judgejon

How about posting some pics of what you've got, and where you got the stuff. I've been this about these exact things. Thanks in advance. jl

Went for a drive today up one of our local curvy roads. Car was great up and most the way back; but then I go into a left hand corner and right about the apex I hear a quiet sound that sounds like I just drove over a small cattle guard, the car instantly starts to understeer and pull to the outside of the corner like a brake was being applied, then it stopped and was fine. Luckily I was driving fairly mellow at the time.

It freaked me out a little because I don't want that happening while the pace is upped, in the middle of a corner. So I drove normal for a little while and didn't feel anything out of place; no codes showing. So I upped my pace a little and get into a corner and it happened again. This time I noticed that it happened right around the same time that I came into contact with some small wash-board type bumps, nothing major at all, you woudn't even notice them normally. So the car lurches, pulls to one side, and slows itself a tad bit. hmmm.

So I turn off PSM, wick up the pace a bit and go through some corners now trying to hit the small bumps and I can't get it to do anything. So I turn PSM back on and hit a few corners aiming for the bumps and it's fine. Then I go around another corner and it did it again.

No fault codes on the dash display at all. So now I'm a little freaked and I don't trust the car. I know that if I take it into Porsche and it doesn't read any fault codes there probably isn't a whole lot they can do. They're not going to go actually drive it at a good pace through corners to duplicate the problem.

Anyone have an Idea what it may be?

Are you running different brands of tires on front/rear? What you are describing has happened to me since I made the mistake of mixing tire brands. My next pair will depend on whether the front or rear go first. My guess is the rears (RE050's) will go first even tho they are a better wearing tire than the PZero's on the front, which are better traction tires. At that point I'll put on a full set of som'thin.

I'm interested in how your situation resolves. Good luck.

2003 C4S.

the sunroof flimsy film insert/liner keeps popping off the inside of the sunroof on the left side. I'm not sure whether the function of this liner relates to airflow and noise, or simply to cover the internal sunroof parts.

my choice is to replace it or attempt to glue it in position. This piece is in a fairly difficult place to reach, but not impossible.

I'm not really sure what this piece is actually called. Can we get the name and part number, and a sunroof schematic would be really helpful if available.

Is there a link to sunroof removal and repair? the "search" tab is my next step.

Thanks, jl

Your situation is not unique, this things comes off more than often.

R, thanks for letting me know I'm not alone.

It there a fix for this problem? Perhaps a dab or two of a strong glue on the plastic rail attached to the film?

Thanks, jl

So BEEP, NO TP means no traffic program? I guess that is something we need to know every 20 minutes or so. Thank you for the info. If I only have to pull the fuses every once in awhile to get the audio system back on line I can live with that,

It is funny that my younger brother's Kia audio system does not do that.

I guess our audio software is early Microsoft. At least the ECU does not seem to be the same or the car would stop periodically and you would have to turn it off, take the key out and have everyone get out to restart (reboot) it.

you must be familiar with the comic bit by, I believe, Billy Connelly, titled "Reinstalling Windows."

the only issue I've had with the radio is that sometimes only Porsche is displayed. I've either ejected or inserted a cd which seems to cause the unit to function properly. seems there needs to be a new section in Renntech for Misc Porsche Gremlins... (Loren, just kidding....)

Sorry, this was done as a reply to a thread in the parts numbers section. My error. Should have posted my question here and not there. Begging forgiveness....

the question:

variation on the sunroof theme.... possibly a unique situation.

I noticed when I bought it that my 2003 did not have a flimsy plastic sunroof skirt on the left side. It did have one on the right side. this is the thin plastic film piece that sort of hides the sunroof guts when the top is tilted open at the back. I never thought too much about it.

So today I noticed on the left side that there was a funny looking piece of plastic stuck up there. I touched it and it was loose. I pulled it and viola! the left side flimsy plastic piece sort of pulled out from the interior of the sunroof. I felt around a little, thought I'd found how it attached, just pressed it back in place and now I have those flimsy piece in uniform position on each side. It does make the sunroof look a little better from the inside when the back is tilted open, and I wonder if they somehow work to smooth out airflow as well. I haven't driven too far or too fast so I haven't noticed a difference yet.

I won't be surprised if there are no replies to this post. Is this a unique situation, or has anyone "been there, done that, got the t-shirt"?

variation on the sunroof theme.... possibly a unique situation.

I noticed when I bought it that my 2003 did not have a flimsy plastic sunroof skirt on the left side. It did have one on the right side. this is the thin plastic film piece that sort of hides the sunroof guts when the top is tilted open at the back. I never thought too much about it.

So today I noticed on the left side that there was a funny looking piece of plastic stuck up there. I touched it and it was loose. I pulled it and viola! the left side flimsy plastic piece sort of pulled out from the interior of the sunroof. I felt around a little, thought I'd found how it attached, just pressed it back in place and now I have those flimsy piece in uniform position on each side. It does make the sunroof look a little better from the inside when the back is tilted open, and I wonder if they somehow work to smooth out airflow as well. I haven't driven too far or too fast so I haven't noticed a difference yet.

I won't be surprised if there are no replies to this post. Is this a unique situation, or has anyone "been there, done that, got the t-shirt"?

Mystery solved. PSM did not exist until 2001.

really? :unsure: i have a 2000 that has psm. i haven't taken my console apart see what it looks like underneath though.

that box is the "light speed" activator..... :D

I really enjoy the C4S. My comment comes after reading another thread about the flat six's needing to be driven every day to perform well, keepings seals pliable, etc. I know the car was not used as a daily driver before I bought it, and was wondering about the comments in the thread. I do enjoying cruising the forums and maybe I was just "parading the horribles" a little too much.

Take care. Sounds as though you and Loren are having some fun over there in the valley. :D

Gentlemen, this is a great thread for anyone interested at all in the inner working of Porsche cars, let alone the inner working of the Porsche engineering guys that came up with the swiss cheese air mixer valve. Great write up, Shawn.

Question, has Porsche ever fixed this obvious design flaw? And, has Porsche hired Shawn as a consulting engineer? :)

I just went through and did the 30K service with Loren's help...but changed out all the trans oil, differential oil, oil and filter changes, gaskets, GT2 headers, new struts in the rear, spark plugs, air filter, 997SSK. had Loren run the ECU on the PIWIS, and did the usual "visuals" that Porsche makes a huge list of as items that make up justification for a $2,000 30K service charge????....and after all that, I just couldn't see the benefit of installing a new "pollen filter". I am not "cheaping out", but I just don't see the benfits of installing a filter that is virtually useless when you roll down your windows, open the sunroof...or have a cabriolet. I just took it out, blew it out with an air compressor, and stuck it back in.

Maybe it's just me, but it seems like an unnecessary expense. Maybe if you're an allergy sufferer it might be different, but the efficiency of that filter is questionable to me.

Chuck, you make a valid point. My indy wondered if the filter really needed a change, so we decided not to do it at the 15k. I've wondered about it since because the air filter was pretty dirty. I bought the car at just under 14k. So tonight, I thought about it again, noticed the thread, and checked the filter, and it was pretty crummy. Lots of crap accumulated and the top had turned grey. (the foam around the bottom was good.) There have been many fires burning up here on the north CA coast, so I've used the air recirc a bit and have been wondering about this filter. So I vacumned it out, and will order up a new one later tonight or tomorrow. Makes me wonder about the car, low miles and all, but it runs strong now at over 16k. We're still getting used to each other. Take care, jl

This is a great thread. Missed this one at the last service. Thanks to Loren and all. jl

If you're still looking for an SC, check the latest Panorama that came in the mail today. Great article on the 911SC series. And, btw, my '79 is still for sale, now with a CA smog certificate.

Hello Gang,

In the process of resolving a spark plug issue I discovered this situation. There appears to be hose connection to the air box and I discovered a cut hose nearby the air box.

The cut hose goes into the vehicle on the drivers side under and in front of the Fuel Filter.

Does this hose go into the air box?

Any Ideas?

There are yellow screwdrivers indicating the hose and air box.

Thanks

My first guess is that these are smog pump and gas vapor related connections. I think the hose on the left runs up to the front of the car for emission related venting. It's an SC, right? was there a smog pump connected at some point?

I checked the TSB and then the MY of the first poster back in '05 when this thread was started. OneDay's air bag light was on a MY99. I'm guessing that Porsche added the gold contacts for MY02 or 03. Interesting issue...thanks.

There is a TSB (1/04 6924 Airbag Warning Light Comes On 7-21-2004) for this depending on the year of your car. Both buckles and electrical contacts need to be replaced (with gold contacts). If you have have any dealer goodwill this might be a good time to use it as a tech told me it was about a 2-3 hour job. BTW... the TSB is 12 pages long.

Are there any particular model years that are subject to this problem? Do we know when the gold contacts came into use? Thanks...

The procedure and what year/models are affected is all in the 12 page TSB.

Loren, I looked but the B section only noted my00 forward with no end year. I'll check again, might have missed it. Thanks. j

There is a TSB (1/04 6924 Airbag Warning Light Comes On 7-21-2004) for this depending on the year of your car. Both buckles and electrical contacts need to be replaced (with gold contacts). If you have have any dealer goodwill this might be a good time to use it as a tech told me it was about a 2-3 hour job. BTW... the TSB is 12 pages long.

Are there any particular model years that are subject to this problem? Do we know when the gold contacts came into use? Thanks...

I'm for sure not a pro here, but I wonder if the residue from the gas evaporating in the tank might have gummed up the sender float and contacts.... maybe cleaning the sender with elect contact cleaner would help. New gas might not remove old gas residue. Just a guess.... good luck.

Alternator's in, it's working like a charm.

Lessons learned for anyone else doing this:

1) The rear bushing on passenger-side of the alternator was really tight. Some people were able to tap it back with the bolt after 5 turns, but it didn't work for me. Use lots of lube and place downward pressure on the tab while wiggle the alternator. Before putting it back in, I ground the surface down a few thousandths to make the install a little easier.

2) Before shelling out $400 for a rebuilt alternator, contact your local independent auto electric shop. My shop charged me $195 after taxes to rebuild my alternator and had it ready the same day.

Cheers,

Joe

Good results. You're lucky to have a good auto electric shop close by. Rebuilt cost me $510 last March. Cheers, ...

I am interested in purchasing a 911 from roughly 1980-1983. I would love to hear about issues relating to any mechanical or electrical problems common with the car and any advice you think could help a buyer with very little knowledge of the vehicle. Thanks for your help.

check out my 1979 911SC in the for sale section. runs strong with 160K on the engine. 326k total miles. obsessively maintained, cold a/c, Pioneer am/fm/cassette w/remote cd changer. fuchs wheels, new Potenza RE750 skins. momo wheel, other stuff, silver/black. everthing works, looks good and is a real kick to drive. send me a pm if you'd like some more information. I'll send pictures to your email. Best, jl

Here in Texas you have send speedometers to California for speedo rapair according to Dallas Porsche dealer

So, did you?

1. The car will never be for sale as long as I live.

2. Since I fixed the little 20 tooth gear myself I ought to be able fix this problem, I'm just looking

for someone who has done it before to guide me. The speedo place wants $175+ to repair it.

3. The car is a 1980 with 165,000 miles and beside that I don't drive it but about 50 miles a month

during the Texas summer since every day is about 100 degrees and the Porsche a/c is made for

77 degree summers and I hate getting sweaty in a small coupe with new leather seats.

signed picky Steve

my 1979 has 326,000 miles, with a cold a/c. Of course I live on the cool northern California coast, so the temp nevers gets much above 75. But on trips inland, well, let's say that "I feel your pain." air-cooled engines and a/c never quite fit together. opening rear windows would help, but it's an SC after all, right? my a/c has a rotary compressor from PerformanceAire in Anaheim, CA. car doesnt stall as it did with the piston compressor, and even in very hot weather I'd rather have it than not. the car is for sale, a/c included.... Best, jl

wow, this info is worth the price of admission, and I dont even own a cab...

to stay modestly on topic, does the 996 sunroof have a similar drain system? I cant find any drain holes. j

See the same topic I referenced above - topic covers both coupe and cab.

thanks, interesting reading and good pics...

wow, this info is worth the price of admission, and I dont even own a cab...

to stay modestly on topic, does the 996 sunroof have a similar drain system? I cant find any drain holes. j

And this "color"..??

Malakas has a beautiful, imho, orient red 996...

re the awd, this is one of the reasons I have a C4S. I'd driven a 993 and 997 and could feel, I think anyway, the pull of the front end coming out of several turns. I think I'm getting that same "feeling" now. I like the idea of the 5% minimum to 40% max of the front end. I dont think its just mental... but I've never put the car up on jack stands or roller stands to test the system.

And you're also really right re the advertising. If the awd system did not work as advertised by Porsche, my God, can you imagine the repercussions, all the C4 owners from the very first would be up in arms.

This is a great thread.... good info...thanks. jl

Interesting article regarding awd systems

Wwest,

it must be setup so that the response of the diff is fairly quick, and the PSM must be set to wait until really crazy slip angles are detected before it reigns in the fun. Otherwise you are right - the VC would never come into play if the TC stopped the very thing that activates the diff.

PSM activation...

My personal experience seems to indicate that PSM's stability control aspects detect the "out of whack" condition immediately and then "stand-by", wait for a few hundred milliseconds, for the driver to take, make, corrective action/measures and if not then will use the FULL-FORCE of measures (engine dethrottling selective braking/unbraking, etc.) to reign the matter in.

VC response MUST be delayed otherwise it would/might stiffen too quickly and provide a serious level of driveline windup and/or wheel hop/scrubbing in a tight accelerating turn. Something it MUST NOT do.

A bit in the extreme but think about that circumstance in a 4WD/4X4 with the center diff'l locked.

Broken thumbs, anyone..???

this explains the jolt I feel in my shoulder when the psm kicks in. M, if the awd didn't generally work as advertised all of us C4 owners would likely be involved in one massive class action lawsuit. I'll give you a full report when I'm back to running the same rubber all around. till then, I guess I'll be turning the psm off on twisty roads.

ps: like we've talked about before, the color of your car is outstanding. best...j