PTEC

On a 987, DRLs are enabled through the Porsche PIWIS tester at the dealer.

So the convertible top compartment lid doesn't move at all? If the lid isn't moving your problem is more serious than just low fluid. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news. The easiest way to diagnose the 996 top is with the PIWIS tester, it shows you all the inputs from all the micro switches in the system (around 10 all told IIRC) and you can easily see which ones aren't jiving.

I would get the codes cleared, reconnect the MAF and then diagnose whatever, if any faults come back.

Its worth removing the cover for the battery and checking the connection there before you go through the trouble of removing the fender liner. The connection there can back out and you'll also see the fluid leaking out around the front wheel.

Yeah Im not sure why either. Still, I would be curious to see if you still hear your noise if you put a few gallons of 100 in there. I wouldnt trust a can of octane booster, that stuff has always seemed like snake oil to me.

I agree in that it should have been a recall ... a lot of people have been left out in the wind to pay for airbag light repairs. Its a shame but pretty much all you can do is hope you'll get some assistance from Porsche and bite the bullet.

The radio code in your DME is programmed at the factory to match the original radio. What has likely happened is your radio has been replaced and no one changed the radio code information in the DME to match with the new radio. I would trust the code you have based off the serial number.

PTEC - I hope you add a quart of Tequila to that 91 octane, otherwise your DME is retarding your timing and reducing your output. Porsche requires 93 octane. But I might try your suggestion and add some octane booster and see what happens.

I know the cars are designed for 93 but 93 isnt even available in a lot of states... AZ and CA to name a few. 91 octane is not a problem.

There has never been an official recall for the airbag light issue. There have been instances though where Porsche has assisted people in paying for repairs after the original warranty is up but these are on a case by case basis. If there is a TSB that covers an issue, such as is the case with this one, it doesnt mean that Porsche is responsible for paying for repairs after the warranty is up. Official recalls from Porsche are assigned campaign number and will look something like "A502" or "A311." These are things that Porsche will fix after reguardless of mileage or age of the car or if you are the original owner. An example of a campaign is the 993 cabtop locking motors and the engine wire harness. Any Porsche dealer can run your VIN and tell you if there are any open campaigns on your vehicle.

Looks good. I really like this mod and Im surprised more people dont do it.

Your regular garden variety PPI is going to be a visual inspection and likely a check of all the control units with the tester. A compression test and leak down test is going to be several more hours of labor. An easy way to tell if the engine or transmission has been replaced is new/reman engines and transmission dont have cosmoline applied to them.

I've never had to remove one from a 997 but I believe its the same as the 996. You can pry off the little covers for the openings of the sound ports and underneath that there is a T30 screw. Pull the box forward and unplug.

I highly doubt it. These engines run in arizona heat on 91 with no problems. Next time you're on empty try adding 5 gallons of 100 and I bet whatever noise you're hearing will still be there.

I think those are bi xenon actually. The projector lens is usually the give away. The normal looking bulb is for the high beams.

And just because I'm curious, why are you replacing the fuel pump?

I'm replacing it cause I ran nearly completely empty and stumbled once 3 seconds before I made it to the pump....now under load under 2000 rpms, the car will misfire 2-3 time before rpm's raise above 2k rpm's.

Well I did replace the fuel filter but no difference and today I finished the fuel pump installation and while the idle is smoother, the issue is still present......what the hell else can it be? I did install bosh platinum 2's about a month & a half ago, could those be crapping out alread....or could my maf be crapping?

The reason I asked was because they never go bad in these cars. How do you know the car is missing? Is it something you feel or are you getting a check engine light and misfire codes? I would look hard at your plugs, double check that you got the right ones, or better yet, replace them with new stock plugs.

1999 C4 should be egas, so there no idle air control valve. A clicking noise is normal if you leave the key on for 10 seconds I think. This is the throttle plate adapting. It should only last for a few seconds though. Its sounds like yours may be intermittently malfunctioning.

The red arrow points to the drive mechanism for opening and closing the throttle plate.

Very common issue.... window regulator will need to be replaced.

While I'm not there in person, I HIGHLY, HIGHLY doubt you have a problem with your window motor, they're bulletproof. The window regulators on the other hand go bad ALL the time and exhibit this exact same symptom.

And theres a 99% chance there are no parts available for that motor other than just the whole motor assembly.

Take a look at the cables for your window regulator theres probably slack in them.

The fuel level sender is the white portion you see looking down on the tank in Tool Pants first picture. Removing the pump is a pretty straight forward job. Remove the battery and tray and the black locking ring. Then you can pull the sender up and out of tank. Once you remove the fuel level sender you can look into the tank and see the pump is twist locked to the bottom of the tank. Reach in and you'll be able to unscrew it. You wont need to recalibrate the fuel level sensor. When you do reinstall the fuel level sender take care to line up the marks on top of the sender with the mark on the tank, otherwise the float will hang on the lines.

And just because I'm curious, why are you replacing the fuel pump?

Yeah thats probably a bare bones ROW model. Row cars dont have the carbon canister box that US cars do, they have the same setup as the 9x6 cars with it in the passenger fender well.

You can depressurize the system by pressing the pedal about 25 times. Youll feel the assist start to go away and the pedal will get more difficult to press.

As for replacing just the sealing ring.... I dont know if thats possible. You may want to call your local dealer about that and see if just the o ring is available. I've never actually seen a leak from this area. Usually when Im removing an accumulator is because it has failed and Im replacing it.

A few of the very early 987s came with the old style seal and a few have leaked. The new PTFE seal so far has been perfect, I've yet to hear a single one leak. Having said that, I wouldnt be afraid of an early 987 if its the color combo you want. Even if the rear main does leak, the dealer will install the new seal and you'll be good to go.

I've found the best tool for removing the accumulator is a band type oil filter wrench. I'll usually remove the bracket for the two coolant lines from the transmission just to give myself a bit more room. Make sure you depressurize the system before cracking it open. Also make sure you clean the pentosin off anything rubber it comes in contact with, it'll will eventually eat through rubber.

I would say there is no chance the RMS repair caused this failure. The bearing cover for the intermediate shaft is usually replaced during a rear main seal leak repair but its indexed and can only be installed in one way. I would say you're overreacting to say you've completely lost faith in Porsche. Do you think this is the first Porsche part to ever fail?

This shouldnt devalue the car as quite a few 996s had engines replaced due to crankshaft to case half gap tolerances.... so its not like you've got the only 996 ever to have an engine replaced. I dont think you'll have a problem selling the car as long as you keep copies of your repair orders and are outright with the info when you go to sell. Theres no reason to sell the car just because of this incident, you'll have a brand new engine and everything will be back to just how it was before you had this problem. The only difference is in your head.

A quick guess would be the start enable switch if you've got a manual. Press the clutch all the way down and you should hear a click just before the pedal bottoms out. Sometimes these get out of adjustment and they dont get actuated unless the pedal is completly mashed and if this switch isnt activated, well, no start for you.