (like factory warranties) and some are so full of holes that they virtually cover nothing. Read the fine print. I buy a lot of used cars and I am not an EW guy. I trust my instincts take my chances and have done pretty well so far. If you factor the EW into the price is the car still a good deal? If so it might be worth the $$ on this one considering the mileage and fragmented history.

jporter, I was having similar CEL problems, reading P1123 & P1125 codes. I did basic maintenance like replacing the air filter element and finding and replacing a loose vacuum line but after resetting, the CEL would always come back on after about 50 miles of driving. I took it to my local mechanic who said it looked like bad O2 sensors. He pulled them and "cleaned" them with a torch but said they probably needed to be replaced for $1200. (I don't think so Tim) After another 50 mi. CEL was back, same codes. I read many of the related threads here and decided we were still missing something. I tried Mikefocke's proceedure for cleaning the MAF sensor. This made sense to me because it is the first sensor in the chain. If it is fouled or erratic, the computer won't get the fuel/air mixture right. This will set off other sensor faults downstream. When I pulled it out and inspected, the shiny metal sensor pickups were obviously dirty. I cleaned & replaced and reset the codes. So far I have logged over 200 mi. since this repair with no CEL! :D While I never noticed my car running poorly, acceleration does seem a little more crisp now. I think I can put this problem to bed. Give this a try before going any further. I think it is a common problem that is often misdiagnosed. Thanks to Mikefocke. I think you saved me some $$ on this one.

There is no doubt, owning a Porsche is a lifestyle commitment. They are very different than owning more conventional cars. While they don't break often, they can be expensive to fix. But oh the ride! It comes down to a simple math problem really. Take the total cost of ownership (which is probably in the ballpark of your BMW) and divide it by the smiles per mile. Porsche is a big winner here for me. Feel the permagrin.

Haven't had this problem on my Boxter yet. My daughter was driving a 96 VW Passat for a while with the same problem. Apparantly German rubber gets pretty stiff over time and tends to jam the windows going up and down. We had to replace all 4 window motors at about $400 ea. Ouch! I wonder what it would take to replace all the door rubber??

Vish. I am a 50 yr old grandpa and a spirited driver. I am known to throw a tantrum if I have to put the top up and I average 20mpg in mostly mountain driving. My car is a joyride only and not a daily driver. I can't seem to keep my right foot off the gas. I am running Goodyear Eagles and am very satisfied. I have no experience with the Kumhos. Check some of the other posts regarding tires... lots of good ideas. Feel the permagrin. :D

Binaryc, What you say is true. Aerodynamic forces are significant on a Boxter well below 100mph. It has been a while since I read the wind tunnel test data on this car but I remember the stock spoiler was very effective at neutralizing lift and even improved the drag coefficient by spoiling the eddy behind the car. Before I add a wing or aftermarket spoiler I would need some assurance that it was designed and engineered for my car and would still do the job of keeping the rubber on the road. I see all these EVO's and WRX boy racers running around with homemade wings bolted onto their trunk lids and wonder quietly at what speed they will achieve liftoff. Eye candy at what price?? I don't see much track time anymore but on a beautiful Autumn day when presented with a long stretch of barren road I just might wind up my Boxter a bit. I don't want to worry that my car might suddenly become an airplane. One of the best /worst examples of aerodynamic lift was the original Ford GT40. This was an amazing car in its day... capable of 200mph it won Le Mans 1,2,3 in 1968 but was a very frightining ride at speed. Under the right conditions it would begin to fly at 120mph. Yikes!

Bravo! :cheers: Sounds like you have a very nicely set up Boxter and some serious driving skills as well... A deadly combination. As long as the track has lots of turns you should regularly outrun those 400hp Vetts. As you said... it's all about momentum. Getting the car dialed in to the driver makes all the difference. Thanks for the great write up.

Ah yes, the old chip debate. We know what they do... Control ignition timing, air/fuel ratios, rev limits, engine temp, turbo boost, and even shift timing on advanced transmissions. Most Fords, Chevys, Hondas, Lexus etc. have chips that are "mapped" for reliability, fuel economy, and performance in that order. "Remap" one of these cars with a max performance profile and you will get stellar performance improvements at a cost of reliability and fuel economy. It is not unusual to see a lowly Honda Civic get a 30% HP increase with the addition of a cold air intake, tuned exahust, and max performance chip. It is now only good for 50k mi. instead of 250k and only gets 20mpg instead of 35 but it goes like snot. Much greater increases are routinely found on turbo diesel engines with the same type of performance mods. Porsche is a little different. Those little engineers in Stuttgart already mapped these cars for performance 1st. Which is why they are so much fun to drive... which is why most of us own them. They already go like snot right out of the box. Sure you could probably eek out another 10hp with a more agressive timing, and higher rev limit but do you really want to?? 80-100 hp/liter is really pretty good performance. If I really wanted to get the most out of my original Boxter motor I would use proven techniques... Get cold air to flow freely into the motor, add a performance tuned exhaust that takes advantage of my improved intake airflow, run it on aviation fuel and have my chip "performance mapped" while on a dyno where you could really dial in the timing and air/fuel ratios. This would surely result in performance gains that you could see and feel. It would also cost way north of $1000. Another way to go is to leave the car alone and take that $1000 and put it towards a Bondurant School of Driving course. I suspect 8/10 Porsche owners would see a greater improvement in lap times and general driving satisfaction by improving our skills than by hot rodding our cars with the same money, myself included. Probably a lot fewer spins and crashes too. Just one mans opinion. I look forward to your comments.

I am running Goodyear Eagle HP 16" Very satisfied wet or dry in Calif. I am known to be a "spirited" driver and my Boxter is a joyride only, not a daily driver. Remember to check your tire pressure often. Traction goes out the window with too much air in the tires.