5thtonbench

I'm sure it exists but its vague. I just ordered my 2008 S and while waiting for delivery I am planning my stereo. Based on my experiences with doing my boxster, I have a lot more grounds as to what I can do in the porsche. Does anyone have a diagram or just an accurate count of which speakers are in what positions and how big each speaker is? I'm really focused on the stock system (I skipped the bose since everything but the PCM is coming out) but I have noticed that the door panels and dash panels are the same regardless on the 2008's. This wasnt the case say, with my boxster, which varies the door panel depending on the sound option chosen. Just so everyone knows what I am up to, I'll be installing JL all around this time, with a 500/1v2 and 450/4v2 powering the environment. The PCM will be connected to a CL-SSI and then a CL441, which will then send the signal out to the amp. Its useless to send less than amazing sound to the amp and spend tons of money on speakers. I was going to install the focal utopia 3 ways, but I will stick to JL this time. I was impressed by their evolution ZR series, and the 3 ways are a lot less power hungry (have to fit amps somewhere!) than the focals, a bit cheaper and easier to acquire. So up front (depending on the speaker layout that hopefully someone chimes me into) I will do a 3 way component, matchine 2's for the passenger doors and matching midbass for the lid. Once I dynamat the cayenne and take into consideration its a fixed roof (as opposed to the boxster), I'll be achieving DBs and headroom a lot easier so I wont need the destructive power of 200w/ch components. The sub I will be using is the 10w7. I'm looking forward to it. Next begins the long search for an ipod bluetooth solution, but hopefully when by the time my car is delivered mobridge will be out with theirs. Yet another porsche to tinker with in the garage :) -Ryan

Hey JAudio- Do you have any recommendations for a 2001 Boxster? I would like something with a double din screen and nav. Check out my install on my S... it should give you some serious starting points. http://www.renntech.org/forums/index.php?s...amp;#entry70245 I've yet to hear something more clean, clear and powerful than my setup without some big bulky subwoofer being somewhere. -Ryan

I had the factory rears, but I can tell you that the kappas are a lot brighter and noticeably crisper. Its a worthwhile upgrade when combined with an amp to more properly drive them. The factory amp doesnt have enough gusto for worthwhile aftermarket speakers.

That looks like it was run over! Anyway, being extremely skeptical that the fuel pump was the culprit, I asked to speak to the technician working on the car. The new (actual) story is that its not the fuel pump at all, but rather the fuel sending unit that mates the hoses to the tank. I've since seen the part which is indeed cracked and I have no doubt that when the tank is full it can leak from this point. I honestly dont know how this crack could have developed over a month's time, but apparently the technician who first worked on my car is no longer with the dealership so no one can provide answers. I'm not happy, but its not something I can do easily myself even if I had the time. It looks like most of the cost is wrapped up in labor as well, but such is the nature of the beast I suppose. Once I get the part in hand, I'll take a picture for reference. I've been out of the country for a while so I apologize for not following up. Something of a plastic seal between the tank and the rest of the mounting was apparently cracked. Cost 700 bucks to fix, and suddenly they couldnt come up with the old part either. I was not happy at all, but at least the smell is gone and the error is cleared.

I love my PS2's. As long as they make them, I will buy them.

I paid 200 with a coupon at the porsche dealership. Alignments at good shops (non-porsche) run around 90 bucks where I live, just metro prices. I figured it wasnt too outrageous considering those same shops up-charge for anything "exotic". I know... I know

I have a jump-station on hand (one of those portable battery jump boxes). They are very cheap nowadays, 50 bucks or so. It also has a DC power outlet. Low and behold when my battery went dead, plugging a cable in between that socket and my lighter socket gave juice to the car. It was enough to operate the alarm, which in turn unlocked the levers on the drivers side and I opened the hood. Whatever you do, do not attempt to jump your car through this configuration. Use it to open the hood and jump directly to the battery.

I know some things acted real funny on my car when I swapped the battery out. Later I went to turn on the radio, entered the radio code and things seemed to return to normal. I have no idea as to if it was a coincidence or by design.

That looks like it was run over! Anyway, being extremely skeptical that the fuel pump was the culprit, I asked to speak to the technician working on the car. The new (actual) story is that its not the fuel pump at all, but rather the fuel sending unit that mates the hoses to the tank. I've since seen the part which is indeed cracked and I have no doubt that when the tank is full it can leak from this point. I honestly dont know how this crack could have developed over a month's time, but apparently the technician who first worked on my car is no longer with the dealership so no one can provide answers. I'm not happy, but its not something I can do easily myself even if I had the time. It looks like most of the cost is wrapped up in labor as well, but such is the nature of the beast I suppose. Once I get the part in hand, I'll take a picture for reference.

Thanks. I was hoping to get a little more weigh-in on this, but I can understand that its hard without running tests ourselves. I know that this pump can be had for 2 and change, but right now im cursed with a complete lack of time to work on the car. Its frustrating for me because there is so much I CAN work on throughout this car, but determining this problem's legitimacy isnt one of them. I suppose I will pick it up and take it all the way out to the dealer I originally bought it from and see what they have to say. After talking with them on the phone, they feel its possible but very rare that the housing cracks. -Ryan

A while back I had mentioned on here that I was smelling fuel with the top down in the car. I took the car to the dealer, who spent the day with the car and handed it back to me saying they couldnt reproduce the smell and nothing came up on a "fuel system check". Well, last thursday the car's check engine light came on. I brought the car to the dealer and expressed my dissatisfaction when I was told it was most likely emissions or fuel system related. I had to wait until today to get their answer... Today I am being told there is a "crack in the fuel pump" which is only remedied apparently by replacement of the entire assembly, some seals and gaskets. Grand total, $760 and change. Something isnt sitting with me on this one. Any advice or heads up would be appreciated. I have no problem working on my car, and would love to know what the pump assembly goes for. Additionally, I'm being told the pump is all one piece, but its hard for me to conceive that the pump doesnt have some type of housing where the fluid actually passes through. When I posed that question, I was given the response "the crack is in the pump, and that is causing the EVAP leak". Unfortunately, Im dealing with an Audi customer consultant and not the normal porsche guy who is out of town. What is everyone's feelings on this?

Thanks! I've actually been working with the system to tune and tighten things up, and its putting out even more sound now. Its incredible how clear and loud and thumping the system is even with the top down at speed. For the subs, I built a reverse chamber out of lexan, then sealed the doors up (foam/dyna etc). In hindsight, id of just gone with turning the door into a small sealed box without the lexan, but im not complaining about the results as I had to be the test pig on this one. I called a lot of people asking for info on doing this... everyone said it couldnt be done, so im happy to say now it can :-) For those looking for face plates, i havent had much time at home and im not into custom work as a job, so its been hard. I will be doing some work on a friend's car soon, so I can see about making a limited few extra till im sick of it (since the tools will all be broken out). No promises though! Its not too hard to do on your own, you just need a router and a good senses of measure twice cut once B)

Actually I had the DSP unit in my boxster prior to the upgrade, so the trim was already there. Sorry I cant help, but as it was mentioned, it should be as simple as contacting sunset and telling them what you need :-)

I am glad you are appreciating the install. I'm loving it every day. There is just such a difference with a REAL low end and a well balanced stage of clarity from the main speakers at volume. For the double din, yes I removed the cross brace. I cut it with a dremel (I use that for everything!) and then smoothed the edge with an emory board. The plate covering I have fills in whatever noticeable change would have been there. After that I made my own bracket to mount the radio in the height and way I wanted it. I didnt have any issues with wiring the headunit... its pretty straightforward and there are a lot of references to the wires both here and elsewhere so you know what does what. As far as security well... thats a tough one. I dont leave my top down when im away from the car shopping etc, but if someone wants to gouge the top and spend time stealing the radio and amp etc, there is no way I can stop them. I dont see a porsche as the type of car people are fishing for radios from anyway, but if they are going to steal it I have no real solution for stopping them. It also makes me realize that it doesnt matter if we have a rag top or not, because even with a hard roof if they really want in, they just smash a window. Unless your top is down, I dont think its any much easier. Hope that helps... let me know how you make out with your stereo!

Carlos at wheel dynamics (www.wheeldynamics.com) has helped me and many other board members out with their wheels. They arent the cheapest aftermarkets but the quality is assured. They also promise a very good match on sale, mounting and balancing tires. I got my tires elsewhere because I liked the benefit of someone local to service road hazard warranties. I realize you arent in the states but the shipping was very reasonable here, and might not be too bad overseas... worth a shot! They are very well versed in porsche wheels (in fact I think its their main business) and most of their wheels have several factory offsets, meaning the majority of the wheels can fit your boxster, carerra, cayman etc without spacers. For me this was very important, since I am not fond of spacers: its one extra piece to worry about, high quality or not. As most have said, the tires are heavier in the aftermarket realm, but I actually went to the carerra lightweight which was a lighter wheel anyway. Its heavier than the OEM lightweight, but Carlos assured me it was also stronger as well. Be careful of the paint quality on some of the cheaper offerings... they might be smudged or have runs, or just have very thin clear on there. The few hundred you save could bite you in just a few short summers when the wheels start to look like junk.

No offense taken whatsoever. The original one was out of plastic, and didnt like it as much. The vinyl gave a much softer appearance which matched the plastic the dash is made of. You have to see it in person, the pictures and lighting make the texture look harsh and apparent. I guess you could equate it to the story behind my heart murmor: recently I was at the cardiologist and they found a murmor. I was surprised since he was saying its probably been some time since it was there, but he filled me in that now they find that most people have some type of murmor... a fact now known because the equipment is progressing to such a high level of sensitivity what once was fact is now being re-written. ok ok, what the heck does that have to do with it? I think my camera just takes too sharp a picture :rolleyes: In any case, I'd love to get my hands on the soft plastic that they cast the dash parts out of, but I dont think it would be as pleasant to work with as the MDF. The bass was actually much more than expected... it was a nice surprise. While I dont want to be attacked for simplifying it, bass is just a lot of moving air dependent on pressure (thats where enclosures come in). Bass is also somewhat omni-directional: this is Bose's (and other high-end manufacturers') premise for the bass module and how it can reside anywhere in your theatre room etc. You can also think of the local kid with a truck full of bass coming around the corner... sometimes you just cant tell where he's coming from until he drives past you :) As i mentioned, there are actually some pretty high end systems out there that are specifically designed in a reverse mount. It just might look strange to us because we arent used to seeing it. Hearing is believing though! Also, thanks to the low-pro magnet on this guy it allows it to fit behind the speaker grill. The stiffness of the free-air design allowed me to be a little inaccurate with the volume serving as the enclosure which gave me some installation fudge factor :) The reverse mount, however, does not work with other types of speakers...

Thank you everyone for the compliments. I cant wait for another owner to hear it, because I am sure he/she will go a similar route almost immediately :) 1.) For the frequencies, I fell back on the two crossovers used for the each of the front mids and tweeters (these are bi-amp'd) and have a direct connection from the amp to the subs. I set some frequencies cut-offs in the headunit, then moved to the crossovers on the amp for fine tuning. I also used a staging device to get the timing right in the car. As you may know, most crossovers are hp/lp optioned, but for lp this means you cap the highest frequency you will feed to your speaker. Everything else (and this is true even in the mbq crossover that came with the QSC's) passes through to the speaker, from inaudible to 300+hz if you let it. To overcome this you need something with a subsonic feature, or in otherwords the ability to tune out the low-end from 0+ in addition to the low pass filter. Fortunately my amp has subsonic, which is utilized by obtaining the proper resistors and swapping them out in the panel accordingly. This makes a world of difference, as does the second step I took in tuning the speakers by removing the high frequencies from the midrange speakers. Most could give themselves a "new" system simply by taking their existing system and applying proper hp,lp and subsonic as well as really really sealing the speakers up properly. I was able to pull surprisingly low frequencies out of the subs. They have the ability to sound very deep, but my goal, honestly, was super crisp with tons of volume to cope with the top being down. You can block out the outside noise all together if you so choose :) However, if you bring the overall volume down a little, you can make some quick adjustments from the headunit to get slamming bass without putting the hurt on the subs. I want the system to last a long time, so I'll only be abusing them for demonstrations :) 2.) Dynamat is both inside and outside of the door. I also used expanding foam to significantly reduce volume in the door. This was a bit of a challenge as I wanted to be able to service the door if neccessary, and of course allow the window to go up and down :jump: 3/4.) 6 screws see metal on the subs. The rest go into the lexan. This would be sort of what you are referring to as the baffle, although it just completes the mounting point. I used lexan because I removed the existing weather guard (had to) and while I sealed the subs themselves off, I didnt want a "wick" sitting inside my door filling with water and mold over time. 1/2 lexan was the answer, properly dynamated as well for mounting, rigidity and elimination of vibration. A lot of the work done surrounded an end result of massive vibration from within the doors. Now its tight and a little windy on the ankles :)

My DSP unit was amp-dependant. It actually plugs into the amp directly through the wire harness. This leads me to believe that the DSP portion is onboard the amp as well. You will have to tap the infinite knowledge of these other guys to determine your possibilities here. I have recently replaced my entire stereo. I am very pleased with my present upgrades. However, the DSP sound system was good for a factory install and served me well for the last 7 years. Would I buy it again? No... but its pretty good if your expectations are in line.

911-996: Just let me know what pictures you would like to see and I'll be glad to take them. Unfortunately, I didnt think to take pictures until after I put the dynamat on :censored: but I could pull some away from the basket potentially to show the mount point. The thing about dynamat is its REAL sticky and mushy on the other side! WilliamsF1: The faceplate unit has to be made. It's MDF with a beveled edge and a vinyl wrap. I looked through a few pieces of vinyl until I found a texture I liked. Unfortunately Im not in the audio business, but if you can be patient I can get around to making another in June. What I like most is you can wrap it in a large variety of vinyls: black, red, tan, blue... And I think it goes well with both leather and plastic dashes. The avic D3 is the only unit without a harddrive, so I had a real easy time hiding it :D . I wasnt interested in the features it provided me, especially since I have an ipod that provides all my music for me. The NAV on the drive would have been a nice feature, but I dont mind leaving the dvd in mine either, again because of the ipod. The navigation was also somewhat secondary on my requirements list: I liked the controls gained by a screen for the ipod etc. The video feature might as well not be there for me, as its cool but useless. Below the unit is my cd tray and (now) climate control. It would have been pretty sweet if that was the changer setup though!

While admittedly I am more of a lurker than a poster, Id like to contribute some of my recent work. I'd been planning some major upgrades for my car and finally wrapped up one of the big ones: the stereo. My car is a 2000 Boxster S. I'll start by saying I originally ordered the primo sound system from the factory: I have the cdr220, front, rear and door speakers, DSP 6 channel amp etc. All of it is now removed and completely replaced. It's still in new shape, but I think it did its job well, despite the steep factory options price. Second, I tend to lean on the extremes of a project, meaning they arent for the average do-it-yourself'er. I have access to a mill, a multitude of hand tools and some decent cad skills. All of them are employed here. Because of the intensive planning and some cutting and crafting precision, I cant deploy (at this time) a huge DIY. My intent is to show what I've done and hopefully jog some of the minds out there for what can be done next! For instance, I put 8" subwoofers into my doors... until I did it, I was told this cant be done. Now it has, and it sounds incredible. More on that later. My intent was a complete and comprehensive overhaul of the sound system. I looked into what some were doing and tried a combination of various methods, all of which sent me back to the drawing board. I knew I wanted a new amplifier, MBQUART QSCs in the front, the QSC add a woofer speakers in the doors and the only viable option, kappa 3.5's in the rear. Here is what I ended up with, and how it went in: Battery: I did this at the beginning of the season (or end depending on how you look at it!). I modified the stock battery tray to accept an Optima Yellow top, knowing I'd appreciate the deep cycle's ability to run and run, as well as the challenge I'd be presenting the alternator later on. Pioneer Avic D3: Dollar for dollar this was exactly what I needed. You can fine tune RGB on the display controls (including the buttons) to match your porsche dashboard colors exactly. Forget "close", with patience you can tune in the exact RGB level. I also wanted the complete ipod integration, backup camera and phone integrated, so I picked up those options as well. I hardwired the unit in place, running independent power to ensure engine noise was eliminated. I used monster's XLN 400 series cross and subwoofer interconnects (3x2) for the best chances of keeping interference out as I ran past a multitude of wiring up to the front of the car. The wiring in place (for the 6 channel amp) is decent and at least twisted pair, however I felt using my own interconnects was the most viable option. The climate control was relocated to where the DSP unit used to sit, and a custom face plate was crafted out of MDF, with a flush-mount to accomodate a nice look to the receiver. Wrapped and Pulled with vinyl, the texture and overall look came out to my expectations. Audison LRX6: For those who dont know audison, they are a very high end italian amplifier company. Because I took note that my car would be cranked up in a black car's non-ventilated trunk during hot summer days, I wanted something bullet proof. I also wanted something that would sound mind blowing, and offer me options like subsonic and a fair amount of control over the system. I chose to bi-amp the front woofers and tweeters with seperate crossovers, utilize the sub channel and convert the rear to a center channel speaker layout where the sound is filler. This gave me better control of the timing as well, and I was able to "virtually" push those speakers further behind me from a staging perspective. As an added bonus, the amp fits perfectly on the factory shelf. Although the wattage isnt what you expect (everyone is chasing more more more), if you've ever compared a serious amp to a more consumer model, you'd know what you are getting into. Anyone who doesnt and may be local, I encourage you to look me up and hear it for yourself. It is loud, clear and all business. Interesting enough, its also extremely heavy. It really caught me off guard! After everything was buttoned up nicely I am pleased with the mounting results. MBQuart QSC's: Simply put, the QSC's are specifically designed for shallow mount european dashes, and thats what I have. However, the methods deployed by others really do not do these speakers justice. So, with the aid of bracketing and plasti-melt, I completely sealed up the baskets so that they could really experience cancellation from front to back. Originally I had them mounted and sealed but not seperated. Once I made this solid, the speaker took on a new life. Door Subwoofers: The original plan was to throw a high end speaker, the 6.5" MBQuart QSC add-a-woofer, that would compliment the dash speakers nicely. I have to say, while an improvement, they were dissapointing to me. They did sound fantastic, especially by comparison to the factory door system, however I was willing to go bigger and more extreme and thats exactly what I did. I ended up utilizing a shallow mount sub made by Kicker, the SSMB8. They are surprisingly priced, tough and tight, and come in an 8" size. These are true midrange subs, and while advertised as free air, they still require an "enclosure" of sorts or they will just be constantly bottoming out. Again, the front has to be seperated from the rear as well. Fortunately, subwoofers arent particular about the direction they are facing, as long as they have a solid enclosure. Some of the highest end systems use a reverse mount sub, and with the shallow mount it fits behind the speaker grill perfectly. The door is not particularly serviceable but in a pinch, you could simply cut away the dynamat and re-apply. The sub is mounted with a lexan mount, passover rain-guard, secured by screws and playing into a expansion foam volume (capacity) selected enclosure (the door) with dynamat covering the majority of metal surfaces inside and out to ensure everything is buttoned tightly. There is zero rattling in the door enclosure! My decision to turn the door into a small enclosure, through the use of lexan, dynamat, expanding foam and some ingenuity turned out to be the crowning achievment in the setup. The end result is not a pair of 12" subwoofers, HOWEVER, it is invisible, deep, low and hard bass. Inside my car, you will constantly be looking for the subwoofer :clapping: Mission accomplished. Needless to say, the doors have an all new, solid feel to them as a biproduct of the enclosure process. Hopefully I can make some meets and let some locals have a listen. I love breaking new (or at least unheard of to me) ground and I feel like this combination is a real winner. The cost may be considered high for some, reasonable for others. With the exception of a few components (headunit, rear speakers) I used relatively high end components. However, installation such as proper speaker mounting and sealing goes a long way for any type of component. I can say that I am extremely pleased with the sound system and my new, heavy low end and crisp scorching volumes at speed. The nav is a bonus as well for those beach trips and my man-stuff with asking for directions :lightbulb:

Good to know. Since its new to me I dont need to point out the obvious that I never got a post card. I'm going to have to go back and give them hell since they saw the car last summer. I put the car into service and I'm not seeing a compliance notice. How wonderful. My seal isnt cracked like slb's cap, but I suppose I could investigate the fuel vent. Any quick way to test that?

Yes definitely dont drill without removing the tray! You would have to remove it to cut the wedge anyway, but its only 4 bolts! Im pretty firm about getting things right, and I insisted on being able to clamp down the battery. The other big issue for me was keeping things close to how they were prior to an upgrade, so centering the battery was important to me as well. As it is, this battery is not moving with or without the cables attached. It certainly has made a difference though: even though I havent gotten the upgrade stereo in place, the battery still prevents the guage lights from flashing when the stereo is really cranked. Plus now Im more comfortable leaving the stereo running while cleaning the car etc, as the yellow top is a deep cycle B)

Thanks, im going to have to look you guys up once Im fully on my feet B)

What year was that released? I didnt have this issue last year, and its happening on a quarter tank as well as a full.

I've had the car opened for spring and out a few times, and last night it got real cold on the ride home. I flipped on the heat, and started smelling gas in the cabin. Its very faint, but its there. I notice I dont seem to smell it when im not running the ventilation fans, but that could be coincidence. Last night was the first time I drove with the top up. Where should I start on this? I'm gearing up to do a bunch of maintenance and if its something I can catch in the process than great!