HenryV

It appears that the CDR23 has maintained the same pinout arrangement as the CDR-220/HK TP units. Refer to the A, B, and C connectors, check page 4 on the HK Traffic Pro guide. I assume that connector A and B are unchanged. Connector C may be different as the CDR23 uses the MOST optical bus, to which on Porsche components connect. Not to confuse you, but the C-connector is often three connectors in one, but they may have different colors. When you mention the smaller yellow plug, it sounds as if you refer to the C1 connector, which in your case would be the wiring into the amp. A and B connectors are similar, single units. Brown and black in earlier models. When you mention the large plug, I assume that you refer to connector A which connects to car input signals. Connector B is most likely unused - these are the loudspeaker outputs, but in the hifi option they are connected to the amplifier. The fiber optics and antenna plug are self-explanatory. See the pics below. Top is CDR-23, bottom is HK Traffic Pro

You mean original 996 rear wheels? Or aftermarket? Check the offset on the 18x10 wheels. Most rear wheels that are fitted for the 996 need about 14-25mm spacers to make them fit the boxster. I believe about 20mm should make it work on most Porsche OEM 996 18x10s. There is a little bit of play with camber/toe on the outside and you can get an add-on to pull the brakeline inwards, away from the rim to maximize the space. (Front wheels 986/996 have similar fit - they should simply bolt on)

Check your coolant level - if it is low(ered) you know the problem. Dealer will trace out the cause. Probably warranted.

Power down the radio, wait until the unit is cooled off, then turn it on again. Try different CD's - some are warped or have different coating (or color). Also, working the angle (of how you insert the CD) may affect it going in or not. Push lightly and keep it as horizontal as possible. If you can get it to accept any of the CD's you may be fine. You could try a CD-cleaner on the ones that do not work. You should have the original code. If not, check with the dealer. If this is the original unit the dealer can match the unit-ID number against the vehicle-ID number and obtain the code for you. The code is 4 digits.

You can take out the fuse. I believe that if you hit the 'snowflake' button, the compressor will stay off next time you start the car, but the A/C will always return to "Manuell". You have to hit the (-)minus button to return it to "Off".

You are correct, technically, the first Porsche was a Porsche 64, built in 1938. This car was also known as the VW Aerocoupe or Type 64K10, and uses mainly parts from the Model 64 Beetle. and based on the 1938 VW "beetle" (See more beetle pics on a year by year summary at Volkswagen pics The most famous "first Porsche" was the 356, built in 1948. Mind you that was mainly an aluminum chassis with a VW engine. and Off-course, the 911 saga started with the 901 in 1963. Name was changed to 911 (due to Peugeot naming conflict), but it launched the 'classic' 911 shape: and ('64) But it all depends what you measure. For some of us it started with the Model-T ford :)

I had the B&M installed at about 15,000 miles and, as Jeff remembers, it originally did not want to jump back to the neutral center position from the 1-2 position (986 5-speed). Adjusting the B&M had little or none effect on this, but on longer drives (30+ minutes) the 'stickyness' disappeared. I was about to bring it in and have it checked out, when at about 20,000 miles, this 'stickyness' went away completely and has not returned. I am now at 25,000 miles and the shifter has no problems. Because the shifter takes more force and precision than the standard shifter I recommend to slow shift movements until you have gotten use to it. As to your low mileage - your cables may be within their tolerances, but close to some limit. By switching to the SSK you may just be on the edge. Normal wear and tear will loosen it up. If your clutch is falling out of gear when driving, the clutch is slipping at speed, or you cannot engage a gear no matter what you try, the cables are misaligned. It doesn't sound like you have this problem. You could have a mechanic test drive the car for you and compare. If you have a problem he should notice it right away.

Did you change the gauges yet? That is a dead giveaway. If they fix the cluster with the old gauges, you haven't gained a thing - you'd have to do it over again. Also, if you use the Boxster-S cover, versus the original cover - that would also give it away. Their answer is likely to be "replacement", which is a $1600 part. I'm sure that for such an amount the warranty department will scrutinize it first. If they don't want to 'warrant' it - don't fret it - it is really not that hard to get it to work. We have done several and have it almost down to an art here. I can send you detailed instructions. On the other hand, your car being a 2004, they'd benefit from extending some courtesy - you're driving an almost new car. They referring to both the Dealer and PNA.

The fix is easy, but tricky. When you inserted the needles in the new cluster, the receiving posts 'jump' to any position. There is nothing holding them in their position. I'd recommend taking the cluster apart, but plug it into the car when you are ready to insert the needles. (Remember to use a towel for protection of the dash). Under power, the needles return to their original position and, although a weak (electro-magnetic) force, there is sufficient resistance to seat them properly. Make sure you have a cold engine and a full tank of gas when you do this. After you insert the needles, don't put the cluster back together, but rather, go for a testdrive. You'll notice any discrepencies between the needle position and the desired position. Repeat the process until the needles align properly. Check with another boxster on the 'default' position. What year is your boxster? We may have some pics around.

Right here: Trent's A/C information boxster hack

Oh boy - :) You mention the key factor - hp to weight ratio - in your title. A lighter car will out-accelerate a heavier car. Porsche has been able to keep it's boxer-6 engine performance close to typical V8 performance without the extra weight (smaller bore and less moving parts), partially by allowing higher rpms. You have to add to this aerodynamic shape, wind coefficient, placement of the engine (rear weight delivers under hard acceleration), width of the tires, type of tires, max rpm, torque curve, number of shift points, moving parts in driveline, Porsche's commitment to 'no compromise' design. Think of the 996 as a 1940's Volkswagen Bug that has been challenged to go better, faster, for over half a century. Any part that could get optimized, has been, always uncovering the next part that needs to be optimized. Technology has played a major role in (all mfg's) engines as of late to increase hp to weight ratio's - Porsche is no different, but the Porsche cars have gotten bigger and heavier to accomodate the extra horsepower, be able to control the car at speed, and prove durable. The cars are really build and tested on the track, unlike most mfg's, and the anecdote goes that the pavement around the Zuffenhausen facility is old and cobbled, forcing the Porsche engineers to also make the car's setup work on so-so pavement. If you compare evolution with other setups - the mid-engine setup led to Ferrari's, the front-engine setup to Corvette, the weight reduction to Lotus' newest offering (fast, but raw), none of which offer the price/performance, handling ability and durability of the 996/911s over time. And that's impressive for a rather small company.

Couple of thoughts, Harry, if your car is new, and you want to protect your shiny front, the clear bra is the way to go to build 'future' value in keeping original paint, original stuff, etc. The bra can be removed and the paint will be like new. Newer type 'invisible' bras claim to be better, but I have seen older ones where paint underneath the bra oxidizes at a different rate, so discoloration is possible. On an older car, I'd consider repainting versus putting on the bra. To repaint the 'chipped' area should not cost much more than the bra. Just something to consider (but your car is no longer 'original' - 'original' cars become valuable in about 30 years or so). Vinyl bra's are cheaper, but I would only use them on the track -- you are likely to have a lot of stuff being thrown up and you'll get more wear than on the freeway. Vinyl bra's should not be used in wet weather - moisture buildup - and they should be taken off regularly for cleaning underneath - dust buildup. Plus paint discoloration occurs at a faster rate and you will get 'rubbing' or 'chafing' marks where the body flexes. On a new car I always use the Perma glazing. It prevents oxidation, reduces the need for waxing, and makes the paint appear newer when the car is several years old. It reduces somewhat the front end chips too. My $0.02 - I would consider the invisible bra at the east coast, where rains (and slush) are more likely to occur year around, but only on a new car. (I would also use Perma Plating). Also, if I planned on a lot of driving, or maybe tracking, it would make sense to me to install the bra. But don't let me stop you - if your car is in a relatively pristine condition, it is certainly something to consider. P.S. you can also get vinyl (transparent) covers for the headlights. These are thicker and protect the lenses. I have them but took them off - the lights become somewhat diffused (and blinding) with these covers.

Congrats, have fun with the car. To your questions: Has the car been modified, e.g. Evo intake, sports exhaust? It may be seasonal, something about fuel additives/mixtures differences between summer and winter fuel to which the engine is reacting, this will go away by itself. Try switching to lower octane and higher grade (name brands) for a while and see if this helps. It may be related to dirty spark plugs or possible some dirt buildup in the fuel or oxygen lines, or possible leaks, loose fittings somewhere in the system. You're at 50k miles, it is a little bit early to do a 60k miles, but you could consider parts (e.g. change fuel filter). It may also be related to the computer setting the fuel mixture to rich. This usual is linked to a dirty MAF sensor, more common if the intakes are changed. Try cleaning the MAF (very carefully, don't use oily substances), and consider replacing the MAF as a last resort. I vaguely remember that the oxygen sensors are activated after a few minutes of driving, not immediately. Maybe their activation is related to your observation. Any pattern that you can detect? E.g. only on a cold engine? Does it only happen after you have been on a short drive (not properly warmed up the engine)? Have you been on a long drive, when the engine gets warmed up properly? Does it go away/happen afterwards? Do you engage the clutch at very low RPM (lugging, i.e. below 1500RPM) with a cold engine? Does it happen when your fuel is close to empty (causing sediment swirls in the gas tank)? Just a couple of thoughts

Several, GT2 guys and, this is a boxster this is 996

Some of you who noticed in recent get-together drives, others, see if you can spot the difference between the taillights in the first pic: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No - not the silvervision bulb for the turn signals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Right - the left taillight glows with one more bulb: . . . . . . Before: . After (the brake light is also on, ignore this left-most light) . Same on driver's side (no brake light, just running lights) . Mod is very simple, you need to 1) disconnect the fog-light position from the wiring harnass 2) reconnect (solder) the base of the fog-light position together with the running lights 3) change the bulb to a normal running light bulb. . Here you see the tail light insert after soldering, and hooked up to power: . Here, the same tail light insert at the left, the non-converted tail light insert at the right: . It's a very minor mod, but you have twice the light-output on the freeway, and redundancy - should one bulb fail. You give up the fog light option, but I have never used this option in California. If you like to keep this, you need to do a little more wiring (need a two-wire bulb with contact points) For higher resolution pics go to my webpage

Porsche matches 225 up front with 265 in rear. If you go wider in the rear you may create understeer, but I am not too technical on this setup. You can offset some of this by over/underinflating your front and rear tires. You have to check with each tire what rim size/tire size is allowable, typically they have a range. To mount 285's, your rim width should be 10" (e.g. 9.5"-10.5" allowable or so). The sport-design wheels come in four sizes: 7.5J and 9J for the boxster and 8J and 10J for the 996. Check which rims you have, if you have the 9J in the rear you cannot fit these wider tires. Wheel enhancement is usually very helpful to answer questions like these. Go to Wheel Enhancement web page. I believe it is ok to match different front and rear tire sets, but not different left and right tire sets. Personnally I recommend going with either Conti SportContact2, 285/30-18 SL N2 (Porsche OEM), $238 VR, $290 ZR or Michelin Pilot Sport Rib 285/30-18 SL N1 (Porsche OEM), $268 VR, $299 ZR. Tirerack also lists the Bridgestone Potenza S-02 (both N2 and N3 Porsche OEM ratings), Pirelli PZero Rosso Assimetrico (both N3 and N4 Porsche OEM), Kumho ECSTA V700 ($233 - no N rating), Michelin Pilot Sport Cup ($316, no N rating) and the Yokohama ADVAN A048 ($332, no N rating) as available in the 285/30-18 sizes. In California you can't go wrong with any of them really (summer tires). You can also get the Pirelli PZero Nero M&S all season in 285/30-18 for $185 at tirerack. All these tires are also available as 265/35-18, and cost a little less in that size. Check with the local tire shops also. I found wheelworks very helpful - they order the tire you want for (almost) the same cost as tirerack.

Congrats- hope you had no problems with the removal :cheers: PY21W is technically the same as 7507. I believe that 7506 is the same shaft, but different barb locations. To fit the PY21W in the front turn signals you have to grind off the barbs - that's what I did. 7506: 7507: You should also get the side markers. I don't remember if you can get the 2825 - I believe it is the same as the w5w: Type in "Stealth Auto" at the Product Search entry at the AMBulbs webpage, you'll see them all. (They have all 7506, 7507 and w5w) Search for "Philips silvervision" to find the Philips P21YW bulbs.

Did anyone check with the dealer? $145 installed. If you go with a replacement battery, I'd recommend the zero-maintenance marine Optima Batteries. Also see Oggie's Optima battery install pdf

Hi Scott - see the link below. This is the $19.99 fully working (mini) jack: FWIW, I got this 55lbs $129 1.5ton jack: Professionals use the 44lbs $199 2ton jack: Find them on this link: Sears Online Catalog with Jacks BTW - some recommend the 32 lbs ebay racing floor jack, but the lift tops out at 15".

Since you have the same rotors and pads, there should be no issue. Most often, squeals go away with (heavy) usage. Brake hard a couple of times (heat up brakes), the squeal should go away. But read this link: Brake Noise It lists 7 conditions to watch out for: 1. Heat cracked or worn "un-true" rotors 2. Rough finish on resurfaced rotors 3. Loose fitting brake pads in the brake calipers 4. Lack of silicone compound on back of brake pad 5. Missing springs or anti-rattle clips that should be on the caliper or pad 6. Improper tightening sequence of lug nuts or caliper hardware 7. Contamination on the brake pad i.e. brake fluid Any that could apply to you? Especially 6) or 7)? E.g. did you bleed the brakes after installation? Could there be air in the lines? If you didn't use the sensors, did you insert the brake pad in reverse (backing outwards)? Do you brakes feel like before, do they fade? Did you clean the rotors? Anything you remember doing or not doing when re-assembling? Other idea's - make sure it is not the sensor (inserted wrong?) - your brakes may be seizing up. Try an anti seize compound - apply caliper lube to lubricate the calipers - attach anti-squeal liners attach to the pads backing plate Is it just one of the brakes, or do all brakes squeal? That may also give you a hint as to what's going on. Also, your pistons may not retract fully after you apply brake pressure. That could hint of dirt in the brake line - bleeding them should clean this up. Call your local Porsche parts store and ask them for advice, they may have other ideas. I'm sure the solution is a simple one, maybe other people have encountered this problem before.

Doc Wong's Driving Skills and Tour Clinic, Saturday Oct 16th. Anybody gone to Doc Wongs driving clinic in the past? Worthwhile?

Congratulations, have a lot of fun! Don't worry about the Becker (or Blaupunkt) - that is only if you want to keep the factory look and feel. There are very good aftermarket solutions that people have installed in both 986 and 996 (check RobynC), some very pricey. I would shop around and check the (car) audio websites until you have established a budget and a wish list. Some units play DVD, but not MP3, some have navigation add-on for very high pricing. Most MP3 players are relatively new, and you would be taking in old advice by listening to what was done. Stop by in some local high-end car install shops, you'll get an impression what people are pushing/buying. Then go back home and google on that information. Also check the kenwoods, panasonic, etc. manufacturers websites. You may also wish to connect with some local boxster owners, and collect their opinion and advice. I, for one, kept the stock look (head unit), but replaced all speakers and added a subwoofer, to greatly improve the sound. But I cannot play MP3's, nor have DVD or navigation screen capabilities. I have seen people conv More or less stock (my setup): Robyn's professionally installed system (now moved to 996): Robyn's Setup Totally custom installed (carputer):

Check with SmartTop. I vaguely remember that when TechArt introduced the new top relay for MY-03 and newer boxsters, they also reduced the pricing (from $600 to $300). I haven't looked into it, but it sounded to me as if TechArt is simply reselling the SmartTop relay. (SmartTop is pure plug and play, replace the double relay). The original TechArt only works with Boxster that are pre MY-03. MY-03 and newer still need the touchtop/autotop etc. to give you the automatic top/down feature. If this is the module you have, then the feature is not available. Check with Omar and Dutch Guy on the ppbb board, I think they both have the TechArt in their car, but I don't know what year their cars are. The Bahntech unit is is a simple "hold-switch" circuit, that mimics you pushing the button longer, and is not sensitive to the 02/03 changes that were made. As far as I understand it, it should work with all model years. But contact the Bahntech guys to make sure of this.

I have the bahntech unit, not the techart, but the issues are similar I guess. You need to hook up the speed sensor wire and perform 2(!) relay hacks. Some questions to ponder: - Are you 'tapping' the button? Keeping it pressed reverts to normal operation. - Also, did you connect the speed sensor wire to the techart module? - And did you disable the speed sensor input from the cabrio relay? - If not, does it work when you are at a full stop (with or without handbrake)? Lastly, is the latch handle pulled all-the-way back when you try it? Hacks by Joe Hacks by Bob/Gary/Josh Bahntech installation instructions (Shows the speed sensor wire connection)

In the Bose box, the tweeters are 2 Ohms and the Sub is 0.5 Ohm (The sub is two 5.25" speakers with 1 Ohm impedance wired in parallel). If you don't have the Bose amplifier you have several options: 1. The correct way: You need two cross-over filters, one for high and one for low. Typically, the low cross-over is available (built-in) on amplifiers with woofer out, the high cross-over is just a coil and capacitor (buy anywhere). This way you can regulate the bass and treble seperately. Make sure that the amp you connect to the woofer can handle the very low impedance. (High current amps). Most amps will fry themselves when connected to the woofer (including your TrafficPro and existing Nokia amp). 2. The simple way: Connect each subwoofer in series to a tweeter, and break the parallel connection. This raises the impedance on the left and right channel to (2+1) 3 Ohms which is ok with most amplifiers. The disadvantage is that the bass and treble cannot be seperated, and the maximum power is somewhat limited (although the 5.25" size also limits this). This way you can connect them to the Traffic Pro directly. On your Traffic Pro, you should find both connector B and C1 being unused. If you go for option 1 (new amp), you connect your (new) amp to the pins in connector C1: C1: line output rear left C2: line output rear right C3: line output ground C6: subwoofer line output Note that C6 is full-range, not low-range. You still need a cross over filter if you connect to a sub (but the Bose 5.25" speakers can handle full range I understand) You will also need to connect A5 (remote power on lead) to the amp. If you select option 2 (speakers in series) you should use connector B directly to the speakers: B1: loudspeaker rear right + B2: loudspeaker rear right - B7: loudspeaker rear left + B8: loudspeaker rear left - Do not mix options 1 and 2.