jthailer

Basically the strap is used to keep the glass top out of the way when the top is in the service position. With the top in the service position pull the strap around the top and put the loop around the tab in the frame of the roof. The tab is the part that fits into the windshield frame when the roof is fully closed.

I think the 2003 and 2004 owners manual shows the use of the strap.

I am not a mechanic, but I wil give you my two cents. Leak from in between transmission and engine could be an RMS leak or an IMS leak or both. I purchase a car that had the same kind of leak. Leak was found when performing PPI. RMS was fixed by the seller before I took possession of the car.

You have a great opportunity to have the RMS fixed, have the IMS bearing replaced and put a new clutch in at the same time.

My IMS seal was not leaking so the shop told me not to replace the bearing, I wish I had, just for the peace of mind. They were right there already, transmission off, flywheel off. Would have taken them another 1/2 hour to replace the IMS bearing.

Rattles,

How did you fix the heat shields?

Since no one else has chimed in, I have a similar rattle, but have been unable to reproduce it while the car is not moving. Probably something loose that we can't pinpoint. I am wondering if it is something rattling around in the catalytic converter.

Glad to hear about your recovery and that your car has recovered as well. Nice to know another one of these cars was saved from the junk yard.

Any update on this? I am thinking of trying the IMS upgrade myself.

Have you thought about replacing the IMS bearing while you are in there? Or at least checking the bearing?

Thank to all for the advice. It was the water pump. Replaced it, thermostat and belt. A surprisingly easy job.

How many miles on the waterpump?

I was able to take apart the switch and cleaned some of the contacts with fine sandpaper. There are a lot of small parts in there so be careful if you attempt this.

As one post said above, I am not sure if opening the switch and cleaning the contacts was the trick or just the fact that I disconnected the switch and reconnected it, but now the Litronics light up on the first try every time.

If someone attempts this in the future, first try disconnecting the switch from the power and the reconnect it and see if that works. I bet it will buy you a few more years of trouble free operation.

Yes, item 27 needs to be removed along with the nut (26) holding it place.

Are there instructions on how to remove #27? Should it just slide out once the nut is removed? #27 seems to be in there very tight almost as if it is glued in. Is there a way to push it out from the back? There seem to be a couple of tabs on the back.

I am having trouble removing the switch from the vent. Does the front race (switch plate) need to be removed? Bentley manual says to slide the switch plate forward in the vent about 5mm. I am unable to slide it forward. The instructions here say to turn the switch clockwise, is that while facing the switch as if it were in the dash? Bentley manual says to turn the switch slightly couter clockwise.

Thanks Loren

2003 Boxster S

I still stare at my car in the garage. Sometimes I will just sit in there and read the paper.

Do yourself a favor and sign up for a Driver Ed or Autocross event through your local PCA. You will have a whole new appreciation for your car.

I had a similar thing happen on my 2003 Boxster S. Soon after changing the belt I started getting a squeaking sound after the car was warm.

I took the new belt off and put the old belt back on and the noise went away. Now I just keep the new belt in the spare tire pouch just in case the old belt fails.

It seems like the new belt is just a little bit wider and must be rubbing against something. It is a Porsche belt that I purchased.

Patience. Good friends just picked up a 70k mile '01 cab with nice options for under $24k - from a dealer. My '02 C2 was under $28k just four months ago - with low miles and great options.

One bit of advice: expand your search area. Use Autotrader, cars.com, the PCA Mart, and Craigslist to search nationally - or at least west of the Mississippi. I found my car in MA, had it PPI'd there and then shipped to NC. If it had not been winter I would have flown up and driven the car home.

To search Craigslist across the country try using Search Tempest.

I'll admit that I spent many hours online searching. This is where narrowing your parameters really pays off. I wanted a full leather 02/03 coupe with less than 50k miles and a good set of options. On top of that my wife wanted red. That made the search harder, but also more specific. It took me 6 weeks, but I found exactly what I wanted. It was on autotrader, but I also found it advertised locally in Boston on Craigslist for $1,000 less!

Good luck!

Thanks for the information everyone. I am in the market for a 996 (possibly 997 for the right price). Does anyone know of a dealer in New York they would recommend? Also, once I get a car, are the warranties worth the paper they are written on if they are not a Porsche certified car?

European Motor Car on Long Island or High Marque Motor Cars in Morristown NJ.

I went on Howstuffworks.com and they had a very good explaination. I think I understand now.

Interesting that the traction control seems to act like a limited slip differential.

Thanks for the reply.

Did a search and couldn't find an answer.

How is power transmitted from the transmission to the wheels on a 986? I am assuming my 986 does not have a limited slip differential, so is only one wheel engaged at a time, and how does the transmission determine which wheel to drive?

I know this is a basic question, but it is driving me crazy not knowing how this works.

Don't be afraid of the RMS! Just get it fixed when you need the clutch replaced. Really no big deal. Might as well get the IMS bearing replaced while you are in there.

Johhnyreb,

Take your car to a PCA track event. You will have a whole new appreciation for what your car car do. It is not all about HP. HP is great in a straight line after that it is all about handling and braking ability.

The Used 911 story is great. Tells you the strong and weak points of each model, even has a section on the Boxster.

A Porsche mechanic gave me great advice. He said cars are like girls, Blondes, Brunettes, Red Heads, you have to try each one and see what you like.

Don't pin yourself down to one or two years or models.

I wounds up purchasing a totally different model than I started out looking for.

I had the same experience. Drove a number of 911s 993, 996, 997 and then decided to try the Boxster, even though my friends told me it was a girly car. I felt that the Boxster S has the best combination of old school 911 feel and modern technology. The 996s and 997s that I drove, while more powerful, felt like touring cars. There is no question that the Boxster is the better looking car and if it had the same power and size tires as the 911, it would crush it in every respect.

Does anyone know if the oil flows through the filter from the outside inward or does it get pushed through the filter from the inside out? I am trying to determine if contaminants would more likely be on the inside or the outside of the filter.

2003 Boxster S.

One other question. Will the clutch get stiffer as it wears, or is someone full of S?

When I purchased my car, the mechanic explained to me that the "fingers" on the pressure plate wear out and that is what causes the stiffer pedal. It does not mean that the clutch plate is wearing out. If the stiffness of the pedal does not bother you I would just wait until the disk needs to be replaced, unless money is no object.

I am not a mechanic, but figured I would offer my 2 cents.

I think you have to look at what the expectation of the owners of these cars is. If my Boxster makes a sound that I have not heard before I immediately suspect that something is wrong (which there never has been). On the other hand if my daily driver, a 2005 Subaru Outback, makes a noise, I may barely even notice it or care. I still have to bring in my Subaru to have the wheel bearings fixed for a recall.

I just have very different expectations and purposes for the two cars. I recently had my Boxster on the track at Lime Rock, the performance was unbelievable. The car's capabilities are well in excess of my driving ability. If I had brought my Subaru to the track I suspect the brakes would not have performed anywhere close to that of the Boxster, not to mention the handling, etc.

@ jthailer, " The engagement point on some of the cars was very close to the floor. I assume that meant the clutch was wearing out. " Is it not rather the opposite way ? I can, of course, be wrong.

I am not a mechanic, so you may be correct. Some adjustment was definitely needed on that particular car. My point is that you have to look at what maintenance needs to be done, not just the price. The 2001 S that I looked at, I could have bought for $17,500 but it needed $4,000 worth of work, RMS, clutch, CV boots, etc.

For the same price you can get an '03 S which has the glass window. Also, remember that depending on how the car is driven you may need a clutch every 30,000 miles or so if driven hard. Ask if the clutch has been replaced recently in either the 01 or the 05 or any car you are looking at. Clutch job is around $1,500.

If the clutch pedal is hard that means the pressure plate may be starting to wear out. Also, the engagement point should be about half way between fully depressed and fully released. I drove a number of different cars before ourchasing my '03 S. The engagement point on some of the cars was very close to the floor. I assume that meant the clutch was wearing out.