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I just wore through the rubber for the rear trunk latch last week. Sonja is a 2002S with 52K miles. There is an actual pinhole. I am normally hard on keys, but I believe the failure happened earlier due to extra hard squeezing and rubbing in the weeks before before the receiver on the dash totally failed. The receiving unit was replaced under warrantee at about 30K miles.

Also reading the manuals helps because after my Porsche parts guy hunted on his computer for about 15 minutes, I finally went out and pulled the headlight so we could see it was an H5 that burned out (02S w/Litronics)

RandallNeighbour The problem with the 18x10 Carrera wheels is that MOST of the time you can get them to fit, but not all of the time. While I can't be sure there is a Boxster with STOCK suspension where they won't work, there have been cars with lowered springs(PSS9,H&R,etc) where fenders had to be pounded and fittings done with different spacers. In a few cases, they could not fit at all. There seems to be 2-3mm difference between the placement of suspension knuckles on 'identical' cars, so that how to fit wheels is a bit like how much camber you can get in the front. You really have to try it on your actual car to be sure. As far as fitment goes, I don't think it really matters whether you get the $800 or the $2500 wheels. Neither one is designed for your specific Boxster, so some tweaking of spacers will probably be necessary. Good luck with your decision.

I have aftermarket BBS wheels for snow tires with a dent in the rim. Viewed from the side, the 17 inch diameter circle has a 2-inch flat spot of about 1/4 inch maximum depth. Viewed edge on, it looks true(no visible run-out). My tire pressure is still OK after sitting since last March. I live near Albany, NY and appreciate suggestions on how to get this wheel ready for the impending snow season.

Good idea Henry - I will also safety wire when I put the new clips on (soon). Part number for the S was 986.424.411.00

Stefan - not to challenge your knowledge, but to increase mine. I can't picture which heat shields are close to metal parts and could rattle. Do you agree that the big blanket over the muffler doesn't rattle? My car is an 02S.

'98 Boxster = Have you ever replaced the ignition switch? It sounds like some accesories don't work while other do. If the radio did not work, I would be more confident you had a bad ignition switch. To be fair i don't understand the Boxster electronics/electricals. Seems you have 2 major choices - shotgun replace some commonly failing, relatively inexpensive parts - or pay someone to track this down as an electrical problem. I would be tempted to replace the lower (non-key) half of the ignition switch - just in case. I think this part is about $20. I would also search the forum to see if there is another common failing component that MIGHT be a match. To my recollection the other common electrical failures are mostly micro-switches for the top/handbrake and foot brake pedal. Good luck.

TOM - I had a similar problem with the clips popping off. My symptoms wre engagement in the 2-4-6(rear positions) but rubbery feel and no engagement in R-1-3-5(forward positions). In my case I know the retaining clips were bent when I replaced the clutch in August. Replacement clips are on order with the dealer. I think they cost about $4. I also (pointlessly) removed the console to check the shift lever end first.

Kevin - You may want to run through a full tank of gas de-snorked and look at the pump mileage rather than the OBC mileage. PS. - I thought of our 2003 fall group drive up Mt Equinox (in your 986) when I went leaf peeping in VT last weekend. http://blueturban.com/auto/photos_d1.html PPS. - I picked up a friend from Brooklyn up at the Rhinecliff AMTRAC station and did a drive through Duchess county yesterday. The foliage is at peak right now. He was blown away by the train ride along the Hudson followed by a Boxster ride along mountain roads to nowhere. My friend used the word 'Magical'. We took a drive up the Taconic today and I asked if he wanted top up for the freeway - He said no way!, he doesn't get to ride in a convertible every day and definitely wanted to enjoy the experience top down even in the brisk weather. I DO get to drive a convertible almost every day and I couldn't agree more. These cars really are 'magical'.

CATs should be covered under warrantee. My 02S does not make this sound, but is now at 51K miles. The Boxster isn't prone to heat shield rattles - the heat shield above the muffler is like a blanket of insulation with an aluminum 'skin' on the muffler side. Even if the heat blanket were loose, it would thud rather than rattle. There are some sleeve clamps between the CATS and the muffler than could rattle, but you would also be hearing a major exhaust leak if they started to rattle. I would suspect an internal loose CAT or muffler part before an external loose part.

This is Normal - low wattage(7W?) bulbs stay on but the high wattage bulbs shut off with a relay when the engine is off My windows do not work with the key in the off position - but you are right, they should work with the engine on. MY 02S

BoxyLady - lots to read under Suspension, Brakes and Wheels forum http://www.renntech.org/forums/index.php?showforum=100

B&M shifter install mentions reclining the passenger seat. Sliding the passenger seat 6 inches forward and reclining fully seemed to help for me.

Interesting idea Gundo It certainly would be easier. All you would have to remove is the sleeve clamps and jam a rod down the exposed tube. The muffler and CATs could stay on the car. I wouldn't do it either. Destroying a catalytic converter sort of negates a lifetime of recycling. There is a risk of adding a rattle of broken parts to the exhaust sound.

Brake Pads are easy on this car. If you did 'the rest of the 30K service', I would wait until you actually see the wear sensors go off and then install new front pads. It is HIGHLY UNLIKELY you need rear brake pads at 30K - I have 50K on my Boxster S rear brakes so far, and these are similar brakes. Speaking of brakes, you probably want to exchange your brake fluid if the fluid is over 2 years old. If you have the original 99 CAP, it may want replacing. This is extrapolating from the Boxster world where the pre 2000 cap was replaced at dealer service time. The prices quoted seem about right to me.

You just got into the wrong kind of Mustang :D I remember test driving a 2002 5-speed Mustang Cobra convertible and it was a heck of a lot more fun than the 2002 BMW M3 Cabrio. Sure the M3 engine sounded better, but pushrods be damned, things like weight, balance, suspension, and exhaust system seem to make a lot more difference that the shape of the moving parts inside the engine. :offtopic: Speaking of pushrods, have you ever driven a Viper? The technology may be old but it shakes and growls like a Harley. You don't need a sub-woofer to get the vibration going. If you like dating fast teenage women, the viper seems like the right car to own.

Just a comment on 'notchiness'. :soapbox: The shifter is basically a bar, a cradle and attachment for a pair of cables to the transmission. Dragging the bar around causes levers on the outside of the transmission to click to a new position. To me - notchiness would be how much you feel the shift lever 'click into place'. The solidity of the 'click' will be primarily a function of slack in the fittings at each end of the cable, rigidity of the cable within it's sleeve, firmness of the bushings between the cable and the transmission, and lastly length and friction of the shifter. All shifters are aiming for low friction so the main effect of a shifter is it's effective length. As the length of the throw gets shorter, effort becomes higher and the perception of clicking into place may appear greater, but IMHO it isn't much. Notchiness could also be 'unexpectedly' reaching the end of the shift travel. Once you become acustomed to the new shift travel, this form of 'notchiness' should go away. The length of the shift throw is a compromise between effort and time to move the distance vs the precision required to select the correct gear. This is essentially the same tradeoff between a moving van steering wheel with multiple turns lock-to-lock and a MOMO racing wheel turning fat tires. The small one is twitchy, notchy, and demands precise movements. The big one requires more elbow movement but the larger range of motion allows one more increments between partway there and fully there. :drive: My arm is comfortable reaching the full distance of the 'standard' porsche solution, so that I prefer to 'feel' my way into a balky gear change. Others who always match revs perfectly (or who imagine they do) may prefer to 'click' into gear changes with a shorter throw. - - - - - - - Bottom line - I don't think any modern Porsche shifter is especially notchy due the the bushings and cables involved. The difference in shifter feel is basically the length of the throw, which is a personal preference based mostly on your inner speed racer. :D

I posted my 250th post on the RennTech forums this week. Considering I seem to post more stupid things :oops: than useful things, I would like to to thank all of you at this forum for your patience, help and camaraderie. Thank you. :thumbup: Ad Sach

One difference I noticed between Porsche club and BMWCCA. When Porsche club wants to go to a car show, they try to meet up from the nearest 3 states and take a scenic drive to get there. When my local BMWCCA wants to go to the car show, they meet in a parking lot and take a bus to the big city. I looked at the M3 convertible to 'keep it in the family', but I used to own a mid-engine X1/9 when my best friend owned a Lotus Europa. Once you develop a taste for a mid-engine everything else is 'also fun'. For me it boiled down to a Boxster S or a Ferrari 308/328 with 70s suspension technology. My O2 S is only rated at 5.6s so I did have to give something up for my mid-engine . 2 trunks has got to add a little length somewhere :rolleyes:

I used the instructions at B&M website (minus the short shifter install) http://bmracing.com/media/products/pdf/67.pdf these were perfect for the manual transmission with good photos

quote=deliriousga,Oct 11 2005, 11:31 AM] That's why mine has to go in the passenger seat with the seatbelt on to keep it from sliding and scratching the interior. May be your only choice. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> My drums fit in the front trunk :D [

For a budget solution, you can remove the muffler-leaving the 2nd CATS on the car- disconnecting at the sleeves. If you cut off the top of the muffler, remove some of the insides and reweld the top closed, you will have a louder- lighter muffler. I imagine a muffler shop would do this fairly cheaply as it shouldn't take more than 1-2 hours labor. I doubt the sound improvement would be worth the headache of seperating the pre-cats from the cats. If you replace the secondary cats with a bypass pipe, be prepared to replace most of the bolts/studs at the trianglar connector. These will probably be rusted into junk. Getting out the old broken studs and bolts will probably require removing the whole exhaust- headers to tailpipe - and banging on your triangular flanges with a hammer. Sleeves (left) good - triangular flange (right) bad sleeve Replacing the muffler is less of a headache since the sleeves between the 2nd CATS and the muffler are held on with carriage bolts and clamps. Busted carriage bolts are much easier to replace than busted studs. The hardest part to removing the muffler is figuring out where the upper hanger bolts are(out of sight between muffler and transaxle). 2002S muffler bracket - on muffler 2002S muffler bracket - on transaxle 2002S muffler bracket - the wrench I used

The main advantage of 18" over 17" is the slightly wider rims as shipped by Porsche. The wider rims support slightly wider tires. The lower profile tends towards more sidewall stiffness, which helps cornering. For Drivers Ed, while a 225 in front is noticeably better than a 205 - for the first 15-20 track days there are plenty of other things to learn that the difference isn't so important. You will get more out of an aggressive alignment or lowering springs than 20mm wider tires. For autocross, nothing beats a fat tire. Premium autocross wheels would probably be lightweight 17x8 front 17x10 rear (i.e. 996 5-spoke lightweights) with spacers. The 17" wheel gives one more tire choices than 18" wheels - especially in R compound, Falken Azenis, etc. 17" tires are less expensive. If you actually do 2-3 days of DE, 2-3 Autocross days and daily driving, you will be buying AT LEAST one set of tires a year. The cost of 18" wheels can add up. 18" tires are bit hard on potholes. The sidewalls are stiffer. This is good for performance but jarring for potholes. In Arizona, which has virtually no potholes, this does not matter. For the East coast, this took some getting used to. For the snow and slush months, where potholes are often hidden, I have 17" snow tires

Rolando, Sorry about a flip answer. In 3 years and 50,710 miles my Boxster left me stranded exactly once - and not coincidentally it was a week after a dealer service. The serpentine belt tensioner exploded causing a serpentine belt blowout just after the dealer adjusted the belt tension. I have had my share of problem and joys with this car. Your problems may be traceable to poor maintenance and deferred maintenance that will level out after you have cared for the car for a few months. Just tonight, I spent an hour reseating my shifter cables. This was definitely a user maintenance problem as I bent the retaining clips when installing a clutch last month and forgot to order replacement retaining clips. Hopefully you haven't inherited too many of these problems. Well maintained, it seems the Boxster is about average reliability. I have driven her alongside both oceans and have no fear of venturing into the great unknown. I wish the reliability were above average, but I am indeed glad it is not lower -this would be a hard car for me to part with.

Congratulations and Welcome. When I was test driving back in 02, the E46 M3 gave up a lot of performance as a convertible vs sedan - there is just no way to ignore the added weight - but what a beautiful car with a sweet sounding engine. The 987S probably seems faster because you are closer to the ground with a smaller nose. I chose a Boxster because I love curves - what brought you to the Porsche stable?