HenryV

I noticed the same as Adsach here.

In "warm" weather, the plastic is sufficiently soft to bend into a fold, albeit somewhat non-smooth. The fold is not permanent and doesn't leaves creases. In cold weather, the plastic hardens, and will snap if the window temperature is too low. In the gray zone in between, the plastic works better if you "guide" it, hence the "chop".

I don't know what the (actual window) temperature definitions are. If I had to guess, I'd say: below 40 degrees, too cold to operate; above 60 degrees don't worry; in between - it is up to you.

I don't use the "towel" to protect the window, but when the car is not used, I store it with the top up, which stretches the window (dealer recommendation).

Plexus is very good in keeping the window looking clear - do not use windex!

How about:

"As most 550 Spyders were painted silver, the new special edition Boxster S is finished in GT Silver Metallic, a color only found on the Carrera GT and special edition "40th Anniversary 911" models."

Boxster S Anniversary Edition

http://www.visionautogroup.com/images/pressemeldung.jpg

Arctic silver (per Youseif's gallery):

Before and after pic. Left with the orange filter present. Right after it is removed.

The image on the right needs a silvervision bulb to maintain the effect. See below:

With an orange bulb:

With a silvervision bulb:

Please note that, as Jeff points out, this only applies to headlights with the orange filter insert. Not to those with the orange coating underneath the outside plastic.

Did you do anything to cause this?

I'd pull out the stereo, re-attach all cables and connectors and make sure they are snug.

If you have a seperate amp, I'd look there for the problem. If you use the head unit, it may be internal (amp section).

But check for loose connectors first.

42 mph?

The standard bahntech speed limiter safety is set for 25mph, or 42kph (if you connect the speed sensor). 25mph is a little easier to achieve in the parking lot than 42mph.

My understanding was that this speed safety only prevents the bahntech unit from activating the top mechanism if you are driving too fast. I believe that it doesn't stop the operation if you accelerate during its operation. (But the wind-drag might). I may be wrong on this - haven't tried this out myself. I know it doesn't activate above 25mph.

I wonder if cornering causes too much side g-force that creates a resistance that the top lowering/raising engine cannot overcome.

Also, Porsche specifally warns against operating the top when the car body is flexing (e.g. on oneven stands, or ... cornering)

I don't have the TSB here, but from your description it sounds that you are describing the wires that are to connect to the autodimming side mirrors. If you don't have the side mirrors, just tie the wires off to the side - the mirror should work without it.

There are three basic wires: +V, GND, and reverse. The reverse signal makes the mirror go clear at night, when you reverse. The other wires have the 'smaller' connectors, and do not need to be connected.

I installed the mirror below, but this was aftermarket OEM. Not sure you have the same model. We had to use the 996 TSB, as the 986 TSB turned out to be erroneous.

I have used this color chart before:

and you can see the HID location at 4300 Kelvin.

4300 Kelvin is still considered "white" - that is the light projected out. We perceive the HID bulb to be more blue than a halogen bulb. In other words, to match the appearance of an HID bulb, the halogen bulb has to be of a higher temperature. That's why the recommend range is between 4500K to 5000K for halogen bulbs.

To throw you off further, not only does the color shifts between HID and Halogen, the scale also differs between manufactures. E.g. PIAA halogen is not equal to Philips halogen and so on. There is no official standard and marketing tends to hype the effects.

In the US, the non-white (4500K and higher halogens) are not DOT approved. Don't know about Europe regulations.

I suggest you try it yourself and go with the ones you like. It is not an expensive experiment.

I have tried the PIAA H7 and have a couple of comments.

First, do not put anything over 55W in your light unit - the plastic will melt.

Many light bulb manufacturers claim 100+W output for a 55W bulb. Most such 100+ Watt claims are based on measured light output in front of the car. It is a 'false measurement' as it is measing a 'spot' output, not overall output. E.g. PIAA has three coil wraps I believe, over standard four coils. This, combined with the 'scatter' pattern in DOT approved lights causes the 'extra light in the measuring point' effect, i.e. 100+W effect. This effect is much smaller in 'focussed beam' assemblies, and also much reduced in European made, DOT, approved housing. White, Extreme white, and DOT approved bulbs work well the DOT scattered pattern - you get better visibility, but not with the Litronics, IMHO. I have the PIAA Xtreme white (4150Kelvin) in my other car - these are 'superwhite' bulbs, but these do not match the Xenon-blue.

Any light source that creates the 'blueish' tint does so by a form of coating and/or filtering. I.e. the light bulb has a blueish, silverish, shine to it. These light bulbs all have in common that their output is REDUCED. I have tried import (not DOT approved) lights and was very dissappointed by the reduced light output.

If you have Xenons, you really do not need any other light source, so the bluish glare may be desirable. In this case you can get them from Japan or Canada (they are not sold in US). Check online sources. e.g. PIAA bulbs (No affiliation). I tried the PIAA Plasma FX (about $100), 4500K. They match quite well with the Xenon-blue. BTW- the Plasma FX were discontinued, you can now get the XTREME Force (4700Kelvin), as the most closest in color tint/hue.

From FAQ page (importlighting)

What is the difference between the PIAA Super Plasma and the PIAA Plasma FX?

The PIAA Super Plasma 5000K bulbs give off a bright white light that has the purplish hue of the BMWs and Mercedes HID systems.

The PIAA Plasma FX 4500K (only the H4 is rated at 5000K) give off a bluish-white light resembling the Porsche and Audi HID systems.

To repeat it once more: the blue effect is nice - they match the litronics quite well, but your light output is REDUCED, (unless you get the White or Xtreme white which both do NOT match).

Here are some pictures:

PIAA 4500K Plasma FX

PIAA 4500K lights in fog light position

PIAA 4500K in brights with Xenon's off

PIAA 4500K in brights with Xenon's on

I installed the AutoTop bahntech in our boxster. Works great, installation is quick and simple.

You need to pull the radio to get to the speed sensing wire in the back. You don't have to connect this wire, but this prevents the top from opening above 25mph.

I also modified the top-relay (hack) to allow the top to operate while driving (disconnect speed sensor and ground handbrake sensor).

Two points:

The top speed protection is only active when pressing the button - if you speed up it will continue to operate.

Also, if you touch the button when the latch is closed, the stop will start operating when the latch is unhooked. It 'remembers' its state.

Otherwise works as advertised. Analogous to your automatic windows.

Wished we had in installed earlier (we did not because of factory warranty).

My favorite solution is www.smarttop.de (Berlin, Germany) It is the cleanest solution I have seen, but at twice the price of bahntech it is quite pricey. I would contact them direct and ask about 996 support.

In case you haven't seen Trent's website:

Check Trent's website for the 3.4L conversion - http://www.trentcarter.com/3.4Boxster.asp

His cost: $10k, versus the typical $25k

I thought I'd share this with everyone.

I found an interesting formula at this website: http://www.cars-cars-cars.org/0-60-Times-Calculator.htm

If you convert everything into lb's, (1kg = 2.202 lbs) the formula is:

0-60 time = 0.504592 * weight of car in lbs * max bhp of car

This works very well for the boxster, various years, weight and hp ratings correlate quite well. Check http://www.autosite.com/new/ataglanceshell.asp for reported acceleration times (various magazine articles, under Research->Performance) or http://car-stats.com/stats/search/choosemodel.aspx (watch out for spyware pop-ups).

The curbweight for the '04 base and S in standard trim and manual transmission is 2811 and 2911 lbs respectively. That is a 2.7L with five speed and a 3.2L with six speed. The '04 carrera cabriolet weighs in at 3135 lbs by comparison (2959 lbs for the carerra coupe).

Here's an interesting table, I use mfg reported curbweights, not actual (typically higher)

Model      Engine        HP    Curbweight       0-60 est        0-60 act

986'97      2.5L        201      2750             6.90            6.7
986'00      2.7L        217      2811             6.54            6.5
986         2.7L        227      2811             6.25            6.2

986S'00     3.2L        250      2911             5.88            5.6
986S'04     3.2L        260      2911             5.65            5.3

987S-1      3.4L        280      2959             5.33
987S-2      3.4L        300      2959             4.98
987S-3      3.6L        320      2999             4.73
987S-4      3.6LX       345      2999             4.39

987 Coupe   3.4L        280      2811             5.07

996'00      3.4L        300      2911             4.90            4.9-5.2
996         3.6L        320      2959             4.67            4.8-5.0
996         3.6LX       345      2959             4.33 
997?        3.8L        360      2999             4.21        

996'00 Cb   3.4L        300      3095             5.21            5.2-5.5
996 Cab     3.6L        320      3135             4.95
996 Cab     3.6LX       345      3135             4.59
997? Cab    3.8L        360      3175             4.45  

If the 2005 boxster were to have a 300hp engine or larger, it would out-accelerate the '00 996! Hence the rumored 280hp 3.4L (eventhough this engine makes 300hp in the 996).

(Older models don't matter: e.g. http://home.gagme.com/greg/911/comparison.html )

I have been told that the boxster S frame, transmission and brakes can handle up to 350hp without modification. Ah well, maybe in 2006, when the boxster coupe (is lighter?) comes out . . .

And - don't ding me on the actual curb weights (= actual acceleration) - There are other variations (weight of driver, tank empty/full, etc.). But I do think the table brings out the marketing point quite well.

Also, compare these spec's:

               986          996
Wheelbase     95.1         92.6
Track         57.3/59.6    57.7/59.1   
Length        170.1        174.5
Width         70.1         69.7
Height        50.8         51.4
Wt. Dist      46/54        36/64

Porsche claims that the extra weight on the rear's (996) helps acceleration, but we all know that it makes aggressive driving more tricky. Imaging both cars with similar horsepower.

FWIW . . .

I will, seriously, consider the (300hp) 3.4L conversion versus buying an '05 or '06 boxster :jump:

Photoshopped, but believed to be accurate. For 2005 MY, Porsche is changing all their front end (997, 987) to the round lenses. I think that the real light units will be more elongated (extend deeper), like they are on the new 997 and 987's.

You have to like the look - the original Cayenne looks better, and even that is a look you have to get used to.

Another rumor is that VW will stretch the Touareg by 8 inches for 2005. This will make the car long enough for a third row seating which will then also be offered. They also offer the V10 diesel engine for fuel economy and longevity. (Look at the torque number for the diesel below!)

Testdrive the car also - several Cayenne owners have said (online) that they chose the V6 over the V8 as the V8 does not significantly alter the car's behavior, but makes the car much more expensive ($67k sticker price). (I assumed that the V6 has the optional road holding package that is standard on the S - it's the most impressive feature on the Cayenne)

Also read the AutoBild comparison between the Cayenne S and the Cadillac SRX - they gave the nod to the Caddy.

We testdrove most of the car's below, and would have liked the Caddy if it had more towing capacity (we have a 5,000lb trailer).

Jeep is rumored to be using many mercedes parts, most notable is the same clutch mechanism, and the Hemi engine is already breaking records in the Chrysler and Dodge products. You get eight cilinders for acceleration, but on the freeway it fires only 4 cilinder for higher fuel economy.

Also, test drive the Hummer H2 - it is a very different car (slower, bigger), but quite impressive non the less. Pricing is the same ($52k).

We will wait a while longer - the cars keep getting better.

               Jeep          BMW      Porsche  Merc.Benz Cadillac  Volkswagen       Infinity Lexus 
               Gr. Cher.     X5       Cayenne  ML        SRX         Touareg        FX       GX 
               Ltd w/ Hemi   4.4i     S        500(2004) V8       V8       TDI      45       470 
Engine         5.7L V8 Hemi  4.4L V8  4.5L V8  5.0L V8   4.6L     4.2L V8  5.0L V10 4.5L V8  4.7L V8 
Transmission   5A            5A       6A       5A        5A       6A       6A       5A       5A 
Horsepower hp  330           315      340      288       320      310      310      315      235 
Max hp at rpm  @5000         @5400    @6000    @5600     @6400    @6200    @3750    @6400    @4800 
Torque lbft    375           324      310      325       315      302      553      329      320 
Max torque at  @4000         @3600    @5500    @2700     @4400    @3000    @2000    @4000    @3400 
Curb Weight    4860 lbs(act) 4927 lbs 4950 lbs 4874 lbs  4442 lbs 5300 lbs 5825 lbs 4309 lbs 4740 lbs 
Max towing     7200          6000     7716     5000      4250'05  7716     7716     3500     6500 
0-60           7.0s(act)     6.8s     7.2s     6.8s      6.7s     7.5s     7.5s(est)6.5s     7.7s 
Gasoline       89 (87 ok)    93       93       93        91       93       Diesel   93       93 
Mileage        14/21         16/22    14/18    14/17     15/20    14/18    17/23    15/19    15/18 
Price          $40k          $52k     $55k     $46k      $48k     $42k     $58k     $45k     $45k 


-

For the really power-hungry ones: As the 2004 BMW 4.4i is now almost as powerful as the 4.6i, BMW is to offer a 4.8is. ML has the ML55 AMG, whereas Porsche has the Cayenne Turbo.

The ML will also be completely new in 2005, going to a unibody frame, i.e. the car will be lighter and faster, but engine options still unknown - shown is the 2004 5.0L engine. Also, a 400hp AMG engine is rumored.

9/12/2004 - Jeep weight corrected (V6 weight was shown)

10/23/2004 - Replaced weight and acceleration by actual numbers (C&D)

The government publishes reports. Look at http://www.fueleconomy.gov/ for more information.

It varies by year and model.

Example (all with manual transmission)

Year             2000           2004                  2000                   2004
Type             Base           Base                   S                       S
MPG (city)       17              20                    18                      18  
MPG (hwy)        25              29                    26                      26  
MPG (comb)       20              23                    20                      21  

Porsche found another way to add cup-holders in the car - that's what the new shape is for: by reducing the fan-openings, a narrow opening is created that holds the cup-holders without taking a slot from the unit.

Moving the buttons from angled to straight is merely cosmetic.

Yes it will fit in the boxster - both 996 and boxster (all years) cut-outs (the opening in the dash) are identical. But you will need the cup-holder insert or like trim-pieces to cover the gap. The original boxster opening is smaller than the one in the picture.

BTW - they use them for the '02 and newer boxsters also. Below from an '03 Boxster - you can see the entire assembly, including the cup-holders on top.

Congratulations - Enjoy!

239 is generic for 18" wheels (I believe, but double-check)

502 is Valmet (Finland) production

584 is Storage Box (above engine compartment)

696 is AM/FM Radio with CD

983 is Leather Seats

Hi guys, you can find the pictures on

http://hverheyen.vssi-eda.com/box_pics/tp

I named them se01.jpg thru se07.jpg

e.g. http://hverheyen.vssi-eda.com/box_pics/tp/se01.jpg

test