MikeA

I agree about the BOSE. Apparently they are responsible for GAL not being available with the CDR 23. The AudioPilot does not help with the volume.

I have yet to understand or "hear" exactly what that AudioPilot nonesense really does. I can hear ABSOLUTELY no difference with it on or off. Took it to the dealer to ask them if it was working properly and they could not tell me what it does (other than the ambigous information in the manual). Personally I would have been much happier having just a basic GAL system in my 04 C2 Cab. I am continuously reaching over to turn the volume up or down when I drive with the top down. I never had to do that with my GAL CDR22 in my 01 Boxster S. I am really dissapointed in the Bose High end audio that came with my 996.

Mike

Had a similar situation with my turn signal lamps and fog lamps on my 04 C2 Cab. I just removed the headlight assembly and slid it back in securely. It seemed to remedy the problem so I assume that it was a poor contact in the plug that the assembly mates with. I had recently replaced my fog (driving) lamps with a pair of silverstar so I had removed the headlights at that time. That probably was the cause of the poor connection.

Good luck

Mike

I live in Truckee and have a C2 Cab. These cars do well in the snow because of the engine weight being over the drive wheels. With snow tires a C2 does very well in the snow. The limiting factor is not the two wheel drive vs the all wheel drive but the low clearance of the car. You will not get very far in unplowed roads with a C2 or C4 because of this. If the only reason you are buying a C4(S) is to get by in snow, you should probably rethink this. A C2 will do nearly as well as a C4 in snow depths that are less than four inches. Any more than that and it won't matter if you have all wheel drive or not. Usually a two wheel drive car will be allowed to pass through chain controls with snow tires. If chains only are required, then you probably do not want to drive a C4 either due to the amount of snow falling and accumulating.

Good luck with your search.

Mike

Mike:

I did the same thing last year, and changed out the stock bulbs with some Phillips "weather vision" bulbs that are designed for fog (they have a slight yellow tint to them)  I also noticed that they do not seem very bright. 

The replacement bulbs are 55W, same as the stock bulbs. 

I am perplexed why they seem so dim as well.

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Thanks Gary,

What I have noticed is that only the left bulb is dim while the right bulb seems as bright as the original.

What I was wondering is if Porsche designed the system so the left bulb receives slightly less voltage for a lower brightness in an effort to make it less blinding to oncoming traffic. It's just a guess and a long shot. More than likely the new bulb I installed on the left side bad.

Mike

I just replaced both my driving lamp bulbs on my 04 996 cab because one burned out. I replaced them with standard H3 bulbs and have noticed that the right side bulb seems brighter than the left side bulb. They are both identical new Sylvania H3 bulbs.

I was wondering if anyone knows if Porsche has designed the car to provide higher light output to the right side versus left side so as not to pose a hazard to oncoming drivers? I guess I can switch the bulbs and see if the brighter light is dependent on the bulb or the socket it is installed in but I thought I would ask here first (yeah I know, it's the lazy way out :D ).

Thanks

Mike

 

Mike 

Have you tried Toluene? 

 

Brad 

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I have not tried toluene. You can get it at most places that sell paint products however, my concerns would be the purity of the toluene. Increasing the octane of my fuel is not that important to me and I am reluctant to try it in my Carrera. The article in the attached link I posted was just for information purposes only. I personally make no claims or recommendations regarding the use of toluene as an octane booster.

I am curious if anyone else has tried to use it in a project car of any kind. Theoretically it should burn completely in an internal combustion engine since it is just a 6 carbon ring with a methyl group (CH3) attached. It basically has nothing other than carbon and hydrogen in its structure; a pure hydrocarbon. As I mentioned my biggest concern would be impurities.

Mike

Check out this internet link on octane and the use of toluene as an octane booster. It might answer some of your questions. Hope it helps.

http://patriot.net/~jonroq/Tech/octane2.html

I have a hardtop hoist in my garage and absolutely love it. It keeps the top only a couple of feet below the rafters and makes it very easy to drop it down and install it on my cab for winter driving. I highly recommend it as an easy way to store the top and an easy way to one person install the top as well. I bought mine from a vendor on ebay but they are all pretty much the same.

I say go for it!

Mike

MY04 C2 Cab

P.S. your engine compartment would never pass Concours inspection!  :D

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I guess I better start cleaning the inside of my engine compartment right away ( the heck with the air filter :rolleyes:) Up here in the highlands we aren't as picky about the cleanliness of our engine compartments with all the dirt and dust on the roads. I guess that might suggest that perhaps my air filer should be replaced or blown out as you suggested Gary.

Thanks for the info you guys.

Gary, when are you coming up to Soda Springs?

Mike

I am trying to inspect my air filter and replace it if needed on my 2004 C2 Cab. The car currently has 15K miles. The diagram and instructions on the DIY section for air filter replacement is a little different than my car. First, there is no connection for the MAF sensor on the air filter housing in the position detailed on the diagram. Looking at my photo I am pointing at a sensor connection on the opposite side that the diagram here in the DIY section shows. Is this the sensor for the MAF? If so, how does it disconnect from the housing. I am hesitant to pry or pull to hard in fear that it could actually be damaged.

The other question I have is this: how likely is it that the air filter would actually need replacement after just 15K miles. I certainly am not opposed to spending thirty bucks to replace it but if removing it might result in a broken sensor connection I might just leave it alone.

Thanks all

Mike

My 04 C2 Cab has 15K miles and I called my dealer for service info. They want $569 to do the 15K mile service. It includes oil and filter along with the pollen filter replacement. I can do all these things myself. In addition to these things all they really do is inspect a variety of systems in the car, i.e. lights, horn, locks, underbody, etc. Now I don't mind paying for actual repair work but it seems as if the bulk of this 15K service is just looking around at my car! Does this equal $565 worth of real work? What have others here done and is there any problems with voiding the warranty if this service is only done to the extent of the oil and filter changes?

Thanks all

It is almost time for my 15K miles service on my 04 C2 Cab. Even though I have already done a DIY oil/filter change at 10K, I want to take it in for the service so I can address a few minor warranty issues.

One thing I am trying to find out is if my Bose sound package is working properly. With respect to this issue I am not entirely clear on what that silly Audio Pilot (AP) function does. I do not notice ANY difference in the sound with AP on or off. My old Boxster used to have speed sensitive volume and I thought that was very useful (especially with top down driving). Does anyone know if AP is supposed to perform a similar function? The manual states that it is supposed to "adapt the sound volume to the specific vehicle". What exactly does that mean? Is there any way I can test to see if this is working? What have others with Bose audio experienced with the AP feature both on and off? The only feature I wish the Bose had is the speed dependent volume control. Funny how the high end audio package does not have this option (I think...).

Thanks gang,

Mike

Mike, there should be a tightening screw under the shift skirt on the front side.  I think it is about a 6MM torx key.  It's hard to see if you don't know what to look for.  Does yours have one?

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I have the standard shift knob and there is no set screw to secure it.

Thanks for the idea though.

Mike

I recently installed the B&M shifter on my 04 996 C2 Cab. I also had installed the B&M on my 01 Boxster S that I no longer own. In both cars I have had a minor problem in that the shift knob will pull off rather easily now after doing the B&M install. It has come off on me during shifting while I drive on both my Boxster and my current 996. My question is how can I secure it so that it is attached to the shift lever as tigthly as it was when installed at the factory? I have used quite a bit of pressure to push it back on but it still seems to pop off easily if I pull on it. Does anyone have this same problem and does anyone know of a solution?

Thanks

Mike

Well, most of the relays I have opened were not really relays in the traditional sense - they were digitial switching circuits.  So, you may have to swap it out with another relay with the same part number - from someone else's car to be sure.

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Once I found the relay I pushed on it and determined that it was not fully seated on the socket. After pushing it in completely the defogger works fine. Looks like it was just a partly unplugged relay that caused the whole thing. Funny how I only noticed it after I completed the hardtop install.

As always, thanks Loren and everyone else for your suggestions.

Mike

How do I check the relay? Is there a simple way to see if the relay is woring or not?

Thanks

No changes of any type other than the hardtop mounting hardware in the back of the car. Loren, do you think it is possible that when I plugged the wire from the hardtop mounting bracket into the plug on the cars wiring harness that it could have caused the control unit to fail? I would have thought that any short in the wiring would have been protected by a fuse. The fuse for the defogger is OK. I checked it with an ohm meter for continuity. Where is the control unit? Is there a way to test it or is it easily replaced? Also as I mentioned, I have disconnected the wire from the hardtop bracket to the car's plug for the defogger and eliminated the hardtop wiring from the car. The defogger still does not come on.

Thanks

Mike

Does the light on the switch go on when you push it?

They all share a control unit for power and control.

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Nope... the light does not come on.

My rear window defogger on my 04 C2 Cab does not appear to be working. The light on the switch does not come on when turned on. It appears as if the side mirror defoggers as well as rear window defogger do not heat up but it is hard to tell. It is the same with hardtop rear window as well. Unlikely that both the ragtop and hardtop would have failed heating elements so it is probably something else. I have checked the fuse box and all the fuses are OK.

Does anyone have any ideas on how I can troubleshoot the problem? I hate to take my car to the dealer for these minor things but it bothers me that it does not work on a car that is less than a year old.

Thanks

Mike

I'm sold, what is a good price for it?

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Brandywine Porsche has been listing the shifter on E-Bay for $199. They had quite a few for sale listed about two weeks ago. They must have bulk purchased them and got stuck with more than they needed.

Mike

Just got back from my test drive with the new B&M. Man do I love that shifter. I know it has been said before but this is the way the car should have come from the factory. No problems at all with the install and it shifted fine from the get go. A must mod for those of you that still have factory shifters!

Thanks Tool Pants.

I did a thorough search and found some useful info about a plastic keeper that holds the pivot ball in place for the reverse cable. This is useful info but I have one very basic question:

I did the B & M install on my 2001 Boxster S a few years ago (have since sold it) and want to know if there are any major differences or difficulties doing the install on an 04 C2 Cab? The Boxster was really quite easy. Can I expect the same ease when installing the B&M on my 04 C2 Cab today? Also I do not remember any retainer clip for the pivot ball on the reverse when I did the Boxster install. Is this unique to the 996?

Thanks alll

I too struggled when I had to remove and reinstall mine. I did find that the hinging mechanism is attached by a small bolt and nut (if I remember correctly). I was able to remove the nut and manipulate the tray much better. I installed the tray on the hinge mechanism while it was off of the firewall and then reattached the nut and bolt to mount the tray back on.

Hope this helps. BTW I have an 04 C2 cab, I assume all 996 models use the same relay tray but I'm not sure.

Mike

Great info! My hardtop parts are on order and will probably be doing the install soon. The only question I have is regarding the locks on the hardtop. My dealer insists that the locks on the hardtop are all the same across all the 996 series cabs. I called a second dealer and asked them the same question without telling them what the first dealer said. They also insist that the locks are the same across all years. I guess I will wait and see. If the top will not fit with the existing locks (hartop is off an MY99), I will buy new ones.

Thanks again John

Mike