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jamesanderson84

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Posts posted by jamesanderson84

  1. Just did this job yesterday. Not easy - but not too difficult if you take it steady.

    Learnings:

    I dropped the mufflers. Cant see how you'd do the job without dropping them. It added some time and fiddling - but it made it doable versus being a swearfest.

    Be careful about the extension bars you connect. The middle tube on the driver side and the rearmost tube on the passenger side (US spec) align with the muffler brackets and I ended up with a combination that could not be removed. The extension bar was tight to the spark plug socket and it took some ingenuity and swearing to get them apart.

    I installed NGK plugs. I removed Berus which looked to be in good shape.

    Here's to the good news - the difference is HUGE. The engine is quieter - the power delivery is smoother and much more even. It makes it a much better driving experience.

  2. I bought the aluminum jack from Costco. Works great and have used it on 996, Boxster, and Cayman..

    Did you say this is the first time you are performing a brake job...ever? or just 1st time on a Porsche?

    Good Luck

    First time performing a brake job, ever...

    Andy

    I did my first brake job ever on a 996 a few weeks ago. It was VERY easy. Follow the instructions in the posts here and use some common sense and you'll have no problems. Hardest part was jockeying the jack and the axle stand around to do all four wheels. But there's even a post here for that! The actual brake work was very straightforward.

  3. I don't think so. If the potentiometer is working correctly and the motor is working correctly when the top is closed then those things would not work any differently with the top open. However, you could have a sensor somewhere saying the top isn't open, the latch isn't open, the flaps aren't up, etc. That would then stop the clamshell from closing all the way.

    If you hook it to a PST2 or a Durametric, it can talk to the convertible top control unit and tell you what each compoment is saying/doing.

    When you jiggled the clamshell, did it fall shut or did the motor close it the rest of the way? They can be pushed closed, but the lock won't actuate.

    The motor closed it the rest of the way - but it did not "feel right" - it seemed like there was still some resistance.

  4. Well - more fun last night trying to resolve this problem.

    When I opened the top the same problem happened - stopped about two inches away from being complete.

    I found that the plastic shield that is connected to the rearmost strut on the driver's side and carries a wire had become disconnected from the strut - but reattaching the plastic shield made no difference.

    I looked at all the little wings and flaps and they all look fine, i.e., the left and right sides are in the same position, and there is nothing obviously fouling the clamshell.

    I joggled the clamshell a little and did manage to get it to close - but only once. I'm nervous about too much joggling seeing so interconnected this whole system is.

    So...I'm now thinking that some mechanical resistance has developed that the clamshell motor is not able to overcome - but this does not seem to jibe with the fact that the clamshell closes fine when going into the "roof closed" position.

    • Like 1
  5. Are you sure the cloth from the top isn't lying over the latch when the top is down? There should be a springloaded piece of plastic that sticks up from the latch cover to stop the top from getting into the latch, but it often breaks off and disappears. That's the first thing I'd check.

    If there's nothing blocking it, and the top's not on the latch, the fact that the clamshell will close with the top up tells me that the clamshell mechanism is working correctly and can reach it's open and closed points. Therefore the fault must lie in either the convertible top or possibly the little wing flaps on the sides not reaching the points they're supposed to reach. All the position sensors are interdependent, so if one mechanism doesn't reach it's end point, it stops the other from working.

    Actually, I'd bet money that if you check again, you'll notice one of the little wings isn't in the closed position. You probably just need to remove the panel behind the back seat grease the screw drive that it moves on.

    The plastic latch cover is present and flips up when the hood is closing - so I dont think its that.

    I agree that it might be one of the little flaps on the hood mechanisms - its not clear what position they should be in as the hood closes - does anyone have a picture of the right positions? I'm concerned if I start playing with them I could do more damage than help.

    • Upvote 1
  6. 2000 C4 Cab. I've owned the car for three months and have had no issues with the convertible top operation. Yesterday I went to open it and everything worked fine - except the clamshell won't close the last two inches onto the deck. There does not appear to be anything physically in the way - there are no odd noises or grinding - it just stops.

    I can close the top again without problem and the clamshell closes properly when the hood is going into the closed position.

    I've searched the forums and I can't find anybody describing this problem exactly.

    I've read the posts about topping up the hydraulic fluid - and based on car age this is a candidate - but I read in one post that the clamshell is driven by a motor not by the hydraulic pump anyway.

    Would appreciate any pointers - this feels like something very stupid or easy to fix - so obvious advice is welcome.

  7. Just did my front and rear brake pads this weekend using the information in this guide - really straighforward job that any mechanically inclined owner could undertake without worry.

    I could not get the pads back with the pliers (could not get enough leverage on them) but used a carpenter's G clamp and a rag to protect the caliper paint and it worked like a charm.

    The brake wear sensors were a bit fiddly - especially at the front where they were starting to get worn down. I ended up removing the pads with the sensors attached and then they came out no problem once the pads were clear.

    I adjusted the handbrake, blew all the dust out of the rotors, cleaned the calipers off and cleaned the inside of the wheels while I was at it. Total time about five hours. I agree with others that the hardest part of the job is all the jacking and axle stand manipulation.

    Thanks for all the info here. Really empowering to someone who has not owned a Porsche before.

    Next job - changing the spark plugs....

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