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mikefocke

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Everything posted by mikefocke

  1. mikefocke
  2. mikefocke
    Here is a list of Porsche approved oils TSB here Me, I use Mobile 1 0W40 just like Porsche does and all the dealers I've been to do. I use Porsche-branded oil filters bought online. Be sure and order the crush ring too. It goes in between the oil drain plug and the block and is not supposed to be reused.
  3. mikefocke
    Don't assume you need reprogramming. I have an '01 S and I didn't. It is only early '00s as I read the charts. Read my write up down at the bottom there is a table cross referencing Porsche-branded part numbers with Bosch part numbers. Absolutely no reason to pay for Porsche painting their part number on what is absolutely the same part when bought from Bosch. Replacing the MAF is something you can do yourself. Took me 15 minutes and I had never even opened the engine cover on a Boxster before. Though be aware that often problems that seem MAF related are in fact caused by other problems. But rear the linked article.
  4. mikefocke
    I think you have in the article your answer It depends on which all season tire you are talking about what it's strengths are and what it gives up to get them. The only A/S tires to get a Very Good in dry handling gets only fair or good on snow and ice. Ask for very good A/S in snow and ice, you get only a good at best in dry and wet handling. Since these are dedicated winter rims/tires and will not be used in the spring thru fall, you may want to emphasize the ice and snow and be willing to give up the dry handling. It all depends on your weather. If you are really going to have to depend on these tires to get you through bad weather, then winter ones known good on ice and snow and heck with the dry handling. If you are willing to give up on the worst days and have another way to get to work (a buddy with a SUV, for example), then A/S will help if you get caught. And we all can't wait till spring when the summer tires go on and the top comes down.
  5. mikefocke
    Have you priced replacement headlights recently !!!!! Pairs Stock yellow ~$650 Stock clear ~$1400 Litronics Kit ~$2400
  6. mikefocke
    Then why is it Every scientific study I've ever read of K&Ns and other such filters shows they do a significantly poorer job of preventing dirt from getting into the engine intake than the OEM filters. They all let in more dirt and bigger particles than the OEM filter. And since filtration is what I buy the filter for....why would I use one? Why not just take the filter out entirely or use some crude wire mesh screen if protecting the engine from fine particles isn't important? After all, the wear won't show up before I sell the car, let the next guy worry about it.
  7. mikefocke
    What you want is impossible to achieve IMHO You want dry handling, good wear and winter tire traction. But the best winter tires are not good wearing nor do they give handling even approaching the summer tires your car came with. Remember the perfect tire can't be made, they are all compromises. So to my mind you have several choices. 1. Winter tires on a set of wheels (but Boxster wheels are in short supply right now as everyone wants em, better to buy in the spring. Best in winter but do you want them on in summer? 2. All weather tires on your one set of rims which give you not the best handling and not the best winter snow/ice performance but good enough. 3. If your current tires are about shot, get winter tires now and look to buy a set of summer tires and rims in the spring....or when ever you see some at a good price. I bought a perfect set of 17" rims and Michelin Rib summer tires used from a dealer who had them because some rich guy wanted different rims and tires and he took them in trade. They were used but probably not but for 500 miles. Cost me $850 in Philly. Found via eBay. But look on www.craigslist.com too. 4. If your current tires are great but summer (don't drive with them below 45 degrees) you can get winters now and put your current tires on a new set of rims (maybe fancy ones) but that means the cost of 2 installs. 5. Buy a beater and make that your winter car. Store the Boxster and don't winterize it. Some further thoughts on the Boxster as a winter car Here
  8. mikefocke
    Grab a quick copy of the November Consumer Reports Hancock rates a 50 where the top rated all season rates an 85. But look at the article because there are reasonably priced tires that have characteristics that are different from other similarly numerically rated tires. The key is matching the tires strengths to your needs and seeing if you can live with its weaknesses. Every tire is a compromise. There is no perfect tire.
  9. mikefocke
    And do do the write up for the TSB work you did so others can benefit. Good luck in finding the cure.
  10. mikefocke
    I hope you are going to do this yourself. Some sources for cheap parts and a DIY with pictures here It is really trivial. Or at worst, have a muffler shop do it with the part you bought online. Don't pay the dealer just to replace the sensor. Only pay them if the swap doesn't cure the problem and you need further diagnosis.
  11. mikefocke
    Haven's seen any Tiptronic 3.4 upgrades. Is 36% more HP really worth spending $16k for in a 8-10 year old car? All those old suspension parts and wires and hoses.... Or is buying a new one the better way to go? Or even better a slightly used year old one?
  12. mikefocke
    Got 4 stalks off the steering column? The one on the bottom left controls the OBC. Got only one on the left, then the option was not ordered when the car was built. Can the OBC be retrofitted? Yes. With either a 4 stalk unit or a switch wired in plus the option of the OBC turned on by someone who has a special diagnostic computer (usually dealers but some independents have em)
  13. mikefocke
    I'm skeptical You'll be able to do the repair you need to do without a set of manuals, spare parts, etc. Every time I've tried something like you are trying, I've spent lots of $$ and gotten no real benefit out of the effort. I ended up with lots of spares I had never used when I sold the car. Because there are too many things that can go wrong, and I couldn't anticipate them all. I carry spare bulbs and belts. An extra good lug nut wrench, an old shower curtain to put on the ground, and a piece of plywood to help stabilize the jack, and a old towel and some window cleaner. A warning triangle. On a '97, if there was one thing I'd do before leaving, it might be replace the AOS if that hasn't been done already. You could also look at my list of common problems to see if any other preventive work makes sense. Only thing I can think of is the ignition switch. Have a safe trip.
  14. mikefocke
    Why? What makes you think the Boxster is that unreliable? A list of dealers along the way. A pumped up spare tire A standard Boxster toolkit and jack. Especially a wheel lock socket. Make sure it is complete. An old towel for cleaning the windows. Rain-X them before you go twice. A bottle of Windex fits behind the passenger seat. Wipers checked for condition and flexibility. Tire gage. A box of Kleenex. A quart of oil. All fluids topped of and checked. In short, the same sort of stuff I take in my Acura TL. I don't expect the Porsche to be any less reliable and I sure don't want to carry the weight you are proposing.
  15. mikefocke
    My memory shipping costs DC to CA for 4 17" wheels AND inflated tires was $150. Without tires may well be less.
  16. mikefocke
    Read the smarttopp docs on the development of the replacement relay and you'll see there is more to it than just soldering. Come custom engineering of some logic circuits. And the reason it costs so much compared to a "normal" relay is it sells in such low volume. Got to amortize the development costs over the expected units-sold. 200 a year or 30,000 a year makes a difference. I have one, like it. Bought used.
  17. mikefocke
    I'm not aware of any one-touch hacks for the 986 top control switch other than commercial relay replacements. Can you point out something to me? And can you be more specific about what you found not on my top control web page that should be included. I'd be glad to add all the information we can gather so the page could be of more use. I do try to add to the pages anything I learn is perusing the forums, being a believer in the collective wisdom.
  18. mikefocke
    Seems strange The 2003 top uses different mounting hardware so the norm is to acquire the top already installed on the top raising mechanism. You'll go broke buying the needed parts from Porsche. Now why would he pull a perfectly good top from the top mechanism?
  19. mikefocke
    Specific Directions Here However, be aware that many times the same "codes" are triggered not by the MAF but by some other failure within the pollution control mechanism. So read the whole article and see if cleaning does the trick. Or is it something else. And there are generic part numbers to help you save when buying a replacement MAF.
  20. mikefocke
    Tires are the only thing you have to contact the road and help you turning and stopping. I'd refer you to the November issue of Consumer Reports where their tests of High Performance Tires in 10 categories of performance showed the Kumho Ecsta SPT's to be significantly inferior in both wet braking and wet handling to higher rated tires. In a situation where 10 feet can make the difference between stopping safely and a serious fender-bender, do you really want to save the $ and create that risk? Only you can answer that question for yourself. Maybe because fo your geography it isn't important to you. But if you take your Boxster out in the rain, statistics could catch up with you. More Info Here including the ratings on a few of the more common Boxster tires.
  21. mikefocke
    The easy way is to look here http://mike.focke.googlepages.com/onetouchtopcontrol
  22. mikefocke
    Outrageously priced for what you get, even used. A portable will allow you to mount the screen on the dash, a much safer place to glance at than the center console. Downside is you have the receiver in a convertible and need to remove it when you stop. And certain sun angles can wash out the picture (but that is true of any such screen mounted anywhere in the car) An aftermarket GPS enabled stereo will allow IPOD connection, have a better stereo, hook to a good amp (or amps) and pop the screen up higher.
  23. mikefocke
    Guide here Buy the exact same part as the Porsche part except cheaper. Guide to equivalences here
  24. mikefocke
    273 - heated mirrors 329 - CDR 210 Radio 441 prepared for radio those were stock wheels, this is what I'd consider a base car (nothing wrong with that at the right price). My '99 had 18 option codes, for example.
  25. mikefocke
    Good news is anyone who can get under the rear can change one for 25% of dealer cost Part numbers and how to here
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