jfoxny

I took the boxster (2005 987 w/~38k miles) out of the garage last weekend to wash it and everything seemed fine. I put the car back in the garage and left it for about a week.

I went to take it out this weekend and the check engine light came on at start-up and is flashing. The car didn't seem to start up with the usual explosiveness and it smelled a bit like burnt metal. I know that without the scan code there's not too much that can be said. However, I figured I'd put it out there and see what people thought. It sounds like it's not safe to drive based on what the owner's manual has to say, so, I guess I'll have to have it towed to the dealer. :-/

I also had been experiencing some blue smoke on start up, but, I figured that was par for the course and always cleared up after few moments.

Any thoughts would be much appreciated.

Thanks in advance,

Jason

My 987 S does the same thing ... I've never been able to get a satisfactory answer ... I have 19" wheels, do you ?

Thanks for the response. I have the Boxster S II 18" rims. I wonder if this is just how it is? Seems odd to me though.

Jason

I have a 05 987 and I've noticed that when I'm in a tight turn (like when making a U-turn) the steering wheel kicks back and a "klunking" noise can be heard (in unison) coming from the wheel on the inside of the turn. It almost sounds like the wheel is catching on something over and over again. Any ideas? I'm guessing it's a suspension issue, but, I'm not sure.

Thanks in advance,

Jason

If you do not go CPO then you might want to look into getting a PPI (pre-purchase inspection) at a Porsche dealer. I purchased my car long-distance through eBay motors and paid Carchex (owned by Carfax) to look at it for me, but, it wasn't as thorough or specific as a PPI. After I got the car I took it to the dealer for a PPI (post-purchase in my case :)).

The PPI turned up several small issues with it, mainly cosmetic in nature, but, this being my first Porsche, I wanted to get it as close to perfect as possible. So, I sprung to fix most of them:

* Ash tray lid ~ $200

* Cup holder door ~ $300

* Air vents ~ $300

* Cigarette lighter ~ $50

...and one or town other small things; I skipped the sport chrono "clip" that was broken and one of the home link buttons that I don't use. Even though these issues were small you can see that they add up quickly. The reason for this is the dealer just replaces these parts rather than fix them (the broken sport chrono clip would have cost me $550 alone as they would just replace the unit). Thankfully, the PPI turned up no mechanical issues. If you can, get a PPI if you can it's worth the money even if it just ferrets out the "small stuff." Also, I think they check for over-rev's which I believe void your warranty, but, don't quote me on that.

My car is a 2005 987 that had 33k miles on it when I purchased it in California and had it shipped to New York where I live. Aside from the aforementioned cosmetic issues, it's been perfect. It also came with Porsche's extended 6 year/100,000 mile warranty (another thing you should look for).

Hope this is helpful,

Jason

PS - I've attached a pic for 1schoir; I don't think I ever posted one.

I had a plummer install a hot water spicket in my garage so I can do car washes in my garage in the winter with below freezing temps. This seems to do the trick, but make sure you completely drain the hose prior to putting it away, otherwise the water inside with freeze.

Out of curiosity, when you wash your car yourself, how do effectively clean *under* the car? Is there a hose attachment or something you can get that let's you get under there more easily?

Seriously though, why does the Boxster being a convertible stop you form cleaning the undercarraige at a car wash? Just do the undercarraige and don't wash the rest of the car and don't get the top wet.

I assume you're talking about a self-service car wash not of an automatic one. I haven't seen any automatic, i.e., drive-through, car washes that can do that but then again I also haven't seen any manual car washes with an undercarriage option either. This is the first convertible I've owned, though. Perhaps I just never knew to look. Which kind of car wash were you referring to?

Winter is coming and like many I'm going to attempt to keep driving my Boxster throughout the winter (once or twice a week at least) to avoid going through the trouble of storing it. My only concern about this strategy is road salt. I live in the Northeastern United States and salt is the preferred method of deicing the roads. Normally, I'd just take a car to the car wash a few times during the winter and opt for the undercarriage wash option. I unfortunately cannot take this same approach with the Boxster being a convertible and all. So, I'm wondering what the best way is to keep the Boxster's underbelly clean and free of road salt. What do you guys living in road-salt-happy parts of the country (world?) do?

Thanks in advance,

Jason

Owner's Manual page 122...

"Danger! Do not throw any lit cigars or cigarettes out of the vehicle. They can be blown into the air inlets by the air flow and cause a fire in the engine compartment."

Guess they weren't kidding! :eek:

Hi all,

Is it possible to adjust the height of the clutch pedal in a 05 987? I find that I have to lift my leg to take my foot off of the dead pedal and up onto the clutch. It would be great it I could lower it a bit so I didn't have to move my leg to make the transition. Anyone know if it's possible?

Thanks in advance,

Jason

They should have been installed since day one...good that the dealer is taking care of it.

I bought the car used, so, they might have been there originally. I got them installed this morning at the dealer. In case anyone is interested the part number is: 999-902-054-40.

Thanks again for the help,

Jason

I spoke to the dealer about it today while I was in for service. They are going to order them for me ($13 and change) and install them for, get this, free! =-O This will be my cheapest service visit yet (and probably ever)! :-D

Thanks for all the helpful replies,

Jason

I took a look under my passenger side floor mats just for kicks (I don't spend much (any) time there ;-)) and found that there are plastic velcro circles tethered to floor, one on each side near the seat, that connect with velcro flaps on the underside of the floor mat. The driver side mat has the velcro flaps but it does not have these plastic velcro circles on the floor which explains why they don't stay in place. I've attached an image of both the floor mat and the plastic velcro circle.

Should these velcro circles also be on the driverside floor? If so, does anyone know what they are called, where to buy them, or how to install them? I tried searching on pelicanparts.com but came up empty. :-(

Thanks for all the replies,

Jason

PS - It's a 2005

I have a 987 with the stock floor mats and I find that the driver's side mat just won't stay in place while driving. :-/ Are there any ingenious solutions for this issue out there that do not involve gluing velcro to the mat or the carpet? How do you keep your floor mats from moving around?

Thanks,

Jason

The handbrakes are available on ebay from those that upgraded to carbon fiber for relatively cheap. MACarbon has instructions on how to remove only the cover without a full console disassembly.

Awesome, this is exactly what I was looking for. For those interested parties, here's a direct link to the instructions on removing the handbrake covering: http://www.macarbon.com/install_guides/Por...nstallation.pdf

Thanks, Randall!

Jason

Anyone? Bueller? Bueller? :-)

Jason

Hi. New guy here from Canada. I have been researching the 05 or 06 boxter S as i am in the stages of purchasing. My question is. The boxter s models im looking at are the tiptronic models and they are all quite a bit higher mileage machines. But the non s models are alot lower mileage. I like the white instrument cluster on the S plus the bigger motor but is the extra money worth it? There are alot more non s models to choose from so im stuck . I need advice on the actual difference between the 2 and do you know the difference when your behind the wheel?

Welcome! I am also new here. I recently purchased a 2005 Boxster (in speed yellow) myself. I also liked the white instrument cluster on the S better than the standard black as I have a similar layout in my daily driver. However, now that I have it, the color of the instrument cluster is the last thing on my mind while I'm enjoying the car! :-) Besides that and the obvious difference in engine, the other differences that I know of are:

*) 6-Speed transmission (optional on the non-S, standard on the S)

*) 18" Boxster-S Wheels (optional on the non-S, standard on the S)

*) Dual sport exhaust (optional on the non-S, standard on the S)

*) Red brake calipers (optional on the non-S, standard on the S)

For reference, my car had 33,500 miles with the following options: 6-Speed Transmission, 18" Boxster-S Wheels, Sport Chrono, PASM, Dual Exhaust, Heated Seats, Power Seats, Automatic Climate Control, Navigation System, 6 Disc CD Changer, Multi-function Steering Wheel, and the Windstop. It is also covered by Porsche's extended 6 year, 100,000 mile warranty. I paid $24,400 USD about a month ago. Hope this helps with your purchasing decision!

Jason

PS... Take a look at these links for more info:

http://auto.howstuffworks.com/porsche-boxster-history6.htm

http://auto.howstuffworks.com/porsche-boxster-history7.htm

I recently purchased a 2005 987 (speed yellow). It appears that the previous owner had quite the finger nails as the leather on the handbrake lever has dig marks all over it. Thanks to number9ine I was able to find the part number for the handbrake covering (997 424 155 00) in this document: http://www.porsche.com/all/media/pdf/origi...997_KATALOG.pdf. My question is, has anyone had experience replacing the covering on the handbrake? It doesn't seem obvious how to remove just the covering from the handbrake.

Thanks in advance,

Jason

I took a screencap from the PET pages listed on Pelican's website, which seems to use a PDF directly from Porsche's website: http://www.porsche.com/all/media/pdf/origi...997_KATALOG.pdf

Other folks here might be able to point you to another resource, but this has worked for me whenever I've needed a closer look at something. And if you're going to buy any parts you lookup use the "Porsche Parts at Dealer Cost" link at the top of this page. :)

Awesome! Thanks, Mark!

Jason

Thanks a lot for the info; I will have to give this a shot! Just curious, where did you get get the technical diagram from? Is there a resource on-line where I can access these for future projects?

Thanks again,

Jason

I recently purchased a 2005 987 (speed yellow). After the car arrived I had the local dealer do a PPI (post-purchase in my case) and they found that the "clip" that secures the sport chrono in the dashboard was broken. Now, the chrono seems to be just fine to me; it swivels like it should, functions as designed, and appears to be generally secure. However, the dealer told me that while it is not broken it's not "secured in place" due to this clip issue. I asked them what it would cost to fix that clip and they came back with about $600. I quickly learned that Porsche doesn't fix things they just replace them (they "fixed" my ash try lid and cup holder door the same way).

I decided to pass but now I find myself anticipating the day when I slam the accelerator and the chrono comes popping out of the dashboard and rolls onto the floor in shame. :-/ So my question is, has anyone else experienced this "problem" and fixed it themselves? How do you even remove the chrono from the dash? I'd like to get a look at this "clip" and see if I can just super glue it or something.

Thanks in advance,

Jason

I have a 2005 S, the matt finish on the center console has started peeling at any minor wear point. The edge of the ash tray, I dont use it but I sometimes rest my hand there, and on the passenger side where the seatbelt clasp touches. Has anyone else has this problem?.

I recently purchased a 2005 987 and in the process I looked at A LOT of pictures of 987s from 2005. I noticed that a good percentage of the cars had this paint peeling problem on the temperature and fan up/down buttons (mine does not but a lot did). 2005 was the year that Porsche introduced the new interior for the Boxster, so, perhaps this was an issue with their new components. Attached is a picture of what I'm talking about.

Jason

I believe on my 986 the windows closed automatically when I closed and latched the top. Is this supposed to also happen on the 987?

If your windows are up when you open the top they will drop down a few centimeters and then go back up once the top is stored away. If your windows are up when you close the top, they will also drop down just a bit and then go back up once the top is latched. Also, when you open the doors the windows will drop the same amount if they are all the way up then go back up once the doors are closed. (owners manual p154).

Jason

I did a search on this without finding anything. On my 986, I simply "dropped" the rear lid to close. On my 987, it will not lock with a drop or hard slam down. I have to "press" to close and lock. Is this normal? Sort of annoying with groceries in both hands.

Yes, this is normal. The owners manual states (p135), "Lower the lid and close it. Push the lid closed with the palm of your hand in the area of the lock. Check that the lid has correctly engaged in the lock." Note, this is the procedure for both the front AND back storage compartment lids. It's fresh in my mind because I just bought a 2005 987 myself and probably read the owners manual (available on this site in PDF format) front-to-back 10 times before I received the car in anticipation. :-)

Jason