Kim

When I want to just unlock the car when the alarm is on, the remotetop is opening the top. I just press the remote for less than a second. The top opened in 2 out of 3 times.

Also, my front windows roll up after the top opens, is this normal too?

Can't comment on the effect of your battery change. My batt change had no effect on my Smart Top or Remote Top.

You are correct in that the design calls for the top to lower only if you hold down the unlock button for several seconds after the unlock. The top should remain in place if you are simply pressing and releasing the key fob button in a typical unlock manner.

Porsche designed the windows to raise after the top has been lowered (front windows only). At least, mine behaved that way before installation of these after market modules. What the SmartTop does for you is allow the small rear windows to be raised (if you so desire) after lowering the top. Without SmartTop, 996's 2002 and older cannot raise the quarter windows with the top down.

My 2000 C4Cab rear plastic window is yellow and has started to come off of the cloth.

Probably your best first step would be to utilize the search function here and read the many, many posts on this subject. Its been covered extensively, and would give you a good background for making an expensive decision.

.... as a young professional who moves every 4 months around the country and has one daily driver and only makes 105k a year I don't think I can afford this gamble now and safely put away enough money for a large house downpayment in 3-4 years as well as a substantial retirement plan.

Oh .... you have more problems than I realized. Maybe a Kia would suit better.

You should find a method by which you can satisfy yourself that the horror stories are not the norm. If you can't, then you should stay away from any vehicle that worries you so.

In the early 80s, I bought a brand new, vaunted for its quality, Volvo sedan that went to live in the shop immediately after the warranty expired .... with wiring harness failures; 3 alternators in a year; 2 water pumps on 1.5 years, etc. Does that mean all Volvos 144s were like that? Not likely.

I bought a 2000 996 Cab when it was 4 years old with 30k miles. 4 years of daily driving later, with 80K miles, it has not been in the shop for unscheduled maintenance. I have had to adjust the hood latch, and clean out the cab water drain lines .... both with directions from this forum, I might add. It runs great, looks great. I suggest (without scientific proof) that you will find many more examples like mine than you will horror stories.

Its just not as much fun to post a message about how reliable your car has been. We're all too busy out driving with the top down.

.... If you want perfection I'd recommend you do the same. I'll document it all in case anybody wants to just wait and do it the right way. :-)

I found Loren's DIY and had already bought my paint when I decided I "wanted perfection" .... so I bought a complete set of handles & black mounting frame on ebay for approximately $40.

Old handles out, new handles in .... perfection.

Kim,

You need to get something more powerful than a trickle charger... Your battery doesn't have enough umph to power the top up / down. Get a stronger charger and put it on for a few hours. Whe my Boxster sits for the winter I have to fully charger the battery every 3-4 weeks. I get the same experience, some things work that require a lower amperage and the bigger things like starting the car and the power top won't work. The trickle charge is just that, it tickels (not trickles) the battery. Make sense?

Steve,

Maybe I wasn't clear. My car did not sit for the winter .... it never sits except for the occasional week's vacation.

Battery was at normal full charge until I left interior lights on, radio, etc, for a couple of days while cleaning / working. Attempting to raise the top on the weakened battery took the battery just to the point where it would not quite start the car. So .... 30 minutes on my charger at the trickle setting .... and all was good to go.

(The battery being over 4 years old very likely also had something to do with how quickly it lost its charge while was was working on the car. I'll have to keep an eye on it.)

Kim

I've been doing several days of spring cleaning (leather, carpets, etc) in my garage, and unwittingly let the battery run down via open doors, etc. When I attempted to raise the top to get to the back window, the process proceeded only a few inches before the battery gave up altogether.

So, pop the engine cover and connect a trickle charger to revive my battery. Later, disconnect the charger and start the car. All is great until I attempt to finish raising the top. I can hear the relay clicking (its quiet in my garage), but the top will move neither up nor down.

After a few minutes of increasing panic and head scratching (did I melt a top relay or something similarly horrible?) .... I remember the pointers I've picked up here at RennTech. Did I fully close the engine cover? A quick push, a reassuring click, and my top was running again.

Just something for you Cab drivers to file away for when it happens to you.

turkey basting pans...b If that technique is in the DIY....I'm sorry for the redundancy.

Also...be careful with the sensor probe on the bottom of the tank...if you break it, it's only about a $20 part from Sunset.

The turkey basting pan suggestion is in the DIY .... but I missed the part about the fluid draining with GREAT force. It will splash everywhere if you are not careful. Best to hold the pan close until few inches has accumulated in the pan, then set the pan on the ground.

On the sensor: I simply could not rotate the old tank out with the sensor in place .... nor rotate in the new one in with it in place. Sufficient info is in the DIY to help you remove / replace the sensor blindly by reaching under while the tank is in place.

Good luck.

I have no idea why your car is requiring constant repair. I cannot state your experience is not typical, but I can state that it is certainly not universal.

I bought my 2000 Cab in 2004 with 30,000 miles. Now, with 80,000 miles of daily driving, I have had two experiences of unplanned maintenance: adjusting the hood latch and cleaning out the cab drain hoses, both of which were easily accomplished in my garage. In my 40+ years of owning cars, only my wife's Toyota has been more trouble free.

By the way, my passenger seat shakes like a Mexican space shuttle when nobody is sitting in it .... shake has nothing to do with the engine, but has everything to do with the seat design!

Must not be a design issue .... as my pax seat does not shake at all.

I think for the most part it comes with the territory.

My 2000 Cab is coming up on 80,000 miles. Passenger seat has never rattled, though rarely occupied.

I need is a recommendation for a good detailer who can buff my car. I'm afraid to take it to a stranger .... as I have seen finishes ruined in the process.

Preferably in the Marietta / West Cobb area.

Thanks in advance.

Ditto on the thanks for this DIY. Saved me about $500, and, though tedious, was not a difficult job .... as Porsche maintenance goes. A few points:

1. Either the coolant has decreased in price, or I continue to have good luck with Hennessy: $33. per gallon.

2. On the other hand, even with PCA 10% discount, tank for my MY00 was $275.00

3. I wholeheartedly agree with Loren: change to standard screw type hose clamps. Makes re-assembly much easier.

4. I agree that taking out the air pump, rather than tying it back is much nicer.

5. I had to remove the level sensor from the bottom of the tank to remove the tank. I had to reinsert the tank into its general space without the sensor in place, then reinsert the sensor in the bottom by feel. Its very close getting the necessary 2+ inches of clearance to do so. The tank simply would not roll upright (toward the engine) with the sensor hitting the fuel line fitting. Read the post above that gives specific movement directions for removing the sensor blind.

6. The turkey pan works well to catch the coolant, but take it seriously when a previous poster states that the coolant comes out with force. It will splash everywhere until a few inches have accumulated in the pan.

7. The most difficult task for me was reinserting the tank mounting tabs into the receiving tabs on the car. Even with the great, specific instructions, it just would not go .... until suddenly it was in without me knowing why.

I need one ---- I am in Myrtle Beach, SC and can drive to Atlanta in about 5 hours --- my phone number is (843) 651-8030. If you still have.

Thanks, Chuck Ottwell

Chuck,

I'm originally from South Carolina, and my family spends time every summer in Pawley's Island, which is well south of Myrtle Beach. If you can make that drive here in 5 hours, then I hope your Valentine 1 is in fine working order.

(I tried to put the grinning emoticon here .... without success. Just imagine me with a big grin.

I need one ---- I am in Myrtle Beach, SC and can drive to Atlanta in about 5 hours --- my phone number is (843) 651-8030. If you still have.

Down South is thinking about it, and, having been out of town, I just replied to his inquiry.

If he does not snap it up, then I will contact succeeding posters in the order they posted. It won't be long. I'm ready to get it out of my garage.

In the Atlanta / Marietta area, I have a black hard top, in new condition, from my 2000 Cab. I figure if I haven't had it on the car since I got home from the purchase, I never will.

Its hanging from my garage ceiling on a hoist I bought for that purpose. Reimburse me the $100 for the hoist (cost $150+ new), and take both hoist and top with you. Includes OEM cover for the top and the OEM tool for the fasteners.

PM me if you're interested.

Currently, sunsetimports.com is selling replacement keys for only 88.45-$105. But dont' we have to go to our local dealer to reprogram it; in addition to cutting a new blade? If so, wouldn't that bring back the price for a replacement to around $250?

Are you quoting Sunset on the price of the metal key shaft, the remote head, or both?

The metal shaft is ordered pre-cut for your car by supplying your VIN and proof of car ownership. That was about $85 when I bought one from Sunset. The remote heads are more.

If you get a new remote head, it is your car that will be programmed .... not the key.

Do a search. Lots of info on this subject.

Just got my car and key remote would not work. Is there a place where I could get this reprogram cheaper than the dealership. By reading a few posts it will cost me a hundred or so to reprogram it to the dealership.

Generally, it is the car that is programmed to recognize the key. There is nothing to be done to a key itself, other than:

1. replace it, and have the car mated to the new one, or

2. try the "reverse battery" insertion technique that some have used to shock a malfuntioning key remote into working properly.

If all you need is for the dealer to mate the car to your key, then the cost will vary widely with the dealer. Here in Atlanta, I paid less than $50 to have 2 keys mated to my car.

If you need a new key (remote head only .... not the metal shaft) then you should look on ebay or try Sunset Porsche (see above, "Porsche Parts at Dealer Cost") for the best price. If you buy from anyone other than a dealer, then you must be sure the key head comes with the bar code tag ..... needed for mating to the car.

Do a search. There are many posts on this subject.

Please do a search this has been covered here...

Search also under "cab water leak" as similar phrases. I described fully the process of removing the rear seats (along with the unusual tool required - Thanks, Loren) when I covered fixing the water drain leaks on my cab.

Could anyone please point me to Orient Express' DIY Article...

Go to 996 DIY on the main menu.

When there, select 996 Mods.

Its on the list.

.... Additionally, the radio does not power off when removing the key and leaving the car. It use to do this. The problems occur with both remote keys.

Since the radio not powering off is a symptom of a bad ignition switch .... and totally unrelated to the remote transmitters in your key fobs .... I would guess you need to do a search and investigate ignition switch problems. From what I have read on the forum, the symptoms are many and varied.

...I would really suggest always closing the top and locking. It is much safer (from weather, birds and passerbys) and it prevents the top from getting permanent wrinkles (which would not go well with hairy legs).

During the spring through fall period, I routinely leave my top down for weeks at a time. AFter 5 years, I've had no problems with "permanent wrinkles" in the top .... and I've never seen anyone report such problems here.

As for putting the top up and locking any convertible, it should only be done in the best of neighborhoods. In any other environment, a locked convertible is simply a challenge to certain types to pull out a knife and show you that they could have gotten in if they had wished to. This is a philosophy I have followed through my 40+ years of owning rag tops. If I have anything of value in the passenger area of the car, I either carry it with me .... or lock it in the boot. As above, leaving it out in view is just another invite to lose it .... and encounter a $3000 top replacement at the same time.

Just my 2 cents,

theory(and they say it has worked on many cars) is that the smart top gets in the way of the cab top from calibrating itself every so often. So they had me take out the smart top and operate it for afew day without the smart top unit in for a few days and then i put it back in. it operated normal after that, and has done so ever since.

I have had the SmartTop and Remote Top installed since they came on the market .... some years, I guess. I have never had to remove them for any sort of top self-calibration. They both work fine.

..you come up with some very interesting questions? Do you actually lock the cab with the top down?

I do that routinely and often roll the windows up before doing so. This makes the car lot harder target for those "just curious" in the parking lot. Also, miscellaneous, but not valuable, items left on the floor or back seats are not nearly so vulnerable .... as one would have to do considerable reaching to get at them.

Porsche obviously anticipates that the car will, at least sometime, be locked with the top down .... as they provide for the interior motion sensor to be disarmed in this state .... lest a passing bird set it off.

Seems like a golden opportunity to give your daughter another chance. Might turn a difficult situation (your surgery and recovery) into an unexpected positive.

I sincerely appreciate the suggestion .... but I should tell you that the remark was very much tongue in cheek. She did mess up my newly restored 928 at age 16 .... but that's the chance I took when I gave her the keys. There was no long term damage to the relationship, and her banishment from my cars was short lived.

The issue of letting her husband drive it now .... but not her .... is just a family joke. This 996 will be probably be made available her son when he gets his license .... and, just like last time, I will know the risk when I hand over the keys. (He's starting it up weekly for me now .... and always with a big grin on his face).

What good are these wonderful cars if you can't share them with the folks you love.

Thanks again,

You can get a Hood Release Handle from The Los Angeles P Car Dismantler.

If you do a search for posts concerning this parts yard, you will find more foul language and pissed off Porsche owners than in any other topic.

This is the first time I've ever seen, on any forum, anyone label these guys as a "great" source.