Jump to content

Welcome to RennTech.org Community, Guest

There are many great features available to you once you register at RennTech.org
You are free to view posts here, but you must log in to reply to existing posts, or to start your own new topic. Like most online communities, there are costs involved to maintain a site like this - so we encourage our members to donate. All donations go to the costs operating and maintaining this site. We prefer that guests take part in our community and we offer a lot in return to those willing to join our corner of the Porsche world. This site is 99 percent member supported (less than 1 percent comes from advertising) - so please consider an annual donation to keep this site running.

Here are some of the features available - once you register at RennTech.org

  • View Classified Ads
  • DIY Tutorials
  • Porsche TSB Listings (limited)
  • VIN Decoder
  • Special Offers
  • OBD II P-Codes
  • Paint Codes
  • Registry
  • Videos System
  • View Reviews
  • and get rid of this welcome message

It takes just a few minutes to register, and it's FREE

Contributing Members also get these additional benefits:
(you become a Contributing Member by donating money to the operation of this site)

  • No ads - advertisements are removed
  • Access the Contributors Only Forum
  • Contributing Members Only Downloads
  • Send attachments with PMs
  • All image/file storage limits are substantially increased for all Contributing Members
  • Option Codes Lookup
  • VIN Option Lookups (limited)

RandalJ

Contributing Members
  • Posts

    52
  • Joined

  • Last visited

  • Days Won

    1

Everything posted by RandalJ

  1. I posted in the Common Fixes and Repair, but onto an old thread and thought it might be better if I added a quick note here. Even if your car battery is good enough to crank your engine and start your car, if it is in old battery on the decline it will definitely shorten your remote range. In my case, it got to the point where I'd have to stand next to the driver's window, and even then it was tempermental. I did replace the battery in one of the keys to see if that was the problem, but it had no effect. After reading posts on opening the A-piller, and making the antenna the optimum length, I thought this was something I'd eventually get around to. But then, why would the range degrade if physically the antenna is the same as when the cart left the factory, and I was getting at least 30 feet when I first had the car? Last week, I had the car in for an unrelated repair, and the shop commented that the battery was weak. With most batteries that means that the battery will die within days, if not hours, here in AZ. But maybe the Optima is more forgiving because the only symptom I had experienced was slower cranking. So gradual I hardly noticed. I had installed the Optima in 2007, so it was 7 years old! Anyway, I replaced the battery right away, and my remote range went to 30+ feet (I did not test at a longer range to know just how far). So, I'm just pointing out that the antenna design, while maybe not optimal out of the factory, should work for a pretty good distance as long as your car battery is sound. And maybe the remote range is a good indicator of when it's time to start shopping for a new battery. By the way, the tester at Autozone indicated that my old battery was still good, so beware...
  2. I just wanted to pass on another tip for those who have had problems with the remote reception. Before you go to the trouble of disassembling the A-piller, have your car battery tested. Just because it cranks the car enough to start does not mean that it is 100%, and I have discovered that a new battery solved the reception problem. When I bought my 996 in 2006, the reception was fine - 30 feet if not more. I installed an Optima battery, kept the car for about four years, sold it to someone in-state, and bought it back last December (75k miles). I did notice that the key range had gotten a lot shorter, but didn't think much of it until recently, when I could be standing at the driver's window, and it would still be temperamental. I tried replacing one of the key batteries, but that didn't help. Also did a search and read up on the antenna length in the A-piller, thinking I'd get around to it... The Optima I bought in 2007 was still in the car, and by now it was 7 years old. It seemed to still crank OK, though slower than I'd like. Recently I took my car in to have the water pump replaced (preventative - slight amount of play on the shaft), and the indie shop advised that the battery was on its way out. So, off I went this morning to get a new Optima. It was at that point that it occurred to me that maybe the weakness of the car battery was causing poor reception. That maybe the system cuts power to non-essential systems if the battery is not holding charge as well as it should. Well, sure enough, I got the new battery in, and my range is back to 30 feet or so. By the way, the Autozone guy tested my old battery and pronounced it "good", so it would be best to make sure you get someone competent to test yours. If your engine cranks slowly but still enough to start the car, like mine did, that may be a clue as well.
  3. Yes, that was it. It fit as you described. Just wondering whether the curl is supposed to curl forward, or toward the rear of the car, for reduced wind noise. Before I glue it down. Thanks
  4. I have had a rattle inside the headliner, between the rear window and the sunroof, and have followed the procedure for partially taking off the rear half of the headliner. What I found inside was a loose piece of weatherstripping, about two feet long, just lying on the headliner. I suspect it may be part of the sunroof assembly, but have no clue where it goes: The weatherstripping that surrounds the sunroof opening is intact, so I don't think this piece is supposed to be attached to the sunroof panel itself. But it is about the width of the sunroof. Maybe on bottom rear edge of sunroof? It is too short to be part of the rear window sealing system. I'm thinking that maybe over the years the adhesive dried out, and weatherstrip just rattled off of whatever edge it was on. Any ideas? Is there an exploded view of the sunroof assembly that might show this weatherstripping? What would be be best adhesive for re-attachment? While I was at it, I noticed that when the sunroof is closed, I can push up the rear part of the sunroof headliner - but the roof itself stays on place. Is that normal? Thanks.
  5. I have an answer to my own question. The sockets the nozzles sit in were cracked around the edges due to age, so the nozzles probably shot out when under pressure. At first I was not sure whether these were age-related cracks or just slots to enable the nozzles to be pressed in, but when I received new washer assemblies (from Sunset sponsor) I saw there were no slots. So, if you lose a nozzle, look for the cracks. If cracked, then the whole assembly must be replaced if you want functioning headlight washers.
  6. Hi all. I'm back after having sold my 996 in 2012, and buying it back last December! It's about 10k miles older, with about 73k on the clock now... Anyway, I have a little problem. The headlight washers each have dual nozzles. I don't know when or how this happened, but the inboard nozzles on both sides are gone (outboard nozzles are still present). I know that these nozzles are not sold separately (only the whole washer assembly is available), and probably hard to find used, but has anyone here attempted to replace just the nozzles? I want to know whether they are snapped in, glued in, or molded as part of the assembly. Judging from the cavities it appears that they might just be snapped in. If so, I could buy just one new washer assembly (they are kind of expensive), replace one of the old ones, and have enough nozzles from the two old assemblies to use in the old assembly that I keep. Has anyone here attemped to replace just the nozzles? I might end up having to replace both assemblies, but I thought I'd try this first. Thanks.
  7. Thanks for your suggestions. I have done the tiptronic downshift but it seems like what's the point of having an automatic if you have to do that? And all of my cars up to now have been manuals, but I haven't gotten comfortable with the tip - just seems like I need to do something with my left foot! As I mentioned, the problem goes away with the PSM off, but the shift points are way higher - like still in 4th at 55mph. So I know the already poor fuel economy will be even worse - as it would be, but not as badly, if the throttle response was better with PSM on. Anyway, I'll check out the TSB, and see what can be done. Thanks again.
  8. This is the hesitation that typically happens when you get on throttle after braking through a turn, of when tying to pass someone on a freeway. You mash the pedal, and nothing happens for maybe as long as two seconds. I've done a lot of searching lately because the hesitation is really getting on my nerves, but have not been able to find any definitive conclusions on this. Over the years, people have thought it was coil packs, turbo lag, and maybe a few other things. I've ruled all of these out on my car. The most plausible theory I have come across is that the "learned" driving habit, affecting the engine and transmission programs may be the culprit. That is if you drive normally, you will have this hesitation. On my 2006 CTT, one thing I do know is if I disable the PSM, the hesitation is gone, but the shift points go to higher RPMs, and the car all around seems more high-strung. So, the hesitation is gone, but it's not as relaxing to drive. I have heard that the normal, PSM "ON" mode hesitation can be fixed by running with PSM off for days or weeks, tricking the engine management system into thinking that's how you really drive. I may try that, but I would guess that over time back on in the PSM mode, it would revert to the original "learned" driving habit, and I was wondering whether there is any other more permanent solution out there. Other than the device (forget the name) that tricks the gas pedal position sensor into thinking the pedal is further down than it is. That seems like another band-aid to me. If anyone else is well aware of this phenomenon, is there some reason understood for why Porsche programmed it this way? Only thing I can think of is they did not want people hitting the throttle hard, coming out of a turn in a 5200 pound vehicle. But what about the detriment and danger when attempting to pass on a highway? Thanks.
  9. I had the same problem for several weeks last year/early this year. It was intermittent (usually when cold, I thought), and it drove me nuts because I tried changing bulbs, cleaning sub assembly contacts, you name it. Thinking this through, testing with a DVM, I finally ruled out any opens or shorts through the headlight assembly. That meant it had to be in the wiring harness somewhere. I replaced the short wiring harness, to no avail. Later I was able to connect the headlight assembly to the harness socket with the headlight uninstalled, and everything worked. Turned out that the plug where that short wiring harness plugs into the back of the headlight assembly was not going in properly or just marginally. This was because the headlight mounting bracket was worn where the harness clips in, behind the headlight, allowing the harness (female) end to deflect back and up a bit when the headlight assembly was clamped in. I confirmed this when I reached that connector with a long ratchet extension, and was able to push it into the headlight receptacle manually. It's a pain to reach, and it's hard to get a good leverage angle on it, but if you persevere, you'll get it. You'll feel it "giv"e as the harness goes the rest of the way on. You'll have to remove the black plastic trim in the engine bay to get to it, and maybe the air filter cover on that side. Have not had a problem since, and it's been at least 7 months. I will not take that headlight out again unless absolutely necessary. Probably replacing the headlight mounting bracket would take care of it too.
  10. Thanks, Loren. Looks pretty straightforward once the panels are removed - though it sounds like getting those panels off is more than half the battle. I'll find out in a week or two...
  11. Have seen the instructions for the V6 and Trans Siberia, but have not been able to find anything on the 1st generation turbo. Mine's a 2006 MY. I'd be willing to post picks/tips of the operation if anyone has the factory manual procedure to guide me. Also, I'm thinking it is a bad idea to raise the suspension and rely on it staying up while under the car, though I've seen that espoused a few times on the internet. Is max height the "natural" height? Seems like it would be, with minimum compression on the springs. But even if it is, could it compress down if there is some malfunction, even with the ignition off, causing agonizing death? If there is risk, I'd rather drive up on some 2x8 planks for clearance, as required for my 996. Thanks.
  12. I determined the cause. The optical connector to the camera was not making a good connection. I took it apart and cleaned it the best I could, and snapped it back together, and it has been trouble free ever since. To get to the connector just pry off the exterior panel right below the rear window. Before that I had completely disassembled the rear liftgate from the inside, and discovered that I could not access the camera from the inside - just so you know.
  13. Yes, I forgot to mention that the camera extends in all cases. So I don't think it is an intermittent connection, but I'll know more after a few days. Right now, all I know was that it worked reliably for about four months. Then reliably went dark (still extended) for a solid week, and now it's back.
  14. I bought a 2006 Cayenne Turbo with 70k miles in August, and everything has been good so far. Just a minor annoyance but potentially expensive to put right - my reverse camera image went black about a week ago. The monitor would flash for a split second when I went into reverse, as though it was coming on normally, but then the screen would go black. The red lettering warning that the driver should still visually verify what's behind still came up, but against a totally black background. I was planning to remove the inside panel of the rear hatch this weekend to see if any wires had come loose, but this morning when I backed out, it suddenly worked again. And I tested it by reversing a few more times, and it appears to be fine. Now, I usually drive the car, but my wife drove it last weekend, and that may be when it went dark. And she drove it again last night, and now it's working. So, I'm wondering whether there is an on/off setting that she may have inadvertantly hit when she drove. I've tried all of the obvious on off settings on the PCM over the past week, with no effect. The only thing that she changes when she drives, that I'm aware of, is the seat and mirror positions. Anyway, I'm glad that the camera is working again, but am wondering if it is obvious to any of you what would have turned it off and back on again. There does not seem to be anything in the owner's manual or PCM manual that I have not tried, but maybe I overlooked something. She used my key last night, but I'm not sure which one she used last week. So, I don't think it was anything programmed into her key. Anyway, I'm glad to know that the camera is functional. Dealer wants $900+ and an exchange for a replacement - for a camera that is probably no better than a $30 PC camera. But I would like to know if there is something that will shut the camera off, while the PCM appears to still think it is there.
  15. My symptom was that the driver's side bi-xenon would come sometimes fail to come on. I had the dealer look at it again, since they had replaced the wiring harness/multi-pin receptacle that the headlight plugs into a few months back for the same problem. This time they told me that the whole headlight assembly needed replacing because it was "arcing". They wanted $1200 to do this. I decided I would take the headlight unit out and see if I could repair it. When I did, I could see no evidence of arcing or any other damage. So I unhooked the receptacle from where it snaps into place on the headlight bracket so that I'd have enough length to plug the receptacle into the back of the headlight, without putting the headlight all the way in. I just wanted to be able to see whether the headlight worked if I had a known firm connection. I turned on the car, and wiggled the receptacle around a bit. You have to hold the receptacle/connector because it does not snap in to the back if the headlight. And the rubber diaphragm around the plug, designed to keep out moisture, I guess, creates tension when you try to push the plug in, so you have to use a slight amount of force to make contact with all of the pins. The bi-xenon came on when I applied more pressure to the "passenger side" of the receptacle. So, it turned out that the headlight assembly was fine, and the wiring was fine. The problem was in bad connection when the headlight was re-installed. So I snapped the receptacle and headlight back into place, and again the bi-xenon did not work. But then, as others have suggested, I removed the plastic above the air filter box, and reached down to push the receptacle on, concentrating on the passenger side of the connector again. And voila, it worked. So far I have driven for a day with no problems. But if it happens again, I'll know why, and I'll just have to rig something that will ensure better contact. The main advice I wanted to give here is to unhook the harness plug, and manually hold the socket to the connection at the back of the light to test the light, before going off and replacing expensive lighting components. By the way, our friends at Sunset Import quoted me just over $600 for the headlight assembly, which includes some bulbs but not the xenon. If it were ever to come to that.
  16. I'm in Phoenix and am interested in a Cayenne Turbo near La Jolla. Can anyone recommend a good independent shop in the area for a pre-purchase inspection? Or would it be better to use Hoehn or Pioneer Porsche dealerships? Thanks
  17. Optima Battery Installation in 996 Carrrera My battery was starting to go, so, inspired by another Optima DIY on Rennlist, which involved mods to the battery tray, I decided to give it a try. The other DYI involves drilling two holes through the base of the battery and through the battery tray, and bolting the battery to the tray, re-using the factory clamp on the passenger side, and re-installing the battery and tray as an assembly. I bought the Optima 34R, with reversed polarity posts because I had read that it was easier to reach with Author RandalJ Category Carrera (996) - Mods Submitted 08/30/2009 01:21 PM
  18. My battery was starting to go, so, inspired by another Optima DIY on Rennlist, which involved mods to the battery tray, I decided to give it a try. The other DYI involves drilling two holes through the base of the battery and through the battery tray, and bolting the battery to the tray, re-using the factory clamp on the passenger side, and re-installing the battery and tray as an assembly. I bought the Optima 34R, with reversed polarity posts because I had read that it was easier to reach with both stock battery cables. I removed the old battery, and tried to position the Optima 34R so that both cables reached. I quickly realized that that was not going to happen and still give me access to the battery tray nuts for installation. I also did not like having to remove and install the battery and tray as one assembly in the first place, if it was not necessary. So, I looked for an alternative. The Optima comes with a variety of adaptors, including a v-shaped plastic clamp. My idea was to re-use the metal factory clamp on the passenger end of the battery, and use this v-clamp on the base lip at the driver's end to snug it up. First I positioned the battery on the tray in the car to make sure the cables would reach the posts. Even with the reverse posts, it is a very tight reach. I'm wondering now whether the reverse posts buy you anything, because while the positive cable comes from the rear, the negative comes from the front. Anyway, I marked the battery tray with where the battery needed to be, prepared to replace the negative cable with a longer one if necessary. I took the battery tray out of the car, and positioned the Optima on it, the factory clamp, and the plastic adaptor clamp so that I could determine where on the tray to drill. I drilled a quarter inch hole, and started to think about the hardware. Since I would not have access to the bottom of the tray, I thought it would be best to secure a longish bolt with a washer and nut on top, so that the bolt could not turn. I went off to Ace Hardware and found a good stainless steel bolt, washer and nut, the bolt having threads all the way to the head so that the nut could be spun all the way down to clamp the bolt to the tray. Then I thought, instead of a big washer and nut to hold down the plastic adaptor, how about something you can turn by hand? So, also at Ace, I found a plastic "hand nut" (with metal threads inside). Here are some photos of the install: This shows the battery tray with the new bolt attached. Here I double check to make sure that both clamps, the factory on the right, and the plastic adaptor of the left, would fit, and that the battery would be held firmly. Finally, here is the Optima installed. The stock negative battery cable just barely made it. I had to loosen the cable at the chassis, attach at the post, then tighten the cable at the chassis again. It does not appear to be putting any undue stress on the battery. I may end up putting a washer under the hand crank. Or replacing the hand crank with a washer and bolt if it appears that the hand nut won't hold up in this environment. One other note - You can see where I had to trim away some of the plastic lip on the battery so that the "hand nut" could be turned.
  19. Did either of you convert to RHD? That would be my main concern in bringing a LHD car over. I personnally would not want a LHD over there because of lack of visibility when passing. I imagine it would be big bucks (or pounds) to convert. The electrical stuff seems trivial by comparison.
  20. One more important follow-up note on using the Metra 70-1787 adaptors. For some reason the A socket connector came to me with A3 and A5 connections (both blue wires) bridged with another blue wire. Maybe this has some purpose for Audi and VW. But you use it as is on your Porsche, you will drain your battery in a matter of days. I've been troubleshooting this this week and finally discovered that blue bridge wire must be removed or else you will have a constant on signal sent to your factory amp, and you'll be draining hundreds on milliamps from your battery (I believe that normally it should be below 30mA or so with ignition off). As to why connecting A3 to A5 (regardless of whether these are connected to the head unit) causes the power amp to be on when the ignition is off, I'm still not sure. Otherwise, these adaptors are a perfect fit for our Becker factory harnesses. No need to cut the sockets off!
  21. Thanks Loren. I did hook up the C1 pin 6 to the power amp ("remote") turn-on wire of the head unit, and initially left A pin 5 disconnected to see what I would get. Everything powered up OK but no sound. I then touched to A pin 5 wire to the connection above and got sound, so I connected A pin 5 to C1 pin 6, and connected these to the remote turn-on of the head unit, and everything works with no static on the radio, except for mild static on AM if the station is weak. I do want to mention for anyone wondering that I was able to install the head unit (a Nakamichi CD400) without cutting any of the factory connectors (the A, C1 or the antenna cable) off. This should be the case for any aftermarket head unit. You can get every connector you need to connect to the factory harnesses by ordering this: http://enfigcarstereo.com/shopsite_sc/stor...RA_70_1787.html The red connector connects to the C1 connector in the car for lines out to the power amp. I looked all over, and was almost resigned to cutting C1 off or tapping into it before I finally found this. The black connector connects to the black A connector for power and ground. This one is pretty easy to find. None of the web merchants I visited seem to realize that these Audi/VW connectors also work for early Boxter/996 with conventional wiring. You might also need this stub antenna adaptor (female to male): http://enfigcarstereo.com/shopsite_sc/stor...ml/40_VW12.html Cable version works too, but I wanted to minimize clutter.
  22. I have a '99 "HiFi" equipped 996 and I'm confused about two things in the CR220 radio manual's connection diagram. Could not find this specific topic in the archives. Looks as though socket A, pin 5 is "control output for automatic aerial/amplifier". But socket C1 pin 6 is also "control ouput for automatic aerial/amplifier". Is one of these actually referring to the power amp, and one to the antenna amp? I know that C1 is only used if the car is HiFi-equipped, so I'm thinking that logically C1 pin 6 would power on the Amp, rather than socket A pin 5. Then there are the antenna power connections on this same pins. It would make sense to have the same antenna power connection for both HiFi and non-HiFi, therefore that connection should be be on socket A pin 5. So what's up with having it on C1 which only exists if you have HiFi? Anyway, how should I connect up to an aftermarket head unit that has just one lead (blue/white) remote power for the power amp, and one lead (solid blue) for the power antenna? Blue/white to C1 lead 6, and solid blue to socket A lead 5? Thanks in advance.
  23. Thanks for all your advice. I was able to get it off. I pried the front of the light assembly off my fingers. Since there were no screws under it, I figured maybe under the two security caps. I tried those off, and found the two screws holding the console on. Took those off, and the console came off by hand. Pry the rear first, then push forward to unhook at the front. The sunroof switch assembly was fine, but the fittings molded into the console had broken, so I need to replace the console piece. Thanks again.
  24. I've searched the archives and TSBs but haven't found anything on this. Does the panel that has the overhead/map lights just pry off, or is there a special trick to it? My sunroof control switch has become loose (pushed into the panel), so I'm thinking I just need to take the panel off and snap it back into the panel. I hope... Thanks in advance.
  25. Just a correction to what I wrote earlier. I re-read a posting from the P.O., and the wheel lips were not masked and painted, but rather the entire wheels were painted, then the lips were machined. Then clearcoated overall, it appears.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.