Ag_Boxster

Because of the danger of ethanol gasoline on older vehicles (in fact Porsche recommends against even 10% ethanol in cars made before 1996) and with the new 15% ethanol gasoline causing many manufactures to void warranties if the new 15% ethanol gasoline is used (some are cars as new as 2011), we must band together to keep our cars running. In the comments and on some forums that have been talking about this original post many people recommended that various automotive enthusiasts from clubs such as the Porsche Club of America, Porsche Owner’s Club, Corvette Club of America, Ferrari Club of America and many other clubs band together to stop this. SIGN THIS PETITION!!!

http://thesportscarguys.com/ethanol-free-gasoline-petition/

Because of the danger of ethanol gasoline on older vehicles (in fact Porsche recommends against even 10% ethanol in cars made before 1996) and with the new 15% ethanol gasoline causing many manufactures to void warranties if the new 15% ethanol gasoline is used (some are cars as new as 2011), we must band together to keep our cars running. In the comments and on some forums that have been talking about this original post many people recommended that various automotive enthusiasts from clubs such as the Porsche Club of America, Porsche Owner’s Club, Corvette Club of America, Ferrari Club of America and many other clubs band together to stop this. SIGN THIS PETITION!!!

http://thesportscarguys.com/ethanol-free-gasoline-petition/

The Tiptronic does map your driving style and will start in 2nd as a normal pattern. I appreciate the fact that I can cruise around town and get excellent MPG and still "kick it" whenever I'm feeling a bit sporty. You are correct that the Tip CPU will adapt to your driving style and if you'd like to always be in Boy Racer mode you'll need to always drive aggressively, or simply kick it over to "M" and control it yourself. Ending up in 5th gear at 50 mph is not unusual and will result in better gas milage.

If you'd like to reset the learning curve, you'll need to disconnect the battery (remember the radio code or see the rules for requesting a code on this board before posting a "Lost Radio Code" post) and leave it disconnected for several minutes to reset the memory and then go out and drive aggressively for the rest of your life and that should do it.

Basically, what I'm saying is what you are experiencing is normal, and I think it's an excellent design. But just realize that while it is normal, you do have choices, just make sure you have a good radar detector.

gt2_sound1.mp3

I have a '98 Boxster with original Tiptronic tranny that I mated a 3.2L S motor. I worried from the beginning that the Tip may not be up to the addition power but many people assured me that it would handle the power. I've enjoyed the car for almost a year now and haven't had any serious problems with the car. Ok, there was that small item concerning going 78 in a 55, but other than that...... anyway. I spent a recent evening enjoying having the top down and the freedom of driving the back roads of North Carolina without any signs of problems. On several times I shifted aggressively and revved the engine to the mid 6000 range, including several from a stop.

I stopped at my ATM and shut down the car, again no problems, no smoke, no hot smell, nothing out of the ordinary. Upon restarting to head home I pulled out of the drive in 1st and revved to 6800 and shifted to 2nd without lifting and revved again and hit 3rd at which point I felt a slight flatting of the power curve and lifted, shifted to 4th then quickly to 5th and cruised for about half mile or so and then down shifted to 4th for a right hand curve just before my left hand turn after the apex and felt the normal engine breaking and then downshifted to 3rd and turned left. As I completed the turn I depressed the gas pedal and the engine revved freely and did not engage any gear. I shifted to neutral and coasted for 10 seconds or so and then pulled the shifter to D and gently applied light throttle but again it would not engage so I pulled out the road and the transmission oil smoke billowed on both sides.

The oil loss came from the bell housing and I am wondering if the source of the problem might be in input shaft seal or can someone offer some other possibility and what king of expense am I looking at to repair this. Second question, should I upgrade to the S Tiptronic 6 speed or should the repaired Tip do the job?

Thanks for any and all suggestions

The Tiptronic shifter toggle on the left side of my 1998 Boxster does not pivot, but simply moves up and down within the normal location, which is to say it does not fall out but it also does not shift. Can this part be replaced or am I facing a steering wheel replacement? The right side works fine.

Thank you all who made suggestions on how best to handle my ticket. Today was the court date on my ticket and just heard back from the attorney I hired in Monroe, the ticket was handled "administratively" and was reduced to operating with faulty equipment. Because of the speed involved I had to pay a higher fine but all totaled it came to $321 to make this go away without any points on my license and insurance.

Now, about that radar detector, anybody have any suggestions, or experience to share?

:thankyou:

Wow i am surprised....sounds like all they wanted was the money.

Yeah, I agree all they wanted was the revenue. I talked to an officer a couple months ago who said that he was instructed to start writing more tickets for stop signs or any violations he could since the price of gas had forced people to slow down and drive less so the revenue from speeding had dropped off a lot.

It's all about the money.

That is interesting, sort of a 'legal bribe', they accept the money and the ticket goes away...

Maybe they should just do away with the points and insurance report for speeding where no accident is involved and just present the driver with a monetary ticket, it would cost less for them to process.

I'd be in favor of advance payment plans. You know, pay in advance for half dozen tickets under 15 over or 3 tickets over 15, etc. Put them on a debit card that can be debited on the spot and not have to get the lawyer involved. :P

Thank you all who made suggestions on how best to handle my ticket. Today was the court date on my ticket and just heard back from the attorney I hired in Monroe, the ticket was handled "administratively" and was reduced to operating with faulty equipment. Because of the speed involved I had to pay a higher fine but all totaled it came to $321 to make this go away without any points on my license and insurance.

Now, about that radar detector, anybody have any suggestions, or experience to share?

:thankyou:

Wow i am surprised....sounds like all they wanted was the money.

Yeah, I agree all they wanted was the revenue. I talked to an officer a couple months ago who said that he was instructed to start writing more tickets for stop signs or any violations he could since the price of gas had forced people to slow down and drive less so the revenue from speeding had dropped off a lot.

It's all about the money.

Thank you all who made suggestions on how best to handle my ticket. Today was the court date on my ticket and just heard back from the attorney I hired in Monroe, the ticket was handled "administratively" and was reduced to operating with faulty equipment. Because of the speed involved I had to pay a higher fine but all totaled it came to $321 to make this go away without any points on my license and insurance.

Now, about that radar detector, anybody have any suggestions, or experience to share?

:thankyou:

scurve.mp3

There is one catch in NC. Greater than 15 mph over the limit reduces your options or your lawyer's. With 15 or less they easily negotiate down to equipment failure and pay a reduced fine that generally does not go on you record. And cop does not have to appear in court.

About a year ago I got busted for 70 in a 55 near Whiteville, NC. I was tail-end charlie in a long line of 70 mph-ers, but driving a rental with PA tags. Had a dozen offers from local lawyers by the time I got home to the coast in 3 days.

By the way this 55 zone on US 74/76 is 4 lane divided hiway, extremely wide open, and boring as hell.

Picked lawyer that promised a reduced charge and for $200 he said he'd cover the fine and take his fee out of the remainder.

Yeah, I am aware of the 15-over rule, but hopefully with the proper application of funds I can come out without suffering the wife telling me about it every six months when the insurance bill arrives.

OT - I see you have a 914-6, sweet! My wife bought our '73 914 2.0 new in May of '73 and we still own that car with 79,000 on the clock. In '75 I saw a silver 914-6 at Triangle Porsche Audi in Durham that had been traded in on a new 911 and almost dropped the hammer on that one, but choose the 1966 European 911 classic instead. Actually kinda wish I had held onto that one as well, sigh. A low number 911 manufactured in Sept 1965 in Germany and brought over by an Air Force Captain. I know, maybe we should just buy them and NEVER sell any of them! Yeah, that's it, hmm, I think I'm gonna need a bigger garage.

Did someone say Tickets??

That's the price one has to pay if one likes to drive faster than the posted speed.

(These were BEFORE the Porsche BTW ;) )

Wow, impressive stack of tickets. I can see I'm gonna hav'ta work a little harder to keep up.

have you ever thought of framing them? :D

The troopers in NC will just about always give you a ticket if you're over their limit. Fortunately, the limit they set is pretty high. I think that stretch of 200 is only 55, and on a road like that, they'll let you do 65 or so. They might even let you get away with 70 if there's really zero traffic.

That being said, I got pulled and ticketed for 62 in a 55 way back in the late 80s on Hwy 49. Sometimes they're just bored. ;)

I really don't think it matters which attorney you get, as long as it's a local one. If you get one from "the big city" (Charlotte), they're probably not going to be happy. NC is mostly a "Good Ole Boys' Club" when it comes to that. It's best to get one from the same county so they know the judge. Unfortunately, your actions of pulling in at the trooper's uncle's house show you know you were speeding so I don't think they can get away with improper equipment. You're kinda screwed there.

Next time, and I know this because I used to occasionally be a driving instructor for CPD and MCPD, make a left turn when he can't see you. The default is to turn right when being chased, and all the troopers know that. They will also default right and look there for you first. That gives you a little extra time to get away and more time for him to have lost sight of you and not be able to positively identify you if he does see you again a few minutes later.

Another option is to simply pull over as soon as you see he's in pursuit. They've decided whether or not they're going to give you a ticket usually before they even see you. I've talked to a lot of troopers (no, not on the side of the road with their lights going) and almost all of them say they decide whether to ticket or give a warning well before they see you coming over the hill.

Now that you've gotten the ticket though, the best thing you can do is talk to a lawyer from the county.

-Michael

Thanks, I'm sure I'll start receiving advertisements from the local attorneys in the mail soon and I'll take your advice and go with one of the local good 'ole boys and give up the Federal Reserve Notes to make it go away.

In my State, city (TX), the options are listed on the back of the ticket and/or a number is listed that will give you the info you need. You show up at the station, plead No Contest and let them know you want to take defensive driving. Sign up for the comedy one and they often make the 6 hours go by faster and give you pizza :-\

Wow, I'm moving to TX! The only thing on my ticket is "You must appear in court, if you do not you may be arrested and you will lose your license and the fine will be increased" I like the TX choices on the back better than the NC choices. Pizza is way better than jail.

I just returned home from my trip to Charlotte, nice drive and no ticket this time. Thanks for the suggestions, I'll look into the traffic school option, no ticket in over 24 years should qualify me. Wonder how I can find out if NC has such an option?

Ok, so I'm really enjoying my 98 Boxster for the first time since I bought it in April with a blown 2.5 engine. With the help of many on this board I upgraded to a 3.2s motor and got it back on the road in August. All was working well but the Bridgestone tires were old and while they had a reasonable amount of tread left the age was evident by the number of cracks in the rubber having sat for over 2 years so I basically drove it like I stole it. That is until I bought my baby a new pair of sneakers on Friday. Just in time for my trip to Charlotte Saturday morning.

Hey, what's a guy to do? I mean, I have a fine automobile, a new engine that has been held back for months and a brand new set of gumballs, a beautiful fall day and this is America. So I do what any red blooded all-American boy racer would do, I left the highway and hit the back roads for the last 50 miles or so. Oh boy oh boy was I having fun! There was NO traffic for almost all of NC 200 from 85 to Monroe, about the only traffic I encountered was a State Trooper going the other way and he appeared and disappeared so fast I hoped he didn't have time to lock on, but my hopes very quickly disappeared as his blue lights appeared in my mirror far off in the distance. I popped over a couple of more hills and didn't see him so I decided to quickly turn into a driveway and see if I could disappear. Ah, it didn't work! Trooper Braswell spotted me at the end of the drive as I got out and greeted the older gentleman who was walking his yard seeding his grass. As the trooper got out of the cruiser I spoke to the older gentleman and told him I was not there for him and that I apparently had business with "this gentleman in the uniform" to which the old man said "don't worry I'm not going to write you a ticket" to which Trooper Braswell said "No, but I am" and then continued, "You picked the wrong driveway, he's my uncle."

Crap!

Now, I haven't had a speeding ticket since 1984 (Porsche 928 and a late night trip to the mountains of NC) and that one was reduced to defective equipment, seems the speedometer had stopped working and had to be repaired. Cost me $50 to have the cable reattached, mystery as to how it could have come unscrewed, weird.

Seeing as I have an excellent driving record I am hoping to have the ticket reduced to something that will keep points off my insurance, or at least reduced to below 15 over so I can keep my license, even though the trooper was not happy that I tried to duck out on the ticket by puling into his uncle's driveway, my friendly nature and smile seemed to mellow him after the ticket was written, and when he asked about my speeding history he did offer that he thought the court would drop the speed to allow me to keep my license, so at least he wouldn't fight me on a request for a lower speed but the question is, do I dare try and save my insurance rates.

Any suggestions on lawyers in the Charlotte / Monroe NC area that might be able to help, or any ideas on doing it myself? Anybody have any experience in the Monroe court system?

Oh, and btw I've started my Christmas list, a radar detector is number one on the list!

motorsound.mp3

Rixter, I have been following your efforts closely as I am performing the same swap in my 97. I have the engine in now and it's running, but I'm using the 2.5 throttle body, I realize the 996 non egas is better. What was your source for the throttle body? The car actually does very well like it is my rear end dyno says that it's maybe a bit better than the 2.5 with a bit of hesitation through the early RPM band. I'm also running the original DME as my computer is the early one that cannot be switched to 996. Did you have this problem? If so where did you find your DME replacement?

Thanks for the info.

gmanz - I got the 3.4 throttle body from a Renntech member for Rixter to install on my car, I tried DC in Rocky Mount, NC but they did not have one, I was going to try LA Porsche Dismantlers next if I had not found this one here on Renntech. We are using the original DME and remapping it to the engine specs. Good luck, we should get together on my next trip up your way (or if you're ever in Chapel Hill)

gt2_sound1.mp3

Update:

The car RUNS! :D Runs rough, but it does run (no MAF hooked up, see below)

Sending the DME to Todd for proper fuel mapping, the intake will not align so we're going to need to fabricate one. Other than that everything is going exactly as planned.

Including the becoming a contributing member part?. B)

This is my Fun Box being discussed, I found this site and turned Rixter onto it as a source for the upgrade. Rixter is not the big bucks owner, but a honorable hard working techy working to provide good service.

I visited the car last Wednesday and spoke with Rixter and told him that I had contributed as an acknowledgement of the help that this site has offered and as a monetary thanks for same. He promised his contribution and I shall hold him to that, even if I have to have him add it to my bill in order for that to happen.

:renntech:

For the sake of others, here is the reply I sent to Rixter.

The simplest way is to use the old 5.2.2 DME to control the 3.2 engine. You do this by flashing the DME with the 996 3.4 program, the maps won't be perfect but they will work ok. You use a cable operated TB. I wouldn't use the 986 2.5L one as it is too small, use a 996 3.4 one. With this conversion you will simply need to add the extra wire, the same as with a 3.4 to operate the second plenum solenoid.

So to summarize, treat the 3.2 the same as a 3.4 except you won't have to lower the engine with the 3.2 manifold. Swap the egas throttle body for the cable one. Use the 2.5L harness as you would with a 3.4 swap and add the extra pin and wire to the DME connector to actuate the secondary plenum. Reflash the original 5.2.2 DME with the 3.4 maps or get custom DME programming of the 5.2.2 ecu.

This way is much easier than swapping in the 7.2 DME.

If you have found this information useful, please consider becoming a contributing member.

-Todd

Perfect, thanks Todd. Rixter is working on my car and I am excited at the possibility of playing with my Fun Box soon. Thanks to all for your help!