Alfieboy

I am looking for a couple of part numbers, after replacing the cabin filter (also known as the pollen filter). First, the battery cover is (has been since I owned the car) missing the plastic screw that holds it in place on one side - what is that plastic screw called / what is the part number? I'd like to replace this more for completeness sake than anything. It is black plastic and pushes into place, allowing you to turn it and secure the plastic battery cover. Second, the screw holding the plastic cover in place that resides over the filter was broken and just span around when I turned it. I eased it out and it revealed that it wasn't attached to the car's body/structure, but rather it was connected to a hard plastic or rubber fitting with a thread in it - not sure why, as the equivalent screw on the driver side seems to screw into more secure housing. Anyhow, I can't see why or what it should fit into - can anyone assist with helping me understand if this part was broken by a previous owner, or if there is a way to make good a proper replacement? Regards, Alf

Let me know if programming a new key into one of your remaining key slots works - if it does, I may just use that as the reason for parting with money for a second key. Logically, I struggle to see how it will help, but then I've seen logic defied in the servicing and upkeep of these puppies before.

Nobody, anybody? Failing anyone on here having a fix or suggestion, I'll pop it into the dealer in the next couple of months when I put on the winter tires, as I don't want it packed away all winter under the hardtop without repair - we all know how that story is going to end next spring!

It'll be down to the sensitivity of how the hard top is sitting on the car. It's a royal pain in the *** to get it right, as it's a heavy beast and not easy to know if you've adjusted it in any meaningful way at all until it's back in place. Then, you tighten it up and..."Oh, look at that now, oh well let's start again". It's a lesson in being pragmatic. I have a few years experience with it and it's more luck than judgement and never falls into place first time. You can get the dealer to fit it, then the adjusting is their headache, but who wants to pay them for something like that? Sometimes when I put it on first time I get all sorts of electrical craziness, just doesn't seem to be a great design (or maybe, given that there is some adjustability it really is a great design, who knows). As for the gap at the back, it's normal that there's an overlap and you'll get used to it. You should be able to get your fingers under it, even when fully tightened down, and you'll be able to feel the compressed rubber seal against your regular bodywork. That's the closest it's going to get in terms of being flush. I used to worry about it, thinking the cold NY winters will come breezing in as it doesn't seem to be snug, but that heavy rubber seal is doing its job of protecting the bodywork the hard top is fitting to and keeping out mother nature.

Quick answer is that it isn't the hardtop blocking the signal, at least I believe not. One would have to assume that the alarm system is the same for hard top and cab, at least in terms of the ability for it to operate within line of sight. If you stand in front of the car and point at the windshield and it doesn't work, it's not the alarm system. I did the same thing, in that I bought a hard top for 996 2003 C4 cab. Depending on how you fit it, all sorts of shennanigans can occur. Heated rear window never works, alarm can give you probs, windows randomly seem to close then open down one third, etc. Re-adjusting it seems to help, but god forbid you align it all and test it without the engine running or you'll end up with a dead battery. Usually, it takes me 5 mins to get the top on, then about an hour of jiggery pokery and adjusting to get it to the point where the least amount of idiosynchroncies are evident. I put it down to it not being the original hard top (I got mine off of eBay and had it resprayed), but definitely I get a whole bunch of electrical oddities occur and yours is one symptom I have seen that seems to go away if I adjust the hard top. Seems illogical, but it works for me. Just gotta be careful lifting it out slightly and dropping it back down again and re-tightening.

The fact it is a Twin Turbo is the only reason it's a bargain, even then the mileage is high for a dealer hence their offer to your buddy is on the low side. I am looking at 2007 or 2008 997's right now and I am getting dealer offers in the region of $22-23k for my 2003 C4 manual Cabriolet with 55k miles. Dealers like to turn a healthy profit and there's a risk for them in owning a 7, nearly 8 yrs old high mileage Porsche, the same as the rest of us. Remember, they can't cert pre-own it any longer and the number of owners is at least 2 and likely more the way TT's changes hands as they are often first leased. If you can vouch for the last 50% of the miles, I'd jump in and get yourself a bargain at dealer prices and be thankful you know the guy.

Still doing it, it's quite funny. I just reach around behind me and ease it down and it works fine. Can someone help me understand what this 'flap' is called. Also, anyone have experience of this part misbehaving/failing.

Mine's the same, cane it and it drinks the oil, drive it modestly and it needs a liter every 2,000 miles.

I have a thread without replies in the 996 DIY section. I seem to get one step further than you, check out what I wrote down and see if it might be of the same issue (i.e. manipulating 'flaps' engages the motor and cab top works, but without manipulating them into position, motor won't engage). Took me a while to diagnose it, I did the whole hydraulic fluid replacement, which was an easy 15 mins job by the way.

Whilst I agree that the standard $295-$350 dealer oil change is robbery, mine does detail the car while I am there, check anything that might need doing from Porsche, etc. Remember that they have to occupy prime real estate, don't sell many cars compared to BMW dealers, etc. You're paying for the exclusivity to a large extent. And, of course, half of those driving Porsches have money to burn and even have the car picked up for an oil change. It's all relative and when the cars retail at $100k give or take, this is the way it goes. The exclusivity is a good part of the pleasure, whether you driving purists want to admit it or not :-) After all that sympathy, ironically I have mine done at an Indy now for half the cost - but that's about the dealer being clueless about something mechanically that the Indy fixed right first time. So, they lost my business rather than offended me with charges. And, the Indy's three times the drive with no loaner (but the route there is a scenic drive, which never offends). Couple that with the fact that the Indy has more pre 996 vehicles in for repair and restoration and I've been smitten ever since. It's more fun to go there and see the 914s, etc. being checked out prior to track day than it is to go to the dealership and paw over the brand new vehicles.

Ha! Nice to feel like the dealer recommended different batteries than explaining that which you just did. $500 a pop including installation.

They are really heavy on battery, it's true. I am on my third battery type (all dealer installed) and I still get back from a 2-week business trip to a car that I have to unlock manually as the remote can't activate due to low battery. One can hardly use a battery tender at the airport car park. Is it unique to 996's?

I just did the hydraulic fluid from the DIY walk through here, if you have any questions I'll be happy to help.

I have similar issue, but my radio came back but the CD no longer plays (it's single CD, I don't have a CD changer model). The unit recognizes the CD, number of tracks, time of each shows on the display correctly, but no sound. Wierd. Any ideas? Anyone else ever experienced this?

I have a 2003 C4 996 Cabriolet. I have been having trouble with my cab top in the past month or so. The cab top retracts just fine, but takes several tried (often hours apart) to get it to go back into the closed position. I followed the incredibly helpful DIY walk-through on how to top-up the cab motor's hydraulic fuel (took about 30 mins, I'm very careful and a novice), but that didn't fix the issue - it was a tad above minimum before I filled it. Further self-checking has identified the issue. There are 2 motorized 'flaps' with same material as the cab top on one side of them (i'll call them flaps for now, in lieu of learing their official name), one either side that that go into a vertical postiion with the cabriolet top housing when the cab top is closed and come up from the housing, rotate and become horizontal to close up the gap between the interior and exterior of the car when the cabriolet top is open/retracted. The problem comes when I got to close the cabriolet top, the driver side 'flap' does not fully rotate back from it's retracted horizontal position to being in a vertical position so that it can assume it's stored position in the cabriolet housing when closed (cab top up). By gently manipulating this 'flap' back into the same position as on the passenger side, the cab top motor engages and the full close mechamism works perfectly (note the owners manual says do not attempt such things, as it's dangerous to stick your fingers in the working mechanism, but as this was on the peripherary, I took the personal choice to do so. You should consider your own risks when doing such a thing, as the cab top sprung into action as soon as the flap was in its correct position). I had my wife in the car operating the close switch, so I was able to do this. So, here's my questions: 1. What is the flap called? 2. It looks like the rubber elements of this flap are in poor condition, and that they are obstructing the ability to rotate into their desired position and thus stopping the mechamism. How big a headache are they to fix/replace and is a DIY or dealership task? P.S. Loren/Others If you want me to update the DIY Cab Top Hydraulic Fluid Replacement/Top-up with some comments for the novice, I would be more than happy to do so - as there's a few blanks that need to be filled in.

C4's are fine in the winter, with all-weather tires. I drive mine year-round and we got whacked for snow fall in Northern NJ last year. Handling is exceptional, just dont be tempted to push through the snow the plows leave at the entrance to your driveway as you don't have the clearance. -2F was the coldest morning I had last year, according to the instrument dial, when we drove upstate NY. Started fine, need 5 mins running time, idle or otherwise, to get benefit of heating in that cold, but the car performed as it always does - solid engine, great handling. It's the crappy, niggly things that go wrong for me, like turning signal stems breaking, cab top hydraulics, not the major stuff. Putting hydraulic oil in my cab top this weekend, as an example. Rear view mirror works well though, I see plenty of BMWs and Merc's in it :-)

Power Tech in Rockaway as well.

Cheers for the tip. Wondering if that would cause the heavy drop at the end. At my wit's end with how much has gone wrong with this car in the past 12 months - clutch, dented front wheel, turn signal arm, cd player died, plugs and coils, battery, ignition issues......... luckily it's still a beast engine-wise.

I go to Power-tech in Rockaway, NJ, they are cheaper on most things and also let you know what is necessary versus superfluous. I prefer them over the dealers, and he number of porsches there (911s, 914s, 933, etc.) each time you go doesn't lie.

My car is a 2003 996 c4 cab. The top is rectracting fine, but as it drops back into its housing it has started making a loud thud, as if it is dropping the last couple of inches. It's loud, never happened before and does it every time. I've stopped taking it out with the top down, as I am obviously worried about this new condition. It's also started squeaking heavily in its motion since, whereas previously it was smooth with a nice, tight, final snap into place when the top was put back up on the car. Any ideas? Currently evertyhing is opening and closing fine, but the sqeauking and drop into the housing is definitely not anything I've seen on this or my other previous cab. Aologies if this has been covered before, I tried searching, maybe my non-mechanic description is poor.... Thanks in advance, Alf

What's the difference, if any, between the HID and by Bi-Xenon's - or is this what the HID conversion achieves?

Was it both sides, or mostly behind the front passenger seat?

The other thing to consider is that this is a technical forum, where people with problems are typically look for information. There are plenty of worry-free 911's out there, those folks are busy driving them :)

I would have it checked over by a certified porsche mechanic first, it'll be the best money you ever spent if it turns out to be a bad one. Bottom line is that these cars are amazing, they make you drive them and in return for that privilege you have to expect fairly hefty service and repair bills from time to time (just an oil change at the local porsche dealership is $295). Think of it like you would when choosing a wife, it's gonna cost you but what is it going to bring into your life that will make it worth it. Yes, there would be some performance upgrade from the Nissan, not least of all to top-end speed, and you at least have the notion of rear seats in the 911, albeit they're only useful for smaller folks and kids.

Those faults show that the idle range is sensing too much air. P1128 Oxygen Sensing Adaptation, Idle Range, Bank 1 - Below Limit P1130 Oxygen Sensing Adaptation, Idle Range, Bank 2 - Below Limit Possible fault causes: - Incorrect signal from MAF sensor - Fuel pressure too high - Fuel injector leaking - EVAP canister purge valve open