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Tnathan

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Everything posted by Tnathan

  1. I wanted to,give you all am update on some of the things I learned. 1. Ptec helped me find my issue. The pitch fork part on the front of the cabriolet latch has a spring to bias it downward. My spring had come off and the pitch fork had stuck up, so the car thought it had hit the front window and would trigger the latch prematurely. Put the spring back in place and it works like a champ now. 2. As an aside, I also created another issue for myself,which I fixed. The ball and socket tension cables between the rear bow and the car are held on to the bow by little balls which thread into the bow. Mine had unscrewed itself. I presumed the nut inside the bow was press fit in. Unfortunately that isn't the case. Once the ball unscrewed itself the inner nut was lose inside the bow. I tried to retread but the bolt had turned sideways. I started contemplating dismantling the bow which looked like it could turn into hours of work so I could spend 5 sec to reattach the ball fitting. Instead I used my magnetized part grabber and rubbed it along the bow to pull the lose bolt into place. i held the bolt in place with the magnet and rethreaded the ball connector. Just thought I would pass along.
  2. Yep, that is about where I am at too. I am just going to weld a hard top on to prevent the temptation of tryin to fix the cabrio top. The whole experience is maddening. I am sure it was snazzy when people saw all these complex switches and pumps working at the dealer. But 1o years latter it just can't be fixed. My local dealer says this is body work, and I should take it to a body shop. The local body shops say it is a foreign car that they don't have any experience with and would cost me more than it is worth for them to try to use my car to learn on. The shop manuals seem to talk about calibrating and adjusting the roof, but they seem to be purposely written in a way to obscure what you actually have to do to fix anything. And, in my case, I am being told that I have a faulty microswitch that I have to search for like a where's waldo experiment, despite the rather complex system of checks and sensors, no one thought it would be a good idea to provide a diagnostic to actually tell you whihc of the mulititude of things that can go wrong has gone wrong. And, the auto calibration frunction doesn't seem to . . . calibrate anything as near as I can tell.
  3. Thanks for the comment. Your thread is what gave me the idea to check the potentiometers/microswitches. I just wanted to check to see if anyone else had any success with checking all of the microswitches or if something else could explain what I am seeing. Frankly, I wasn't sure how to do this, and I was a little skeptical that this might be my problem given that the durametric isn't giving me a fault code. Did you happen to have checked when you were troubleshooting to see if the microswitch was faulting? Without a fault I hate to just going through the car wrenching parts hoping to stumble on a cause. Thanks for your thoughts.
  4. Great idea, I forgot to mention that I tried that first. I got a small oil can opened the screw cap on the rear wall of the hydraulic reservoir and tried to pump in as much as a could with a small diameter hose attached to the oil can. It started to leak back out each time I pulled the trigger to squish more fluid in. I can't imagine that I got more than a couple of spoonfuls in. And franky, I have never noticed any hydraulic fluid leaking. Do I need to open some other port so as to release a vacuum. If I am missing something please let me know. I also saw some posts regarding resetting the potentiometers to 6 ohms. Not sure why they would be suddenly off or whether they could cause the issues I am having. I then paid for a durametric and ran the calibration program. The roof went all the way forward (completely closed) and hummed a little and then all the way back open and the motor hummed a little. I assumed that this would communicate to the controller where fully open and fully closed were to the pumps. However, when I tried to close the top using the rocker switch stopped again about 4 inches from closing. As I hold the rocker down, it would move forward a 1/2 inch and try to close the latch. Again and again until the roof came far enough forward to catch the roof and close. Any other ideas out there? I am out.
  5. I am back to working on my favorite topic: the cabrio top on my 1999 996. I had been working on the top, and tried closing the top. However, rather than travelling the correct distance forward and latching, it stopped about 4 inches from the front window and the latch tried closing completely missing the microswitch/pocket. I kept holding the rocker button and the top would increment forward a 1/2 inch, or so, and tried to latch again, and again, and again until the top had moved forward enough that the latch could grab the pocket and trip the microswitch in the front window frame. I purchased a durametric and ran the calibration program that operated the top from full open to full closed. But when I retried the roof operation again with the rocker switch, the top still acted as noted above. I also looked through the shop manuals, and I am not getting any fault codes (nothing). Any ideas what else I could try? I saw on here some posts talking about checking the ohms of potentiometers, or that all the microswitches are being tripped. Is there a switch that I could reset to get the top to move further forward before deploying the latch hook? Thanks.
  6. Wow, I can't thank you enough. That is certainly different than what sunset told me. I am down here floating on the Severn. So it seems fitting you came up with the solution. Seeing your post was a great way to start the weekend. I can't thank you enough.
  7. Just for completeness, I thought I would update this thread. A little surprised no one has any thoughts and even more surprised that this seems to be a tough fix. I would have thought that you would just buy a new nut and this would be a 2 minute fix. I discussed with Loren and he didn't have any ideas and dished me to Sunset. The parts department couldn't find a part and discussed with the repair folks. They said they have heard that this problem (the visor nut breaking) is pretty common. However, they don't know any way of getting inside of the window frame (A pillar, cross-pillar). They thought they had heard rummors of folks welding in new nut plates ( presumably on the outside), but they haven't had to deal with it and posche has provided them with no guidance on how to fix. And, there doesn't seem to be a replacement part for sale; its part of window frame. The best they could come up with is to buy a completely new window frame. So my options seem to be: 1. take Sunset's recommendation and buy, paint, and install a new window frame. However, I can't see spending ???? for and installing a new window frame to get a $0.10 nut plate. 2. I had hoped these were blind fittings that you could insert from the front. Given the construction thats how I would have designed the fitting. Maybe I could rig something like that none the less, some sort of wall anchor but the chances of finding something that will work at the hardware store seems low. Who has a large selection of metric wall anchors? 3. forget about it and hope that the other screw/nut doesn't fail. Something to be said for this, but I question how the first bolt went and worry that this part in my carrera may take some abuse from the convertible top. And then what? If anyone has dealt with this I am certainly open for suggestions.
  8. Hello all, Before posting I did search here and on the google, but couldn't find that any one has had my problem yet. So here it is: My mechanic said when he tested drove my car he noticed a rattle in the door. Upon investigating, I found that it wasn't the door at all but one of the bolts (999.073.166.09) holding the sun visor mounting bracket (996.561.607.01) to the window frame had come loose. I tried tightening but it wouldn't thread. I looked inside and the nut inside the window frame looked like it is a split nut, kind of like a castle nut, which had split apart???. I had hoped there would be an obvious way to get inside and simply remove the broken nut and insert a replacement but I can't find any way to get inside the window frame. So am I missing an access opening somewhere? Or alternatively, does anyone know if this nut happens to be more like a wall anchor: pressed through the front hole and as you tighten the screw it splays outward to keep from falling through. If so I guess I need to try and remove the broken pieces and get a replacement. Does anyone know where to get a replacement. I am not sure what to ask for. Thanks.
  9. Thanks for the comment. At the end of the day, it seems that when I pull in to ask for a quote the "standard auto body's" around me are happy to come up with some excuss to shooo me out the door. The two autobodys that seem to have this magic celette machine haven't been much better. THe first guy said he could do it but didn't buy the jig for the 911. He just doesn't do enough volume in porsches to justify purchasing. He said he could rent one but it would be cheaper to find somone who has one and pointed me to another autobody. The second place said they do a lot of porsches but they too would have to rent the fixture. They quoted me 1K to rent the fixture and 2K to disassemble the suspension and put the car on the fixture. Then we go from there to fix it and reassemble the car. He couldn't give me a quote without seeing the car but said that I was probably looking at 5-6K if very little needed to be done and up to around 15K if a lot of work was needed. I think blue book is 15-20K so making the repair doesn't make much sense. Does anyone know of someone who does a volume of porsches that might actually have this jig, know the car, and be a little more cost effective. I would be willing to make a reasonable trip. PA, Eastern Ohio, Nothern Maryland, West Virigina. Or, if autobodys need to rent this jig does anyone know if they collect a few projects and do them all together to spread the rental cost? Just trying to figure out of there is a way to get this done reasonably.
  10. Hello, I have continued to work on bringing my 99 996 back from the dead. The one issue that has evaded repair is that I am told I am at the stops on the wheel allignment and it can't be brought into spec, the wheel is turned a little to the left to drive straight, and the convertible top latch catches the pocket on the window frame about 1/cm to the left. I have taken it to two autobodys (said they didn't see anything obvious and they don't work on aluminum frames). I took it to the local dealer who said the frame looked twisted to him when he had it up on his lift, but once again he doesn't work of frames. I read around the internet and saw that celette frame machines are recommended for german aluminum body repairs. Next, I called one local autobody with a celette who said he doesn't have the 911 Jig and sent me to another shop where he thought they had the jig and would be cheaper. They said they also don't have the jig, but could rent it. The guy on the phone said they would have to look at it before they make an estimate. However, he said that it would cost 3K just to put my car on his machine (1K to rent a 911 Jig) and the price goes up from there based on what needs to be done. He guessed that I am talking 5-15K to get the frame straight. Does this sound reasonable to you? Does anyone know of an autobody near pittsburgh that has a 911 Jig and could do a good job at a reasonable price? Thanks.
  11. Oh ya and one additional comment. I have had the thing alligned 3 or 4 times. No one can get it into "spec." My local mechanic probably did the best job. However, one of the times I took it to the special guy that was proported to do all the high end sports cars in town (ferraris, Lambos, porsche, etc.). I paid good money for his help, and he still couldn't get it into spec. He was the one who said that the frame was bent. I didn't care that much because it drives pretty straight. It pulls a touch to the right, but everyone reminds me that with the hump back roads a lot of the right pull around here is the road not the car. Really the most annoying thing has been the convertible top. I took it to the dealer, he said he can't do anything. The problem is that there are no top adjustments if it isn't lining up it is the frame. Now the frame guy says the frame is fine and it is the suspension and engine cradle. If so, would that throw off the top. I am at a loss.
  12. Thanks for your reply. Where do I find one of those? The dealer wouldn't touch it since it was body work, and said to just take it to any body shop. "Any body shop can straighten frames." THe dealer wouldn't give me any suggestions. I live in Pittsburgh PA, and took it to the best one where I live. I have been wrestling with this issue for over a year now and no one can put their finger on what's wrong, and they try to shoo me out of their shop. I have never had such a hard time giving business to someone before. It is frustrating because I have spent a lot of time taking off from work dropping the car off, talking it to mechanics and the result is always the same. I am told the problem is the one thing that the shop I am standing in doesn't work on.
  13. Along with the frame/suspension issues I am trying to fix the most annoying thing is the top. IT seems shifted to the right. and catches as it comes out. WHen it gets to the front window the hook seems to miss the little pocket is it suppose to lock into. The dealer said that there really aren't any adjustments on the top so if it isn't lining up it is the frame that is off. The body shop said the frame is straight but the suspension and engine cradle oare off. I then asked what I need to do to fix the top. They said that the bushings are worn but that it would take a month or two to remove the top and replace the bushings. Does anyone have any guidance on finding or replacing these bushings? Is this a DIY project. I can't imaging replacing a few bushings would take 6-8 weeks. Any advice would be appreciated. THanks.
  14. I have had trouble getting my car right. It tends to pull a little to the right and the convertible top doesn't seem to come out straight. I took it to the dealer who said that the frame looked bent to him, but they don't do body work. I took it then to a body shop they said that the frame measures out correct but that the suspension and engine cradle are aluminum and they have sagged over time. However, they said that repairing the suspension/emngine cradel would be best done if replaced and that would cost far too much. Does any of this make sense to you all? Any suggestions? I am at a loss. The biggest concern I have is 1. that the convertible top won't open and close smoothly and the allignment can't be brought into spec.
  15. Hi all, I had a quick question. I wanted to replace the bumper on my 996. I ran across a 997 bumper, and thought it would be neat to upgrade. Is this something that can be done. Is it as easy as swaping out? I thought I read somewhere that you need to stick with a 996 bumper cover rather than a 997. On the other hand, I would think that it is unlikely that Porsche would have modfied the front end such that you can't just swap them out. It would jsut be nice to make it look less like a boxster if doing so can be done easily and cheaply. Any guidence out there? thanks in advance.
  16. That would be sad. Does anyone know how much it costs to have the frame stretched? This sounds like it wouldn't be cheap and could damaqe the car. Any insights out there?
  17. I still have the problem. IF the responses I received are the correct way to fix it, I am not smart enough to get it. I was hoping that there was some sort of an adjustment mechanism that allows you to adjust where the top is attached to the car. THe left side seems to come out an inch or so first. The right side seems to catch a little. As the left side continunes to move upward, the right side finally pulls free. When it gets to the windshield, the latch in the middle tends to rub on the left surface of the opening. Often it takes a couple tries before the latch actually snaps in to the windshield. I have thought of three possibilities: 1. The whole top is misalligned relative to the body. Are there some mechanical screws that could be adjusted to reallign how the top is attached to the car body? 2. Maybe the frame/top be properly alligned but the issue is that the right pump is weaker than the left one, and it is getting "dragged" through the cycle by the more powerful left pump. If so, does the right pump need replacement/adjustment? I saw there were some posts about refiling the hydraulic fluid. This sounded a little complicated. Or, is there a calibration cycle in the onboard computer that could be used by the dealer to cheaply electronically adjust the pumps to actuate together. 3. Is the frame bent and I have bigger issues? Who knows? Any thoughts would be appreciated.
  18. I will give it a shot. I have an appointment with the dealer next week, and was hoping to have some idea what it might be just to filter out the BS if there is somethiing simply I can do to narrow it down. Sounds like it isn't anything you all have seen before. Thanks for looking
  19. Removing the gas pedal wasn't as easy as I had hoped. It has been a couple of months and I am going from memory. I ended up snapping the cruise control cable that comes out of the top of the pedal, so be careful when you try to remove the pedal. I don't think anyone has recommended this but I would remove the cruise control cable before removing the pedal. To remove cruise control cable and/or loosen it: 1. Remove the air conditioning tube below the steering wheel. 2. You should now be able to see the cable (looks like a bicycle brake cable runs up into a box(cruise control electronics). Just behind it there is a tubular coupling. YOu can rotate to disengage it and slid it along the cable. 3.a. Once the inner metal wire is exposed it has a stopper on the end that can be pulled out the side of the inner annondized (gold colored tube). 3.b.Alternatiavely, there are three bolts that hold the cruise control electronics box to the car. Loosen them and remove the box. This will reduce the tension on the cable and prevent damage. 3.c. YOu can skip this step like I did. If you are good everythiing will owrk out if you are careful. Unfortunately, for me I snaped the plastic part coming out of the tube and snapped the plastic part coming out the cruise control unit. I had to buy a new cable and and new pedal. To remove the pedal 1. Once you have detenionsed the cruise control cable. you can move the pedal around. 2. The pedal fits in a little groove and can be slid out by pushing the pedal upward along the firewall. 3. Once out, you can flip it on its side. There are four philips head screws along the right inside edge of the pedal. Remove these screws. 4. THe pedal should fall away from the body. 5. There is also a bellows behind the pedal around the pedal plunger. Mine was glued in to keep junk out of the pedal. You may have to detach this carefully without ripping the thin rubber so that you can glue it back in when you reassmble. 6. YOu should now be able to pull the two halves apart. Hope this helps.
  20. I seem to have developed a mysterious leak just inside and behind the wheels. A small leak just inside and behind the left wheel, and a small leak just inside and behind the right wheel. I can't locate the source and the liquid that leaks is a brownish red color and has an oily consistency. I know that the popular answer for engine compartment leaks is the coolant (I did just replace the expansion tank, cap, etc.) COuld it be coolant picking up grim and oil from the engine? Brownish red sounds like either oil or, I hesitate to say, transmission fluid. THe oil level doesn't seem low, and I don't know how to check the transmission level. I have attached some photos of where it looks like it is leaking from and the leak itself on the concrete. I would appreciate any ideas you all have.
  21. Hello all, There are two parts I am trying to find the numbers for and I can't seem to figure out what they are based on looking at the parts catalog for my 996. 1. Rearview mirror interior door grommets. Some sort of blue grommet that fits into the door sheet metal to hold the triangular trim cover that covers the inside of the door adjacent the rearview mirror mount. TO say it another way, the rearview mirror attaches to the car with a black plastic triangle base on the outside of the door. On the inside of the door to conceal the triangular mount, there is a plastic trim cover. This friction fits into, if I recall three blue plastic grommets in the door sheet metal to hold the triangular cover in place. Any ideas what the part number would be, or where I can get such items. Mine are warn and the interior plastic triangle keeps falling off. 2. Rear trim panel speaker mounting nuts/speed nut?. On my porsche the rear speakers are held in the rear trim pieces with two screws. Inside the trim pieces there are two tab or ears that have a slot for a plastic piece that the scres can thread into. One of them is still in place and it looks like a press fit pink plastic piece. The other one is missing. I have checked the drawings and can't figure out what the parrt number is for this piece. I think it may be called a nut but it is really just a pink piece of plastic with threads that fit into the these tabs to hold the speaker in place. Any ideas? Thanks all.
  22. I was able to get the seat apart but can't find what is causing the problem. If anyone has any ideas, I am all ears. Thanks.
  23. You are awesome. Thanks for the help. I am getting old and can't remember where all the parts go. That covers the cables for the shifter under the center console. Some were green and some black. If you install a short shifter (Porsche or B&M) then that part is not used.
  24. Thanks. I try to look for the answer first before starting a new topic. I am not sure how I missed this. THanks. Hopefully it is as easy as the article implies. pull up and out on the central rear leather panel and then unhook the bottom portion. Sounds easy enough. Hopefully I can do this by hand. My sense is that I will need to use my plyers. Thanks again.
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