infocusf8

I had a dead battery in February and used the key in the door lock to open the door. It opened the first time and I was able to open the front hood with no problems once the door was open. Will your door open using the key in the lock? If so, as pointed out, you should be able to open the front hood. If not then you will have to access the emergency cable.

I didn't know '98's had an electronic switch I thought it was a manual wire from the latch release next to the seat. At any rate if you go through the wheel well on the passenger side to access the emergency trunk wire once you get the trunk open and get a new battery take the time to remove the passenger side head light and re route the wire to the tow eye hole behind the tow bolt plug on the front of the bumper. Next time you have to do this all you've got to do is remove the plug to access the wire and not have to deal with the shroud in the wheel well.

Daryl I was having the same issues with my '99 Boxster and its OEM suspension and I decided to install the ROW M030 Sport suspension and my Boxster now feels and handles like a new car. Although it is discussed as a stiffer suspension the new Bilsteins and sport springs absorb all of the road pounding instead of transmitting it up through the seat as the old suspension did. I was wondering if I would be able to keep the car as my 63 year old back was really having problems but now I'll be driving it for a lot more years. I also replaced the Pirelli's that were OEM on it with Sumitomo HTR ZIII's and they have also made a difference in ride quality and less noise. Handling with the combo is superb.

New to the forum and hoping that someone can help with a strange problem on our US Market 2001 Boxster S 6-speed. Car was running fine when parked in the garage about a month ago. But now.....

• The doors won't unlock on the remote, but that's not unusual after a long interval.
• The dash lights up, but the engine won't turn over
• The central locking doesn't operate via the dash switch
• The window switches don't work, but the glass does lower when the door is opened
• The front and rear trunks won't unlock via the sill switches
• The front trunk won't open via the fuse panel jump point
• The battery seems to have a reasonable charge - the headlights are fully bright and the convertible top operates at normal speed
• I have replaced the battery in the key remote
• I can't find any blown fuses

I've searched around in the archives, but I can't see anything quite like this. My best guess would be some kind of immobilizer problem, but any other ideas before I trailer it to the dealer would be much appreciated.

I had a similar problem on my '99 Boxster Tip, but mine happened over night, and a friend had it happen after his car sat for a few days. His problem was a battery that appeared ok but didn't have enough charge to start the car. He replaced the battery and problem went away. Mine was a corroded wire connection on the immobilizer module under the driver's seat. The connection was replaced and the car has been fine. Hope this helps.

Saga continues:

Fuel pump relay wan't the issue: started fine twice, then same symptom: key turns, engine cranks just fine but won't ignite. I fold. Took it to the shop. When the guy heard my story he said he thought maybe the starter. If it was the starter, though, isn't it true that the engine wouldn't crank?

I like the flywheel idea. . .I'll mention that to him.

Found this on 986 forum.com:

>>My 1999 Boxster recently began having a problem... The car starts fine when cold. But once the engine warms up and then is turned off, it will not re-start. When trying to re-start, the lights all come on and the starter turns the engine over briskly. But it will not start. Like it is not getting a spark or is not getting fuel. But then if you let it sit for a couple of hours or more it will start right up. And it will always start the next day! It just recently began doing this. The first time I got a tow home. The second time, I drove it around to warm up and it ran just fine but then when i pulled into driveway and shut it down, it would not re-start. Lately I don't drive the Boxter very much. I do drive it at least once per week but usually only drive it around for 10-15 miles max. The Check Engine Light has not turned on. I have an OBD-II code reader that works on my other (non-porsche) cars but I don't know if it captures Porsche codes. At any rate, i did run the code search procedure but no codes were found. Not sure that I trust it though... Is it possible for a code to exist in the Boxsters computer but no Check Engine Light?<<

This sounds like a good lead. . .any thoughts from anyone?

B

I've just started having this same problem with my '99 Boxster with 85K miles. I hope someone comes up with an answer before I get stranded somewhere.

My ABS light comes on after driving a few minutes, after doing more research i know there are some vacuum lines associated with the system...is it possible that i do have a leak somewhere causeing the ABS light to be on and the Air Injection Pump to not come on?

More than likely you have a vacuum leak somewhere but you could also have a voltage problem or both. Your secondary air system is supposed to come on right away and if it doesn't then the entire system will need to be checked including voltage to the pump to see if the correct amount is being delivered. If you don't have a Bentley's Manual now may be a good time to purchase one as it will show you all the components of the secondary air system and what to check for. In my case it was the small rubber bellows from the vacuum tank and a hose from the diaphragm under the intake manifold (you have to remove the intake manifold to access it). There are one or two more diaphragms with vacuum lines in the system that could be malfunctioning. I found out after the system was repaired that that small rubber bellows is a common part to malfunction as it is a twenty cent part that costs a couple of hundred dollars to replace. If your ABS light is on there is a vacuum system associated with it in the front of the car behind the carpet on the driver's side. You might check there to see if a vacuum line is malfunctioning.

I had those same codes and although my '99 Boxster was running rich it was not idling hard. It took three smoke tests to find that the small bellows hose from the secondary air vacuum tank had a pinhole leak in it and a vacuum line from the secondary air diaphragm under the intake manifold had become disconnected. When you start your car up first thing is the secondary air pump working? It should run and sound like a vacuum cleaner for a while until the car reaches operating temp.

Following up on my prior post, the Oettle modified muffler with the bypass pipes does not drone or resonate, as it is a factory muffler. I also have Fabspeed bypass pipes eliminating the secondary cats and the sound is superb.

This mod is very simple to do if you have welding skills or can pay someone to do it for you; cost of materials is negligible.

Do you have a link to the Oettle mod? I've heard good things about the Dansk but they don't make a sausage for the early 986 2.5's anymore. Anyone tried the Maxflow small mufflers as a replacement?

Thanks all for the comments.

THe Supercharger kit consists of a procharger-C1 compressor, custom ducting, mounting brackets, and some random factory 'off the shelf parts' like DV valves, larger injectors, and maybe a few other things... There is also a custom exhaust manifold as part of the Boxster S kit. The ECU is also re-flashed with what I believe to be a GIAC flash. My particular car also has high-flow cats and mufflers. I think they were supplied by Fabspeed, but I cant be sure.

There was a full review of the kit in European Car:

http://www.europeanc...ters/index.html

I personally love the kit. I know many people are purists, but in this car... it works....

So looks like no other cars like this out there? Id like to meet others with the kit....

Wow that must fly. I've always wondered why more superchargers aren't used on cars as they don't have the turbocharger lag. Are you concerned about replacement parts?

Thanks for the report and glad you are enjoying the new ride. I just ordered the system for my '99 Boxster from the local dealer who actually beat Suncoast's price by $20 after CA tax and I didn't have to pay shipping. Looking forward to having it installed next week.

As a follow up I've been driving with my ROW suspension now for a few weeks and what I would add is the first thing I noticed is how new the car felt. It really tightens things up and reduces the body roll the old suspension was experiencing. It is a mod I'm very glad I made.

Congratulations on your purchase. Personally I really like that color of green on a Boxster it really looks rich. Could you explain the Imagine system and what it does and where it is available?

Not sure what's going on but I stopped my top in the maintenance position yesterday and the cloth was connected properly to the top yet in the position I checked the other day the cloth looked like the first pic. It must raise up and down with the top.

I checked mine yesterday and it looks the same on my '99 so either both ours are messed up or they are both right.

I have a '99 Boxster Tiptronic that I AX and one of the issues I have with the trans is it will not downshift under most hard braking and turning maneuvers leaving me coming out of the hole in second gear, which is where I generally end up running most AX's in. By the time I've built up enough speed to reach the RPM required for maximum torque and HP it's time to brake and turn again. The power band in second gear, where I am usually, seems a long stretch even on strait-aways. My question is is there a way to bring the maximum torque and HP on at a lower RPM than 6K, say 4500 RPM? I'm not looking to increase HP just have what is there available sooner.

I own a 1999 Tip that I bought a year ago with 74K mi. on it. After driving the car for six months I decided it was a keeper and that I wanted to put a lot of miles on the car. Based on available tests a ceramic IMS bearing outlasts the OEM metal bearing almost 5:1. I made a decision to invest $1,800 and change the RMS to the new silicon RMS and install the LN Engineering IMS versus a potential IMS failure that would probably result in selling the car for parts as a new motor is around $15K installed. I made my decision based on extending the life of my car and not on the fear that the IMS would fail. As has been stated in other posts a lot of the fear over IMS has been exaggerated, at times by those who stand to make a profit from fear. Think it through and decide whether or not you think the odds favor your engine, with the OEM bearing, lasting for the amount of time you plan on owning the car or you would stand a better chance of the car lasting by doing some preventative maintenance and replacing the IMS and RMS.

I've decided on two mods for my '99 Boxster this year the ROW M030 suspension and some headers. I've read here, and on other forums, about owners using headers bought on eBay and Sportech uses a pair of Chinese headers bought on eBay and really likes them. Problem is no one remembers the brand they bought and there are at least a half dozen on eBay at prices from $79-$500. They all pretty much say the same thing about what and how they are made but some have a warranty and some don't. Here's the ones I'm looking at they are -

"OBX High performance racing headers are made out of pure SUS-304 stainless steel. Dyno tested at low end and top speed to increase horsepower. Precision mandrel-bend to enhance exhaust gas flow. These two piece type headers are easy to install. Value-added bolt-on headers for any racing sport performance enthusiast.

Dyno tested and proven

Direct bolt-on without modification

T-304 stainless steel mandrel bend for ultra fast flow

CNC machine flanges with TIG and MIG welded construction

Utilizes factory 02 sensor position

Gaskets and hardware included

Lifetime warranty from manufacturer defects"

Anyone using these or another brand from eBay and what is your take on them?

It just dawned on me that I've had two different mechanics involved in trying to solve a fuel gauge issue and one replaced the sending unit but didn't fix the gauge and the other found the first mechanic didn't tie wrap the hoses to the sending unit as they are supposed to be and didn't line the sending unit up to the correct line. Unfortunately he didn't solve the gauge issue either and what he did made the gauge read even more off. The hard starting began not long after the work was done. Any relation to the sending unit and what is happening?

Plugs replaced at 74K miles currently 83K miles on car, will replace plugs at 90K service. No CEL and car runs fine after it starts, plenty of power, smooth acceleration, no smoke from exhaust and no rough idle. Car runs at normal temp, gas mileage hasn't varied. Took it out today and it started right up this morning after a couple of cranks like normal.

I installed a new Interstate battery in my '99 Boxster in March of this year and within the last two weeks have noticed that it is taking longer for the car to start. My car used to fire up in a couple of cranks and now it is taking several seconds for it to finally start. The battery does not seem low as it keeps cranking the motor until it starts without slowing down. Any thoughts on what could be happening?

That is not correct. The double row bearing IMS design in the M96 engines was not changed until 2006 (when they went to a single row bearing.) The 2009 + engines eliminate the IMS altogether.

You have the same risk of IMS failure in an 05 as you would in an 01. Especially the 05 which was Porsches worst engine build year on record

My advice would be to get an 06 (if your budget allows.) Unless you could find a good CPO car from an earlier year.

Good luck. Lots of great cars out there. Take your time and find exactly what you want. And oh yeah.... Get a warranty....

What made the '05 the worst engine?

You're doing the right thing to get another opinion but even that can be inconclusive. I took my '99 Boxster to an independent shop after driving it for a couple of weeks to get a service done. The mechanic pointed out to me that a small drop of oil was on the bottom of the motor by the trans and made it sound as though something dire was going to happen unless I replaced the RMS. The cost was $1,900 to do the job (I've got a Tiptronic involving more labor). I decided to wait and drove the car for almost a year and decided to replace the RMS and the IMS with the new LN Engineering ceramic bearing and accepted a bid from another shop to do the job. I stayed and did a video of the procedure and when the trans was removed neither the RMS or IMS has any leaks. Since the OEM RMS was the old style and the trans was off I went ahead and replaced both. Where the drop of oil came from is anybodies guess but I relay this to you to indicate that a little oil on the bottom of the motor is not always an indication of a dire problem.

Hello everyone,

I'm looking at a couple Boxsters. One is a 01 S model and the other is an 05 non-S. It seems as though the additional power output on the non-S models after 2005 closely matches the power output of the pre-05 S models. Would it be wiser to get the newer car, if the price is the same (the 05 has a few more miles)?

You'll need to research this more but my understanding is the '05 motor was changed to do away with the IMS bearing failures that could occur in earlier motors such as the '01. There was also a new RMS seal that came out and it was a much better design than the prior seal. If this is indeed true the '05 would be a safer purchase from that standpoint.

Is your Box a stick or Tiptronic? When you say you've only gotten up to 125 mph what were the circumstances? Did you try to go faster and have the room to get the car up to a higher speed? I might add that if you were on a highway that is quite dangerous and in California if you are busted for it you are arrested on the spot and your car impounded. Mike is correct in that the 2.5L is not a speed demon but the pre 2000 Boxsters were a little lighter in weight and are nimble and fast enough to keep up with more powerful cars on twisty winding roads. My '99 Tiptronic will never set an AX, drag or track record but the weight distribution does allow me to accelerate in and out of turns where faster cars have to slow down and brake to keep from losing control. When I use the Manual shift setting my car seems slow accelerating until I reach about 4500 rpm then at 6K rpm it leaps and once I hit 2nd gear on up to fifth gear the car has much better and more even acceleration but you will not reach max BHP output until you reach 6K rpm.

What did the Lotus do that your Boxster doesn't do?

And here. http://sites.google.com/site/mikefocke2/mikesporscheboxsterwebpages.