Scouser

Jeff I just read this post of yours from back in Jan. Hahaha.

Well, it is leaking again...well not exactly dripping just sweating this time. But the car still runs great at approaching 55,000 miles. Just did a 660 mile trip to Scrotland yesterday no problems.

It's due to have the 8th seal and "apparently" the one that will fix it forever on Monday. Only time will tell ;)

That's worrying as both my front windows squeak quite badly.

Anyone know of any routin maintenance that should be done to prevent what's happened to Philip.

Can you tell me about which grey is this?

That looks the same gray as mine. Graphite Gray.

But one thing is for sure, I just tested it on my cab, with the top open, if I put my hand in the car the alarm goes off immediatly. So motion detection is definitely on.

I believe the ROW cars have motion and vibration components to their alarm systems that are not included in the US version.

Whether that explains the difference or not .... experience shows there is no motion sensor for the interior of my 2000 Cab when the top is down. Additionally, from page 22 of the MY2000 Owners' Manual (bold print is Porsche's):

"The infrared passenger compartment monitoring system is always switched off when the convertible top is open".

Hmmm..... I just looked in my 2000 cab handbook and its not on page 22 but on page 18. But it says the same as you. However, coincidentally I leaned into my car to get the book out and the alarm went off :lol:

Forgot it was locked.

So, I dunno. Maybe this can be set by the OPC and they have it on by default in my car with the top open.

Weird.

Here in the uk, you get this feature by default with your 996 cab. I have a button on my key for remote top operation. But in all honesty I have only used it once and I felt like a right plantpot standing there pointing my key at my 911 while the top did its thing. I don't see its purpose in practical terms.

Putting the back windows up while the top is down is easy. Just stick your pinky in the whole on your windshield and then press the window buttons.

Locking the doors automatically when you start up the car can be programmed into any 996 by your OPC.

The interrior motion detector is on by default when you lock the car with the top down so long as you dont hear a beep.

Allowing the use of the wndows for 15 minutes.....well not sure what that does for you.

This is one of the reasons why the remotetop offers "one-touch" operation :)

Who would want to feel like a plant pot holding down the button and aiming at the car for 20 sec? Especially in densely populated areas no chance to complete the cycle without a dropout.

The interior motion sensors are definitely *NOT* armed in the original condition with the top down (open). They only arm with the top up.

Cheers

Stefan Wilhelmy

Oh for suer I am not saying the "one touch" operation from a dash swich is an issue. I think it's a great idea.

One day when it's more affordable here in the Uk I will purchase it. But £175 = cica $280 is too expensive IMHO for something that I can already do but in a less lazy way.

For key fob remote operation I think it is an unimportant feature though.

But one thing is for sure, I just tested it on my cab, with the top open, if I put my hand in the car the alarm goes off immediatly. So motion detection is definitely on.

I found mention of the Wilhelmy.it product here on Renntech last year. I happened to remember it and did a search:

Wilhelmy SmartTop

When I called them, they said that they needed to check out the product on a 2004 (like mine). I only live about 6 miles from the developer (Stefan), so I drove over there.

He actually installed the SmartTop and the RemoteTop for me and tweaked the processor to work on my 2004 perfectly. Apparently the 2004 has some peculilarities in how the software works.

Now, I can get out of my car and press the key remote button for about 2 seconds and the top goes up, the windows go up and the car locks. (The opposite happens when I want the top to go down.)

It also gives me the ability to:

-put the back windows up while the top is down

-lock the doors automatically when I start up the car

-turn on the interior motion sensor with the top down (like the "Red Clip" did on my Boxster)

-allow use of the windows while the key isn't in the ignition for 15 minutes after the key is turned off

I just like gadgets like this and thought other readers might be interested. I don't have any affiliation with Wilhelmy.it and I was not asked to post this nor given a discount of any kind (unfortunately) other than the $10 off that they give Renntech members.

Here in the uk, you get this feature by default with your 996 cab. I have a button on my key for remote top operation. But in all honesty I have only used it once and I felt like a right plantpot standing there pointing my key at my 911 while the top did its thing. I don't see its purpose in practical terms.

Putting the back windows up while the top is down is easy. Just stick your pinky in the whole on your windshield and then press the window buttons.

Locking the doors automatically when you start up the car can be programmed into any 996 by your OPC.

The interrior motion detector is on by default when you lock the car with the top down so long as you dont hear a beep.

Allowing the use of the wndows for 15 minutes.....well not sure what that does for you.

pcna will cover everything and u end up with a new engine. nothing to complain about :)

Is this true. PCNA not PNA. Does your Porsche Motor Club membership cover you for your engine?

Or is this just a typo.

Thanks for that explanation Loren.

However, why would "only" the spoiler light bit lit and not the other break lights. Seems a strange concept.

Loren, I read about the harness required for installing a fixed tail but do you know anything about the instrument cluster spoiler coding. What is this option for and does it effect the warning lamp?

Does one still need the harness or will setting this option be sufficient? Confused.

Just FYI in case you guys missed my threads on this n the 996 section:

My 7th RMS has now stopped leaking all of its own!

The 7th RMS went in Feb last year and shortly after (about 2 weeks) it began to leak again. (Note this is the 3rd generation seal)

With the leaking RMS and after a Major service I drove it 3000 miles to Spain and back to Liverpool UK.

Had no problems but the seal continued to leak. Then aftre I had covered about 6000 miles it suddenly ceased leaking and has not leaked now in a further 5000 miles. I have done 2 oil changes in thet period using Mobil 0/40 and still no leaks.

I still don't trust it though ;)

This was posted by a PCGB member (Howie). I thought it may be useful info to post here. I would like to hear from anyone who has had similar problems with their 996 cab (I will be checking mine this weekend wheather permitting).

Scouser,

Here's what I posted here last February. At the same time I also posted some details on the tools and tricks necessary to gain access to the rear quarter drain area, and to remove the front and rear seats .... so as to remove carpet for drying.

Kim

2000 Cab

Here is the lesson learned for you Cab owners: a small plastic drain tray runs along the side wall behind the inner upholstery panel beside each back seat. A right angle fitting leads from the low point, sideways through the inner body panel and into the void ahead of the rear tire. If you remove the rear wheel, then the forward side wheel well liner, all you see is the metal body panel right behind it.

Almost at the bottom of the body panel is the outlet for the drain tube. The outlet itself is a simple plastic check valve with a rubber flapper valve about the size of a nickel. Therein lies the problem. The rubber was stiff with age, and gummed up about 90% with the same kind of crud you clean out of your gutters ... fine, wet, black gunk. When my car was out in the pouring rain at the airport for 2 days, the 10% drain capacity left was clearly not enough to handle the water flow, and a gallon or so ended up in my back seat floor.

I pulled the flapper off, blew out the drain with air, then soaked the flapper in Lexol conditioner to soften it before reinstalling. Considered leaving the rubber flapper off, but was afraid that road debris might come in the other way to block it. Going to pull the driver's side wheel and liner tomorrow.

My car has been kept in a garage ... no reason to suspect more than average debris in the drain. You Cab owners might wish to add this to your "check every now and then" list.

Many thanks for that Kim. My intention is to go thru this at the weekend (tommorow if the weather holds up). I will take pics and post here of the process. A question: I haven't looked yet but is removing the "forward side wheel well liner" difficult to do? Where are the screws/nuts for this? Anyone have any pics to share?

Cheers

amps (current) must be measured in series with the circuit not in parallel with it. You cant measure the current by placing a meter across the battery. You must disconnect the battery and place the battery connection "thru" the meter and then onto where the battery terminal connects.

car electrical circuit_____| -ve bat +ve|_____-ve meter +ve____car electrical circiut

This was posted by a PCGB member (Howie). I thought it may be useful info to post here. I would like to hear from anyone who has had similar problems with their 996 cab (I will be checking mine this weekend wheather permitting).

For all those [996]cabriolet owners whose cars are perhaps three years plus I strongly recommend that you check the roof drain outlets which are located behind the rear plastic wheel arch linings. For if these get slightly blocked then, when you wash your car or are in any sort of heavy rain, there is a strong probability that the small internal resevoir will overflow.

The resevoir is located behind the rear side panel and is ideally positioned so that the water overflows down into the rear seat and the rear floor well [inside the car cabin]. This area is linked to the front floor well via the well below the front seat and trust me it is no coincidence that these areas are called wells for they can hold a lot of water!

Over a period of time you will be blissfully unaware that this is happening until it is too late. Then one day, whilst its raining, your car alarm will go crazy, your car will not start and it will have to be dragged of to the repairer. They will eventually find the that EC unit, which does what it says on the tin, has blown up. Why? beacuse its located in the well under the pasenger seat and as we know water and electrics do not mix.

The cost of the whole operation was horrendous but the repairer didn't know how the water had got in. It took me the best part of a day to strip out the rear panel and find the problem and fifteen minutes to cure it, which is the time it takes to remove the rear wheel and lining and replace them.

So when you have your annual service get them to carry out this little job - it will be cheap in the long run.

PS. Boxsters have the same problem I understand.

Happy Motoring.

And a fowllow on post after asking him to provide more detailed DIY explanation:

Hi, hopefully this will clear up any confusion. When the rainwater runs off the roof it drains internally and is diverted into an open plastic drain channel, from which it runs down into what is probably best decribed as a hopper - as opposed to a resevoir. From the bottom of the hopper there is a 10/12mm dia outlet which extends, via a tube - I think - down to another plastic outlet set into the internal rear wheel arch. This area of the wheel arch is covered by the plastic internal arch liner. Any water that overflows from the hopper - this better describes the item rather than resevoir - doesn't run onto the surface of the carpet, but behind it where it then soaks into the 50mm thick dense foam backing to the carpet. Even with a good 10mm of water in the foot wells you won't feel the carpet damp.

This really is a simple DIY job - the hardest part is getting the large rear wheels back on! There are just three washered nuts holding the plastic liner in place but it will not come out without removing the wheel.

"Ricer" is now a universal term for poser,

No it isn't. As far as I understand it it is only used in the US. If I called someone a ricer in the UK he would look at me very strange. I still don't understand it fully, but from what I have read the interpretation infers a young rapp loving yob with baseball cap and hood sitting in a very low position in a very cheap car modified to such an extent that it no longer looks like a car. Oh, and it has a gazillion watt stero system and 23 LCD TV screens, a toaster and 802.11 wifi LAN to boot.

Personally, I think we are all posers in our flash porkers. IMO that car looks very tastefull and if I had the dosh I would pose it up just the same. One day I hope to have enough guts and cash to SC my 996 and that is purely for posing purposes ;)

No problems. You can let it leak forever without damage.

Even in the most extreme rare case (and I don;t know if this has ever happened) that the seal fell out, it won;t blow your engine up.

The seal is not like a plug. It doesn't hold the oil in per se, it just stops it weeping out the end of the block thru the main bearing. If it gell out its possible to get a lot of oil on your clutch and it would probably drip on your exhaust and cause a lot of smoke. But no catastrophic engine failure.

I drove around for thousands of miles between RMS fixes. In fact I had my 1st RMS done at 27k and my car has now done 52k and only just stopped leaking......I have been driving around leaking for years.

So hang in there until the clutch is done.

Nothing to do with RMS. I can't think of anything that size other than maybe the end of the axle boot. Maybe it sheard off. I would go back to where you got the tyre done and ask the guy where "exactly" he yanked it from.

I posted this ages ago. Here is a little combo vid of my trip to Spain last year. The vid is a bit shaky but you can sure here the fabspeed ;)

I don;t get any resonence problems and the sound is hair raising.

My wife and I did this 3500 trip and never once got a head ache.

My setup is vanilla maxflow only. No headers or air filter or anything.

Click here

Yeah you right. Sorry about that.

My front tyres are 235-35-19 so I had to rll my fenders.

My understanding is that bleeding the coolant system is a real art. SO suggest you don't!

Have a look in the Garage there are pics of my car which is a UK 996 cab with M030 and 19" Khan wheels.

The only thing you will have to do is roll the front fenders as the tyres will touch the arches on full lock.

I am fairly certain it is the manufature year. An example to prove this is my own 996. It is registered in the UK in March 2000 and this is first registration from new. On the UK registration documents it says the year of manufacture was 2000. But the VIN decoder says it is 1999. I tend to believe the VIN since it is highly likely the car was manufactured in 1999 and not the 1st qtr of 2000. SO in reality my car is a 1999 model (akbeit it has all the traits of a 2000 + 996). In fact I think I am right in saying that the 996 cab first came out in 2000 so it means my cab is seen to everyone as a 2000 model. But the VIN tells the true story ;)

Sheesh!

Believe it or not I only just got to know about this. I just heard about it on rennlist. Show you just how long I have been out of the loop.

There's a TSB that explains several microswitches that need to be changed.....specificall the switch in the side flaps.

There is a TSB for this Rick. But you have to be a contributing member to get at the TSBs. The TSB is titled "Convertible Top Side Flap Microswitch Modification".