JFP in PA

He must be taking a nap; 2 hours, max.

The VarioCam is altering the relative positions of the intake and exhaust cam lobe centerlines using combination solenoid and oil hydraulics; in doing so, in can significantly increase both the drivability and power output band of the engine. There have been several postings of excellent "how does it work" profiles, so do a search if you would like to learn more about how it functions mechanically. The major difference between the early VarioCam and the later VarioCam Plus is that the later system can incrementally alter the centerline differences over a fixed range, while the earlier system switched between only two settings. The best way to see how the system is working is by using either a PIWIS or the Durametric software system, which can give you the actual cam angle changes in real time.

You could have saved a load of time by using one of the B90 tools, which allow you to remove and replace the wheel bearing without removing the carrier assembly from the car (so no disassembly / reassembly issues), which more than makes it worth the money...............

Ethanol is about 30-35% lower in energy output compared to gas, so any level of EtOH is going to reduce both total performance and mileage by some amount. This is one of the farcical aspects of the Fed requiring the use of 10% in gas, and why "Flex Fuel" vehicles make little sense from and energy conservation perspective (other than to help the corn farmers); but in many (if not most) states, you have no choice but to use fuel with ethanol in it. Fortunately, the M96/97 engines and fuel systems can tolerate up to 10% EtOH, but no higher; but the DME is going to change its profile to accommodate the lower energy potential of the fuel.

Along with Mike, I'd take a look at the ignition switch, but also the clutch interlock switch; either can present the conditions you mention...........

I wouldn't use anything but the OEM pump. We have installed a lot of the OEM's over the years, never had an issue with them failing prematurely, but have seen many aftermarket units crap out in very few miles. Are you sure that the system was properly filled (under vacuum)? Has the car been pressure tested to see if there is any other issues (blown head gasket, cracked head, etc.)?

Couple of issues: On a Boxster, you can get at (just) the AoS to change it out without removing anything else. This is not the case on most 911 variants where the a lot of the engine components either need to be removed to get at it, or the transmission, and in some case the engine, needs to be removed to gain access. A couple of individuals have done it by taking off components ( Disassemble engine method ), but it is easier with the transmission out of the way. In the case of Tiptronic’s, it becomes a toss up to either pull the gear box or the entire engine. Either way, not for the faint of heart............

You have the wrong size battery, the OEM is a group 48 (12 1/2L X 6 7/8W X 7 9/16H), you have a group 49 (15L X 6 7/8W X 7 9/16H). The extra 2 1/2 inches in length is your problem.........

We empty the unit, then thoroughly wipe it out with shop paper towels, and reassemble before storing.

Have the battery fully charged and then load tested; if it passes, hook it up to the maintainer and put it to bed. If it fails, replace the battery first.

Loren is correct, it is a double sided tape similar to the kind 3M sells at autobody supply shops for attaching trim.

Do a search, this has to be one of the most written up DIY projects for a Boxster................

You have to look at the perspective of the posters; an individual is working from a sample of one, a shop is looking at it from a sample of many. The individual will always see their perspective as "overwhelming evidence" for their opinion positions, which is totally understandable. How long the clutch lasts has several dependencies; the driver, the environment the car is normally in (city vs. rural driving), is the car tracked or not, is it driven in the winter snows, etc. etc. Some drivers easily go well over 100K with the factory clutch; but most don't. We often have had to pull a clutch for other reasons (RMS update, IMS issues, transmission problems, etc.) only to find very significant wear on the disc in the 40-60K range (worn down nearly to the rivets). Would these assemblies continue to work in that condition? Most probably yes, but for an "undefined period of time". We have had cars come in for chattering clutch complaints, which turned out to be dual mass flywheel issues, but also had totally burnt discs. Once you have committed to paying someone to pull the gearbox and clutch, the question you have to ask yourself is do you feel confident putting significantly worn components back in to save a few bucks? If you plan to shortly get rid of the car, the answer is obvious. If you plan to keep if for a while, a bit more reflection on the economics of doing so is required. The same process applies to the RMS and IMS updates; you are already there, the money to get at them is already spent, so is the additional $20 bucks for the latest RMS and another $500-600 for the IMS update (plus some additional labor, around 2 hours) and you can sleep soundly, knowing your M96 is going to be fine for many years to come. An interesting data point is that many Indies are doing a full clutch and flywheel replacement, including a new RMS/IMS, for less than the dealers are getting for just a disc replacement. Jake Raby quoted a little over $3K on another website for everything, including before and after dyno pulls. At the end of the day, it is your car and your budget, and you have to determine where the economics are in your case……...

I'm sure there are wear specs for both; unfortunately, everyone of the discs I've had the pleasure to take apart was obviously toast, and it isn't worth the effort to skimp on only replacing the disc..........do it right and replace both, plus the dual mass flywheel if that has become loose as well..............

Run the codes, then you will know...............

That's nice................but I would still recommend against any form of either turbo or super charger use on the M96..............

You cannot clear an airbag MIL without a PSTII/PIWIS or Durametric system; there are not other known ways to reset it................ Besides which you are really going to want to know what codes were thrown...............

The realistic “sweet spot” for a 986/996 clutch is in the 40-60K range. Some don’t make it that far, some go further; a lot depends upon the driver. The 5 speed gear box (assuming proper maintenance and a decent driver) can last for a very long time; syncro failures are very few other than those caused by using the wrong gear oils or flat out abuse. Keep in mind that anytime you pull the gear box and/or clutch is the best time to do the RMS and the IMS………………

I would stop and think long and hard before taking an engine with the M96’s reputation and taking it from a normally aspirated configuration and adding an aftermarket blower or turbo……………. There are many reasons Porsche developed and entirely different engine to run with a turbo………..all of which you are likely to discover if you go this route………..

Depends upon the maintainer, not all have a "supply" setting that keeps the current on when the battery is disconnected.............

I've never found a suitable substitute, which is why I get them by the bag full from Sunset.................they only caost a few cents each.

I'll repeat what I said earlier: DO NOT RUN THE CAR! If your AOS is toast and the engine is inhaling oil, even turning it over with out starting it is enough to do serious and very permanent damage (like one or more bent rods). This needs to be handled by someone that really knows what they are doing and has the correct equipment (like a bore scope), or it can and will get very expensive, very quickly......................

Not all model and/or year combinations are prone to having problems when the battery is disconnected; only issue is that there is no definitive list of which ones to be concerned about, you get find out by disconnecting it (thank you, Porsche). The last thing I need is to have a car come into the shop because the battery is crapping out, and end up creating a couple of hours of unpaid labor over a simple battery swap that should have been done in 20 min., or a customer that leaves unhappy with a temporarily poor running car, or later discovers his gas gauge doesn't work anymore. So we always use a maintainer with a supply mode when we disconnect the battery……………….

Pull all the spark plugs and look for one (or more)that is oiled down; a blown AOS can flood one or more cylinders enough to hydrolock your engine with inhaled oil and kill it. This is not something to mess about with; if you are lucky, you caught it before it bent a rod or worse. Do not run the car until you have determined if you have cylinder(s) filling with oil or not. If you've gotten to it in time, a new AOS and a few miles will clear out the remaining oil and you will be fine. But get it properly checked before even starting it again....................

I'd start with a check of the battery and alternator; voltage swings often cause both the ABS and PSM MIL's to trigger. A load test of the battery and alternator will tell you if they are involved; beyond that, I would agree with Loren, get it scanned for active and pending codes.................