KarlS

Been running without it most of the Spring but it got hot this week, so I tried to turn it on yesterday. The fan blows but no cold air. The fuses are good and the compression is spinning, so I'm taking it in to the dealer tomorrow. They're pretty hopeless but diagnosing an A/C system shouldn't be to hard.

Anyone else have a problem with their A/C yet?

Karl

The Cayenne should be able to tow 5000 lbs without much of a problem. Get a good hitch with load distribution bars and the trailer should be pretty stable. You may have to play with the placement of the car over the trailer axles but with a 18" trailer, there probably isn't a lot of room to move in one direction or the other.

I know it's pretty flat in Iowa but will you be towing where there are any mountains? Flat towing is no problem. My Yukon only strains when I have to cross the Blue Ridge or Allegehenies.

Karl

I also have a 3 year old Featherlite, which I've been very happy with. I have a 22 ft, which I don't think they make any more. It weighs closer to 3000 lbs, so may be an easier tow for the Cayenne. A friend has been towing an open trailer with a 996 with a Cayenne with no problem so far.

I would worry about two things. One, with a short wheel base truck, you may not have the stability to tow a 24' trailer regardless of what it weighs. Two, the engine and frame will take a beating if you do a lot of towing. I blew up a Chevy V-8 in a Yukon half ton after only 28K miles of towing. The replacement has gone about 35K without problem but I really worry about how much longer it will last. On some of the mountains around here, the truck will hold 5000 rpm for minutes at a time, just to get up the hill. That can't be doing it any good.

Now if they put a diesel in the Cayenne, you might be talking. My next tow vehicle will be a 3/4 or 1 ton diesel pick-up. I think they're the only thing that can really hold up to a lot of towing.

Karl

Mike,

Is this e-brake inside the rotor a new feature for 2004? I've changed lots of rear rotors on my Cup car which doesn't have any e-brake but I also once had a 1999 996 that I upgraded to Mk 1 GT3 brakes and I don't recall having to turn anything to release the e-brake on those rear rotors.

Karl

I don't remember what's involved in the package. I know there are seats and a steering wheel but what else? If you search the archives, I know you will find a DIY for the seats, which are easy. The steering wheel DIY is available on DVD from Toolpants, look under the Special Offers above. If the shifter is involved, that is on the DVD too.

Karl

It is possible, just not as safe. Since the seat does not have guide holes in it, you run the risk of the shoulder belts slipping off. The BK bar does have guide brackets on it, so that will help prevent the belts from slipping too much but it would still be better to have seats with shoulder belt holes in them as well.

Karl

Here's the bedding procedure that Pagid USA recommends for their pads. I don't see why it wouldn't work for the OEM pads as well.

"Drive at approx. 35 mph (60 kmh) for about 500 yards (solid front discs) to 800 yards (vented front discs) while slightly dragging the brakes (i.e. light brake pedal pressure). This process allows the brake temperature to slowly and evenly build up to 300°C (572°F).

Now, if possible, drive about 2200 yards maintaining the same speed without braking. This will allow the pads and discs to cool down evenly. After this cool-down, perform a normal brake application from 35 mph to 0. No panic stops!

Now, the friction surface has evenly developed friction coal, the pads have bonded with the disc surface, and tensions in the disc materials will have disappeared.

This bedding process is only suitable for the front axle - not the rear. This is due to the brake force distribution of front and rear axles. In order to reach 300°C (527°F) on the rear pads you would have to drive several miles with dragging brakes. However, in that time the front brakes will be glowing red, overheating and thus destroying the front brakes."

Karl

There are four torx head bolts that are used to fasten the seats to the tub of the car. You'll also have to disconnect the wiring harness under the seat. The standard seats are pretty heavy, so protect the door sills and console, so you don't scratch it when removing them.

You'll have to unfasten the bolt in the frame of the car that retains the bottom of the 3-point seat belt to reroute it. On US cars, you also have to ensure the 2-wires from the seat belt connection plug are connected properly to the wiring harness under the seat or it will set off the airbag warning light. I'm not sure if this "feature" applies to cars in Brazil. I don't think it is a problem on Euro cars.

It will probably take you an hour the first time you do it and then once you get familiar with the process, you can do it in less than 30 minutes.

Karl

Guys,

Does anybody know the Tque setting on the brake caliper bolts, 1998 996.

Thanks in advanced

Regards

William

London

:beer:

63 ft lbs.

Karl

I don't think it does. I removed the CDR-23 in my car and replaced it with a Traffic Pro. There was no fiber cable connected to the CDR-23.

I suspect that because the GT3 does not offer PCM or remote amps, etc. that PAG saved the weight and cost of adding the MOST bus components to the car.

Karl

Easiest way to clean the radiators is to use a shopvac with a narrow attachment so you can get all the way back. It's easiest to do with the car on a lift or with the front end jacked up, so you can see. Use a shop light or flashlight to be able to see back inside the bumper cap.

I find even with the grills installed that I need to remove the bumper cap once a year to thoroughly clean the radiators. The grills don't keep out everything but do keep out most leaves and tree debris, rolled up rubber, and larger bugs.

Karl

The cheesehead bolts are 12mm allen heads. I recommend springing for a Snap-On 12mm socket for a 1/2" drive so that you can use it with a torque wrench. I snapped several Craftsman 12mm 3/8 drive sockets trying to free up stuck caliper bolts before I finally spent the money for the Snap-On and haven't had any problems since.

Porsche recommends applying Optimoly TA on the wheel centering hub before installing a new rotor. They are silent on the use of anti-seize but I always use it as the bolts from the factory seem to have an anti-seize compound on them.

Changing the front brake pads takes less than half an hour start to finish, even if you are doing it for the first time. I'd highly recommend changing your front pads before driving the car on a long trip.

Karl

Here's a picture of the street car engine.

There was a TSB for the 1999 models that replaced the original tank and cap with a redesigned model. If your car never had this TSB performed, I suspect this is the problem. It's quite common on 99's.

Karl

Karl, have you made this change to your GT3?  I just didn't know if that was your car in the photo.

:drive:

No this picture is from a 2004 Cup car. If I was going to do something with my street car, I'd probably look to use the GT3 RS airbox and rear lid, since they are engineered for the MAF and emissions requirements of a street car.

Karl

You don't want to mix N rated tires, as the compounds are different and it can screw up your handling. In addition to Bridgestone you may also want to consider Pirelli and Michelin N-rated tires.

Karl

Too bad they aren't recalling the sport seats in the 04's. I'd happily sell them back to PAG, since they've been sitting in my basement for the last 7 months.

Karl

You're correct, you can not upgrade just the amp, unless someone comes out with a MOST compatible model. You certainly can upgrade the speakers but I'm not sure how much of an audible improvement that will be.

Karl

Not only will you spend all that money but when you try to sell it, prospective buyers are going to figure you wrecked the front end. Why else would you spend that kind of money to replace the front end? My advice, keep it stock.

Karl

Here's a picture. As far as I know, PMNA is not shipping these parts yet for upgrades. I do believe a couple shops may have "knock offs" available for less money. Try Gordon Freidman at Autometrics or Mike Levitas at Turbo Performance Center.

Karl

Removing the seat is pretty easy.

1) Make sure the key is not in the ignition

2) Remove the black plastic covers on the end of the seat rails.

3) Use a reverse torx head socket to remove the 4 bolts in the seat rail (you'll have to move the seat back and forth to get to all of them)

4) Tilt the seat back so you can see underneath. Undo the electrical harness connector.

5) Place some towels or something to protect the rear console and the door sill

6) Remove the seat

7) Repeat for the other side

8) Do not put the key back in the ignition until the seats are reinstalled and the electrical connections made, or you will trigger the air bag light.

Hope this helps.

Karl

I changed from OEM to ATE and then to SRF in my 996. I never bled the clutch and had no problems on the track. If you don't bleed the clutch, it's probably a good idea to bleed the brakes again after your first track event.

Karl

I always change oil and filter in all my vehicles at the same time. My tow vehicle has a gas engine but it gets new oil and filter every 3K miles. I change the oil and filter in the Porsche once a year, which means it goes about 6-7K miles. I use Mobil 1 in the Porsche and whatever non-synth oil is on sale in the truck.

Karl

My guess is that it is there to keep the GPS from going out of calibration when you back up. Since it is calibrated with the car moving forward, it may get confused if it reverses direction (starts going negative) unless it knows the car is in reverse. I think I have read other posts from people who didn't hook it up and they claimed they had no problem.

Karl

Just the logo at power up.

Karl