number9ine

Hmm. I'm not familiar with the problem domain, but what about your catalytic converters? Excess backpressure could certainly lead to a rough idle. Mark

I agree with N41EF, the front trunk is the best place. It would be very convenient, especially if you don't already have a CD changer--you could use the mounting points to secure your radio. You're also right next to the battery as he says. I would suggest placing your top in the service position and investigating ways to get your antenna line from the engine compartment through the dipstick/expansion tank area in the rear trunk. you could run the cable into the engine compartment via the accessory belt cover behind the seats, then over the engine (right in the same place as the shift cable assy) and into the back. All that would be left is to find your way through the rear trunk wall. Take pictures of your solution and share with us! Mark

The Valmet Boxsters (made in Uusikaupunki, Finland, noted by a "U" in the VIN) are made to the same high standards of the Zuffenhausen plant ("S" in the VIN), and vice versa. Here's a little background from the 986 FAQ: http://www.986faq.com/1-0/default.asp#004 Here's an old press release from 1997 apparently made by Valmet in re: the Boxster production: http://personal.inet.fi/surf/porschenet/text/porsche/valmet/press/index.html My wife has an 80k '99 Valmet Boxster and it has been relatively trouble-free (water pump, maintenance items only). I have a friend with a similar vintage Stuttgart Boxster, and his has been just as reliable as my wife's with daily driver and track use. Now of course, neither is a 987, but I think that five or six extra years would give them more time to beat a consistent drum across both assembly lines. On a related note: as of 2012 or 2013, the production of Boxster and Cayman models not handled in Stuttgart may be moved from Valmet to Magna Steyr, in Austria. http://www.autoblog.com/2008/06/30/porsche-to-move-cayman-and-boxster-production-from-finland-to-aust/ http://www.autoweek.com/article/20090925/carnews/909259998 I'm not sure how this will affect the quality, but Porsche's expectations of their suppliers are rigorous. There are only so many ways to assemble a 987. If you're looking at a used Boxster there are a lot of resources on the web. The least of your worries should be the production source, in my opinion. http://sites.google.com/site/mikefocke2/mikesporscheboxsterwebpages is a good site to learn about Boxsters, and has a great buyer's guide. A search here will yield plenty of advice from Boxster owners former and current. Good luck! Mark

I'm not sure if it helps or not, but the US-spec version of that trim can be seen in page 301 of the 997 parts catalog: http://www.porsche.com/all/media/pdf/originalparts/en/E_997_KATALOG.pdf The attachment point nearest the ignition switch appears to be a screw located behind the steering column assembly. Not sure if you need to remove the steering column covers to access it, but it may be worth a try. A search here for "+997 +dash +removal" brought up this link, which has a nice picture of the assy taken apart on an LHD car. http://www.renntech.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=17349 The search function is great, there's a lot of excellent material covered in old topics. Hopefully, this will help you get the job done! Good luck, Mark

If the change happened after the shop did the work, it's up to them to remedy the issue. If they refuse, go to the dealer and have them spend an hour to diagnose the looseness. Take that invoice back to the mechanic with the explanation and give them the option to correct it, or reimburse you for the cost of repairing and diagnosing it. Because the airbag is housed in a loose unit, this is a potential safety issue. It's my $.02, but I'd make it clear to your mechanic that it's your safety and their reputation at stake. Mark

25 :)

Thank you Loren. I know, I'm due for a membership. :) Unfortunately, my transmitter may fall into the "less than .000001%" of the cases, since a multimeter proves voltage is full on the new battery, yet after replacing it, the LED is still lit. On my old 986's fob, I had the red light issue. I had tried replacing the battery with a quick swap but the red light stayed on. The solution for me was to take the battery out, let the fob sit for awhile (more than a few minutes, I think I left mine for about an hour while I went and mowed the lawn), then put the batt back in. No more red light after that. I owned the car for three years, had to do this twice. Mark

Ha! Leave those to me. :) I'm with you--Having driven a 2.7, 3.2, 964, 993, 996 and owned a Boxster S, my 997 is my favorite flat-six Porsche :)

"Hand-built" is a subjective term. At the risk of igniting a flamewar with the 993 crowd, all this really means is that certain QA processes to ensure a consistent build weren't used on the old "stop n' go" assembly line. This meant more time needed to be spent correcting errors on finished cars before they left the factory. Porsche has managed to maintain a consistent reliability and build quality record despite increasing their model range and volume exponentially over the past decade. They've kept their brand promise despite selling to more people at a lower price, and opening the owner's club to folks who commute, abuse, and neglect these cars--something that few aircooled folk do at the risk of destroying an "out-of-print" model or replacing unobtanium parts. And for aircooled fans who cry foul about engineering defects like IMS and RMS: what of head studs, valve guide wear, secondary air, and oil leaks from every nut, bolt, and seal? Seems to me that leading-edge engineering has always come at a (slight) reliability cost, not much has changed. Exclusivity used to be one of the things that made a Porsche special to some people. I'm not one of those people, but I imagine many owners of older Porsches are. I think this is what drives much of the percieved snobbery. Any indy who doesn't want to take your money in exchange for their services is asking to be run out of business. Just a guess, but the attitude you got probably masks a lack of experience and hardware to work on the newer generation of cars. Get someone you trust to recommend a shop that likes your 997. Mark

I'd check the list of service items they provide for your $1200 against the checklist in the manual and look for any extraneous stuff that sticks out. For instance, I once made the mistake of saying "45k service" to the advisor when dropping off my Passat wagon at the dealer. $530 later, I had purchased 6 sparkplugs at $16 apiece, a $20 bottle of fuel additive, and they probably even charged me for a whole tub of grease to lube my door straps. Caveat emptor. Now I make them price out every item in my maint checklist on the RO, or I do it myself if time allows. $1200 doesn't sound out of range for this kind of service at the dealer, depending on their hourly rate. Doing the plugs alone is fairly labor-intensive. If you're set on dealer maintenance I'd negotiate a discount. Yes, you can haggle at the service desk, no, it does not make you look cheap, and no, you shouldn't be embarassed to do so. An indy will charge less. Cheaper still are the DIYs on this site. Good luck! Mark

I've heard of people simply spraying a coat of clear over the matte cap to get the gloss effect, since the glossy bits are no longer made. I'd try a dismantler like LAPD or Parts Heaven if you want the OEM piece. Mark

I'm not a fan of Michelins; there's a set of PS2s on my 997 C2S now and the rears are almost at the wear bars after 5k miles (admittedly with one very wet track weekend). They're terrible in the rain and noisy as hell, even as new. And it costs nearly $1300 to replace them all 'round on my car. Call me crazy, but I like a tire that has a little of everything I use the car for, with good economy and treadwear, even at the expense of some 9/10s grip. I've gotten 15k miles each out of two sets of Bridgestone Potenzas (S03, then RE050A Pole Positions) with a mixture of everyday driving, a few DEs per year, and a heavy foot. When I went to replace the rears on the S03s the fronts were still probably good for another 5k miles, but I replaced them all at once. I put a set on my wife's Boxster when she needed new tires and she loves them, isn't afraid to drive in the rain anymore like she was on her Contis. These tires aren't as cheap as some, but they're cheaper than Michelin and Pirelli and a better all-round performer. Dry grip at the limit is almost as good as the Michelins, and when it does break it breaks easy. Great tires. Mark

Hi, Like all good troubleshooters, I'd start with what's changed. Perhaps the exhaust header bolts weren't torqued to spec? Have you checked your oil level lately? Did you perform any other maintenance (plug change, etc) while you were in the engine compartment? On my old Boxster, I noticed the motor sounding a lot louder (and a more pronounced ticking from the valvetrain) after I had the dealer replace my air/oil separator; it turned out they hadn't properly secured the motor cover. Maybe the same has happened to you? I'd start with obvious stuff like oil level, checking for leaks, tightening/refastening any parts you touched while installing the headers, etc. Let us know what you find out. Mark

Manos, Part numbers are quoted in another forum for the control module. You might disassemble your current wheel and check against what others have to determine if you have the correct module. Mark

Welcome. I found this thread using the Search function in the toolbar at top right and searching "+multifunction +wheel:" http://www.renntech.org/forums/index.php?s...function++wheel It seems that you'll need a few things. 1) new wheel, 2) new airbag (circular one doesn't fit), 3) control module and harness, separate parts as bought from the dealer, and 4) programming from your dealer to activate the multifunction device depending on your car's configuration. Once installed and activated properly all the functions will work as if installed from factory. If you plan on ordering the parts new use the "Porsche Parts at Dealer Cost" link to save some money. There are a number of threads on steering wheel removal/installation here that will show the tools needed, appropriate torque, etc. The search function will point you to them. Good luck! Post your results and steps taken so we can all learn from your experience. :) Mark

The guy from fabspeed posted that it is an artifact from the DSLR he was using to video the car runs. Maybe he did not want to admit to an illegal mod to the brake lights, but that is what he told us! DV is captured at a higher framerate (60fps typical) than most eyes can parse. Traditional movie film, for example, runs at 24fps and unless your eyesight is "quick" you don't notice a stutter. LEDs oscillate. Most of us see a constant stream of light from them, but a video camera captures their "flicker." If you stare at some of the newer LED Christmas lights you might start to see what the video is capturing. They certainly play tricks on my eyes. I hope that few make the mistake of installing flicker on their brake lights--sounds dangerous and silly to me, since a constant red is the internationally-standard "I'm braking" notification. Mark

Bill, is that metal? Any chance it could be "ringing" at a high frequency from vibration in its seat? Mark

I only know enough to make myself dangerous here, but since your car is a '97 it has a cable throttle and I believe the cruise control module is a standalone unit. I assume that it's tied to the microswitch on the clutch pedal assembly, as seen in this post: http://www.renntech.org/forums/index.php?s...rol+microswitch There could be a short in the wire between the switch and CC module, or the switch could be sticking. Someone with more specific knowledge should chime in, but I'd start by poking a flashlight around the clutch pedal and seeing what's there. Let us know how it turns out! Mark

Have you tried checking the actual fuse for the spoiler? It could have popped while charging the car.

mObridge is roughly equivalent to the other solutions out there like NAV-TV and Dension. It's a sad fact that all of them cost more than the iPod you hook up to them. As of now, there's no cheap solution for getting your sound on the optical bus. Either shell out $450-600 or buy an inline FM modulator, those are the choices. Maybe one day that'll change, but I'd say this thread is dead. Mark

They're TERRIBLE cars! claptrap matchboxes, the lot 'of em. And the owners, what self-absorbed midlife-crisis jerks! :D Oh wait... Seriously, I love my 911. My wife is very understanding (and loves her Boxster), but I'm 100% sure my car isn't the one she'd buy. Your wife certainly isn't "daft" for being ignorant of the things you see in your C4, just as I'm sure you can be forgiven for complete indifference to one of her favorite hobbies. I will say that the 911 nets me more negative attention than my Boxster S ever did, it's the one thing I can't stand about the car. I bought my car for the character, the performance, the unique design... it's certainly not for everyone. And it's a shame that others don't enjoy it as much as I do, but they have their choice of alternate transport. If only I could get the local gendarmerie to appreciate the car as much as I do, maybe they'd pay a little less attention when tallying my traffic offenses. B) It's a passion for some, a daily driver for others, a phallic extension for a (sad) few. The best way I've found to share my enthusiasm for these wonderful cars is to put them in the driver or passenger's seat and go for a ride. Mark

Mine too, and it's been doing so for 42,411 miles. Amen! Just watch out for potholes. :) I got my car with 9900 miles on it and it's a tick over 14k now. I have some catching up to do...

I have no experience with the '09s, but perhaps the oil is over-filled? I'd take it back to your dealership and ask them why. Let us know what you find out. Mark

Cite your source, please. Although the general consensus is that '05 997s with the old bearing design have more IMS failures than '06 and up, it seems everyone's opinion is based on second- and third-hand tales, along with the occasional first-hand post here. I'd love to see some hard numbers, as we all would. Otherwise, I'd suggest a statement like yours above is pure conjecture. My '05 runs like a beast, and I have CPO should it break. Mark

Those two models are on opposite poles of the 996 C2/C4 mk2 pricing spectrum, which opens up many, many choices to you. Without knowing more about what you want it's hard to make a judgment call. Worry less about cleanliness and more about hard facts. Service history is nice, PPI is mandatory. For the price of the '04 you could probably buy an early 997 base. Take your time and find the right car with the right options. Good luck! Mark