DBJoe996

Possibly the lift ram is stuck on the passenger side.  Some gentle persuasion (another hand) might be in order.  Once you get it working, spray some silicone oil all over the lift ram...do both sides.  There are some little holes that you can spray into the lift ram.

Sorry...not possible to bypass.  The immobilizer is integral to both the ECU and ignition circuits.  Simply put, the car will not work/start without the immobilizer.  If it is not working properly, then you need to check with ECU Doctors.  For the front trunk, there is an emergency release cable under the passenger headlight.  Hopefully you have already done the smart thing and relocated the emergency release cable from underneath the passenger headlight to just inside the front tow hook plug on the front bumper.  If not then you have to remove the passenger wheel and wheel liner to locate the release cable to open the trunk.

Just to add...you need to determine HOW your immobilizer got wet.  Have you checked all your drains and cleared them of debris?

In the end, if the immobilizer is so corroded it does not work, then you are stuck buying a new one from Porsche and having it programmed to your car and keys.  Think $$$$

The engine bay fan rarely if ever runs.  There is a set of parameters.  I'll try to find them and post.

Did you try removing the spoiler down relay?  Seems like that would only affect the down function of the spoiler and not something else in the fuse circuit.  You might give it a try. 

3 hours ago, JFP in PA said:

Just be aware of two points:

 

1. You are disabling a federally mandated safety item; in many states that is grounds for failing the car at its annual inspection.
2. Your insurance company can play games with you if you have an accident such as rear ending someone of bumping into an inanimate object.  You purposely disabled a mandated safety feature designed to prevent such things, you could end up on the hook for all the damage.

I have to totally agree +2

I believe the seat belt tensioner is located in the B pillar....where the seat belt rolls back into the pillar.

Here is what I would do, pull the seat belt out all the way several times and see if it rolls back up correctly.

Then clear the code and see if it comes back.  It might just be an anomaly.

My seat belt light came on unexpectedly last evening.  Never before.  Once I hook up my  Durametric this morning, I am curious to find out what triggered it.

It was the passenger seat buckle. Cleared code, light is out. Shot some electrical contact cleaner in the buckle.  We shall see.

Recently had my drivers side door latch mechanism begin to do weird things.  Lock..okay.  Unlock and lift door handle...nothing.  Repeat and it would do it again.  Finally, when I could lift the door handle to open the door, often the door locks would begin to cycle on and off and the lock button on the dash would flash red then off, then on again.  I finally replaced my door latch mechanism entirely with an OE Porsche part.  No more problems.  The door latch mechanism has three microswitches on  it, one internal on a circuit board inside the door latch.  The door latch mechanism is an electro-mechanical device.  Apparently when the door latch mechanism goes bad (one of the microswitches), the car does all sorts of weird things.

My car is 21 years old with 144K miles.  I accept that things are going to need to be replaced at that age.  I daily drive and sometimes lock/unlock 5-6 times a day.

I don't think a 99 996 has an alarm siren.  When the immobilizer is set off, it just beeps.  Are you sure there isn't some aftermarket alarm on the car.  A beep when  locking the car means a zone is open somewhere....hood, engine lid, console lid, fuel filler door, doors, overhead infrared sensors, and if you have it the glove box door.  If the car is unlocked and thus the immobilizer is not set, and yet the alarm is going off you have a problem.  Pull the fuses for the alarm system B8 and C3

These are the tire specifications.  For winter I would use the 17" because it is slightly more narrow and there is more sidewall.

Per this diagram, there is a circlip inside the differential that holds the shaft in.  You will have to remove the front differential and open it up.  Might as well replace all the seals at the same time.  Circlip #4 here

Just a suggestion, get to the back of your potentiometer - every OE Porsche part has a part number somewhere on it.

^^What he said.  Only a Porsche PIWIS scan tool can read the errors from the transmission control unit (TCU). Find an indy that has it or take it to a dealer.  That will pinpoint the problem.

You actually might check out Porsche NA.  I have heard that they are offering short blocks for $7500.  You transfer all your existing engine stuff over to a brand new short block.  You will want to have the heads professionally rebuilt, and replace the major/minor stuff already mentioned.  If you are going to farm out the work, expect somewhere in the $15-18K range for a complete job.  I believe these guys are the best head rebuilders out there, and you should maybe find out from them about an entire engine rebuild https://www.hartech.org/

No wait...that's not what I was thinking of.  I'll  go look it up on the head rebuilders...something H....

Hoffman  www.hamheads.com

Of course the ultimate builder is Flat 6.  About a year wait....

The latest version is what Loren posted.

I would run from this car unless you are into spending lots of money.  Excessive cam deviations on a 3.4L are due to wear on the chain rails, which requires engine removal and disassembly.  An expensive proposition because there will also be many other wear items to replace while engine out.  Unless this is absolutely the car of your dreams, I would keep looking.  Cheap Boxsters are all over the place.

I got these about a month ago and love them

Probably after 14 years he figured it out.  Last post in 2005.  Just saying.....

Depends on  the battery type.  The old lead/acid batteries needed to be vented.  Thus the clear plastic hose.  The newer AGM type batteries do not have a vent.  My current Duralast AGM battery does not have a vent.

Besides the usual 996 maintenance items, I think when looking for a Cab the main thing to look at is the top condition and operation of the top.  So many horror stories regarding broken mechanisms and hydraulics.  Given that the 996 is approaching 20 years of age, you can expect that a cab may need a new top unless it has been stored in a climate controlled environment most of its life.  Even then, age takes a toll.

#21 here...there is one in leather carbon fiber in multiple colors and at almost $2000 choose carefully

Tape...find the ground wire and wrap some tape around the connector.  That means it is not connected to anything.  Originally the brown ground wire was connected to the radio chassis.  Now what you want to do is disconnect the ground wire and wrap some tape around the connector so it is not touching anything.

You can drain some oil by simply dropping the oil filter and draining the canister.  A lot better than trying to control the flow from the drain plug.  And yes ^^^ these cars are very sensitive to over fill.  Maybe contact the "Porsche shop" that overfilled your oil and ask them to do it. 

Yes, well known problem and it is your oil pressure sending unit.  Replace it and your problem will be resolved.

No, the oil pressure sensor reading does not affect the oil level sensor.  What is the level on  your dipstick?  One other question, what type and weight oil did they put in?

Interesting.  Glad you got it figured out.  My 99 C2 fuse block diagram is this

Running a bottle of Techron in the fuel system might help as well.  Would not hurt anything to try.  Particularly if the car has been sitting around for awhile.