number9ine

Hard to tell from the pics, but it could be axle grease. Check your CV boot, they have a tendency to crack open. If not, it should be easy enough to tell if it's brake fluid. clean the wet areas and give the brakes a few pumps, see if anything fresh comes out of the lines or caliper. I can't tell for sure what wheel we're looking at but if it's in the rear, you could be seeing oil blowback from a failed AOS or leaking valve cover.

First thing I'd do is take a deep breath. CHECK COOLANT LEVEL simply means that the expansion tank level is below threshold. If the water temp didn't go critical, then the engine didn't overheat and you're fine. Things'll just smell like maple syrup for a spell. :) I'm no expert on Cayennes, but I'm no stranger to coolant leaks so here goes. Tell us what model Cayenne you drive, and where in the engine compartment the steam and coolant are coming from. I have a hunch that while you were thinking about being proactive with your cooling system, you may have opened the expansion tank cap to have a look at some point. Am I right? If the steam and fluid billowing out of your car came from the tank then it's very possible that either the cap is bad or its seal isn't seated properly. The caps are prone to fail, and you'd be amazed at what a terrible show they can make when they do. I'd fill your expansion tank back to the specified level if it isn't. Check the cap you have: examine the black ring seal for damage and the threads for debris, then seat it properly and let the car run until it warms up to operating coolant temperature. Keep the engine compartment open and go have a look. Is there steam rising from the cap? Condensation? Is coolant pouring from anywhere near the top? All of these are probable signs that either the cap or expansion tank are bad. If there's nothing amiss then re-seating the cap has solved your problem. If not, start with a new cap, then new expansion tank. Both are relatively cheap. If coolant is coming from elsewhere it could be your water pump, or the coolant pipes that others here have had issues with. If money is an issue it makes plenty of sense to do it yourself; the worst you'll need are a few tools and some patience. Give a yell here and someone near you might pitch in for a beer or two. Mark

I agree - very nice! I understood the lights from the factory have a top coat of hardened "scratch-resistant" polycarbonate material as part of the manufacturing process. Does anyone know if the restoration sanding removes that top coat, or is it simply smoothing the top layer (without penetrating it) to remove the scratches? There is a topcoat, which is scratch-resistant and also blocks UV from fogging/yellowing the lens underneath. Fixing the damage in this thread probably took all of that off. The base plastic is also UV-resistant, but it's best to keep it out of direct sunlight and heat whenever possible. Meg's makes a product called PlastX which works well for maintenance buffing of the odd scrape and pit. I've restored some pretty bad headlamps in my day. I'd say it's never smart to machine polish unless a) you've got the right machine and B) you know how to use it. Wetsanding by hand is preferred for the real bad stuff because sanding errors can polish out, but burned plastic is forever. Mark

Best wishes to you and your family, you have much to be thankful for. And don't be a stranger! MINIs are awesome stuff. I don't know if you've ever driven on a track with your 911 but you might consider doing it in the MINI... a few bucks on performance tires and a set of brake pads will net you an ear-to-ear grin just like the one your 911 pasted on. If you're ever in my neck of the woods and feel like driving a 997, give a yell. :) Mark

That's what the fiber optic cabling looks like, sorry I don't have a better picture. The clear end looks like a plastic Optical Mini connector, and it fits with a locking pin into the black connector on the right. There are two holes in the black connector which are for in and out optical connections, and the black connector is the standard interface on every device in the loop (nav, CDC, amp, HU). The Optical Mini could easily be converted to TOSlink with a cheap adapter. Unfortunately, MOST audio and data transport are on the optical bus so you need a box that converts from digital to optical and speaks MOST; the Ambery does the former but not the latter. Devices that do both exist (Dension, NAV-TV, Dice, etc) but can't be had for less than $450, which is about $350 more than my 60 GB video iPod is worth. If someone came up with a very simple AUX input/charger for iPod that could live in the MOST loop and cost me less than $100 (hell, even $150) I'd go buy it this minute. I can use the iPod to select my songs, my PCM2's interface sucks anyway. Why Porsche couldn't have just put a **** minijack on the face of my radio I'll never know. Maybe one day I'll crack it open in solder in one of my own. Don't hold your breath though! :rolleyes: Mark

All German cars tend to have a steep first gear, which is great when you're creeping along in stop-and-go traffic because it'll happily idle along at 700 RPM in first. Not so good for showing your goodies at a stoplight. Don't be afraid of the higher revs in first. You'll find that as long as you shift smoothly on the 1-2 upshift and lay off the throttle until you're in gear that the car will take care of the rest. If you're smelling oil then check for a leak, otherwise the smell of hot muffler and cosmoline shouldn't deter you from using everything the car has to offer. Automatics have the advantage of starting in 2nd gear at the stoplight, which is difficult to do in the C2S unless you have a practiced left foot. Try on level ground, and at your own risk. Mark

If it's leather it can probably be fixed with a retouch. Take it to a reputable detailer (anyone who knows what "paint correction" is and has a portfolio to prove it) and see if they can repair it. For vinyl, a relative of mine once had a fit and kicked the dashboard of my Passat wagon; I was able to remove the scuff with some very careful compounding and spot sanding with wet 1500 grit (did I mention careful!). If the grain is already gone, you're hosed. The trim closest to the windshield is fairly easy to pop out and replace. See the "Porsche Parts at Dealer Cost" link above. Next time, tell dad that diluted rubbing alcohol on a terrycloth rag should pick up any leftover adhesive with little elbow grease required. Mark

The mount points on the body should be the same (although I can't speak to the fitment around the tail light recesses). But the exhaust setup might require fabrication. Seems like a lot of work to make the rear end look like something it's not--are there any kit bumpers out there from a reputable producer like RUF that suit your taste? Mark

Here's a shot of the rear bumper cover assembly: It's pretty straightforward, I've done it a few times. You'll need a Torx driver, I don't remember the exact size and I'm not near my garage right now but I'm sure someone can chime in. Remove the rear lamps (unscrew from the inside edge of the engine bay), and the license plate and black plate mount. Then remove the four screws on the leading edge of the bumper where it meets the engine bay. There are more screws around the lower edge of the bumper cover and in the rear if I recall, not sure if you have to remove the ones between the exhaust tips or not. The last screws holding the cover in are directly behind each rear tire where the cover meets the body, and then there's a plastic rivet in the outside edge of each taillight recess that needs to come out. You'll want to have something soft to lay the cover on as you remove it, and it's best to have two people to take it off without damaging anything. You'll see that the tag lights branch from the same harness and can be disconnected to make your modification. Good luck! Mark

I'm trying to find a way to word it diplomatically, but in the end I have to say I'm with phillipj on the looks. A little too much show, obscuring the go. I like the idea of a car wrap for the track, it protects the finish from the rash. But it accentuates not-so-great fit and finish on the bodykit bumpers. I think that the Turbo represents Porsche's bread-and-butter entry in the "supercar" category, and therefore has a few absurdist touches that appeal to its exotic nature. But it's German, so the gaudy bits are far more subdued then they are on a Lambo or Ferrari. Taking the flares, intakes, and scoops to ridiculous proportion is just not in keeping with the aesthetic. On a GT-R, maybe. I love the spirit of taking an already amazing car and making something more from it so I appreciate what's done here. But it's not my taste. Mark

"HIOFCR" is taken already, but I second tac27's suggestion. I don't know how heavy your right foot is, but you may want to consider sticking with a nice anonymous plate that doesn't breed familiarity. I try to avoid attention in my car at all cost. :) But that's just my $.02. I'd go for 9ELF if I was into that sort of thing--it's obscure enough to give a smile to other P-Car owners or your German friends. M.

rhart, As someone who came from an '03 Boxster S to a '05 911 S I can tell you that there's a lot I miss about my Boxster. The 986/996 seats are the same, I wonder if there's actually any more travel on the 911's seat rails? Maybe someone could chime in here and let us know before you take the plunge. Have you considered a racing seat for the Boxster? It would certainly be cheaper than switching cars. I stepped up to a 997 because it felt like a vast upgrade over my Boxster, but when I was considering the switch I started out looking at 3.6l 996s. I drove C2 cabs, coupes, a Targa and a C4 cab; none of them really felt like $10-15k more car than my 986S. I did more than a few AX and DE days in the Boxster and it never failed to plant a huge grin on my face. Best of luck in your search. Mark

Preach it brother! On an open track the C2's on-throttle oversteer and lighter steering make for a more thrilling ride in my opinion. And the same driver in both cars--having mastered the C2's capabilities--might be slower in the C4 with its extra weight. In the autocross the C4 will feel as heavy as it is. I've autocrossed a Turbo and on a tight AX course the performance is probably similar to a C4, it was just terrible. Both will scrub in the AX as jperquin suggests. So you can take the advice of some here and eat half your tires with camber adjustments, or get a Boxster and have it both ways. :) C4 is rarer than C2 and may cost more as a result. C4 is also harder to find in non-cab, non-Tip configuration than C2 is. Bottom line: buy what you like, then concentrate on improving the driver. Think about this: most F1 drivers can hop into any car on any course, no matter how mismatched, and turn out a consistent lap time. Since most of us mortals are far below this capability I'd pick up the best example of C2 or C4 your money can buy and use it to work your way to 10/10ths. Mark

I'm curious about the window behavior too. Can someone chime in as to why it's designed this way (and described as such in the owners' manual)? Safety?

After an exhaustive search on a subject beaten to death in this forum, I've found that an aerosol flat repair kit should be used only as a last resort. My local Costco tire center will patch the tire from the inside under their tire repair warranty, unless the sidewall is damaged. They also recommended against using the aerosol sealer. I understand that there should be a can of the stuff included in my Porsche standard tool kit, but the manual states that any flat repair is only temporary and recommends replacing the tire as soon as possible. Depending on the wear, one might even have to replace the one on the opposite side as well. Nobody ever said that these wonderful toys are inexpensive to maintain! Your local Costco probably doesn't want to clean up the goo once they've dismounted your tire. :) The fix-a-flat is a stopgap measure; of course, a patch or a replacement is the permanent solution to a flat tire. And as for the Cayenne blowout above, if the tire hasn't been damaged, no road rash was involved and the pressure was at recommended levels I severely doubt that the tire just "gave up the ghost." If so, I'd have my lawyer on the phone to the tire company. Mark

This guy may have a lead for you: http://www.renntech.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=19074 Mark

There's no shortage of aftermarket parts available to lighten a Boxster, just depends on what you want to spend. http://www.boxsterspecracing.org/ is a good place to look since these folks spend a lot of time on adding lightness to their race cars. Mark

Dude, free Porsche! With an investment of spare time and preventative maintenance it should cost you less than the econobox most grad students are rockin', and if you have a daily driver then you can't pass this up. It sounds like the engine was tested as sound despite the overheating episode so I'd say that's not an immediate worry. There are NO cheap upgrades to the engine in this car. The least expensive solution I know of is a DIY engine transplant from a 911, and that will set you back five figures. Despite the layout, a Subie engine doesn't speak German. Solution: Find a twisty route to work and school and you won't miss the power. A heavy clutch may mean the car's throwout bearing might be worn, meaning it's time to get in there and replace it. That's about $1500 from an indy to do everything in the bellhousing. Get a PPI so you know what you're up against, a few hundred bucks to see into the future a bit. Less than $2000 out the door for a P-Car with a clean bill of health! My opinion: Don't start "adding lightness" and performance unless you're building a track rat. Porsche's men and women in white coats spent a lot of time making the car a great balance between fun, performance and comfort, and anything you do to the car will throw that off. Want more performance? Finish grad school, get a good-paying job, and buy more car. In the meantime, improve YOUR performance by investing in a few DE events with the Porsche Club or an Autocross or two. You'll find that the car gets significantly faster after that, no Subaru parts needed. :) Your dad is a hell of a guy for extending you an offer like this. Take it and run with it, and post some pictures. :) Mark

I think that this forum offers a great place to learn and contribute, with little duplication of effort and OT chaff. Try the "View New Posts" function to see the activity, there's always someone online. Of course, if you're interested in the off-topic stuff you can always head on over to that other "renn" site. :rolleyes: I think that you'll find your curiosity rewarded here if you do a little digging yourself and simply ask nicely. In the posts you've made so far, someone has always replied with useful info. Calling RT weak only serves to ***** off the people who contribute the most to this site (and those you stand to learn the most from, I know I've learned a ton). If you signed up as a contributing member to troll, I suggest you spend your money elsewhere next time. If you want to see the thread counts go higher then do something about it! Show us your car, set up a registry. Tell us about what you like and dislike, ask about what you don't know, inform us when you learn something. If you make a mod, document it and share. We're eager to see and read about your 997 adventure. Thanks for telling us about the exhaust campaign and pricing, I'm sure someone will find that useful. Mark

Amen! :lol: Either way, let us know what happens.

Other than examining fault codes, did the dealer actually inspect the ducting in your dashboard? Anything from a missing piece of foam to a malfunctioning flap motor could cause a minor "heat leak" that may not adversely affect the air-conditioned air temp. I'd try placing a thermometer on or near the pollen filter and then aft of the vents to see the temperature differential. If the temp is the same, the dealer's right and you should resign yourself to using AC. If it differs, something might be wrong with the system. They're right anyway that heat from the engine will make your cold air less cool, esp. in summer. Perhaps there's an upgrade to your wife that would support AC? :-D Mark

IT'S SO LOUD IN THIS THREAD I CAN'T HEAR MYSELF THINK! Now that I have that out of the way, today's tires don't blow out severely on a whim unless the sidewall is forcibly damaged, or severe impact occurs with an object that will probably have you calling the tow truck anyway. Porsche, recognizing this, has saved you the weight and expense of a spare by offering a can of fix-a-flat for the occasional road nail and reminding you to check your tire pressures with the label in the doorjamb. Unless you're a rally driver, run on Warsaw Pact-era pavement, or park on a bed of nails every day this precaution is probably unnecessary. I can't imagine South Florida exhibiting the degree of weatherbeaten and pot-holed roads we have here in upstate NY, for instance. But when I'm calling AAA and you're pulling away at 54 MPH on a skinny red spare within 50 miles of your home or mechanic I imagine your purchase will be justified. :) Here's a cool idea for the next person buying a spare: get a roof rack and mount it in the middle. Dress it up a bit, and stick a pic-a-nic basket atop for a classy look... Mark

My '03 S used to make a low howling noise right in the low 2k RPM range when you held the throttle just right. It came from the air intake, and sounded like something a Foley crew would use to accompany a UFO in an old low budget sci-fi flick. I think it was just air being sucked in at just the right velocity, like blowing through a cardboard tube. I kinda liked it. Rode in a few other Boxsters and none did the same, so it was unique. Maybe not so now. Mark

Now get off his lawn! :D