rogerjohnsen

I think you can get a set from ebay for around $40... Check out the link below:

http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p5197.m570.l1311&_nkw=porsche+center+caps&_sacat=See-All-Categories

Hi Jim S

It would be interesting to hear the data points and why you think the price is too high to start with.

Should be able to jack the car up, grab the wheel on either end and check for play. Could also be the balance is off on the wheel itself. That's where I've seen vibration and noise in the past.

Yes - the lights are definitely supposed to come on when the light switch is turned clockwise. Pulling the switch should activate the fog lights (or whatever they're called) so don't mess with the stalk as a first resort - replace the switch.

Welcome! Please post some pictures!!! :)

I've never done it but apparently it's possible to upgrade your existing engine with an aftermarket kit. Seems like this would be a potential option for you...

Make that knowledgeable people... :P

I've seen a similar post about this and the switch being bad that the clutch engages allowing the car to start. Someone probably has more specifics or you can try a search to locate the previous thread. Definitely wasn't the starter in that case and circumstances were similar to what you described.

Be wary of Autozone - they mean well but all my past advice from them has equated to purchases for parts that don't fix the problem. There's a lot of knowledge purple on this board and they'll get you on the right track.

Yeah - I have to say the "stickiness" factor has me driving faster than my normal fast too! :)

Thanks for sharing the PSI information. Good to know and will change mine to be in spec.

I had this problem a while back and used lime away to remove the water spots. (I believe C.L.R. will work equally as well.) I just sprayed it on and was able to effortlessly wipe the spots off with a sponge without damaging the paint. I had just about thrown in the towel (pun intended) as no amount of washing / waxing ever removed the spots.

Clear oily fluid - doesn't sound like that would have anything to do with the cooling system. Based on the placement I wonder if you're talking about brake fluid? It would be nice to know the source of the leak to know for sure. Your brake fluid is under the hood on the driver's side. How is the brake fluid level?

Except for the tires / wheels (and stereo) the car is all stock so the car isn't lowered. I think it just looks lower since the 19" rims give it more wheel. As for the convertible top up / down - definitely both but more top down - probably like 70% of the driving. Haven't noticed any difference between havnig the top in either position though. I checked the tires and they're running at 35.5PSI all the way around.

The other thing I was thinking about when you say your ride has improved with more driving is something along the lines of initial break in. While I don't recall hearing about it for car tires; I've owned a number of sport bikes and know when I get new tires they always warn me that the initial break-in will be slippery or that traction won't be as good. It's almost like the initial layer of the tire needs to be worn off before it gets grip. That might explain why it's gotten better over time. The other thought I had is temperature potentially being a factor.

Here's a picture of the new wheels / tires... :jump:

I just got a new 19" tire / wheel package with Hankook Ventus V12 EVO's installed and so far am absolutely loving these tires. (Although I wish I had gotten your price - mine we're just shy of $1,000 for front and rear) Overall the ride is drastically improved over the stock 18" hollow spoke turbo twists running Pirelli P-Zero tires. I've had them on for a week now and have put a couple of hundred miles on them on highway, around town and twisty back roads. No complaints - in fact, the ride is so much better than my stock tires that I'm in a bit of a shock. Grip is outstanding - I've found myself taking corners I had done many times in the past at higher speeds with the car feeling much more stable and precise. Assuming you had these installed on your stock wheels, I'm assuming they're 18" so that would mean the tire's aspect ratio is larger so perhaps the sidewall stiffness is where the floaty feeling is coming from. The 19" wheels have a smaller aspect ratio; which might explain why I don't notice this. What PSI are you running? Are all tires the same? Also, curious to know what the tire dimensions are. Mine are 235-35-19 (front) and 295-30-19 (rear).

I have a MY '03 that had a CDR-23 (MOST) replaced with an aftermarket stereo so am pretty sure our setups would be identical. There was no wire that had to be grounded in this configuration so getting the alarm code as Loren suggested would be essential. Are you sure the center console is latched / closed? That seems to be my most common cause for the beep when setting the alarm... :/

Exactly the same problem(s) I was having when my ignition switch went bad.

It could be your ignition switch is going bad. My Boxster S started acting up where the lights would turn on but were very dim and the heating / cooling blower didn't work. I was able to turn the ignition key slightly to the left and everything would magically start working. Had the ignition switch replaced and that fixed the problem.

Very nice!!! :clapping:

You could start by using the passenger side speaker to isolate the speaker aspect assuming it works correctly. If the problem persists, next would be the wiring, amp, etc.

Seriously? My '03 Boxster has been rock solid - only one minor issue (light switch) in the 85K+ miles I've put on it - many of them harder / faster than most. My Honda and Toyota on the other had - several more issues before the first 50K.

Kudos to the folks who helped out on the frustrated post!!!

That's pretty amazing and it looks like the engine fits neatly in the engine compartment. I love to see people doing these mods and am curious what prompted you to take on (what seems to me) a huge project. Please post updates as you progress!!

Definitely cheap insurance to get it replaced... Thanks for sharing the cost info & hope everything goes well.

Sorry to hear the IMS rearing its head again. I think I've gotten over my paranoia about it happening and still wish I had more data points to correlate. I've seen others who go with the retrofit as well and wonder if you don't mind me asking, "how much does the retrofit cost?" Just curious in general what it runs vs. getting a new engine, etc. Another thing I've been keeping in mind is an engine conversion such as the one from this company: http://www.renegadehybrids.com/. I was going to look into this further so I at least have some baseline information on costs. Until then, I'll continue driving the heck out of it and having fun!!!

Pictures of:

1.) The footwell sub enclosure in my Boxster

2.) Rear Bose bassbox in Boxster

3.) Sub enclosure in my turbo cabriolet

The footwell in the Boxster takes some room from the passenger's leg room but since I rarely have anyone except my son or wife in the car, it's not a big deal. If I had it to do over, I'd probably go with a shallow mount sub in this area (like the one I had fitted into the turbo's bassbox) to save room. I've also seen a footwell enclosure for the Boxster that fits on the side like the 911 turbo cabriolet. That would probably be the best in terms of overall leg room for the passenger.

Ultimately I'd ping ALBERTQ17 to see what he's got. I saw in the post I referenced above somebody was asking about rear speakers added to the custom bassbox he did. Assuming you could get it all together, I'd go that route so you don't have the lost leg room. Even though I upgraded my Bose bassbox in the rear, I still like the thump a 10" subwoofer can hit with; which is why I have both in my car.

Hope this helps... :)

I'll take some pictures of the footwell sub and post them - it's hard to see because it's black to match the interior.

What kind of stereo / amp do you have in your car? You're likely going to have to add an amp to your setup - at a minimum for the sub.