number9ine

This has been covered a number of times here. Search for Dension, nav-tv, and MOST for more info.

I took a screencap from the PET pages listed on Pelican's website, which seems to use a PDF directly from Porsche's website: http://www.porsche.com/all/media/pdf/origi...997_KATALOG.pdf Other folks here might be able to point you to another resource, but this has worked for me whenever I've needed a closer look at something. And if you're going to buy any parts you lookup use the "Porsche Parts at Dealer Cost" link at the top of this page. :) Mark

I recently purchased a 2005 987 and in the process I looked at A LOT of pictures of 987s from 2005. I noticed that a good percentage of the cars had this paint peeling problem on the temperature and fan up/down buttons (mine does not but a lot did). 2005 was the year that Porsche introduced the new interior for the Boxster, so, perhaps this was an issue with their new components. Attached is a picture of what I'm talking about. Jason +1 on this. Mine's not as bad as yours but I have the same issue on my fan switch, looks more like someone's fingernail scraped it off. The only way to get a new switch is to pony up for a new climate unit. Since I'm not made of money (nor am I daft) I plan to buy matte paint of some sort to touch it up. I've scoured the internets looking for soft-touch paint touch-up (try saying that five times fast) and haven't found any, so if someone has please chime in! Mark

Ouch! $625 on pelican for the upper housing! If you can pull with light force and it comes out I'd consider repairing it, but I definitely wouldn't spend the bucks to replace the whole thing. From the PET diagram below it looks like there are four tabs, some or all of which are secured with u-clips to the lower housing under the dash cover. If a clip is missing, no big deal. If a tab is broken, maybe you can fish it out and glue it up. If just one tab is broken I don't think it's going anywhere. Hope this helps, Mark

Or a thorough cleaning job in the aftermath of RMS, AOS, or other oil-spilling acronyms. :)

posted twice.

Dan, Perhaps you could find a reputable detailer and ask for a quote to touch-up the scratches you have around the car, and then a reputable body shop for the bumper repair/respray. Submit the estimates with a letter to the GM of the selling dealer asking that they compensate you for noticeable cosmetic flaws not mentioned during the sales process, along with some detail shots. I agree with docdyh that buying the car sight-unseen means you're bound to find some of these issues after the sale, but I think that a polite request will net you some kind of result, preferably a check (I wouldn't ask for parts as compensation since your repairs will probably cost more than their value). When all is said and done I'd choose a repair path involving a MINIMUM amount of resale-damaging paintwork. A bumper cover is one thing, but keep those spray guns away from the metalwork if you can help it. This is why I recommend a detailer; someone with the right experience can make touch-ups invisible, and will probably charge less than a body shop. Check out some of the web forums like autopia for "portfolios" to see what's possible. Mark

Whoops, forgot all about this thread. I brought it to the dealer and they say what most of you do, that it's perfectly normal. Even in the warmer weather it does the same. Free sport exhaust option for a minute or two, I guess. :)

It is a filler, and so is ScratchX (although ScratchX contains polish too). For deep scratches, break out the touch-up--it'll be permanent and can be invisible if applied and finished well. Mark

Beautiful car! I had a 986S in silver that I recently sold and miss it terribly. Winter's tough on any car, but the Boxster is well-protected against salt and the elements. Just give her a good bath often. I think the car is pretty as-is, but I'm a fan of the stock look. As far as the way it drives, some say you have the ideal setup. I seem to recall reading somewhere (Pano?) that a Porsche engineer favored the 18" wheels over the 19"s for handling. Enjoy the ride! Mark

There are kits for the 997 mk1 "look" that would bolt on to your front end, but would require significant paintwork, etc. and differ from the 987 setup due to the headlamps. That alone may cost somewhere near five figures, and when you start talking about work to the rear quarters (vents, etc) you might spend more than your car is worth. With the buyer's market as it is, maybe you should consider upgrading to a newer Boxster instead of updating the look of your old one. There are 987 S cars out there for under $30k right now, so if you own your current car outright you could sell/trade it and spend the bodywork money on a decent motor, hardware, and lower mileage upgrade. Mark

I think the best place to aim would be just ahead of the transmission plate, straight shot up.

The car is used 2008 and not marked in the rear. It has door shills that say 4S. How do I know from inspection that the car is a 4S. Any markings under the hood? The car has the wide body. Decoding the VIN does not help. Will the engine have a marking? SHould I be looking for anything specific under the chassis? Thanassis Decoding the VIN will definitely tell you if it's an S or not (3.8L engine), and I'm surprised it doesn't tell you if it's a C4. If you've confirmed it's a widebody then it's absolutely all-wheel drive. The configuration of the front trunk will be different too; if it has a nav unit it will be mounted vertically in the lower trunk, versus horizontally in the plastic storage compartment up top. The storage compartments are different in the C4 to make room for the reconfigured gas tanks, which in turn make room for the front differential. You could always peek under the front end and look for driveshafts to the front wheels, that's the surest sign you'll get. Mark

I'm sure that if a fire breaks out in your engine compartment, the result will leave you wishing you had one. It could be the difference between mild damage and car-b-que. If you track the car at all it's a must. People say Halon ($$$) is the way to go if you don't like cleaning up mess, but I assume that a fire means you'll already be cleaning something, so your call. PCA DEs generally require them to be installed, and in that case it's not just for your own car's sake. I mounted one in my wife's '99 Boxster and my old '03 Boxster. Real simple, cut a six-inch or so length of L-channel steel from the local hardware store, affixed it to a $40 firebottle with metal mounting bracket from a propane supplier, then mounted it on the steel lip under the passenger front seat cushion using the two screw holes already there. It allows full range of movement back and forth, although the seat shouldn't be moved when set at its lowest height otherwise the extinguisher drags. for about $45 in parts and 45 minutes of labor it's secure, detaches easily, and is hidden enough by the seat that it isn't an eyesore. Your alternatives are some pricey ($100+) mounts that you'll need to install anyway, so why pay more?

There are a few OEM options: A flimsy cupholder that fits into holes in your driver and passenger air vents, a DIN-sized set of cupholders from 2001 that would require you to shuffle your radio and CC unit, and I think that Sunset sells an insert for the compartment in your armrest (my wife has one and uses it often). If you want to get really crazy you could update your "horseshoe" and vents with the 02-05 cupholder design. I had the latter and it was the best of these options, but not great. Mark

Eric is around here somewhere, and seems to be pretty good with answering questions like this. Whatever you do, I'd definitely disconnect the battery--better safe than sorry. I had a NAV-TV unit installed in the front trunk of my car next to the master cylinder under the plastic, which seems much easier than installing behind the radio. I have a C2S though, so you may not have that kind of room. The nice thing about this was that the unit could be quick-spliced into the power leads on the amp (red and brown). Whatever you end up doing, post some pics here. I'm thinking about one of these units for myself :) Mark

Did you have a PPI? The symptoms you describe sound almost exactly like what happened when I bottomed my car out after being cut off. The transmission casing broke at the mount point, and I felt sluggish shifting, vibration through the steering wheel, pedal box and shifter, and a harder clutch. The problems were MUCH more noticeable at highway speed. All were resolved when the mount was fixed. I will say that the shifter in the 9x6 cars is precise but heavier than my old GTI's shift, which I assume is similar to your Jetta's. I'd buy an hour of your mechanic's time to look under the car and check your suspension and mounts. $80-100 for peace of mind isn't a bad cost in my opinion, and much cheaper than tires if the ones you have aren't already significantly worn. The vibration and shifting may not be related, so balancing your tires and aligning the car might solve that problem. If you mount and balance tires and there's a suspension problem or a bad mount the symptoms will continue, and may accelerate wear on your new rubber. Mark

A beautiful but tough color, every little thing shows. You won't get good results with wax or fillers, so taking the paint down or applying more are your only choices. If you can't feel it with your fingernail it's probably just in the clearcoat, so I'd suggest picking up some rubbing compound and applying by hand with a microfiber applicator pad. wipe down when hazy but not completely dry and repeat until you don't see the scratch anymore. If a few rounds of this doesn't yield results and you're the patient DIY type, I'd suggest picking up some 2500 grit automotive sandpaper. Soak a sheet of the 2500 grit in water overnight, clean the scratched area with some dish soap to remove the waxes and everything else you've put in the scratch. Use a small convex head sanding block with the wet sheet and sand down the scratched area in the direction of the scratch with light to medium pressure. Stop frequently to soak the paper, and wipe down the area to see your progress. If a few rounds of sanding don't make the scratch disappear it could be in the basecoat, so stop sanding, get out your touch-up paint and use a small painter's brush to apply to the scratch line. Let dry overnight, sand again the next day until you can't see the scratch anymore and apply compound by hand until the sanding marks disappear. If all of the above is outside your comfort level, hire a good detailer (there are plenty of members here who could help with a recommendation in your area) and they'll use a similar process to remove the scratch. It's cheaper than paint, and if they're experienced you won't see where the damage was even after touch-up. Best of luck. Mark

I hear good things about Total Release odor eliminator. Whatever you use, make sure it's subtracting smell and not adding (Febreze and Lysol as mentioned above are bad choices because of this). You'll want to find a good carpet cleaner, leather cleaner, and a good vinyl cleaner for door panels/dashboard. Getting in all the nooks n' crannies is important for removing the smell--my father is a heavy smoker and I've detailed his car a number of times. You may want to try removing the vents to clean them out, and replace the pollen filter as suggested by others here. Don't forget to set the top in service mode and pull out cubby and engine cover carpet for a good shampoo. Whoever smoked in the car probaby did it at speed. Mark

Search and you shall receive, but I'll digest it for you: From what I've read, the first run of 997s have a double-race bearing that is prone to failure for a number of reasons, with more than a few articles on the subject by reputable Porsche wonks. They moved to a larger single-race bearing which supposedly prevents future IMS issues, and all the replacement engines have been upgraded with that bearing. Since this is a forum for technical issues, you'll see a lot more "my engine broke!" threads and commenters than the "mine's fine" crowd. No one complains when things are going right... I bought an 05 with just under 10k on it and the engine checked out fine. I got mine Porsche certified too, so if something breaks in the next 2 years I'm covered. If the engine grenades, it's suggested here by some senior members (RFM for example) that Porsche will even take care of it out of warranty in some cases. I guess the best thing to do is keep up on your maintenance and document everything so if there is a problem, you have records on your side. Until then, I'd drive it like it's meant to be driven and don't worry about it. The 997 C2S is a VERY nice upgrade and well worth it IMO. Mark

+1. Fogging or etching can be caused by acid-based wheel cleaners, which would mean a strip and refinish if the clear is peeling or deeply etched. A good polish (try by hand at first) might be a solution if the damage isn't too great, followed by a trip to the store to buy a better wheel cleaner. Best of luck...

The pic is very small so it's hard to see, but it looks to me like a bad clearcoat respray. Is it smooth to the touch with a "foggy" appearance? If so, it's probably separating from the basecoat and will need a repaint. If not, try polishing, can't really hurt at this point. What's so bad about the front? unless we're talking metalwork, big through-the-paint scratches or other things that require a body shop I'd go with the lightest touch I could. Maybe a decent detailer, dent guy, or DIY. Worst case, you take your failed attempt at repair to the body shop like you would have done beforehand, best case it comes out looking good. M.

I have slate grey too, beautiful color. :) I'd suspect the cover you use. Do you leave it on in direct sunlight? During/after rainstorms? Is it fading on your front hood or rear engine cover? It could be deteriorating clearcoat on a paint repair. The factory clearcoat is pretty robust unless you leave it sitting in the desert sun for months at a time or expose it to solvents or other abrasives. It's quite possible that a good polish can fix this problem. Go to a local auto shop and pick up some Meguiar's fine cut cleaner #2 or 3M rubbing compound (both are readily available polishes and have a medium cut), along with some microfiber applicator pads and microfiber towel. Wash the car, then pick a small section (2" or so) of the dull paint and with a nickel-sized dab on the microfiber applicator, apply the compound in a firm , even swirling motion for about 10 seconds and then lift. If your applicator has grey paint on it stop immediately, that means the dullness is caused by your clearcoat wearing off. If not, continue applying until the compound has dried to a haze, then remove the residue with a microfiber towel. If you like what you see on your test spot, do the rest of the lid. Post some pictures for us so we can see the damage. Mark

I disagree with RFM. The paintwork will devalue the car if it's not done correctly, will always show up thicker with a paint meter, and if the entire panel needs paint it will almost certainly involve blending into other panels to achieve a proper color match. Private party buyers may not care, but if you plan on trading in one day be prepared to take a hit no matter how perfect the paint is and how well you document it. Your car now has a "story," something that you'll feel compelled to disclose when you sell and will weigh on the purchaser's decision. I'd suggest that before you spend four figures at a body shop to correct the scratches, contact a reputable detailer (try autopia.org for a referral and some great "portfolios"). You'd be amazed what an experienced detailer can do with some touch-up paint and detailing tools. Think of it this way: before adding all that paint, why not spend relatively little money to see what it looks like touched-up? You may be pleasantly surprised. If you're not, head to the body shop and paint over it. Mark

You caught me, I'm a former Boxster owner who until a few weeks ago didn't have an oil temp gauge. :) I suppose I'll look left instead of right before hitting the go pedal from here on in. Although I'm sure they're not directly correlated, I (was) working on the assumption is that if the coolant has reached operating temp, the oil's getting there too. At the very least it's been sloshed around the engine for a few minutes and is lubricating everything nicely. That said, I don't punch the throttle for giggles as soon as the needle's up. Overall I think I share the same sentiment as others here regardless of my methodology--drive immediately, but take 'er easy for a bit. I'm not sure I get the "channel #5" reference. Perhaps I'm not "old spice" enough. :D