ivass

thank you, I really appreciate the info.

I need to ship a 996 from Cincinnati, OH to Zürich, Switzerland. Does anyone have experience with good shipping companies? I prefer to load the car into a container in Cincinnati, deliver the same (locked) container to Zürich. I would appreciate any of your suggestions.

Could anyone give me the steps involved in the reprogramming? I just scheduled an appointment with the dealer, but they didn't really sound like they have done this before. I am sure that if I can give them a few pointers they will be able to figure it out, so all the help you can give me will be really appreciated. Thank you in advance:)

Thank you Loren. Do you know if it takes a long time? What is a reasonable $ to pay for this?

I have read several posts that recommend the ROW DME program over the OBD2 and even over aftermarket chips. What does it take to reprogram the DME? Would the dealer be willing to do this, or do I have to look for an independent shop? I am considering headers and cat bypass pipes and need a fuel map that would make the mixture just a bit richer and a way to get rid of the secondary O2 CEL. It seems that the ROW DME can do both, but is it reversible? Could one of you fortunate fellows who have a PST2/PIWIS post a few screen shots and some direction so I can educate the dealer if I have to. Also, could anyone point me to someone who can do the reprogramming in Miami/South Florida. Thank you in advance.

I got an RMS leak at 58K... fixed it, and haven't had a problem for the last 3K miles... If you are changin the clutch, I would change the RMS just in case.

Just changed my AOS this weekend. It was the most awkward job I have ever done. I can only compare this to building a ship in a bottle ... (except, there is a lot more room in a bottle, than in the 996 engine compartment). Took about 8 hours. I removed the throttle body, the intake plenum, the alternator, the fuel filter (I have a 99 C4 6-speed and my fuel filter is attached to the coolant overflow tank.) (No need to remove the filter on a C2), the left intake manifold, and various wire harnesses and vacuum lines in the vicinity. Also, jacked up the rear of the car so I can take off the two nuts holding the AOS and disconnect the lower tubing and bellow. There are tow coolant lines on top of the AOS, but there is no need to drain the coolant, just make sure that the system is depressurized and that you hold those lines at the highest level possible. If you don't have a FULL set of tools and some substantial experience, I would not recommend attempting this alone.

I was checking the repair manual and can't find anything on the air/oil separator (mist separator). Could anyone point me to the correct section in the manual, or to a post/link of some sort. Thank you in advance.

I sent the pics to the general e-mail on porsche.com. They asked me for the VIN of my car, and I gave it to them, but I think they might want to get my old lines and analyze them. If anyone knows what the proper way would be to send them to Porsche, please let me know.

I thought about it, but I figured it was easier to replace the lines myself than argue with the dealer. Parts were $100 shipped, so no big deal... Besides, I don't think that my local Florida dealer even knows what rust is...

Several weeks ago I experienced a very unusual brake failure - luckily, without any damages. I have a 99 Carrera 4 which was driven as a daily driver for 5 years in New York state. In 2005 I purchased the car and moved it to Florida. The car has 60K miles on it. There is some rust on the exhaust, but due to the fact that the car was driven during the winter in NY, I consider this to be normal. Light rust can also be spotted on some bolts on the undercarriage - also perfectly normal. However, what was not normal was that my brake failure was caused by rust, yes.... rust. I had a brake line which rusted through. Each of the four brake calipers on the car has a small line that connects the inner to the outer side of the caliper. This line is located at the very bottom of the calipers. The mid section of this line has a protective rubber hose fitted on top of it (the rubber is painted with the color of the caliper), and fits tightly in a groove at the bottom of the caliper. One of those lines (my rear right caliper) failed. Brake fluid started to leak out from between the line and the protective rubber. I removed the line, peeled back the rubber, and was surprised to discover the the line was completely rusted through. It seamed that water got in between the metal line and rubber protector, and corroded the line. This line is painted along with the caliper, and there is no rust protection (paint) on the section covered by the rubber. Also, the rubber hose is just fitted on without any adhesive to prevent water from entering between the two. I noticed that three of the four lines had developed small bulges/swells in the rubber. There is no doubt in my mind that dose swells indicate rust activity underneath. I replaced all four lines, bled my brakes, and I am back in the race:) If you drive your car in the snow, and your car is older than 5 years, it might not be a bad idea to run your finger on the bottom side of your calipers and look for small swells on the protective rubber of those lines. Obviously this is not a common defect, but it happens... Those lines are not very expensive, buy none of the US dealers have them in stock. I had to wait to have them shipped from Europe. Take a look at the pics, and if you have any questions or comments let me know.

First off - it's a "tie" rod. Second, you can get pretty close by trying to duplicate the current installation, but not perfect. If you have good tires and care about the handling, get an alignment after replacing it. Also - you should really replace both, not just one. Thank you i have get close because i have drive 30 miles for a alignment shop, I guess i marked the location with paint Or..., just count the number turns when removing it and screw the new one in the same number of turns:) ... You will still need alignment!!!

This sucks ... sorry to hear about it. I hope you find a nice 996TT. I already have a small $30 ABC extinguisher, but would relay like to add a quick release battery terminals. In a case like this disconnecting the battery is just as important as a fire extinguisher. For now I just have a 10mm wrench taped to the battery, because I can't find decent quick release terminals. AutoZone used to have a set of solid terminals in red and black, but now they only carry some flimsy staff. If anyone has any good ideas on the subject, please share. Also, if anyone is using a kill switch, please let us know how this is working out for you.

I have had a 34R in my 1999 C4 for about 6 months with no problems. Just test the battery and charge if needed. Also, check the electrical connections. On other cars I have had the issue of a "slow starter motor". Sometimes when the starter gets old it ceases a bit (the brass bushings get warn/dirty and jam). It pulls a lot of amps but it does not spin as fast as it should. This is one of the first signs before it completely brakes - usually the motor burns, but it could just completely cease. I hope this is not the case with your car.

Could anyone point me to a good tire shop in Miami. Preferably one that has a load balancing machine. Thank you in advance.

It is time for new tires. Could anyone point me to a good tire shop in Miami. Preferably one that has a load balancing machine. Thank you in advance.

I have also had this issue from the spark plug socket - (the part between the coil and the spark plug) - (996-602-103-01 if your car is -01, or 996-602-105-00 if your car is 02-) This part usually comes with the coil, but you can get it separate.

This is not about the mark-up, or about how much time "it actually takes" ... it is about Champion charging me 2 extra hours (at $105/h) only because they can. They could charge me 20 extra hours and there is nothing I can do ... if I want the repair to be covered by Porsche. I know that the dealer pays the wage of the mechanic based on the "book" hours, and I don't mind if they make extra money because they are efficient and can do it in less time. I hate, however, when people think that the motto of Porsche enthusiast is "More money than brains," and charge us an arm and a leg just because of the crest.

Thank you. Champion Porsche just quoted me 10 hours... I guess they are not as good and need more time ... right :)

Does anyone know how much billing time does Porsche recomend for replacing the RMS on C2 and C4?

I just ordered the RMS and clutch kit form Sunset Porsche in Oregon and they told me that they could get the tool for me ... from Germany.

The Ebay clutch that has a statement saying that the picture is the actual clutch you'll be buying doesn't look right. If you buy cheap on clutches, you'll be very sorry. Pay the extra and get the right genuine Porsche part and don't worry. Saving two hundred bucks on a part that is questionable and hard to change is not a good investment for your Porsche. Suncoast has them on special and is the real deal. Suncoast clutch kit Ebay clutch kit Make sure that your dealer would agree to use parts that you purchase from another dealer. I am having hard time getting Champion Porshce in Florida to change me leaking RMS and clutch with parts that I got from Sunset Porsche in Oregon. I guess making over $100/h is not enough for them and they want to make 100% mark-up on the parts as well.

They weren't used. I got a new set of two complete headlight assemblies plus the wiring harness and the controller for the hight adjustment. However, I got them on ebay so there is no 2 year warranty. I switched the controller and the igniter around last night and it seams that the problem is in the controller. I will order it today. Thank you

Thank you Loren ... I will give it a shot. Unfortunately I did not buy the upgrade kit at the dealer.

About six months ago I upgraded to a brand new set of litronics (the complete HID upgrade kit for a 1999 C4). About a week ago my right light began to give me problems. When I turn the lights on, it would ignite for about 2-3 seconds and than go off. Several days later it stopped igniting at all. I tried swapping the bulbs, cleaning all connectors, checked for loose pins etc, but could not get it to work. My next guess would be either the control unit - 993.631.193.02 or the ignition control unit 996.631.195.01, but I am not sure how to determine which one is bad. I looked at my manual but could not find a way to test either one. Any suggestions will be appreciated. Also, where would be the best place be to purchase these?