Jinster

Does anyone have the boxster cutaway pics in higher resolutions?

Thanks again guys. Loren, unplugging the battery overnight didn't do much. Somehow I didn't think this was going to work. Do you think Porsche says stuff like this so that it "eases you in" so that you can come to terms with needing major repairs? :) I don't know if the noise I am getting is HLA or not. But I would have thought if it's the lifters, the noise would be present at idle as well as decelerating RPMs. Currently, the chattering noise is only present if I push the accelerator pedal. To me, it sounded like a broken exhaust, or HLA noise, or variocam being constantly engaged. I don't rev up my car beyond 4-5k rpm often at all so I am not too familiar with variocam noises. But the few times I did, variocam sounded like a chattering kind of noise to me. Is it possible that the bad solenoid (if it is due to that) has caused the variocam to be stuck in a engaged position? I mean, if variocam is not engaged and the solenoid has gone bad, then instead of getting constant chattering on acceleration from low rpm, I should have no variocam noise/lack of power in high rpm, right? Juniinc, thanks for the helpful pointers and for ringing your friend for me. Between your comments, my reading of the factory manual, and getting under the car, I think I understand what needs to be done now. The steps are: 1. remove the exhaust header 2. remove the spark plugs and oil protection tubes 3. remove the cam cover 4. replace the solenoid Is this right? The special tool is to hold the cams in place because they are vertically secured in a boxer engine, right? So would I need two such clamps then (at two different spots along the length of the camshaft)? The factory manual seems to use quite a few different ones. Or can we rely on the tool to be block (rather than a plate) and thus its 3D shape would hold the cams temporarily? I was thinking about fabricating my own "special tool", but it would be a plate, not a block.... Anyway, this could just be wishful thinking here. From a previous post by Paul Fraser, (http://www.renntech.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=4190&hl=p0303) he had the variocam solenoid replaced for 322 pounds (including parts?), which, given the UK cost of living, is not a lot of money. This leads me to think it might just be possible to do this without taking apart everything. On close inspection, I can't figure out what No.4 is? It would seem to be where the variocam solenoid housing mounts to the cam cover. If that's the case, when you look at the exploding diagram of the solenoid/actuator assembly, it would seem that the external housing is in fact the actual solenoid. So then, can't I just remove that directly from the cam cover without removing anything else at all? Or have I got the wrong part and the No.4 in the photo is not No.4 in the diagrams at all?

Thanks guys. Sorry for the barrage of questions but my Boxster has had so many things broken over the years, I could've just bought a 911 with the repair money. Juniinc, this sound like a lot of work. I am not working at the moment, so I guess I am time rich and money poor. So I'd be interested in having a go (though the biggest thing I have done on the Boxster so far was replacing the water pump). Have you done changed the variocam solenoid before? How long did it take? Do you have any pics to share? I am still trying to figure out where everything is, and the factory workshop manual is poorly illustrated to say the least. Also, when you say check the wiring harness, is there a particular section in the wire path where things tend to break? If I take off the cam cover and all the plug tunnels, would I need to drain the oil first so that oil doesn't gush out when things come off? When you say remove the spark plug tunnels, do they just slide out or something? Loren, is this from the Mitchelle's Repair Guide or the factory workshop manual? I have both but my Mitchelle's CD seems to be physically corrupt so I can't use it at the moment. And I can't find the relevant section from the factory workshop manual. What do you make of "reset camshaft control"? Does that mean unplug the battery to reset the switches or physically turn the camshaft to reset? I have poured in some generic "lifter-cleansing" fluids today (I was going to to change the oil in the engine soon anyway) in the hope of cleaning out the HLAs if there are dirt on them. Also, the adaptation values you refer to, are we talking about O2 sensor readings? Or are they readings related to the camshaft angles/duration etc? Can a generic OBD2 reader access these values?

For a few days, I have noticed a rhythmic rattling noise that comes from the engine bay when I accelerate beyond 2200rpm. I also noticed rough/fluctuating idle rpm, and the car seem to have this irratic de/acceleration quality as I cruise at a (not exactly) contant speed - which I guess is due to a fluctuacting rpm not controlled by my acceleration pedal. I also heard some "popping" noise from the exhaust - which I guess is a misfire. Today, the CEL light came on. It was blinking at first, then became constant. And then sometimes it blinks again, and then becomes constant again. I checked the codes with a generic OBD2 scanner. Got codes p0300, p0301, p0302, and p0303. No other codes. I did a search on this forum. And found this seems to pertain to a bad variocam solenoid. Before I go ahead to order my replacement solenoid, I was wondering if: 1. Anyone know any other causes for this situation? I cannot explain the rattling noise... 2. Does anyone know where this solenoid is and whether it's possible to replace it with the engine in situ? I have a MY97 tiptronic.

Gary, look at my pics. I am running those. They fit without problem. http://home.alphalink.com.au/~flying/images/side%20on.jpg Before you fit them tho, you may want to weigh them on a bathroom scale and see how heavy they are. 993 wheels are supposedly light weight. Mass of wheels make a big difference to performance, so this data could be useful for future upgrades.

Do the unlighted visors have those contact points built-in? I want to fit some LEDs if they do, without forking out for new visors.

My MY97 feels underpowered. Can someone write up the jet engine and cockpit mods please.

Congrats Ali! Well done. Finally, someone with a tip has done the upgrade. I would be very eager to find out how the tip copes with the extra power and torque. This is very encouraging. I might embark on the same thing soon as I spot a spare 3.4L engine (which, in Australia, is very hard to come by). Jin

Mine reads 118kph for a real speed of 109kph measured with radar gun. I don't believe it's a margin of safety thing. It's not necessary. It doesn't work coz people work it out and make up for the difference anyway. It only introduces more error and takes concentration off the driving to correct for the difference mentally. Besides, no other manufacturer does this. My other cars are off by about 2kph at most at 100kph. I don't believe it's random error either. No one has ever reported the speedo reading 10% under the real speed. There is no reason to believe the odometer is correct if the speedo isn't, unless Porsche delibrately made the speedo read faster. Why would they do that? My answers don't defend Porsche the least bit. How can you make it read accurately? I think increase the diametre of your wheel/tyre combo by 10% ought to do it.

Cool. Thanks.

I am going get a rear storage parcel shelf but I need to fit a glass top later on too. Is there enough room for the glass to fold down properly if the parcel shelf is installed?

You do some really impressive work with the Boxster, Todd. Where do you get the information from to do all this work? How did you know that it was going to work? And how do you figure out the necessary new connections that are needed? Was this a matter of plug and play or are there extra wirings and/or adaptations needed? What extra features does the new DME provide? Sorry about all these questions, but this is really impressive. It's like you were part of the Porsche engineering team. You were not part of the Porsche engineering team, were you? :)

err.... don't you just unclick the up button on the AC console to close the defroster vents? If that's not working, then you have a problem. Probably a failed motor or jammed valve door or something.

Is your speedo showing the correct speed? If your speed sensor is down, your ABS warning light and rear spoiler light would come on. There are four speed sensors. One in each wheel. All four sensors need to concur to a certain degree or an ABS light would be thrown as the unit cannot account for the differences in the speed sensed from different wheels. If you are still reading a correct speed and the ABS light is not on, I doubt it's the speed sensor or the ABS unit circuit that has the problem.

I am tempting fate here. Whenever I brag about something that I discovered that I am really happy with, it turns sour almost as soon as I tell people about it. This has been verified countless times throughout my life and is a scientific fact, especially when the Boxster is concerned. But I am going to do this anyway. Think of it as a scientific experiment. I broke a red ball joint with brute force when taking apart the top transmission assembly. I got quoted $100AUD for parts alone, for what is a decidedly low-tech 20cm metal arm with a plastic joint attached, by the dealer and hung up the phone with feelings of disgust that would ban me from the forum if published. I found a tube of superglue - the $2 for 5 tubes variety from the local $2 shop. I glued the red ball joint back together with it. Left it overnight for 48hours before mounting it back on the car. It has now been 2 weeks and about 10 up and down cycles (up + down = 1 cycle). And so far, the superglued red ball joint is still intact! I am hopeful that the glue will perform to the manufacturer's specs which claims ABS plastic failure before the bond. That is, unless the posting of this thread jinx me in the near future. Which I am certain it will.

Hehehehehe......... Hohohohohoho.......... Whhhaaaaaahahahahaahahahahahahhhh.............. :)

Ok, no need now, TP. I have tested out everything via the relay grid. Both switches are working fine. I finally understand the top mechanism and the role of the microswitches now. Everything works and the motor stops running after the set after-running time. I just need to try to trigger it earlier to prevent overrunning. Sure wish I figured out everything without breaking that red balljoint. The superglue is still setting. :)

Yikes, I thought those were it! Oops... Is the thread pattern M8 at least right? If so, I will take a chance with those.

TP, you are unbelievably resourceful. :) I went to the site. I ordered. Hopefully they ship to Australia. We have nothing like it here. Yeah, even tho the data says the bond is stronger than ABS itself, somehow I just think it'd fall apart too. :) Well, can't hurt trying I suppose. Paul, this is the linkage between the convertible transmission and the convertible top. One on each side. Together, they bear the entire force used to open and close the roof.

After having broken a red ball joint myself, and come to the realisation that the only reason Porsche is poised to take over VW is people like me paying $100AUD every time for what is essentially a $5 plastic part, I did some research. I found that super glue - i.e ethyl hybrid cyanoacrylate, seem to have tensile strength stronger than many substrates, ABS plastic included. An excerpt follows: (Tensile shear strength, cured for 48 hours @ 20-250C (68-770F) N/mm2 Rigid PVC to Rigid PVC ^5.39 ABS to ABS ^6.37 Polycarbonate to Polycarbonate ^11.17 Polystyrene to Polystyrene ^4.41 Steel to Steel 21.17 Stainless_Steel-to-Stainless_Steel 16.95 Copper-to-Copper 15.97 Aluminum-to-Aluminum 18.13 Steel to Rigid PVC ^5.39 Stainless Steel to Neoprene ^0.69 ABS to SBR ^0.69 ^=substrate failure Reference here: http://www.accumetricinc.com/dynatex/PDF/I49403,49431.doc http://www.mgchemicals.com/products/8334.html That being the case, maybe we can repair all those snapped plastic red ball joints on the V arm with super glue. I am somewhat skeptical though. But these product info seem to be concret scientific data (plus some manufacturer boasting included, obviously). And if indeed ABS would fail as a substrate before the super glue bond does, then Boxster owner's can save quite a bit of money. Yes. My red ball joint is being glued right now. :)

Thank you for your continuing support, TP. You are exactly right. The gears keep running until the teeth come off. And I broke a red balljoint while trying to take off one of the V arms to look inside the transmission...... bloody hell. Building a new control circuit to cut power..... I can get build a circuit using a relay I suppose and mount it somewhere. Jporter's idea of using the V arm to trigger a new microswitch to control a new relay to cut power is a good one. But I am still looking for a more OEM solution... I know of no one else with a Boxster in Melbourne (Aust) so swapping relays might be a bit difficult. What I don't understand about the B-pillar microswitch and the microswitch on top of the convertible motor is that are they meant to do and why they are both needed? It would seem the B-pillar switch is reduntant if there is a switch on the top motor already. Anyway, I am yet to locate the B-pillar switch. The convertible motor (CTCL) microswitch, meanwhile, doesn't seem to do anything. When the top is moving in mid air (after I hooked up the gears on both sides) and I press down on the CTCL microswitch, nothing happens. The top just keeps moving anyway..... maybe that's where the B-pillar switch come in: both the B-pillar switch and the CTCL switch need to be contacted in order to trigger the final 1sec over-drive of the top.... But Jporter seems to say that his top stops moving midair soon as the CTCL switch is depressed.... It's dark in Melbourne now. So I will have to continue this tomorrow (and put off replacing the coolant pump for another day). TP, if you got the time, I would be grateful if you could please open your top half way, put some weight on the CTCL microswitch to close it, and then see if you can still move the top by pressing the top down/up dash switch. Coz this doesn't stop the top for me, so I could have a dud switch....

Ok, this is becoming like a top repair journal. I figured out that the position of the V arms were incorrect due to over spin of the transmission. I pushed the V arms to as far as possible in the right direction and then pushed the top down button, this took up the V arms and the wound them back into their normal operating arc. But, after I have hooked up everything, and tried to close the roof again, the V arms being powered by the transmission which is being powered by the motor just kept going as long as I kept my finger on the top down switch even after the top was fully closed. And this resulted in the V arms going over their final position again and internally unhooking the gear teeth. I am beginning to think that my problem is not with the convertible operating assembly but with whatever mechanism that is meant to stop it from operating once the top is in position.... There must be a mechanism that tells the motor to stop spinning when the top is fully closed so that the transmission doesn't keep disconnecting its own gears by overspinning them beyond the the range of the half moon teeth arc. Where is this mechanism? Is it the convertible top compartment lid microswitch? I tried to push on that switch but that doesn't stop the motor spinning at all....... I would appreciate any suggestion people have at this point.

Ok, I noticed something strange. This is what the V arm position is when the top is still fully up, with the clamshell clip disconnected: This is what the V arm position is when I lowered the roof manually: Do these seem right? I think the black ball joint lever arm should be on top of the red ball joint lever arm when the top is down. As it is, the top doesn't go down completely because the black ball joint lever arm gets in the way. This would also mean that the resting position of my V arm on the transmission is wrong in that the arm towards the front of the car should be pointing downwards rather than upwards to facilitate the correct movement of the black balljoint lever up, and the red balljoint lever down when the top is being lowered. Can someone verify if what I say is true? If so, it would look like that both my transmissions have come off gear at the same time.......... Can I simply push the transmission back in gear by pushing on the V arms or do I need to open up both transmissions to do this?

Ok, I got the top down by disconnecting the clips to the clamshell. I checked the motor. It spins both sides. The cables are not shortened and I have Part No. *01 cables. But when I press the convertible top switch, neither transmission moves! I haven't taken the transmissions apart yet but what could be doing this? I can feel the cables moving (they vibrate) on both sides.... p.s: If people want to know, the motor spins clockwise to lower the top and anticlockwise to raise it.

Thanks TP. I dug up quite a bit of info from this forum. I am gonna have a crack at the roof tomorrow. Jin