DBJoe996

A failed AOS will dump a bunch of oil in the plenum and it is very difficult to get it all out. It pools in the nooks and crannies of the intake plenum, thus the first sign of AOS failure is exhaust smoke..think like a gigantic smoke screen behind the car. Unless you think the new AOS has failed (which happens...BTW did you put in an original Porsche OE AOS?), I would just monitor this for awhile. Watch your oil level carefully.

You say you have a new battery. Why did you put in a new battery? Was the old one giving you trouble? What size new battery and how many reserve amps? It sounds to me to be just like when the starter gets heat soaked and the solenoid doesn't kick it. Does the starter motor run when you try to start it, and just not engage the bendix gear to the flywheel? It is okay to check the voltage drop between the battery and the engine bay connection with a multimeter. However, when you start disconnecting things to check for corrosion or loose connections, always disconnect the negative lead on the battery first. Usually one of the first culprits in this type of situation is the electrical part of the ignition switch. You might want to replace it first before doing other things.

Sorry to be so short. If it is helpful here is the battery diagram. You could buy either #1 or #4 for a completely new cable with the bolt and nut. AutoAtlanta only sells OE Porsche parts and is a good source for OE Porsche parts. Battery Power Distributor Starter Generator WWW.AUTOATLANTA.COM

I believe they are identical. From what I have read the Boxster and 996 headlights were the same.

Put the LED bulbs back in and test to see if it works like it has for 8 years. If it does, then it is probably (as said) the mix of standard and LED bulbs that makes it not work.

Sheesh..it's a bolt. Go to Ace Hardware and buy a new metric bolt and nut. Also, most auto parts stores have replacement bolts for the battery connector cable.

There is an emergency release cable for the fuel door, just like for the hood and engine lid. Open passenger door and look near the top hinge on the door. You will see a little loop to pull on. Hope you didn't break your fuel door locking pin.

Check fuse B10

I feel for you. I'm normally over on the 996 forum but this is purely a mechanical problem. Since the coil pack is mostly retained by the tight fit in the spark plug hole, and since you are mostly concerned about it vibrating loose, I would grind the bolt part flush with the flat brass insert with a Dremel grinding disc (small enough to do the job), then use a dab of some silicone glue on the brass insert to hold the coil pack. It is amazing how well it holds, and is completely removable the next time. There are two bolts that hold in the coil pack, so how is the other coil pack bolt?

You can test the ICV by removing it from the throttle body and cycling it with a 9V battery. It should move smoothly and not bind. Make sure to clean all the gunk and carbon from the rotating valve body inside the ICV. Since you replaced the air filter with a stock box, reset the DME/ECU by disconnecting the negative battery lead for 30 minutes, then reconnect and go for a 20+ minute drive to allow the DME to re-establish sensor values.

M96/01/02/04 engine head here M96.01/02/04 Cylinder Head -01 WWW.AUTOATLANTA.COM M96/03 engine head here M96.03 Cylinder Head 02- WWW.AUTOATLANTA.COM

I could be wrong, but I think the VIN is stored in the DME and the mileage is stored in the cluster. If there is a VIN in the cluster, it probably gets it from the DME.

The K&N filter oil has probably coated your mass air flow sensor and ruined it. The MAF sensor works by hot film and is very sensitive. Honestly, the best air filter and setup for our cars is the stock air box and paper filter. It was designed like that for a reason.

What did they fill it with? Oil type and weight such as 0W-40? The sensor for the engine bay fan is located between the intake runners on the top passenger side of engine. There is a rubber grommet that it fits into. If it falls out, it rests against the engine and when hot, will make the fan run. How is your coolant level? Did they vacuum fill the system? Have you tried "burping" the coolant system by manually lifting the bale wire on the coolant tank?

P0300 is a generic code for misfires. P0301-P0303 are misfires for cylinders 1, 2, and 3. Your other post is about hard starting. I would start by checking the fuel pressure at the fuel rails. There is a valve just for that purpose. Also, at the same time test fuel pressure bleed down. That will test your fuel pressure regulator. The Bank 1 misfires may be either electrical (coils/plugs) or fuel. When was the last time you ran some fuel injector treatment/Cleaner (like Techron) through the system? Also, actually remove the engine ground wire and clean up the connections from any corrosion/rust.

Maybe undo the electrical connector to the horns and check for proper 12V and ground connections. It also could be the horns themselves that are causing a blown fuse. Have you cleaned out your front drains? Is water standing in the horn compartment? That could cause a short.

Welcome to the world of older 996's. Mine is a 99 (made in 98) so I am familiar with the foam issue. Been there, done that. You have three options: 1) Live with it. Eventually it will stop. When mine did this, I took a shop vac, put the fan on high, and started cleaning it up. Tweezers help pull out the bigger pieces. I did this several times over a span of about 6 months, and then it stopped. Been over 8 years since I have noticed any foam. Thing is I have noticed no difference in the heating and cooling. Still works great. 2) There is a method/procedure for entering the air box by removing the heater core from outside the cabin. This is complicated and some parts need to be cut, and it only gives you access to one of the flaps (there are three). Some say this works, but for me it is just not worth the hassle. 3) Remove the entire dash and all electrical connections to be able to remove the air box. The air box is sealed so you will have to find a way to cut it open so you can put it back together. You then can replace the flap door foam with new foam (not a good idea) or use metal duct tape, or fashion new flap panels from metal. You could replace the air box ($$$) but after a few years it will only start doing it again. There is a lot that can go wrong with removing the entire dash. Again, just not worth the risk or hassle. As I stated, once my foam stopped coming out, I have noticed no change in how the AC and heat work. Nice and cold on warm days, and nice and warm on cold days.

For #2, open sun roof and carefully pour some water in the front rail area. It should drain out just behind the front wheel. I believe to access the bottom of the drain you would have to remove the wheel liner. For #3 and 5 just look in the bottom of the areas adjacent to the battery tray. You will see the black rubber drain holes in the bottom of those areas. Just make sure the drain holes are not plugged by leaves and debris. You can either clean up everything with a shop vac or run some weed whacker line down the holes to make sure they are clear.

#1 and 2 are on both sides of the car and serve to drain the sun roof rail areas. Remove rear wheel liners and there will be the bottom part of the drains. #3 and 5 are under the covers adjacent to the battery.

Disconnecting the battery will reset the ECU/DME to base values. I would recommend after disconnecting, perform the e-gas calibration once again and then go for a drive so the ECU/DME can begin the process of resetting the driving values.

Time for a new bulb.

Surging - do an e-gas calibration. Turn ignition on (not start), keep foot off pedals, wait a full 60 seconds, turn key off and remove the key. Then start as normal.

There is a hose that comes out from under the coolant tank that has a plastic T fitting. You will break that T fitting. And also the plastic coolant fitting next to the alternator will surely break as well. There is a SS metal coolant fitting that is a much better alternative.

Since they had to take the steering wheel off along with the airbag, could it be they simply forgot to connect it back up?