jplumlee

Up until last Friday when my car had the coolant pipes fixed, my horn always chirped when I armed the alarm. Now for some reason it has spontaneously stopped. The horn still works so it's not a fuse or something like that. I had a thought that it might be like my 03 Maxima, you could hold the FOB button down for 10 secs or something like that and it would change "modes" and only the lights would flash upon arming? Does the P!g have something like that as well?

Also, is it just me or is the FOB a POS? half the time it doesn't work until the 3rd or 4th try or it will just lock over and over when you press the button. I almost can't unlock the back doors and hatch with the FOB. The other thing it does occasionally is it'll unlock, then about 15 seconds later the alarm will go off. that's really nice. I thought it might be battery related but that ain't it :D

on the other hand... it's nice knowing that the coolant pipes aren't going to explode and leave me stranded.

Boardwalk Porsche in Dallas, Tx performed the work. I just had a better feeling about letting them do it over the "local" guy. I still plan on using him for minor things but I really wanted to be sure that this was done properly and anything else that might have gone wrong at the same time, checked out.

I purchased the "kit" from Suncoast for 529.00 plus shipping and it was absolutely complete. Luckily for me, the Dealership didn't have a problem with me providing my own parts. They were familiar with Suncoast and said it would be ok even though they lost about $600 by me not using them for parts. Yes, you read it correctly, over twice as expensive from the dealership. Labor was 1030.00 and I had them go ahead and do an Mobil 1 oil change since after the "incident" my oil looked dark and didn't smell right.

parts 529.00

labor 1030.00

Mobil 1 190.00 (next time I'll do it myself)

so right at 1750.00 out the door... which doesn't sound too bad when I KNOW it's fixed and fixed right. I was tempted to try the repair myself, but with no tools, time, or patience, I figured this was best.

Hi -- are you able to share the costs of the service here on Renntech?

Thanks for all the help and advice about how to proceed with getting my CS coolant pipes replaced.

I followed my gut and your advice and sent it to Boardwalk Porsche in Plano TX and they really did a nice Job. The tow truck showed up at 5:30am this morning and by 6 pm I was heading back home hauling *** up the Tollway. In a month of not driving her, I kinda forgot just how much fun the P!g is to drive. Jeremy Bulet over in Service really took good care of me. They let me supply my own parts (courtesy of Suncoast) which really saved some coin.

Anyway, thanks for listening to me ramble on and on about what to do. It's done now, and it's nice to have her back

John

I also posted this on Rennlist... I REALLY torn on what to do!

Ok so here's my quandary...

04 Cayenne S probable coolant pipe replacement with me providing the parts (Suncoast) I have a choice between a Porsche Dealership and a Local guy that has a "European motors" shop. I would be saving about $400 on labor by staying local but I don't know really anything about the guy other than what he's told me, he sounds like he knows what he's talking about but he's kinda slick ya know? always moving.... I figured for 4 or 5 hundred dollars it would be worth having the Dealership do the work. Am I crazy? Plus if there are bigger issues that my warranty WILL cover, I figured the dealership would be best equipped. I hate spending the extra if it's not worth it, but I think I'd sleep better knowing it was fixed by the "pro's" am I delusional about Porsche Service? BTW it's Boardwalk Porsche in Plano, Tx

well it looks like what your saying is that even after all of this warranty crap, I'm still going to get stuck with coolant pipe breakage not covered under warranty? now isn't that just great. At least if the head gasket is blown... that should be covered. BTW I can't find anything in the literature that disclaims "low pressure hoses" and the like

nope imho, pipes are fair wear and tear

that's kinda what I'm hoping too. I couldn't upgrade to the 4star and 5star because of the age of my cayenne (2004) You're right about the pipes but the Guys at Porsche told me there was a good chance of warranty covering it. I also have the "white smoke"exhaust issue.... let us all cross our finger's and pray... ooooohhhmmmmmmmmmmmmm :D

I hope, for your sake, that the coolant pipes are covered under the warranty you bought and upgraded to.

The real info about that is going to be contained in your Vehicle Service Contract.

The 3 star level you bought, according to the brochure, states that the following is covered:

Cooling

- Radiator

- Electric cooling fan motor and relay

- Fan clutch

- Fan shroud

Their top of the line 5 star covers:

Cooling

- Radiator

- Electric cooling fan motor and relay

- Fan clutch

- Fan shroud

- Radiator brackets

- Thermostat

- Fan blades

- Coolant recovery tank

Again nothing about "soft pipes" even though these things are hard plastic and not "rubber hoses" or pipes.

Please let us all know what you come up with.

Good luck!

KR

If you read my thread from a few days ago, you'd know that I've been waiting on the Extended Warranty Company to revise my contract and give me the coverage I asked for (and thought I received at purchase 2 months ago) Anyway, I finally received faxed confirmation today that my "old" policy had been upgraded to the 3 star plus and I added the "powertech and electronics" option to cover the rest of the "could happens" . It's good for 36 months/36k miles, was effective on 9-23-09, and pretty much covers everything. here is a link to the coverage.

scroll down and click "3 star"

https://www.warrantysolutions.com/b2b/publi...duct_option.jsp

I still think I have the coolant pipe problem because of the way the events transpired. I still maintain that my motor did not overheat as I pulled over almost immediately after getting the "Low coolant level" warning. As far as the "white" exhaust is concerned, after describing my problem to them today the guy at Porsche service said gasket problems are very rare on these V8's so I hope it's nothing. perhaps a leak somewhere around the intake and coolant has gotten in that way? heard of that before after a busted coolant pipe?

Id appreciate if you guys could check out this warranty and tell me what you think. I have a $100 deductable for ALL claims so I thought that was pretty good too. This big question is... will it cover the coolant pipe replacement. The coverage specifically mentions "cooling" along with seals/gaskets and just about everything else. There was one poster either here or on Rennlist that said the "coolant" stuff wasn't' usually covered by extended warranties. something about low pressure hoses not being covered, or something like that. I hope he was wrong in this case.

I have an "appointment" with a tow truck and Boardwalk Porsche in Plano, Tx. on the 4th of January I hear they do good work and I hope they'll take good care of me! anyone know someone down there in service?

thanks for any info you can pass along

regards,

John

Original thread

http://www.renntech.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=30629

that's kinda what I'm hoping too. I couldn't upgrade to the 4star and 5star because of the age of my cayenne (2004) You're right about the pipes but the Guys at Porsche told me there was a good chance of warranty covering it. I also have the "white smoke"exhaust issue.... let us all cross our finger's and pray... ooooohhhmmmmmmmmmmmmm :D

I hope, for your sake, that the coolant pipes are covered under the warranty you bought and upgraded to.

The real info about that is going to be contained in your Vehicle Service Contract.

The 3 star level you bought, according to the brochure, states that the following is covered:

Cooling

- Radiator

- Electric cooling fan motor and relay

- Fan clutch

- Fan shroud

Their top of the line 5 star covers:

Cooling

- Radiator

- Electric cooling fan motor and relay

- Fan clutch

- Fan shroud

- Radiator brackets

- Thermostat

- Fan blades

- Coolant recovery tank

Again nothing about "soft pipes" even though these things are hard plastic and not "rubber hoses" or pipes.

Please let us all know what you come up with.

Good luck!

KR

If you read my thread from a few days ago, you'd know that I've been waiting on the Extended Warranty Company to revise my contract and give me the coverage I asked for (and thought I received at purchase 2 months ago) Anyway, I finally received faxed confirmation today that my "old" policy had been upgraded to the 3 star plus and I added the "powertech and electronics" option to cover the rest of the "could happens" . It's good for 36 months/36k miles, was effective on 9-23-09, and pretty much covers everything. here is a link to the coverage.

scroll down and click "3 star"

https://www.warrantysolutions.com/b2b/publi...duct_option.jsp

I still think I have the coolant pipe problem because of the way the events transpired. I still maintain that my motor did not overheat as I pulled over almost immediately after getting the "Low coolant level" warning. As far as the "white" exhaust is concerned, after describing my problem to them today the guy at Porsche service said gasket problems are very rare on these V8's so I hope it's nothing. perhaps a leak somewhere around the intake and coolant has gotten in that way? heard of that before after a busted coolant pipe?

Id appreciate if you guys could check out this warranty and tell me what you think. I have a $100 deductable for ALL claims so I thought that was pretty good too. This big question is... will it cover the coolant pipe replacement. The coverage specifically mentions "cooling" along with seals/gaskets and just about everything else. There was one poster either here or on Rennlist that said the "coolant" stuff wasn't' usually covered by extended warranties. something about low pressure hoses not being covered, or something like that. I hope he was wrong in this case.

I have an "appointment" with a tow truck and Boardwalk Porsche in Plano, Tx. on the 4th of January I hear they do good work and I hope they'll take good care of me! anyone know someone down there in service?

thanks for any info you can pass along

regards,

John

Original thread

http://www.renntech.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=30629

If you read my thread from a few days ago, you'd know that I've been waiting on the Extended Warranty Company to revise my contract and give me the coverage I asked for (and thought I received at purchase 2 months ago) Anyway, I finally received faxed confirmation today that my "old" policy had been upgraded to the 3 star plus and I added the "powertech and electronics" option to cover the rest of the "could happens" . It's good for 36 months/36k miles, was effective on 9-23-09, and pretty much covers everything. here is a link to the coverage.

scroll down and click "3 star"

https://www.warrantysolutions.com/b2b/publi...duct_option.jsp

I still think I have the coolant pipe problem because of the way the events transpired. I still maintain that my motor did not overheat as I pulled over almost immediately after getting the "Low coolant level" warning. As far as the "white" exhaust is concerned, after describing my problem to them today the guy at Porsche service said gasket problems are very rare on these V8's so I hope it's nothing. perhaps a leak somewhere around the intake and coolant has gotten in that way? heard of that before after a busted coolant pipe?

Id appreciate if you guys could check out this warranty and tell me what you think. I have a $100 deductable for ALL claims so I thought that was pretty good too. This big question is... will it cover the coolant pipe replacement. The coverage specifically mentions "cooling" along with seals/gaskets and just about everything else. There was one poster either here or on Rennlist that said the "coolant" stuff wasn't' usually covered by extended warranties. something about low pressure hoses not being covered, or something like that. I hope he was wrong in this case.

I have an "appointment" with a tow truck and Boardwalk Porsche in Plano, Tx. on the 4th of January I hear they do good work and I hope they'll take good care of me! anyone know someone down there in service?

thanks for any info you can pass along

regards,

John

Original thread

http://www.renntech.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=30629

OK, so here's a link to the thread I started a couple of days ago about what I "think" is the coolant pipe issue. I pulled over almost immediately after the warning light came on and got towed home:

http://www.renntech.org/forums/index.php?s...pid=162343&

I'm still waiting to find out what the dealer and warranty co. are going to do since I have them on record basically admitting they sold me the wrong warranty AFTER I requested specific coverage. so anyway after doing some reading and with the engine cold (sitting all night) I filled up the bone dry coolant reservoir and started the car for two reasons... 1. to just hear it run again so I would know that the motor still worked. and 2. to see if the coolant would start pouring out of the bottom of the engine.

Well two things happened. The car started up beautifully and sounded normal and after maybe 20 seconds or so, saw the drip drip drip underneath the car. While this was going on I noticed something that really scared me. WHITE SMOKE coming out of the exhaust pipes. yikes! It wasn't bluish and was much thicker than white misty type of exhaust that was coming from my truck(cold day) Of course the oil and engine temp were at the bottom of the gauge. When I turned the motor off I listened carefully and could hear a drip drip drip coming from right in the middle of the engine

So here's my question(s) What in the world would cause the white smoke to come from the exhaust? My first guess, based on descriptions from other users/cars/ and situations would be a blown head gasket but the engine wasn't driven after the warning light came on so I don't think it overheated. Please tell me it's a by product/related to the coolant pipe problem and my engine is probably fine!!!!!!!!! Seems like this big v8 would be a little more robust than to meltdown like that. A gear head buddy of mine suggested using some kind of Litmus test in the radiator to see if there's some bad stuff in there that might indicate a gasket problem but I can't figure out how to get to it. any directions from the learned ones?

I'm sure someone here has an idea from first hand experience or something they've seen or read. I should find out tomorrow what the warranty company is going to do. I had already found the parts list and was prepared to do TSB 1691 coolant pipe replacement if I found out I was stuck. But, this white smoke, if it ends up being a head gasket is WAAAAY beyond me. I can only imagine how much that would be to fix. any ideas as to cost or possible reasons?

sorry for the rambling but I"M FREAKING OUT HERE!!!!!!!

Well hopefully this will have a happy(non-expensive) ending. I spoke with the small auto group that sold me my cayenne and told him about the problem i had. I them proceeded to explain to him my disappointment with the 'warranty" I was sold along with the car. During the buying process I made it VERY clear to the F&I guy that whatever warranty I bought must be thorough and cover the "most likely" problems that occur with the year and model. A quick glance at the TSB's would have quickly directed them to the appropriate coverage required. So after explaining to him my concerns... like the fact that I've made 1 payment and put less than 2400 miles since purchase, and the FIRST problem I have is not only expensive but EXTREMELY common and not covered with the warranty I was sold. He then told me that at purchase time in HIS conversations with the warranty underwriter he made it clear to them that it had to cover likely problems. He seemed genuinely concerned and a little pissed that "his guy" did not get the right warranty contract for the car. so now I wait..... BUT it does seem like they know a "mistake' was made and are going to try and work with me. Now the question of course is what are they willing to do about it. My suggestion was for me to pay the difference and "upgrade" my warranty to the 3 star plus which covers just about everything that might go wrong with the car

wish me luck

Check suncoast they have the aluminum tubes for $530.00 hope that helps. http://www.e-partssales.com/miva/merchant...._Code=955ttmain

btw just went out and looked at the coolant level. It looks like it all leaked out. bone dry. can't see anything inside the reservoir. since I pulled over and shut off the car pretty fast ( just a couple of minutes after warning light) please tell me that my engine is probably fine.... and i just need to replace the cracked coolant pipes ( assuming that's what it is) Does anyone have some suggestions on isolating the problem? i guess in the am I'll fill it up the coolant, start the car and see if I can tell where the leak is coming from. any problems doing that? other suggestions?

It's an 04 Cayenne S with 61k miles. I was just talking on the phone with the guy because of things I have read over and over here. I wish I could say that I messed with the cap to check the level but I hadn't touched it. the Temp never went above the 1/2 mark and the time between the warning and pulling over was no more than a couple of minutes and a mile or two at most. the tempeture had just started to rise by the time I reached somewhere to pull over. the smoke billowing looked like what's been described when there's a crack in the infamous "coolant pipes" I hope no damage was done to the engine as it starts up and "sounds" normal but I turned it off immediately

First thing I'd do is take a deep breath. CHECK COOLANT LEVEL simply means that the expansion tank level is below threshold. If the water temp didn't go critical, then the engine didn't overheat and you're fine. Things'll just smell like maple syrup for a spell. :) I'm no expert on Cayennes, but I'm no stranger to coolant leaks so here goes.

Tell us what model Cayenne you drive, and where in the engine compartment the steam and coolant are coming from. I have a hunch that while you were thinking about being proactive with your cooling system, you may have opened the expansion tank cap to have a look at some point. Am I right? If the steam and fluid billowing out of your car came from the tank then it's very possible that either the cap is bad or its seal isn't seated properly. The caps are prone to fail, and you'd be amazed at what a terrible show they can make when they do.

I'd fill your expansion tank back to the specified level if it isn't. Check the cap you have: examine the black ring seal for damage and the threads for debris, then seat it properly and let the car run until it warms up to operating coolant temperature. Keep the engine compartment open and go have a look. Is there steam rising from the cap? Condensation? Is coolant pouring from anywhere near the top? All of these are probable signs that either the cap or expansion tank are bad. If there's nothing amiss then re-seating the cap has solved your problem. If not, start with a new cap, then new expansion tank. Both are relatively cheap.

If coolant is coming from elsewhere it could be your water pump, or the coolant pipes that others here have had issues with. If money is an issue it makes plenty of sense to do it yourself; the worst you'll need are a few tools and some patience. Give a yell here and someone near you might pitch in for a beer or two.

Mark

It's an 04 Cayenne S with 61k miles. I was just talking on the phone with the guy because of things I have read over and over here. I wish I could say that I messed with the cap to check the level but I hadn't touched it. the Temp never went above the 1/2 mark and the time between the warning and pulling over was no more than a couple of minutes and a mile or two at most. the tempeture had just started to rise by the time I reached somewhere to pull over. the smoke billowing looked like what's been described when there's a crack in the infamous "coolant pipes" I hope no damage was done to the engine as it starts up and "sounds" normal but I turned it off immediately

First thing I'd do is take a deep breath. CHECK COOLANT LEVEL simply means that the expansion tank level is below threshold. If the water temp didn't go critical, then the engine didn't overheat and you're fine. Things'll just smell like maple syrup for a spell. :) I'm no expert on Cayennes, but I'm no stranger to coolant leaks so here goes.

Tell us what model Cayenne you drive, and where in the engine compartment the steam and coolant are coming from. I have a hunch that while you were thinking about being proactive with your cooling system, you may have opened the expansion tank cap to have a look at some point. Am I right? If the steam and fluid billowing out of your car came from the tank then it's very possible that either the cap is bad or its seal isn't seated properly. The caps are prone to fail, and you'd be amazed at what a terrible show they can make when they do.

I'd fill your expansion tank back to the specified level if it isn't. Check the cap you have: examine the black ring seal for damage and the threads for debris, then seat it properly and let the car run until it warms up to operating coolant temperature. Keep the engine compartment open and go have a look. Is there steam rising from the cap? Condensation? Is coolant pouring from anywhere near the top? All of these are probable signs that either the cap or expansion tank are bad. If there's nothing amiss then re-seating the cap has solved your problem. If not, start with a new cap, then new expansion tank. Both are relatively cheap.

If coolant is coming from elsewhere it could be your water pump, or the coolant pipes that others here have had issues with. If money is an issue it makes plenty of sense to do it yourself; the worst you'll need are a few tools and some patience. Give a yell here and someone near you might pitch in for a beer or two.

Mark

So I'm talking to a local Porsche mechanic this afternoon discussing the merits of being proactive with the replacement of the coolant pipes. We decided to get back together tomorrow and see what kind of money I'd be looking at and whether or not my "extended" warranty would cover them should they fail. So tonight I decide to drive about 45 minutes away to take a fuel pump to a friend of mine who's old Toyota van needs replaced and has left him stranded. So I'm cruising at highway speed, just humming along, when all of a sudden WHAMMO! I get a "CHECK COOLENT LEVEL" warning. I immediately pull over and of course I smell coolant and see vapor/smoke billowing out of the car. The engine temp has always stayed around 180 or so never got past 1/2 way which is around 200 degrees. I called for a tow and luckily my extended warranty covered the tow about 30 miles back to the house. So.... now here I am.

I really don't think my POS extended warranty will cover it since "cooling" is not part of the 3 star coverage. naturally if they had sold me the 3 star plus... the cooling system would have been covered. So this is what I need help deciding. I really don't have the extra cash to pay for someone else to do the repair (unless it's too big a job to DIY) should I even contemplate doing it myself? I know there are some "how to's" on this forum but I'm not sure how comfortable I am going that route. What kind of cost could I expect from a dealership even if I get a "good deal"? what about an independent guy? I guess the other question is If the independent guy will do the work, where can I get ALL THE PARTS I NEED (for the best price I can find) and then pay them for the labor? does anyone have a "parts list" for this repair?

Please help!!!! I really love this car and I knew after reading the forum for a while, that this repair was probably inevitable. I guess I'm glad that it happened close to home. I was somewhat reluctant to take it on a "long" trip until I was able to fix this problem.

is there anything else I should replace while we're in there since it just rolled 61k... coils?

any help or direction is very very much appreciated.... BTW I'm just north of Dallas so if anyone can steer me to a good independent guy or dealership that would be great. I only know of Boardwalk and Park Place Porsche and I imagine they would be pretty expensive.

so know one knows anything about this? I can't be the only one that's contemplated replacing the archaic cdr23 with the Bose amp/speakers..... please help!!!!!

Here are a couple of questions that I hope someone can help me answer. I HAVE searched these and other forums but haven't really found anything definitive and nothing was very current. Almost every post was a few years old.

I have an 04 Cayenne S with the CDR23 Head unit without a CD changer (made by Becker i believe) Anyway, I know that it's difficult/expensive to get an iPod(or any external audio source) hooked up to these for the various reasons mentioned in other threads which leads me to the following questions:

1. Has anyone found an easy way to hook up an iPod/iPhone to the unit (audio only would be fine using the ipod display for info) I would just like to avoid using the FM thing. Ive seen the Denison stuff among others but what I've seen was rather expensive.

2. If I wanted to replace the unit completely with something more "up to date" what kind of options do I have? I have heard mention of something called "MOST" not sure what it is, if I have it, or how can I tell. evidently it is important when considering replacing/hooking up aftermarket radios and such. I know the HU communicates somehow with the display in the instrument cluster (station info and such) Will any aftermarket HU interface with that? can that functionality be left "un-hooked" and just use the BOSE speakers and amp with another HU like an Alpine or Elcipse? (any recommendations with or without NAV or DVD)

3. If I was able to find a Porsche PCM on the secondary market, how difficult is it to install? is there a lot of wiring required or are most Cayenne's wired for it even if it's not an installed option? I have seen them for sale on ebay among other places but didn't know what I would be getting myself into.

thanks in advance, I really hope someone can help or give me some direction...

regards,

John

So how should I describe the vibration problem to them(service)? is it common enough that they will say "Oh yes... we know what that is" Or am I going to have to convince them there's a problem before they'll take me and my issue seriously. I will probably take it to Park Place Porsche or Boardwalk Porsche here in Dallas. Or is there another place someone from DFW could recommend? I'm actually up in Sherman, about 45 min north of Plano. thanks!

Tires (#1 cause), Cardan/drive shaft, front trailing arms.

Since you have a warranty - use it.

ok... So when I read the relevant threads all I see is a lot of complaining about the vibrations, but not much in the way of actual resolution. Has Porsche ever owned up to a design or part problem? Has anyone actually figured out for SURE what is to blame? Everything I've read about the "vibration" is mostly speculation with a few lucky ones that fixed it with tire/rim/balance. What about the ones where the problem remains? Is this Cardan shaft (whatever that is) to blame?

I do have an extended warranty with my 04 CS and wouldn't hesitate to use it if Porsche had a fix for it. Same goes for the squeaking dash or rattling ac vent thingamajigs.

Still looking for some guidance! thanks in advance

John

Owners Suffering from the Cayenne Vibration DEFECT

Cayenne Vibration (Very Long)

Shaft vibration?

Vibration at speed

2004 Cayenne S Center Console Noises

Center dash vent airflow issue?

hello,

As I eluded to in my first post, I did find a few things about the flap/servo noise, but nothing definitive. And I didn't really find anything at all about the vibrating that occurs at higher speeds (above 70mph or so)

sorry for asking questions that may have been addressed before. However I did search before I posted but not much came up.

thanks I'll try again.

Folks - please do a SEARCH of the Cayenne section here -- these have all been covered in detail.

all 3 issues? wouldn't that be a coincidence...if not which ones? I absolutely love the car but id sure like to figure these things out.

Hi John,

I too recently picked up an 04 CS, with similar mileage, and have identical issues.

I can't help you..but hopefully we can get some attention on this forum

Hey folks,

I have been a nut for Porsche since I was old enough to know what a car was, and realize there was a difference between them . I wanted a 911 but it's just not practical with two kids in cars seats. so....

I recently picked up a really clean 2004 Cayenne S with 55k. The car is fantastic and I'm totally blown away with the performance but I have a couple of minor issues I was hoping to get some info/opinion on.

1. There seems to be some kind of knocking in the center console. Sounds like AC flaps/servos/ motors opening or closing. If I change the airflow from top to bottom or some variation it will go away for a while. I really notice it when I turn the car on before the ac kicks in. I think I read something in a thread about flap servo's or something like that. Any ideas how to diagnose or fix the problem?

2. There is a rattle/squeak somewhere in the dash. It sound like it's coming from somewhere in the middle up towards the windshield. I notice it sometimes more than others. if I push on the dash (toward the front of the car) it seems to go away for a while or lighten up a bit. Any known issues with these? Can I fix it myself? will a dealer fix it without charging a ton of money(yeah right lol) any ideas?

3. Finally.... The car rides like its on rails up to about 70 mph or so. Then I start to notice a little vibration that I really feel in the drivers seat (but not in the steering wheel) and if I look at the empty passenger seat it looks like it's vibrating (very easy to see) The tires have quite a bit of good life left but I think that's the problem. Perhaps they have worn a bit uneven? out of balance a bit? Although up to about 65-70mph it's like glass so I'm not sure what to check

I love this car and would love to figure out these minor issues. any help or suggestions are MUCH APPRECIATED!

regards,

John