doughep

I have used a shop press to remove/install bearings several times, without problems. It's basically a bottle jack mounted in a frame. They can be had for well under $100 (at least in the Mid-Atlantic area), and have plenty of other uses. The downside to this method is that you have to pull the hub. If you go this route, go slow and gentle on the install making sure to drive the bearing in 'square' so as not to damage it. Good luck. - Pete

Does anybody have a fuse diagram for a '98 5 speed? I pulled the fuse cover off expecting to find the fuse plan inside, but no joy. Alternatively, if someone with a similar vehicle wouldn't mind checking to see which fuse controls the lighter, I'd appreciate it. It'll save me the trouble of looking for a blown fuse by checking them all, one at a time. That reminds me, it's almost time to check my Christmas lights . . . Thanks! - Pete

Every once in a while, when I start my MY98, the display for the the oil level remains on. I don't recall it ever showing a low reading, it just stays on. Can't see my clock. If I turn the ignition off and restart, all is normal. Does this happen to anyone else? And more importantly, is this just one of those cute German quirks, or is my car trying to tell me something? While I'm on the subject of the console display, I have the outside temp display below the digital MPH, but I don't have the OBC option. Does this mean that the previous owner did me the service of having the OBC function turned on, or is outside temp display a standard feature? The many post on the OBC hack seem to indicate that it must have been deliberately turned on by someone with a PS2 . . . Thanks. - Pete

One of my hobbies is making knives; Carbon fiber is a very common material for handle slabs on folders. Carbon fiber comes in sheets that can be machined using cutting, grinding and polishing tools. It can also be heat formed. It isn't particularly difficult to work with - and for that matter, it's not particularly expensive. Getting the desired results can take practice, and the limitations of your tools may effect you output. Before you play with this stuff, it's important to understand that it can be VERY hazardous. A dusk mask isn't going to cut it - you NEED to wear a respirator. when CF is machined, it puts a lot of carbon dust in the air. This can be extremely bad for your lungs. Don't even chance it. Get a respirator. Also, wear good eye protection. Not just goggles that keep flying objects from hitting you, but go for the ones that fit against your face to keep most of the dust out. There is a lot of good info on working CF on the web. If you decide to give it a go, let me know and I'll give you some tips and help you find places to get it cheap. And if you try it, post a picture of what you make! Good luck. - Pete

I'm just guessing here, but I wonder if it's a loose connection to the microswitch Toolpants mentioned. The problem only occurs on on side, and on bumps or during turns that would cause the car to lean. If a momentary disconnect of the connection to the switch reads as 'open', it sounds like a possibility. My instinct would be to take off the door panel, turn the key and jiggle the wires to the switch and see if it behaves as you described. Then again, I wouldn't want to get hit in the face with an airbag - they tell me that stings a little. Good luck. - Pete

While I've never done it on a Porsche, I've replaced CV joint boots on several vehicles after having sustained a tear resulting in lose of grease and ultimately metal-on-metal noise like you describe. It can be a pain in the butt, but replacing the boot can be done on most cars. I've even used a tongue-in-groove type split boot that gets sealed around the shaft and CV joint with a solvent that 'melts' the boot closed (like acetone). This is cheaper and worlds easier, since you don't have to pull the hub, but I wouldn't do it that way on my Boxster. I'd pull the hub and replace the boot the old-fashioned way. Oh, and make sure you get the right grease - there are a couple of different kinds and using the wrong one can be problematic as I recall. Having said all that, as always, I defer to the experts around here . . . Good luck - I look forward to hearing how it turns out. - Pete

My floor mats creep intolerably; I looked them over when I first noticed the problem, and found a pair of plastic clips on the back end of the mats. I couldn't figure out what they hook to, however, and concluded they may have been after market or something. So they clip to the seat mounting bolts, huh? Is there a ring or hook of some sort on the bolts? Thanks. - Pete

For what it's worth - it turns out the non-working key had the *wrong* key head. Can't imagine how the previous owner got the wrong key head, but I wound up forking over $40 bucks for the new key head, $40 bucks to have it programmed, and some kind of enviro-tax, whatever that is. $96 bucks all in, but problem solved. Anyway, I now have a spare (unusable) key head. If anybody wants/needs it, let me know . . . - Pete

Thanks, larez2 - now I don't have to worry about what I'm going to do with my weekend! - Pete

Simple genius, secretaznman4u. I love finding simple, easy tests or solutions for seemingly complex problems. I'll try that tonight and see if it works. If you ever turn to a life of crime, we're all hosed (and presumably carless . . . ) Thanks. - Pete

Thanks for the info. I can't believe the information available here - I wonder if all cars models have this level user community support, or is it only for special vehicles like ours? :thumbup: Larez2, I sure wouldn't mind the wiring diagram if it's not to much of an inconvenience to send it to me. Thanks! - Pete

Thanks for the info. I can't believe the information available here - I wonder if all cars models have this level user community support, or is it only for special vehicles like ours? :thumbup: Larez2, I sure wouldn't mind the wiring diagram if it's not to much of an inconvenience to send it to me. Thanks! - Pete

Thanks guys - I appreciate the feedback. I have discovered the 'clutch down' and 'return to position zero' requirements, but thanks for pointing them out - there IS a reason the TV repairman asks if the TV is plugged in before he comes out to fix a problem with the remote, and I'm not beyond silly mistakes like that, especially as a Porsche newbie. I have gone back and forth alternating keys, and one always works, the other never does. It sounds like Toolpants has the answer (as I'm coming to see he usually does). I didn't get the valet key when I picked up the car, and the previous owner is now 360 miles in my rearview. I'll have to call her and ask if she has it - anything to justify a 360 mile roadtrip. ;) I'm assuming getting the immobilizer to recognize the keyhead is a key reprogramming issue that will require a visit to my local dealer? Thanks again. - Pete

My '98 came with 2 keys (with the light in the keyhead, not the keyless entry buttons). The first one has been working just fine. But when I tried the second key, it turns the ignition and all the cluster lights come on, but the car won't start. Oddly, the light on the 'good' key doesn't work (I'm guessing it's the keyhead battery), but the the light on the 'bad' key works fine. Anybody out there run into this before? Thanks. - Pete

Day 2 with a MY98 Boxster under my belt, and life is good. I do have a couple of questions, though . . . maybe you gurus can help. The car is equipped with a Viper 300+ security system. When I picked up the car, I noticed that when I hit the channel 1 button on the remote, the alarm chirped and the parking lights flashed, but only on the passenger side. That seemed odd, but didn't concern me. I didn't notice the behavior of the alarm LED. The previous owner mentioned in passing that the car battery had been replaced recently. Before reading the manuals, I started playing with the remote (sorry - that's just how I am), and soon the alarm LED was on steady, and the only thing I could make the alarm do was activate panic mode. So I started reading. Turns out I had gotten myself into valet mode. O.K., I exited valet mode and the alarm seems to be working fine - even detects a door zone failure if the dome light hasn't dimmed before the alarm is activated. Now the question - I THOUGHT the Viper 300+ was hooked up to the the central door lock system to provide keyless entry, but the only way into the vehicle currently is by manually unlocking with the key. Does anybody happen to know if the Viper 300+ can or should control the door locks? I have checked out the central lock system, and it is working properly. I called the previous owner to see if it had keyless entry, and goofy as it sounds, she can't remember. (She only had it for a year and drove it very little - it was put in service in June '98 and it has 36,100 miles on it). Anyway, if any of you guys have a clue, I'd love to hear it. Thanks in advance. - Pete

I just bought my first Boxster - MY98, black-on-black, 36k miles. I expect to pick it up early next week (I bought it from an out of state party, and here in MD it can be a bit of a hassle to get tags for an out of state vehicle.) Needless to say, I'm giddy beyond understanding. I've been reading the posts here for a while, and I've picked up so much good information about Boxsters from you guys that I feel like I've owned the car for a year already. Since no good deed goes unpunished, I'll no doubt be pestering you experts with neophyte questions for a while. Sorry, and thanks in advace for your indulgence - and I will read before I ask. Anyway, on to my first question. The previous owner had a Blaupunkt Honolulu CD50 installed in the vehicle, and the original unit is in a box in the trunk. My previous vehicle had an in-dash CD/MP3 player, and I kind of got spoiled by that, so I want to upgrade (The Honolulu doesn't play MP3s). All of the posts I've seen so far regarding head units were either Blaupunkt or Becker. Is there some reason I should stay in the Blaupunkt/Becker family? Have any of you folks gone with othe brands, and if so, what do you recommend? I've had a vehicle with a Blaupunkt system before, and I was impressed with it, but I don't want to limit my shopping if there are other good compatible units available. Thanks, and if any of you hear the high pitched squeal of expensive rubber-on-pavement wafting across the country from the mid-atlantic in the next few weeks, I apologize in advance. Just kidding - I promised my wife I'd drive it responsibly . . . - Pete