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Let us know how this works out - some freeways are incredibly bad. There is a stretch of I10 near Riverside that has made me get out and check for a flat tire more than once, but I only drive it a couple of times per decade, so each time it has been in a different car and surprises me. :oops:

Darkshark - consider hanging out on the Boxster Racing Board. It's a good place for AX and DE drivers. I t won't eat up your time as there are only a few posts per day. Boxster Racing Board? :drive:

When my Boxster was new, I heard the brakes squeal sometimes. Now I no longer hear them squeal, but passengers hear them. I am on my second set of pads front and rear. As far as I know, Brembo high performance brakes just squeal, it's part of thier charm:)

Regular dealer prices, parts only - less expensive than I expected. $7 is for the little rubber lip - $22 for the plastic fender corner including the rubber lip. This is for the rear. Front ones don't seem to get damaged.

Top down winters are best in Arizona. :jump: Very few of those Florida cold snaps and no dangerous flooding or winds in the winter. Plus 3 race tracks within 50 miles of Phoenix. :thumbup:

Doug since this is a new car (to you) The starter won't go unless the clutch is ALL THE WAY down, even in neutral. The starter won't retry if the key has been turned to the start position until after the key is returned to the off position. So if you turn the starter a little, the key has to go off and on before a retry . I AM NOT SURE, but this may also be true if you put the key into the start position with the clutch out. If it were me, I'd try the keys several times to be sure it wasn't a wardrobe malfunction.

DarkShark can you check which Blizzak model for me? Last winter I was out before the snow plows many mornings (usually top down :D ) In 3-inch slush with my winter tires, getting started from a stop light was a snow throwing, low torque challenge. Once I got up to about 25 MPH it felt like driving a speed boat- not total grip, but an ability to change direction with confidence as long as the changes were made in slow motion. Winter tire grip felt like about .6-.7 Gs when it was cold and dry. I am looking for more grip in the 0-10MPH range in slush and ice. Under 10MPH in slush PSM is useless. My winter tires tread just seemed to fill with slush (nothing to grab onto) when the slush was over 1/2 inch. Over 25MPH I am guessing the slush got pushed out like water and thus some grip returned.

Wingless, Thanks for pointing this out. I think the Christophorus article you mentioned departed from it's usual mission and actually provided useful technical data - so this is a major data point for me in trying to find ice & snow tires. My other source so far was a recent Tire Rack mailing. Even though the latest Christophorus does rate 3 Boxster tires, all 3 are Winter Performance tires according to Tire Rack, including the A(all)+C(ice&snow) rated rated ContiWinter Contact. I also am somewhat leery of Continental based upon the ContiSport Contact(1) tires that came stock on my wifes 530i. Christophorus mentions one other C(ice&snow) tire for the Cayenne, the Pirelli Scorpion, but Tire Rack classifies this as a light truck and SUV tire. I don't know if this would be suitable for a lighter vehicle. As a third data point, I am hoping that someone here has tried Ice & Snow tires on thier Porsche or other auto and can tell me whether they provide a real step up from Winter Performance tires in the slush and sleet.

Last winter, the mudflaps / plastic fender skirts were mangled and ripped by various unavoidable snow/slush impacts. They aren't all that expensive to replace($7-$22 each depending on the damage. ) I am wondering if I shouldn't just remove them when I put on my winter tires and reinstall them when the weather warms. Does this sound like a reasonable form of prevention?

Last winter (my first winter) my wife and I both purchased Dunlop WinterSport M2. I am satisfied with the mix of cool weather performance and light slush traction. Once I get above 30MPH, almost any water-based surface seems driveable :D My wife however, would like to be able to traverse deep slush and icy driveways with a greater sense of security. Having resorted to using a pole to restart my Boxster after spinning doughnuts in on a defacto ice rink :drive: , I am forced to acknowledge that winter performance tires may not be a good choice for serious ice and snow. Does anyone have personal experience with studless ice tires?

Donie I would guess the logic is that the premium synthetic oil recommended has all the additives you need and the additives remain sufficiently protective throughout the recommended oil life. This is apparently justified since they are EXTENDING the recommended oil change intervals for MY 05.

I had a similar problem w/02 S during my first year of ownership(3rd gear only), The dealer replaced the transmission under warrantee.

A good used car dealer can sell any car in any condition :beer: Congratulations to this dealer for taking the high road and at least trying to fix the problem - rather than just reset the light :thumbup:

Porsche dealer OVERFILLS every oil change - no noticeable effects in the first 40,000 miles.

Step 1 - Open the top cover to the engine (it's in the owner's manual) Step 2 - Open the air filter box (it's on the driver's side near the air intake) Step 3 - Remove old air filter Step 4 - Vaccum the empty air filter box Step 5 - Install new air filter .... close up Once you can see your engine, it is no harder than the air filter on a 54 Chevy.

The Finish cars have a better paint job by some reports, but really there is no verified difference in quality, only anecdotes and opinions.

You might try to set the alarm with a trunk open - If you don't hear the horn there is a problem.

You get better mileage than Sonja (02 S). On tollway trips and cruise control I get 20-22. Around town, 16-18 is common. I usually accelerate at 70%-100% throttle leaving a stoplight. In my experience, higher speeds do not significantly impact mileage as I have gotten 21MPG top down with 50% of the tank driven in the 130-150MPH range :D Top up adds a couple of miles per gallon when 5th and 6th gear cruising.

Show us a picture of the rear exterior please. I can't picture how one merges the 99x tail with the 986 rollhoops/engine compartment and comes together as a GT3 RS convertible.

Check the alarm horn (near battery). Given tidbits about this car in other threads, I would also be suspicious :eek: of a disconnected/broken horn.

Thanks HenryV - both these TECH posts went into my permanent file

PSM is definitely less intrusive than the BMW and Audi versions. In my experience PSM is practically undetectable on the track - unless it saves your bacon when you really lose it. In theory it can interfere with a powerslide initiated by trailbraking or corner but I've never deliberately tried it. At low speeds such as slow autocross corners, or dumping the throttle while pulling out of a gas station, it can be heavy handed. It lets you know you did something stupid, but usually only when you do something stupid. The real benefit of PSM is in snow driving over 30MPH, catching the car if you hit black ice, etc. Unfortunately it can't defy the laws of physics and has trouble intervening in slow speed problems, like sliding down an icy driveway. In this case PSM will almost always keep the driver safe, but it may allow your Boxster to get dented.

OK here is your official :offtopic: answer. Kinda fun to be the first OT post :clapping:

There is a probability that if someone has Litronics for sale cheap on ebay, they were "ripped off" a parked Boxster. Since it is unlikely that many people remove litronics to put in standard headlights, the 2 most likely reasons to have these lights for sale cheap is A) stolen or B) parting out the car. Stealing these lights is quick and easy. :soapbox: IMO - If a recognized car parts company is selling them for a reasonable price, they are much more likely to be legitimate. I'm no expert. What you do with these opinions is up to you.

from another thread Since I barely pass broomstick with my helmet off, to go to a DE day I had to either lower my seats (expensive) or get a higher rollbar. I went the usual route and purchased a BK rollbar extension. Why? Quoting my self in an email Experiences: Easy to install: This part fits nicely. It takes about 20 minutes to install - and 20 minutes to de-install. Temporary install: This is a nicely made device for the track - but annoying for street use. With BK bar installed, the plastic mesh screens that fit inside the roll hoops cannot be used as the main mounting clamps for the rollbar circle the factory roll hoops. Since the BK bar sits above the windshield it brings swirling air into the cabin. It's OK for a few days, but I prefer the Boxster airflow without the rollbar. If I always wanted my beard blowing sideways, I could have bought a Mercedes convertible. Safety concerns: I would NEVER use the BK rollbar extention without the safety pads. I am very surprised BK would sell the bar without them. I do not leave the BK on full time, partly due to safety concerns. Even though I have the official BK pads, they are meant to protect against a helmet impacting the rollbar. A bare head impacting the rollbar pads would be a bad thing, and a tall person with the seat leaned back comes too close for my comfort. Scratches or goo: 1-2 weeks before a DE day your car must be inspected. This is mostly mechanical, but the inspector is also checking for a track ready car with all the safety equipment installed. I leave the harnesses and fire extinguisher in place for 2 weeks but have to choose between the extra risk of scratches and paint chipping on the roll hoops or having 2 weeks of racers tape on the rollbar. In my experience, racers tape left on 1 or 2 days comes off clean. Racers tape clamped into position and left on for 2 weeks leaves a gooey duct tape residue on the roll hoops. This problem may be that I am using the wrong kind of tape. I purchased my BK rollbar used so I never saw the original tape. I recently thought of clear '3M stone guard' permanently installed to pad my roll hoops Anyone have a pair of 2 inch by 4 inch StoneGuard strips left over that I can have? Appearance: The BK rollbar looks (and is) serious safety equipment. With the roll hoop padding removed, the harnesses installed, the fire extinguisher in place, the BK rollbar extension provides a critical element of the DE 'Bad Girl' look. Pull up the carpeting above the engine and behind the seats and she looks like the kind of girl you don't take home to momma. :censored: